Kennelling a dog aggressive dog

Cinnamontoast

Cinnamontoast

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I can't find my earlier thread about this (last year) so sorry for asking again.

Zak is DA until he has been carefully introduced, he's always on his longline. He lives with his brother and our older springer, Brig, both of whom he adores.

The OH decided last night that we should have a holiday as we haven't had one for three years. We do epic road trips in America and the way forward with the dogs is to kennel them, we think, as we'd be too worried about someone walking Zak.

Do you think it's reasonable to kennel him with the proviso that he can only associate with our other two? I don't want him being anywhere near other dogs and them being at risk of being hurt. I don't really want to home board him as the boarder would probably walk him and I want the three together, plus home boarders tend to have their own dog.

Opinions, please and suggestions for kennels in Hertfordshire.
 
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I have previously kennelled my dog and man aggressve rottie bitch and she was fine. (Had female handler).

I didnt think kennels mixed boarders for walks at all? Surely they walk them seperately (unless they live together). I would be mortified if i found kennels taking dogs from different families on walks together, anything could happen, different environent and smells xxx

Prob best to give a few a call and see what their rules and protocols are xx
 
When I worked in boarding kennels we used to put the dogs out in runs where they were only seperated by wire, however we did have a couple of seperate runs where they couldn't have any contact with others. Hopefully this is still the case but you'd be better off ringing round a few to check. I'm not sure many kennels actually walk the dogs unless they are a very small business.

BTW I'd also be mortified if I found my dog was being walked with strange dogs without my permission :eek:
 
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Shouldn't be a problem, I don't think the place we used to use walked them (stuck them in a bigger pen) and B was only to share with his sister, they also kennel a colleague's dog who is also human aggressive, they just push the food under the gate!!

The place I use for the younger dog, they do let them mingle but they have permission to step in and remove him if he gets above himself, apparently they have no need and the last time he was in he had a little dog swinging from each ear :o
 
Not expecting them to walk him, only if he was home boarded, which I won't do. He'll amuse himself by parading with whatever toys he has. Blankie over the head is current favourite.
 
I would be really annoyed if my dogs weren't walked every day at least once; it's what you pay for after all. Perhaps we're just lucky with kennels around here?

Agree with others, tell them only to be with your own dogs, far more likely to settle better then anyway.
 
I worried massively about leaving the ginger lump in kennels. My main bug bear was that kennels do not walk as standard (mine would be bouncing off the walls with 20 mins play time a day)- however i found one- thanks to a rec on here actually- who not only walk them daily, but are experienced with Bull breeds.

They dealt with him and his strength/reactiveness perfectly- all the girls had fallen in love with him when I went to take him home.
 
I've never had to kennel my dogs so far, but if I did I certainly wouldn't want them to be allowed with other dogs. I am in 2 minds with regard walking them, I am a bit paranoid about my dogs being lost having heard it happen far too many times from kennels.
Maesfen, what kennels locally would you recommend, people often ask me if I know of any, and whereas there are a couple I definitely would not recommend, I have no personal experience to know of good ones.
 
Do you have a dog trainer? Sometimes they will board clients dogs! They at least know all issues. However our local kennel we used before trainer says she will have him, let individual or a family of dogs out into a garden for an hour a day and walked the same. No mingling with strange dogs- far to much risk.
 
Do kennels really not walk dogs?

I did work experience about 10 years ago at one where there would have been about 15 dogs in at any one time and they all got 2 10 minute walks each. They had an outside run and an inside run, so you could shut them in one side while you cleaned the other, and then vice versa.

If I remember correctly, there was 2 full time staff plus the owner - who helped out if required.
 
Your dogs would not be walked with other dogs ( unless you tell them the are 1000 % friendly and enjoy mixing ) shame your not near me I know a fab kennel ( bretton kennels and cattery ) o mine go a few times a year treated like there own and walked twice a day in an enclosed wooded field area they even post videos and photos on Facebook.
 
Our old one, have never seen anyone walking them, they have a big ourdoor pen, one dog always came home fat as a fool, the other came back like a hatrack so I am assuming they just got put in there.

