Is there a list anywhere or a website that details boarding kennels that offer day-care facilities? As we're getting into summer, hopefully :D, we'd like to take the children out on some day trips, some of which won't be suitable for Holly.

I'm not happy leaving her at home and I don't have anyone nearby to look after Holly on a regular basis.

Thanks,

Fiona
x x x

Fiona.
A lot of kennels do take dogs for the day, but you must abide by their opening hours which may not suit you. During the summer most kennels will not take dogs for the day as their kennels are full as it is peak boarding season and will not have space at short notice. However you occasionally get people who don't turn up, so kennels may on the very odd occasion have a free kennel at short notice.
Dawn.

Sorry we're not nearer and available, I'd be delighted to look after Holly for you!
Cathy.
xxxxx

Hi Fiona,
In the US, sometimes vet clinics will take on day boarders.... You could consider checking with your vet to see if anything is provided. I've also heard of vets in the town/area of a visit, will take a crated dog for a couple of hours to keep safe from a hot car.

Fiona, I'd have her off you, but only on the assumption that she won't bite any kids, growl at anyone, do more than 2 poo's/day (must be solid), doesn't pull on the lead, isn't in season, doesn't roll in anything smelly, or eat anything I leave lying around. :)

Thanks Dave for a smile to start the day! :D

as kennels can be gathering grounds for infections---mainly kennel cough, ,you could find yourself having a very expensive day away by the time you pay the vets bill

I think that is a little unfair to make such a sharp statement like that.
Dawn.

Dizzy It appears that you are under the impression that Kennel Cough is started in Boarding Kennels. I have to inform you that NO kennels want it, and it is bought in by clients dogs who are exercised in parks on roads or visits at vets. Kennel Cough is an air born virus which is highly contagious and with a lot of dogs in a relatively confined space makes them more vunerable to this virus.
As regards to high vet bills this is total rubbish as any GOOD boarding kennels will include an insurance to cover these and any other medical bills which may be attributed to the kennels.
Dizzy why don't you check out the facts BEFORE you make unjustifiable statements

im not arguing with you--i never ever said the kennel cough was made and bred in the kennels-BUT as you say yourself that because of all the dogs that come in ,and the confined space that its a very real problem, ---im sure NO KENNELS WANT IT!!! i must be slow ,tell me which are the facts i should check-oh by the way ive yet to know anyone whos had their dogs come out of kennels poorly with whatever that had the kennels pay there vet bills----im obviously wrong, so would everyone whove had some sort of infection and the kennels took full responsibilty please write on this thread, - do you perhaps work for or with kennels---------im definitley getting slow :D just checked out both profiles of the two that think im having a go at kennels !!!!!!! :D what a suprise, it appears you both work for kennels, :D im sure you'll let me know if im wrong

Dizzy, several years ago I noticed my dogs coughing the day after I collected them from the kennels, I phoned to let them know so they could look out for any oldies they had in, they immediately told me I could claim for the treatment of their insurance.

I've had kennel cough infection three times. :(
On all three occasions it has been aquired in boarding kennels. One of my dogs in particular was very seriously ill.
Dizzy has a point and kennel owners/managers and maids know that the infection can be spread through boarding kennels like wildfire. The virus is not more commonly known as 'kennel cough' for nothing!
It may be brought into the kennels from an external source but once in - it creates havoc and not all intra nasal vaccinations or injected vaccinations will hit on the right strain for protection. :(
Anyone considering using boarding kennels should be AWARE of this potential hazard. It's a REAL possibility.

Just a thought & I may be wrong but aren`t dogs vaccinated for kennel cough before going into kennels?
Christine2

It's not compulsory Christine - some are, but it's just like the human flu jab - pot luck that you vaccinate for the strain that is most likely to occur. There are so many different strains! To get it wrong is ineffectual.

Dizzy.

