Is this right?

Lady La La

Lady La La

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So I went to look round a boarding kennel at the weekend for the mutts whilst I'm on honeymoon... It'd been recommended to me as 'one of the good ones' by my dog trainer and a few other people.
I'd spoken to them on the phone and they had my dates free so all was good. I assumed having had it recommended to me by a few folk it would be fine so wasn't in any rush about going to look round.

I went at the weekend and was shown round, the kennels looked nice - there was a nice big one T & B could have shared together, and they had little outdoor bits too which I thought was nice. Then I was shown the field, nice high fencing so T proof.

The problem came when I asked if the dogs would be exercised... I was told that the dogs are not walked, but are put in the field morning and evening and "if its hot like over easter it will only be for a few minutes, same if its raining or very cold"
... I asked if someone would be prepared to throw a ball for an hour for my dogs each day in the field and was told that "it may be possible for 20 mins or so but not if theres a lot of boarders in as they will be too busy."

When I asked about coming to see them on the days after my wedding and before my honeymoon, I was told No as it would unsettle them (fair enough) I asked if my mum and dad would be permitted to come and throw a ball for the dogs each day as their exercise and was told No, it would unsettle them...

Is that normal? :confused: I was given some recommendations for kennels to look at from a few people on here when I asked a while ago, so will be doing so PDQ! :o
 
TBH it sounds like your dogs have to fit in with the kennels routine and not so much individual attention is given.

For me it doesn't sound if they are too bothered about exercising the dogs and I would look elsewhere.
 
Sounds absolutely normal to me;people appearing and holding up routine are a nuisance and not only upset the dogs,but all the others as well.It would be a nightmare for the kennel,it does NOT indicate anything sinister,just a well run kennel.There has to be routine to get through a busy day ,otherwise it is chaos.
 
EAST KENT said:
Sounds absolutely normal to me;people appearing and holding up routine are a nuisance and not only upset the dogs,but all the others as well.It would be a nightmare for the kennel,it does NOT indicate anything sinister,just a well run kennel.There has to be routine to get through a busy day ,otherwise it is chaos.
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I understand that, you'll see I even put "fair enough" in brackets, as I do understand people showing up out of the blue would be a nightmare... but not offering any kind of exercise at all? Is that really normal?

I'll be cancelling my honeymoon immediately, if it is. :(
 
No. This sounds like a high intensity stack 'em high facility. Anywhere that does not cnosider a dogs need to be exercised isn't worth it espec. if they won't 'let' you visit when you are paying for the privelge of (what exactly?!) Home sitter? Or a person who takes them into their home?
Basically anyone who will give them a decent walk a day and more than just shoving a food bowl at them!
 
The attitude that paying clients visiting is a nuisance is a poor one to have. You are not there to just 'do the work' simply, you are busy because somebody is paying you to provide a service and upsetting your day plan is what clients do....
If it is an ill dog that is likely to become somewhat overexcited then more depressed i.e in a veterinary setting I can appreciate that.
Otherwise there needs to be a facility to clients to visit their dogs isf they so require (at a boarding kennel-not going to be that often as mostly people are awya hence using the kennels..)
 
EAST KENT said:
Sounds absolutely normal to me;people appearing and holding up routine are a nuisance and not only upset the dogs,but all the others as well.It would be a nightmare for the kennel,it does NOT indicate anything sinister,just a well run kennel.There has to be routine to get through a busy day ,otherwise it is chaos.
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And that attitude is why my dog never goes in kennels, and I hope he will never need to... :rolleyes: If I am handing over my money, I expect to be treated as a client rather than a 'nuisance'.

I wouldn't put my dog into a kennels that wasn't going to exercise him either.
 
Spudlet said:
And that attitude is why my dog never goes in kennels, and I hope he will never need to... :rolleyes: If I am handing over my money, I expect to be treated as a client rather than a 'nuisance'.

I wouldn't put my dog into a kennels that wasn't going to exercise him either.
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have to agree with this- although mine will be going into kennels at some point. It certainly will not be one that does not exercise if it is "hot, cold or raining". :rolleyes:
 
Spoken to some really helpful people, and have a few places lined up to go and see.

... Its my own fault for leaving it so late to go and look around, should have been my priority :o
 
Surely 'hot, cold or raining' covers pretty much ALL the weather we ever get in the UK? Sometimes all three at once :p

I have been lucky to find friends, family or home boarders to take Hen so far, I suppose he might have to go into kennels one day but it will be my last choice.
 
Tys wants to know if he can board with Henners for a bit? :p

... no? :eek::p:p

I'm reluctant to get a home sitter in for them as Tyson is ridiculous and will take full advantage by hopping over the garden fence again or something :rolleyes: ... and he can't go in anyone elses house, he'll eat it :cool:

I did a 'to kennel or not to kennel' post a while ago, and got some great advice and plenty of recommendations... I just didn't follow them up when I should have done, as I thought I'd found somewhere adequate. :o

*slap on wrist * - Lesson learnt, and I have a few places to go and look around now, so all is not lost. I'm just glad not exercising dogs isn't standard. It just wouldn't be an option :mad:
 
My ex's kennels were licensed for up to 94 dogs so you might consider it a stack em high establishment but it certainly wasn't run as one. The dogs individual needs were catered for and this included the owners.

