What do you look for in a boarding kennel?

Lisamd said:
Would you be able to do a small wish list for accomodation at boarding kennels?
What influences you choice of kennels and what do you expect from them?
Many Thanks :)
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I wasn't really sure what to look for initially, so I made a similar post to your own on here and managed to find a great boarding kennels for my two dogs. If I ever have to look for somewhere else to kennel them now, I will basically mark any pospective kennels off against the current one, so:
clean and hygenic,
large spacious and well equiped kennels, with heating in the winter if required,
knowledgeable staff that show a real interest in your dogs,
somewhere that looks after them how YOU want in terms of exercise, feeding etc,
well fenced fields available for off lead hooning (current kennels let them off 3 x a day,)
Reasonable prices.
 
Top for me was somewhere that exercised them as standard- alot either dont at all, (I dont class 20 mins in a paddock twice the size of my living room exercise) or you have to pay extra.
Staff good with Bull breeds (only for bully owners obs) able to cope with big strong sometimes unruly dogs in other words!
Location to me- didnt want to be driving for hours to get there
Can pick up drop off any day of the week, with reasonable time frames (some I found would not allow this on their day off!!!)
Clean well maintained kennels, with either decent bedding or allowing owners to bring their own- same with food-reduction in price if owner brings own food would be nice!!
NOT insistent on the kennel cough vaccine- I can see why places are but surely it should be the owners right to choose.
Area for hooning- although if walked enough not essential.
 
My dog is a bit difficult so basically what I need in a boarding kennel is something resembling a Russian gulag.
j/k
Large secure kennels with a little indoor area for cold nights & decent turnout i.e. large enclosures to safely run around in, pref for the whole day. I like a kennels with the guts to intro my dog to others as she does normally find a playmate after a bit of grumbling and generally she quite likes it at her usual hotel.

She's kennelled at home sometimes, too, so doesn't need all the mod cons.

Oh and they have to have a big freezer for her carcasses (and be happy to feed them of course)
 
So long as the accomodation is clean and spacious I don't care what it looksl ike. What I do care about is that they get physically walked twice a day. Most dogs let off in the runs do not sufficiently exercise for the other 23hours they are inside. Most kennels who say they are letting them out 3x a day are letting them ou whilst they clean out morning and afternoon, so 5-10mins and maybe at lunchtime. Not enough imo. Physical walking is very important to me, not just an 'outside run'
 
That my kennel looks like fort knocks:p (my dogs security is my main concern) I dont even mind if they don't get long walks for the short period they will remain in a kennel aslong as the kennel is clean and SECURE and my dog cannot escape! and a kennel (with a roof)
Competent looking staff and not horrendously noisy environment, I know it s a kennel but over bearing noise/dog barking would put me off.
 
Thanks guys - interesting points.

Possibly thinking of setting up a small kennels at home, these are the thoughts so far, let me know what you all think:

- 6 inside kennels with hygene and comfort at the forefront. Easy to wash and keep clean with raised Tuffies Dog beds.

- Full panelled walls with only galv front with a door to minimise the 'caged' feeling.

- Heating in winter, fans in summer.

- Lots of natural light.

- Twice daily walks tailored to individual dogs.

- Countryside location.

- Option to bring own food.

- Option for dog grooming/nail trimming etc during the stay (mobile professional unit)

- Maximum of 6 dogs at any one time for quality care.

- Option for daily 'house' time for those dogs who struggle with the kennel atmosphere.

- Option for webcam link whilst you are away, so you can check on your pooch while your away.

Thoughts?
 
I only used a kennel once and as it was an emergency I wasn't able to check it out in advance. The kennels were damp and the dogs only got out a couple of times a day. He came home smelly and not very happy. Fortunately it was just a two night stay. He now goes to a dog sitter who has him in her house.

If I were to look at kennels again, I'd be looking for dry indoor space kept at a comfortable temperature, the option for a proper walk, preferably with other friendly dogs, security and knowledgable, kind staff.
 
Essentials:

A quite kennel environment (usually end up in an area separate from the main kennels). My dog gets stressed easily and goes off his food/ chews himself.

At least one walk every day (don't mind paying extra) in all weather. Last time he went into kennels they refused to walk him despite me paying for two walks a day as it was raining :mad:

Secure, clean indoor and outdoor kennel as he can't always hold his business in :o

Ability to bring his own toys/food/bedding/bowls/treats etc. And to get them all back (bar treats/food) not to be told that they went missing.

Don't need to have the kennel cough vac

Knowledgeable staff that know when somethings not right with the dogs and acts accordingly.

