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Squeak

Squeak

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Since family have moved around the country I've been struggling with what to do with our two dogs if we need to be away for a day or overnight. In the past we've been spoilt because very reliable family members were able to have them. What do others who don't have family/ friends who can look after dogs do?

It is very rare for us to go places where we can't take them but it would be nice to be able to go abroad for a weekend and also there are a few horse champs and shows that don't allow dogs.
 
Mine go to a good kennels who are used to the breed and treat them very well. I'm down to one now, which makes things easier, but at one time I had three. I keep mine kenneled during the day anyway so it isn't a huge culture shock for them.
 
I have a friend who is also an animal sitter and she does everything for me from pop ins to week long stays. Only slight issue is she works so her mother does a lunchtime visit on those days.
I do see a lot of people advertising that they do this sort of thing but from some of the pictures they post I wouldn't let them near my dogs. Some folk seem to think it's an easy way of earning money, so I would always so go for personal recommendation from someone you know.
 
I use a commercial kennels for mine if no one is available. Mine would not be secure in the ‘average’ garden and they need dog savvy people to walk them off lead. I trust they’re fully safe at both the local kennels I use. They’re walked twice a day, they’re always happy to go with the staff there at drop off.
 
CorvusCorax said:
Mine go to a good kennels who are used to the breed and treat them very well. I'm down to one now, which makes things easier, but at one time I had three. I keep mine kenneled during the day anyway so it isn't a huge culture shock for them.
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This would be our ideal, we have someone locally that specialises in the breed and looked after ours once as a favour as they don't usually look after other peoples dogs.
 
A full range of replies so far! I wouldn't trust ours to come back to someone they don't know if they were off lead so I'd need to be careful that someone wouldn't let them go or that the wouldn't think they knew better and just let them off.

One of ours is a rehome/ rescue and although we don't really know what happened to him, we think he was shut in a crate alot/ too long. We're working on it and he can be left for a couple of hours but he would get upset with more than that unfortunately so it would need someone to be around quite a bit if he was at home or a home border. I assume the kennel would be different enough that he could probably cope?
 
rara007 said:
I use a commercial kennels for mine if no one is available. Mine would not be secure in the ‘average’ garden and they need dog savvy people to walk them off lead. I trust they’re fully safe at both the local kennels I use. They’re walked twice a day, they’re always happy to go with the staff there at drop off.
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Yep, this is why I use kennels, my female will actively case a joint and you can see her measuring up fence heights and boundaries. The kennel staff keep her on a long line in the exercise area and there are airlocks at every set of doors/gates. She's the fastest dog I have ever owned so it is good peace of mind to know she cannot do a runner!! The kennels themselves are very large with indoor and outdoor areas, roofs, floor to ceiling panels and mesh so they can't annoy each other/fence fight etc.
 
If close family can't have them ours go to kennels. They love it there. It's expensive but they don't mix with other dogs, excercised separately from the others, they share a kennel and I know they are safe secure and cared for. They are excited to arrive there and come home happy and well. But there are some awful kennels out there so do your research. This is the only one I would use.
 
I never send mine to kennels… but I have agreed with OH that I have so many now and my mum is mid 80’s she can’t do a puppy or an escapologist beagle. So this weekend puppy and beagle are off to a friend who kennels Gundogs. He is absolutely appalled at the beagle! 🤣
 
Mine stay at home with a dog sitter, they stay overnight and only offer on lead walks unless you specify you want them taken to a secure dog walking field. Cost £120 for a 24hr stay over, but when we had 3 dogs this wasn’t far off what kennels would’ve charged us!
 
I use a small dog daycare a day a week - maximum 6 dogs, in someone’s house. And then are lucky that they also then offer house/dog/cat sitting which is what I will usually do, or home boarding for weekends and holidays. House sitting is also super cost effective for two dogs and a cat, as it’s only £65 a day and they’re all cared for and in their normal routine.

This usually means it’s covered by someone the dogs know and who walks them regularly anyone. One is a perfect good boy spaniel and the other is a reactive dachshund, so it’s important she knows them and they know how to walk her safely.

I do actually need some other options though as always worried about what happens if something happens to me or I need emergency cover for other reasons that they can’t cover. I don’t think a kennels would work for my two.
 
I put an advert on my local FB page looking for someone to animal sit. It has worked out well, had lots of responses from nice, trustworthy local people. I have a lady who comes now, I have dogs, cats, hens, pet sheep, goats and horses. she is experienced with them all. I don't expect her to walk the dogs. I am on 5 acres so she spends time playing with them. She is semi retired so it is pocket money for her. Plus my dogs and suspicious cats love her. It is easy enough to stalk someone on FB and get the feel of them before committing to them.
 
For day visits, we have a wonderful dog walker who does pop ins for us a few days a month and will do weekends so we tend to use her.

For weekends away, we tend to use a local kennels who they all adore but I tend to try to ship a couple to my parents to save costs of kenneling all 4.
 
Thanks all, food for thought - seems that different options work for different people and there's not a specific type to avoid. I'll ask around and see what Kennels and dog sitters we have in the area and hopefully we might find a good one.
 
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