We put our 20 week old GSD pup into a kennel at the weekend (his first experience of this). We were going to a wedding and the person supposed to look after him let us down. We're now worried that we have distressed him in some way! He was in for about 24 hours, and when we went to pick him up, he was very excited (when he finally realised it was us). When we got him home he wee'd every 5 mins, even when he lay down for a sleep. He seemed very distressed and I was worried sick! He's been ok since though (I hope). But I worry that I've damaged him in some way (probably me just being silly). The thing is, we have to put him in kennels for 4 days over christmas and I'm really wary of this now! Any tips, help, suggestions??

Hi, and I would say please don't worry unecessarily (spelling!). I only had my rescue dog a matter or weeks and I had to disappear at short notice via work. He hated it but he coped (although to be fair my dog is 4 years old and not a pup). He was not at all distressed in any way. Hacked off a tad at me for leaving him but I would have expected that. All the more happy when I picked him up. Also, my mum has a 6 month old cross lab and she had to kennel him. He was a rescue dog and she trawled the local kennels until she found one she was happy with. The dog loved being there! Mum did say when her dog got home he was over excited etc. I'm not a dog expert but I say almost with confidence you have not damaged your dog. No way. You have done the best you could do. It will take time to settle him when you get him home but dogs do that. Please don't worry about kennelling him over christmas. Just visit a couple of times before with the dog, he'll get used to it and all will be well. If you are happy 100% with the kennels, your dog will be as well.

Thanks so much for your reply. I think we will maybe try him in another day or so, so that the 4 days over christmas don't come as too much of a shock! He's our baby and I probably do worry unnecessarily, I just wouldn't like to think that we scarred him in some way. I also worry about him being cold...lol Is that just silly?
Thanks again.

hi jools, i work in kennels and some dogs who havent been in b4 can get a little stressed but they soon get used to it, do they have heating at the kennels? and did they say ur dog was unsettled at all?

They had a heat lamp thing, above his bed area. And they said he was such a good boy, he just lay and watched the world go by his kennel and he was lovely natured and that they wanted to keep him. I forgot to say he was kept isolated from the other dogs because he hadn't had the kennel cough thing (because it was such short notice). But he will have it for next time. Is that the right kind of heating etc. I just worried because the kennels seemed so open and he's used to being in the house all the time (it was a bitter weekend). He also never poo'd - he tends to like poo'ing in our garden not out on walks etc - and I think he held the majority of his pee'ing in too!

I work in a boarding kennels its all indoors and has radiators all around which heat the kennels they all have ajoining outside runs which they go in and out all day. Did the kennels walk the dogs? Where i work the dogs get walked and we have 3 play yards where they go out about for times a day. Did he go out to get chance to have a wee?

our kennels are heated with radiators, there is and indoor area and outside run attached, also dogs are walked twice a day, you should ask if they walk because if he his holding himself he could end up with cystistis, i know of a few kennels that don't walk the dogs..think its awful for them just to be stuck in a kennel 24/7. I can't see a problem with the heat lamp if it give's warmth but there should be an area to shut off at night so he's indoors so to speak :) how is he today?

Thanks for you help peeps, I think we will look around for different kennels. They told us that they did walk him (but I do wonder). When we got outside with him he did pee for what felt like an age, so he obviously was holding it in - I didn't realise dogs got cystitis! I think that may of been his problem, when he was wee'ing every 5 mins! But he seems fine now, back to his old self really.
I will look around at all the other kennels in the area, and find one I'm happier with. It was such short notice the last time, I don't think we looked into it properly. Although the one that was highly recommended to us was unfortunately full.
Can you list all the things I should be looking for in a good kennel?
Also do you know of the age you can/should get a dogs claws clipped? He is only 5 months but he has exceptionally long sharp front claws (got the scratches to prove it!)
Thanks again everyone!

If you do a search you will find good pointers for kennels has been discussed at length, this will help you.
dawn.

I would advise you cut your dogs nails every two to four weeks since you had him. You may find nowq that he is five months old that it will be a two person job, and he may protest. You must be firm and not let him get away from having them done, then he will get used to having them done.

Just take the very tips off, and if there is still the grooved part of the nail left then take a bit more off in a fe days until you are left with no hooky grooved bit, just a round cross sectioned nail.

If they haven't been trimmed regularly the quick (blood vessels) can be quite a way down the nail, and could bleed, even when the nail si still long. If you take them up in stages the quick will shrink back.

I usually sayif you can hear the nails clicking on your kitchen floor then they are too long.

Hope this helps.