The one I've used once or twice for going to visit friends in a different city with no one to look after at home, I've seen them walking dogs around the fields and they sometimes let friendly dogs sit with them in the office.

The one I use now for big holidays, they have an agility course and an outdoor arena and they let the dogs either mingle or run around in there.
 
fidleyspromise said:
Do kennels really not walk dogs?

I did work experience about 10 years ago at one where there would have been about 15 dogs in at any one time and they all got 2 10 minute walks each. They had an outside run and an inside run, so you could shut them in one side while you cleaned the other, and then vice versa.

If I remember correctly, there was 2 full time staff plus the owner - who helped out if required.
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To me 2 x 10mins is not a walk but a leg stretch. Yes alot of kennels do not walk at all- they put them in exercise pens.
 
Some do and some don't, don't forget the amount of dogs boarded in some establishments compared to staff (in a low ratio) and will take hours just to do a round of cleaning and feeding.
One of my clients came to me as when she got her shepherd out of the kennels, he fell over urinating so long (he would not pass in the kennel) and was in 3 days. She was aware however they don't walk them (but she wont put him back in a kennel) the kennel down the road from that one does do a couple of leg stretch 10 mins (better than nothing) at least they can got to the toilet is so clean they won't in kennel.
 
The one I use doesn't walk them and I wouldn't want them to, in a strange environment with a strange person they'd be a pain in the arse on a lead, too much risk of slipping a collar and bolting, lunging after cats etc.

They go in an exercise pen twice a day instead - I'd prefer more, as neither of mine will go in the kennel and when I pick them up they both pee for a glacial age but they're otherwise happy there and let's face it, Ricoh pees gallons at the best of times. :o

They're kennelled together and go in the pen together, they don't ever come into contact with other dogs except to howl at them in passing on the way to the pen, safely behind bars. :p
 
Agree^^^ I personally would actually not want mine walking, would rather they suffer and be imprisoned for a short period than come home to find they where walked and slipped a lead and ran away:eek: (my worst nightmare)
The one benefit of a kennel for me is (they are generally escape proof) saying that *I have never lost a dog* but im still astounded the trust we place in strangers (but then I guess we have to if we want a holiday, we can't stress our lives away about our dogs:o (I make my sister sleep here and I wont let her walk mine) or in the past they have gone to my mams, but when they stay home with my sister they are confined to my garden.

Some owners when dropping a dog off (and for their first stay) say "0h/she is fine off lead":eek: I say "erm, he wont be getting off lead" I only let long standing boarders off lead or x rescues that I personally taught perfect recall;):p:D

But indeed OP yours will/should not come into close contact with other dogs, not close enough to attack.
 
Slipping a lead could happen with home boarders/dog walkers too tho!

Off lead is a touch too far- I guess I am lucky in that the kennels I use is on a farm so they can walk them round the acres of farm land without too much bother- and a majority of it is enclosed. I could not cope with a Dexter dog having not been walked for a week- he'd of been a liability!
 
blackcob said:
too much risk of slipping a collar and bolting, lunging after cats etc.
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CAYLA said:
Agree^^^ I personally would actually not want mine walking, would rather they suffer and be imprisoned for a short period than come home to find they where walked and slipped a lead and ran away:eek: (my worst nightmare)
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This ^^

The kennels I did work experience in would walk all of the boarders and on one of the days I wasn't there, another volunteer stood on the dog who then ducked out of the slip lead and ran away. He was apparently gone for almost two hours.

They also didn't walk dogs from different families together.
 
I wouldn't use a home boarder for this reason too. I have had someone (a friend) stay in my house but would not be happy at the thought of them in someone else's house, far too many opportunities to escape.
 
dizzydancer said:
Do you have a dog trainer? Sometimes they will board clients dogs! They at least know all issues. However our local kennel we used before trainer says she will have him, let individual or a family of dogs out into a garden for an hour a day and walked the same. No mingling with strange dogs- far to much risk.
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Don't want to use current trainer and ex trainer took a lot of money off us without really progressing with any kindof socialisation then just never contacted us after the training field flooded. He is associated with local kennels which I won't therefore use.

