we took our dog to kennels, it was the worst mistake we have ever made.we cant leave him alone anymore

Without mentioning names can you elaborate at all?Why was it to so bad?

There are many things come into play which make dogs not respond well after being  kennelled, for example breed, age, type of kennels, length of time there. Perhaps if you could explain more then someone here could help you with this problem :)

My dog was very distressed by kennels too. he came back looking very ragged and miserable, and had apparently tried to chew/scratch his way through the concrete door posts. He is very people orientated, and likes to play, i think he was just very lonely. Last time we went on holiday we found a company who organise a  pet-sitter who looks after your dog in their own home. This was entirely satisfactory, and he came back looking just like he did when he went away, completely normal. We will do this again this year, even though it costs rather a  lot more, it is worth it to avoid the upset.

Ive always been touch and go, one hadn I like the convienance and the independance it can help a dog achive, on the other hand if she hates it and it makes her miserable shes stuck there for a week and will come back a different dog.

So I'm eager to see as well what people have to say as I really really dont like the idea of someone going in and out of my home and relying on them to secure my home when they leave, and also you dont know who is who nowadays i would probably come home to an empty house and no dog at all! Extreme I know, but it could happen and thats enough for me not to want to do it.

Some sitters take your dog into their home, not live in yours. So the dog's not in a stressful kennel environment and your house is still empty.

I don't kennel my dogs, but I have a friend who has a boarding kennels & if I needed to they would go there & I know they would be fine. It does depend on the kennels & the people who run them & work in them. My friend & her staff all adore dogs & they have set of rescue kennels there as well for the GSD rescue my friend runs.

My dad took his dogs there when they went on holiday & the dogs had a whale of a time & used to run back to my friend for a love bafore they would leave to come home.

my pet sitters have a police check, And I have them visit my pets twice a day and sit with them for at least an hour each time. I never go away long, just two days most of the time if I go to visit family. I cant use Kennels as my cat and dog hate to be apart. My pets are always happy on my return and as I always use the same sitter they know her as a friend

Kennels and animals vary so much don't they.

We put ours into kennels last year - our dog was apparently a little subdued but didn't seem 'unhappy' and I had every confidence in the kennel staff. He's since been back for a shorter visit and seemed comfortable with that.

We were really worried about our cat, he's elderly and very set in his ways (I reckon you could set your watch by him :-) ) The lady who runs the cat kennels said he'd had a whale of a time and was really friendly and affectionate - she's fallen in love with him. I knew she wan't making it up because she described some of his little quirks and things that he only does when he's happy.

We've got several kennels near us, some great, some not. If I were you OP, I'd hunt about for some other kennels and start by putting your dog in as a day boarder just for 1 day to get him used to them again if you want to kennel him in the future.

Claire :-)

i have had dogs for over 36 years and i have had to place them in kennels twice due to being admitted to hospital. my old GSD and westie cross did not like it and it took months to get over it. however last year i had to kennel my two newfoundlads and they loved it they came back healthy and happy as if they had been at home. Kennels do vary. i dont go on holiday for fear of putting my dogs in kennels as for house sitters my husband works nights so he is about during the day and so am i sometimes and i here at nights they have someone with them twenty four hours a day. Kennels may be fantasic but they are more or less isolated for eighteen hours a day and if they are not use to it cna cause unhappiness and stress. Though mine were happy in kennels they are only and will only be used in an emergency

I dont do Kennels. I dont do holidays either which makes life a bit easier. On the odd occasions that I have had to go into hospital I have had someone come and stay in the house. I felt bad enough leaving the dogs then. I have never found the ideal Kennel. I do have to try and locate good kennels for my work, but unfortunatly I never find anything that I am completely happy with. I did once visit triple a pet resort near Darlington. Does anyone know of this?

This year will be the first time our dogs have gone into kennels while we go on holiday for a week.  Normally my parents come to stay and look after them but this is not always convenient and my parents aren't getting any younger and I think they don't feel as able to cope with large boisterous as they used to.  After researching many kennels, we settled on one and the dogs spent a weekend there a few weeks ago to  break them in before they go in for a week.

My Newf fretted a little but didn't go off her food which is the first sign that she is stressed (she has even gone off her food when my parents have been looking after them).  My crossbreed - who I was most worried about as he is not always accepting of strangers - seemed to have an absolute ball!!  The kennel owner really understands him and was even playing with him in one of the exercise enclosures...we've never seen him play with anyone but OH and I but her description of what she was doing with him is exactly how he is with us when we're playing :-)

I guess some dogs don't cope well in kennels in general but I think, in the majority of cases, it's all about finding the right one.

I think you're right ShaynLola.
Good idea to put dogs in for a short period beofrehand to see how they react. Also, if you're nearby and the worse comes to the worst you can always go pick them up. Kennels arent the only option though and i would look into dog sitters or as i have mentioned before paying a sensible youngster to dog sit.

ONe of the knennels that I had a look at was very interesting. they had large runs, but no dogs in them. only free area was a 'pretty' grass area that didnt look to me like it had seen many dogs on it. Yes, she did accept bitches in season if anyone wished to put their bitches in for whatever reason. No, she didnt have a seperate area for them, Why should it bother the dogs, she asked, they cant get near the bitch. she said that she invited all dogs that were 'hoping to be boarded' to stay (obviously paying guests) for a couple of nights. It turns out that if a dog shows it is a barker, (lets be honest even if our dogs dont bark at home they are likely to in kennel situation) she would not accept the barking dog.  After all she, even although my neighbors live a fair bit away they would still be able to hear, and I have to live hear as well!!!!!!  Another one, the dogs were lead walked for 10mins twice a day, shut up time around 7 or 8 that was them till morning, another that thankfully is no longer running had dried up poo laying, they only had about 8 kennels that were reallly just sectioned off in a large outbuilding that seemed to be some sort of store. This 'lady admitted that there wasnt someone on call, when I asked what happened in the event of a fire she got all uppity and said 'I have to go shopping sometime. No thanks no holiday is worth it, but I will say around where I live there isnt much competition. Thats what they are needing, then perhaps they would offer a better service.

Tadog thats awful.

My dobermann is 4 and he is a big baby at home.  We had him looked after when he was younger by a lady in her house - it was okay but he was quite young and to be honest I think it was more a money making thing than anything else!  Double time (£30.00 a day) on bank holidays, plus I took all his own bedding, food and anything else with me.  The lady moved away and couldn't have him any more so I had to put him into kennels, I didn't want to, but had no choice.  A lady I know from the park (who also has a dobermann) recommended the kennels I now use.  My boy, goes to a dobermann rescue centre (who run a kennels also), and to be honest I would now much rather him go there, they have got to know him and they know all his little quirky ways.  I am sure he would much rather stay at home, but unfortunately it isn't possible.  He is always happy to see me when I pick him up, and I also hate leaving him, but the one thing is when I get him he is always happy for the man and lady who run the kennels to pet him and he isn't bothered by them at all.  So I am sure he must be fine!!!  He comes home and settles straight back in!