I do indeed work at kennels, Bazza's kennels !! he owns them and I am the manageress there, so what? this has never been hidden nor guarded. He did not however discuss this thread with me until this evening and until he reads this himself will not be aware of my reply, again, so what? We both have different opinions on most subjects, it's just we both share the same one in this case.

I will quote just 2 of the cases we have paid out for. A 9yr Staff, boarded by us for many years, we thought he looked "unwell" after a couple of days, although this dog had been treated for a heamatoma just a week prior to boarding, and there was no evidence to suggest anything else was wrong. We took this dog to our vet, tests and further examinations confirmed tha dog had a massive liver tumour that had ulcerated and burst. The total cost of the dogs treatment was £640.00, we covered that in full, although it was nothing to do with us nor the kennels and the dog had had this condition for a considerable time before boarding, a second case, just recently was a 13yr old Beagle, a most regular visitor to our kennels, refused a meal, not good for a Beagle !! vets tests confirmed acute kidney failure, again nothing to do with the kennels, yet with tests, hospital treatment etc.. the total cost was just short of £700.00. Again we paid for all this treatment for our client. Good kennels DO include insurance, but it is up to people to check this before leaving their pets with them.
Dawn.

this is not a personell attack on your or bazzas kennel!!!!!!! but i cant see where i made the assumption that kennels caused kennel cough, it was never said-i do know though---[as bazza agreed] that they tend to be a meeting place that the kennel cough virus will be passed on, if youve covered folk that have had problems then good on you, :) but i know folk that have picked their dogs up coughing and have complained to kennels, their argument was ,it could of had kennel cough before it came in----no-one could prove it either way so the owners had to fork out for the bill, this is what i was warning issysmum about, she may find that by kenneling her dog for a day she could come home with kennel cough!!! !!! thats what!!!!!:rolleyes:

I don't know where about you are but the kennels I own Fully insure ALL pets whilst in our care and my insurance bill per year would enable you to buy a reasonable second hand car.
Hopefully Bec and Philippa will be visiting me over the weekend for a brief chat and look round and you are welcome to also pay a visit if you feel inclined.
If your local kennels had spent the amount of money on upgrading and improving over 9yrs that I have running into several tens of thousands of pounds to provide the best possible care, your opinion may change.

And just for your interest my kennels were selected by the Kennel and Cattery Management Magazine, which is a trade mag, to be the main feature for the May/June issue this year, and as only 6 issues are published yearly and kennels are selected world wide, I feel honoured and privilaged to have been included.

which bit of---I DONT MEAN YOUR KENNELS!!!!!! are you having a job with, again, this is not an attack on your kennels, you obviously do well and are well insured, its the ones that dont care as much as you apparently do :)- do you think it was wrong of me to warn issysmum that theres a risk hollie could come home with kennel cough ? and i dont think every kennel would be as keen to pay out for a dog that was only there for a day,-i dont need to visit your kennels, or ask bec and phillipa. youve taken this personally, it never was meant to be and at no time did i suggest it was,

Dizzy /Liz

I do realise that the attack was not on my kennels personally but I do get very annoyed when I hear of people moaning about boarding kennels and do nothing about it, then assume all kennels are the same.
If only they would first check out the kennels ,second if any complaints put it in writing to the proprietors of the kennels , then if no joy proceed to lodge a formal complaint with the local Environmenat Health Inspectors and if paid for insurance cover and not getting it go to the trading standards office.
If enough people did this then those kennels with a "dodgy " reputation would be put out of business.
Don't mean to be rude to anyone but I speak as I feel
so sorry to offend if I have.

as the cases i know of werent dogs owned by me i couldnt do anything about it, -i personally think its got to be a chance you take when kenneling a dog, same as when you show them etc, anywhere theres large gatherings of dogs the risk comes with it, at no time did i or anyone else say all kennels where the same-obviously the ones my freinds had bad experiences of are no longer used by them or anyone else who might ask me if i know of a good kennel, i realise its your livelihood [now] , i didnt before this thread , however again, my comments where not directed at you or your kennels, :rolleyes:

Bazza, I have no doubt that from your previous posts, your kennels and run with care and efficiency. However I have personal experience of boarding kennels that are not run the same way. The insurance fee was added to the daily boarding rate, but was not forwarded to the company "because the owner couldn't be bothered to do the paperwork!" Therefore vets were rarely consulted about sick dogs, and vets fees incurred after leaving were never paid - and they're still in business.