The dogs were exercised in a 17 acre secure field twice a day as well as having runs attached to kennels to mooch in all day. You could pay extra for an hours woodland walk on top of that (on or off lead depending on dog).

If a dog was particularly stressy it came in the house with him where possible and one little Yorkie I remember called Lemon would only drink mineral water don't you know :D owner was adamant so that was what Lemon had!

You will find somewhere, don't panic about the time left - the place Amymay linked sounds fab if you have time to go and look round there :)

Not exercising due to weather is unacceptable IMO - fair weather kennels lol
 
I own a kennel.
If I have active dogs in they get out of their, much larger than standard, run a couple of times a day on an 8 metre flexi on our own paddocks. We play ball or hunt the toy/sweetie or I walk & they run. 20 minutes (ish) is included in the price. Hot weateher they get early morning & later evening. Torrential rain or hail they are only out for a quick brain clear and if it is icy & the dog pulls H&S says we can't walk them. Older dogs get to come on the lawn with a stuffed kong or some get sofa time in the evening.
I charge £20 an hour for extra one on one time the same as if I am grooming.


Even a kennel has only 6 dogs per staff member there are not enough hours in a working day to give each dog an hour one on one exercise.
 
A kennel that dosnt provide adequate exercise in all weathers is a poor one in my opinion. This was discussed a long time ago with friends and to that end we all take each others dogs in when we go on holiday. All our dogs know each other and walk regularly ,at the moment I have a mad Springer and an elderly lab( both gun dogs) staying for a week. They have all had an early morn hoon round our field and are now playing on the lawn. I realize that not everybody can do this but if you work and have dogs 2 more dosnt make a great deal of difference.

Lady LaLa I do hope you get your dogs sorted otherwise you might have to consider a touring caravan with your dogs for your honeymoon.:eek:
 
i worked a season in a kennels and every dog was walked for at least 20 minutes three times a day and each dog did its own thing, either fetch in a fenced area or walked on a lead round a field, depending on what they prefered. if somebody said that to me about the weather i wouldn't be bothering!! we walked come rain shine or knee deep puddles and then had to dry the stinking things off afterwards!! :rolleyes: otherwise what are you paying for?!! but at least they are being honest unlike sooo many horrible kennels out there!!
 
The kennels that comes "highly recommended" by people around here also does not exercise your dog other than putting it in a larger fenced area, unsupervised 20 mins a day. Not good if you have a high energy dog!

My friends who have 2 of H's half brothers put them in a difference kennel for a 1 week where they did get a proper walk every day. However they came back to 2 skinny dogs with sore throats where they stressed so much.

I then decided I would home board H. But he can be unsettled in other peoples houses (cries all night for a few nights) so that concerned me. I'm very lucky that a good friend of mine who owns his best mate has offered to have him. He knows them and has stayed over before and was fine, so that's my answer.

It's so difficult!
 
Home boarding and the like wont work, unfortunately. One dog cant be trusted to be left alone in someone elses home & will take royal liberties in his own home with someone new - the other cannot be trusted (yet) in such close proximatey (sp?) with other dogs & as is usually the case with home boarding, the homeowner usually has their own dogs.

Providing enough exercise and attention is given to them, and they are together - I cant see Kennels as being a problem. Tyson will enjoy being able to have a shouting match with the other mutts all day and Bryony is a) used to it, having come from kennels and b) happy as long as Tyson is with her.

The problem will occur if Tyson isn't given enough exercise as he will take it out on Bryony in any way he can. It wouldnt be fair on her to lock her up with him bouncing off the walls all day long, and it wouldnt be fair on him to change his routine and exercise levels so drastically for the sake of having a holiday.
However, there seem to be some great boarding kennels out there who can provide exactly what I'm looking for, without the need to compromise their welfare... I just shouldn't have left it so late to look around :rolleyes:
 
Oh bloody nora now I feel really bad:( it's proving impossibly to board out the dogs I have in for a weeks period yours would be (as in mams) as she has had them before and has taken over flo for me, as I can't over lap 2 seperate lots. Im literally still tryn but was well aware you would have to kennel visit as time ticking, the only other thin that sprung to mind was boarding them near me and I could collect them when mine have left, but thats still a kennel environment for a possible week. I have LML mams dog comin to me on Fri but im actually free, except for her last day when 2 labs come in but she will be home cos labs owners are havin to wait till late in the evening for drop off to make sure.
 
We've used a "lob them in a field for a bit" kennel for a one-nighter as we can walk the spaniels before and after that night to make up for it but are also struggling to find somewhere for a weeks stay in the summer....we have found a working gundog kennel locally which fingers crossed will be suitable for the Spangles but pretty shocked that out of calling at least 12 this was the only one which "actively" exercised the dogs :mad: :(

(though mollychop if you could please PM me details of your ex's place, it would be good to have a comparison! :o )
 
My three have not long come back from a weekend at our kennel of choice, they screamed in excitement from the moment OH turned into the lane the kennel is on and ran straight from the car into their awaiting kennels, when we went to pick them up the two boys would have quite happily stayed, they come home knackered and smelling absolutely gorgeous
 
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