CaveCanem said:
The one I've used once or twice for going to visit friends in a different city with no one to look after at home, I've seen them walking dogs around the fields and they sometimes let friendly dogs sit with them in the office.
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All three would be on the laps of anyone available in a flash! Bear does a flying leap, Zak asks and creeps up.

stargirl88 said:
Glendee kennels, thats the only one I would recommend. There are some bloody awful ones in herts.
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I know! I'm peed off the one we used for the big dogs has been converted to housing. Don't want to use Glendee!
 
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I travel three counties to get to the same kennels when needed, the owner is a behaviourist and used to all sorts of problem dogs, she offers a last chance service for some rescues and works with guide dogs and the police amongst others. Mine always come home fit, well cared for and well socialised but it is done very carefully and dog aggressive or people aggressive are treated with great care.
 
Would be interested as to why you dont want to use it - that really is the only kennel Id feel okay about sending the hound to if I went away if I really had to......but if you know something I dont.......!
 
lexiedhb said:
Slipping a lead could happen with home boarders/dog walkers too tho!

Off lead is a touch too far- I guess I am lucky in that the kennels I use is on a farm so they can walk them round the acres of farm land without too much bother- and a majority of it is enclosed. I could not cope with a Dexter dog having not been walked for a week- he'd of been a liability!
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Very true I think it more a stressful/noisy environment in a kennel and the dog would definately do a runner, less chance in home board as the dog are with you 24/7 usually so bond pretty quick and with a dog walker they (let the dogs off anyway) or atleast all OH's get off lead.
I would go kennel if my sister or mam never had mine (ironically) I home board but I would not place mine in a home boarding situation:p unless it was ME;):D
I guess some people have different priorites, could be they want to avoid their dog living outdoors in an alien environment, enclosed, in a extremely noisy environment (far from what they are used too) and want structured, long walks.
OR
Could be they want their dog kenneled for safety/a lower rate to pay/worried their dog may be a problem in a home environment, or dog may already live outdoors.
 
we left ours for the first time earlier this year hun and did a lot of research and visiting before finding a place I was happy with. Our pack are not easy lol. We live in Northern Scotland but I took my to kennels right down in the Borders as I was so confident with the set up. Fab people, (helped that they are sheep trials folk so knew about ‘collie ways’). They had a totally secure paddock in front of the kennels and each kennel door was opened so the occupants could get their hour hooning about in there rather than a lead on for a walk. that suited ours, and me better. We filled 3 of their kennels with ours and I thought Id done things the best way - however we returned to find them moved about a bit as the dog Id put in the middle kennel had been having a pop at the dog in the next kennel (both our dogs) under the partition and skinned a pad. Didnt phase them in the slightest and Id defo use them again.
 
Yes i worry about my boy that's why use trainers now. She has a big barn which is heated by a stove and a boiler so kennels are warm and she puts my dog with one of hers who is suitable. She knows all dogs who board as she trains them all. They all get let out together into a big run all day unless weather shocking. She also lets them out in her fields twice a day for a run around.
I never worry as trust her completely and my dog loves her. Last time he went for 3 days and came home with a chewed ear as he wants to play too much and hers told him off- did his manners the world of good.
Except she has 2 pups which play with him all day too!
 
i hate using kennels-the only one i have ever used is very basic and kennels are small, but the whole system is set up so that the dogs can be moved from any kennel to any excersise area without a lead if needed, its all secure.
my biggest fear is my dogs getting spooked and bolting in an area that is not familiar, the dogs get time in the one of the runs twice a day and when i returned to collect them the first time they had all fallen in love with my lurcher. they commented on the fact she could chase a ball for hours but was so sweet and loving-they had obviously spent time with her.

i am lucky as working at a vets as long as there is room in the kennels there, thats where mine go as at least they know the staff and are familiar with the area, even there though no-one is allowed to let them off the lead
 
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