Hi Val.
COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. I cannot stress enough about the need to report conditions or circumstances that require it, if nothing is said, nothing will be done.

Dizzy.
The fact that the dog could have had kennel cough incubating when it came into kennels is perfectly true, nobody can disagree with that. Warning issysmum, fine, but you told her she could face an expensive time paying for vet bills, my point was, if the kennels were insured she would not have to pay anything.
Dawn.

I did Dawn. Nobody would take any action. It was some years ago and as far as I'm aware nothing has changed. I've removed the post as it was suggested it wasn't a good idea to talk publically.

Val
The boarding act is very vague in parts to say the least, sufficient this, adequate that, I know the problems you would have faced in trying to get something done. At this present time there is a kennels not far from me advertising "conditions in excess of local authority standards" they are perfectly entitled to do this, yet I visited them and in the cattery there were 2 dogs!!! both puppies a Weimaraner and a black crossbreed. I complained relentlessly for many weeks and as yet nothing has been done.
Dawn.

Dawn do you know why there were 2 puppies in the cattery? Was it possibly because they wouldn't have had their vaccinations or were they older puppies ?

My ears just pricked up there as weimaraners are my breed :-)

Also can I ask another kennel related question that possibly you or Bazza can answer. When owners go on holiday and leave their dogs in your kennels do they ring you whilst they're away to check on them or do you not hear from them until they return? Is it a pain if they do ring? Are some owners really anxious when leaving their pets? I'm just wondering because I can't imagine leaving my dogs anywhere whilst I was away if I couldn't call to check everything was fine and be guaranteed to be told the truth. My inlaws wouldn't dare not tell me the truth when they've got our 2 for a week or so :D

Ta Muchly!

We recently had to leave our dogs last minute at a kennel (our dog-sitter had a family emergency) while we were away for 10 days in Canada. We were encouraged to check on our dogs - were told we could phone, fax or email with any concerns.

I called the morning after I left them as the youngest had never been kennelled before and I was quite concerned about her (the two dogs were in the 'family kennel'. The owner was very honest and said that Chelsea was definitely the more confident of the two, and was taking things in stride, but Savannah had had a bit of a rough time for the first night. They hoped she would take her lead from Chelsea and would get more confidence over the next couple of days.

We called again about 4 days later (we had given them a number for a friend who would have come get them if they were really not settling in) and they said both had caught on to the routine really well and Savannah had all the kennel staff wrapped round her little finger!

I didn't worry about them after that:)

We got back to find they'd only lost a little bit of weight (they had fed them 3 times a day instead of two as they were aware whippets don't do well in kennels) and to find two very happy, healthy dogs, and I was pleased!

We weren't worried about the weight loss in Chelsea, and for Savannah we gave her a prescription diet from the vet for 5 days which was just enough to bulk her back out again.

They weren't bothered at all by our calling, and like I said, had given us 3 methods of contacting them.

Wendy

Thanks for your reply Wendy, sounds like the kennels you used were very good :-)

Can anyone tell me why dogs lose weight when they go in kennels? Is it because it is all so strange and stressful to them? When my 2 stay with the inlaws they tend to put on weight due to being spoilt and although they are very pleased to see use when we return they definately don't worry about us which is why I would worry if I ever had to use kennels.

