I'm hoping to line up a day care facility for my dog whilst we are on holiday in Scotland.  I want one on standby to use only if we have a burning desire to do something without him (city shopping or boat trip for instance).

All the ones I've looked at suggest that a kennel cough vaccination is necessary. 

I rarely use kennels but my local one doesn't ask for this.  If I did vaccinate we might not need the kennels anyway!  Also I'm not sure that they are particulary worthwhile are they?

If anyone can give me some advice and opinion, at least I might be making a more qualified decision :)  Thank you

There's a coincidence--I just got back from the vet's earlier this morning having decided our lad might be coming down with kennel cough. The vet was of the opinion that he seemed well enough--no temperature, eating, playing, sleeping completely normally--but did notice that his lymph glands were slightly swollen, so we're home on R and R.

We discussed vaccine and she reckoned that, like the flu jab, it might help but it certainly doesn't guarantee protection against all the kennel cough strains that are out there. There is research suggesting that vaccinating repeatedly for kennel cough, as you might be forced to do if your dog went into kennels every year for his holidays, actually does more harm than good to your dog.

K.C vaccine (to my knowledge) only protects against Bordatella the main cough, not the less serious strains. So if your dogs been vaccinated and then get a cough you know that its the less serious strain they have.  Where in Scotland are you going too?

> Where in Scotland are you going too?

NE coast nr Elgin.  The kennel owner has said that Aberdeenshire has had frequent outbreaks at some other kennels.

I'm going to our breed show on the way back so don't want to worry about KCough.  I wonder if it's just simpler to make sure we don't do anything without him then the kennel and vaccine is unnecessary!!  We are leaving our 'livestock chaser' at home with Grandma and this one is pretty easy to take anywhere, including towns, as he isn't distracted by pigeons, people, or food...