Descent pick up and drop off times and descent prices

Most importantly, that only really happens if the above are met:

***For my dog to come back looking as healthy and happy as when I left him***
 
Jake10 said:
Essentials:

A quite kennel environment (usually end up in an area separate from the main kennels). My dog gets stressed easily and goes off his food/ chews himself.

At least one walk every day (don't mind paying extra) in all weather. Last time he went into kennels they refused to walk him despite me paying for two walks a day as it was raining :mad:

Secure, clean indoor and outdoor kennel as he can't always hold his business in :o

Ability to bring his own toys/food/bedding/bowls/treats etc. And to get them all back (bar treats/food) not to be told that they went missing.

Don't need to have the kennel cough vac

Knowledgeable staff that know when somethings not right with the dogs and acts accordingly.

Descent pick up and drop off times and descent prices

Most importantly, that only really happens if the above are met:

***For my dog to come back looking as healthy and happy as when I left him***
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That is a sensible list.

Too often people want "fluffy" over safe & secure.
The Bordatella vacc is dodgy and I along with a lot of other kennels won't allow dogs in if they have had it recently - usually with a statement like this:-
"Vaccinating for Kennel Cough
We do NOT insist on vaccination for kennel Cough. However if you decide to vaccinate for Kennel Cough you must do so at least 6 weeks before your dog comes to xxxxxxx. We will refuse dogs that have been vaccinated shorter than 6 weeks before arrival at the kennels. This ruling may conflict with advice that you receive from your vet; however it is our ruling so please bear it in mind when planning any vaccination schedule."

The data sheet states the KC vaccine can cause kennel cough and more importantly that "the immunocompromised should avoid contact with the vaccine or vaccinated dogs for six weeks"

BTW in 21 years with up to 30 dogs boarding I have never had KC here.

(But I have to admit my outside runs are rather damp today and the dogs are all inside under their heat lamps -it is bucketing down.)
 
To be honest, the amount of dogs that would be going down with kennel cough did kennels not make it in the main compulsory is unbelievable. And the incidence of secondary infections would also be ridiculous. Just go and see how many outbreaks there are int he pound where multiple unvacc dogs pass through.
 
SusieT said:
To be honest, the amount of dogs that would be going down with kennel cough did kennels not make it in the main compulsory is unbelievable. And the incidence of secondary infections would also be ridiculous. Just go and see how many outbreaks there are int he pound where multiple unvacc dogs pass through.
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That is the point - dogs don't get kennel cough from kennels they get it from infected dogs and pounds usually have it on their premises so dogs pick up the infection there.
The other big source of infection is Vets' waiting rooms.
 
Yes. Absoloutely. What's your point? I have yet to see a kennel without a shared airspace. Pounds are kennels (quiteo ften private kennels that also board healthy animals).
 
I have a kennel with no shared air space.

I have one unit for my own dogs and one oversized kennel & run for the boarders - just one family - under my cattery license. These are 8 metres apart and have a solid wall between.

When I had the larger unit I worked an isolation policy if any dog had been to a vet, another kennel or given a live vaccine in the preceding month.

I think it is very poor practice to have strays & take boarders on the same premises. I had to turn away someone last year as they couldn't get in with me and went to a "rescue", actually a pound, that boards for a weekend just before their annual holiday. They chose that place because "it would be helping the rescues" and ended up not going away as the dog was ill.
 
Not very practical in a commercial kennels though-I don't understand your point either? Are you saying kennels don't have a high risk of kennel cough?
 
Not if dogs are also vaccinated. By the nature of multiple dogs sharing an airspace (like students when they go to uni..living in their own flats they still all get freshers flu!) it is a higher risk than meeting dogs on walks etc. Well run kennels will minimise this by not allowing dogs to socialise nose to nose/having clean kennels/having kennels designed to prevent any 'sneeze' contact etc.
 
The KC vaccine is not very effective and has been implicated in outbreaks.
Certainly accepting dogs within days of the vaccination as many vets advise is against the product data sheet and puts the dogs and possibly people at risk.
I have had a client here today who is on chemotherapy - he certainly falls into "the immunocompromised" bracket.
 
KC implicated in outbreaks-please do show me details of this? Not just herasay? It is effective at making any infection milder. there are many things that cause kennel cough and the vaccine cannot cover them all-like flu new strains are constantly emerging.
 
True, strains mutate and dogs vary in their resistance but read the vaccine data sheets which give a warning about potential infection from the vaccine.

From personal experience a friend with quarantine kennels had an outbreak of Bordatella over a month after any new arrivals but a week after an intranasal was administered to a dog about to leave.
 
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