I don't know why I bother going on holiday as I usually spend the whole time missing my dogs and can't wait to get home to see them :rolleyes:

They owner of this kennel explained it that in the kennels there is always something going on so the dogs are hyped up - someone walks in they all have to see what's going on etc.... So even though they are in a smaller environment than the house, they are more active for longer periods. My dogs could sleep 20 hours a day, so being awake and 'begging for attention' does burn more calories than lounging all day. They did lose weight, but were totally happy and healthy.

Wendy

Hi Claire
With my kennels people do ring whilst on holiday to see how their pets are and if they want someone to come and physically check on the pet they are most welcome during our hours of business.
We feel that it is of mutual benefit a.the owner is reassured that all is well and b. hopefully those that do look on behalf of another wil remember what they have seen and recommend us to their friends.
Any kennels that will not allow this I feel should be regarded with some suspicion.

Hi Claire.
The fact there were dogs in the cattery at all was bad enough for me. Dogs should not be near cats in a boarding facility. The Wei' would have been about 12wks or so,the mongrel looked younger. This kennel also boards rescue dogs/strays with boarding dogs, again against the rules, and I saw a bitch with puppies been kept one side of a kennel door and a German Shepherd been kept the other, yet they blatently told me the dogs were shut out because they were cleaning!! As I said boarding regs are vague and reccommendation is the best way to go if you are boarding your dog or cat. It is like anything in life, there is good and bad, it's up to us to sort them out, ask vets, friends at training, people in the park etc..

I will keep on with this kennel, to try and get something done.
Dawn.

i know what your point was, but again you seemed to take it personally-, why else would your sentence finish with---so what!!!!for the last time, its not the caring, properly covered kennels im getting at, but the ones like those that val-marie .several of my freinds and others who've written on other boards about horrendous kennels!! also i was trying to make a point of it being a risk espescially for one day, if i had to ever leave mine in kennels then id feel a week or so would be worth taking the chance they MAY catch something, however for one day id try my best not to, :D

Dizzy am I going bonkers or have you edited your message re kennels paying vets fees etc? I went to reread one of your points and it didn't seem to read the same.

no ive not changed anything---are you sure youve checked them all--there seems to be loads of them :D :D

Ah! Bonkers indeed then :D

OK Dizzy, point taken but again, as horrendous as the kennels were, the dogs were still left there, again proper vetting before hand may of steered them away, best to check with vets, environmental health etc.. before leaving your pet anywhere you think may be dodgy.
Dawn.

I and two other friends took a kennels to task here 5yrs ago
We were going to crufts for the week and felt it best to put them in a kennel
in case they were left out and other things that can happen if your not there .
We came back to collect the dogs , and were appalled at the condition of them .
They were filthy , covered in their own dirt the water was disgusting and they were all very bedraggled looking .
I took pics of the kennels the dogs and went to vet to have them looked at for proof .
The vet said they were very dehydrated and needed some food as they were very ribbed
the following day we went to a solicitor and sent out the summons
The excuse given for the state the dogs were in was they had both got flu and were unable to do the kennels ..
It was reported in the local papers pics and all and the place was closed down some months later.
I do appreciate Bazza's concern as he has good kennels but he must know that bad things have happened in some kennels .
I feel it would have been better to just say to Dizzy , how horrific it was to hear of this and then let us know how good your kennels were .
There is no need when something is said about bad kennels.for the remark to be treated as a personal attack on the good kennels .

Fiona It is not a crime to leave the dog behind sometimes .Everyone does . just make sure she is in a safe place with food and water and toys , she will be fine , and will be all the more pleased to see you when you come back.
I try not to let my dogs be anywhere else but here .It is far better for them to be at home alone for a few hours in preference to being in a kennel .
What do you think happens to all of our dogs that we dont take to a show Fiona . :) they are at home lol Marie

I think Fiona is still concerned about those shady characters who were 'checking' out her house and who left some blood/skin on her barbed fence wire to just leave Holly alone.

well none of my dogs have been in kennels, but had kennel cough 3 times in the pass 3years, air born from dog training classes or shows or just out on their daily run,but when 5 dogs go down with it cost over £100.00 in vets fees,so the dog can catch it any where,not just in kennels,

Morning Fiona

You can also contact The National Association of Registered Petsitters and they can give you a list of Petsitters in your area. This may be a better option so Holly can stay in her own enviornment with someone coming round to let her out, take her for a walk etc.

Their website is www.dogsit.com.

Regards, Rachel

As I am not allowed to advertise my kennels on here and rightly so i feel that any recommendations as to other sites should be also removed

Why?
Word of mouth from positive experiences is an excellent method of recommendation and can save people a lot of heartache!
You've already blown your own trumpet with your chest thumping comments about a certain magazine selecting your kennels for inclusion - giving reference to the particular issue where the article can be found. If that is not an indirect advertisement to your particular kennels then what is? :p

Lara
When you have put as much time and effort and May I say a great deal of hard earned money running into several £10,000's over a long period with very few days off over 9 yrs about a month in total I feel that to be recognised by a magazine that is a world wide publication IS something to shout about.
My life is involved around look after dogs and cats and yes it is my living which some on here seem to object strongly to, but they forget that without people doing the same job as me up and down the country there would be a hell of a lot of pets chucked out on the streets come holiday time.
Those who object to boarding kennel for whatever reason then so be it, but my guess is that the main reason is that it is because they don't like to think of anyone earning money from their pet.
Yes I am going to stand up for Boarding establishments, for too long they have not been recognised for the dedication and devotion that is given
and yet there will no doubt those who will now attack me for saying so usually because they have had a bad experience with kennels and this if questioned carefully is due to them not having inspected and researched the good from the not so good.

Totally agree Bazza - It's a wonderful acheivement and you must be immensely proud :). I would be too in the same situation - I'm not knocking that!!!
I couldn't see a reason for your objection to someone posting a general website address when you had given reference to your kennels on the same thread. I saw no direct link to another kennels! My living is also involved 24/7 around dogs - working dogs - and like you some people tend to have a problem with that. As far as I'm concerned the problem is all theirs!

Hi Baz, Hmmmmm, how come people can "shout" about their show wins, but you cant "shout" about your front page listing??
I agree that some boarding kennels are terrible, and that is awful for the dogs that are put into them, but there are others, like yours who are excellent, and with the amount of time work and money you have put into your establishment you are entitled to be proud of them and have a little " shout"..........love phil xxx

Bazza that is correct, you are not allowed to advertise your own kennels in your posts BUT like everyone else, you are very welcome to add your URL to your profile. :-)

Well I have just been to view new Kennels here and I have to say they are fantastic. It says inspection encouraged.
they have covered runs , water troughs , which make sure dogs always have clean water
shores for the washing down .
Heating and wooden benches up off ground , and clean strips of carpet on them ,
I am impressed and if the need should arise I will be happy to use those ones .
Mari

Thanks for all your replies about Kennels and Pet Sitting. Having someone come into the house is not an option neither is leaving her by herself.

We want to do some fairly long distance trips so we can't leave her at home for 9+hrs (she's only a baby) which is why we wanted to put her in kennels for odd days here and there.

Unfortunately Chris (he who thinks he knows best!) read this thread and has declared that no dog of his is going into kennels and as I don't drive I'll have to stay at home with her :(

Needless to say this won't be happening as there's no way he could manage with the 3 children out for the day so at the moment it looks as if we won't be going anywhere.

Thanks again for all you advice,

Fiona
x x x

Talk about make a rod for your own back :rolleyes: Sooner or later, something may happen that means that you have no choice but to kennel your dog or leave her for many hours. None of us know when this might happen, and it is far easier on the dog if they are used to being left for a few hours or have been in a kennel enviroment before. It doesn't have to be for weeks on end, but I would recommend that you do kennel her from time to time and as she is young, now is a good time to start.

Not all dogs fret when going into kennels :-)