What to look out for in dog kenneling services

monkeypants

I spotted a thread where someone said that they wouldn't touch Lissenhall or Estuary Kennels out in Swords. I'm a fairly recent dog owner after taking on a 14 month old lab cross from Dog's Trust and I live in Swords. He's been in the kennels twice since April, for two nights each time. Lissenhall were the ones used.

Because I'm so new to this dog thing, I have no idea how to evaluate kennels. Could someone please give me a couple of pointers as to what to look for and stay clear of?

ISDW

Kennels are very subjective, as we all treat our dogs differently at home, I think that our expectations of how someone else will treat them are also different.

I used to run a boarding kennels (its now full of rescues, but I live in hope that one day the business will start again!) I tried to run it how I'd like my own dogs treated. We had a regular client, a little bichon that had a cup of tea every day at home, so he had the same here. Now I won't give my dogs tea, but its what he was used to, and it helped him feel secure here. We also had 2 dogs used to come in together who had breakfast cereal every morning, again, not something I would recommend, but for a couple of weeks here, whats the harm in me carrying it on? Neither of these instances took up much extra time - I would just have to remember to make an extra bit of tea in the morning when I had my breakfast for the bichon. But, to their owners and the dogs, it meant a lot. My kennels were not the most hi tech in the world (I had huge plans, but unfortunately real life and finances got in the way) but all the guests would get at least an hour off lead running around in my big field every day. They would have the radio on for them, heating in the pens during the colder months, a biscuit at bedtime and lots of affection and cuddles when they were here.

There is a kennel near me that I'd used for my dogs, and a lot of people wouldn't leave their dogs there, just big sheds with pens in, and straw for bedding but again, the dogs would get free exercise in a large, fully fenced field, which is what my huskies need. Now I don't know, if I'd had a small dog that was a real lap dog, whether I'd use them, but for my dogs it was perfect, and they were always really happy there.

So really I think, you have to chose whats right for your dog. Talk to the owners, the most important thing in my opinion is that they like dogs and won't see them as an inconvenience.

sral1

Look up the www.ibkca.com Here you will find people who are serious about the boarding industry. The kennels I use is a member.

monkeypants wrote: »

I spotted a thread where someone said that they wouldn't touch Lissenhall or Estuary Kennels out in Swords. I'm a fairly recent dog owner after taking on a 14 month old lab cross from Dog's Trust and I live in Swords. He's been in the kennels twice since April, for two nights each time. Lissenhall were the ones used.

Because I'm so new to this dog thing, I have no idea how to evaluate kennels. Could someone please give me a couple of pointers as to what to look for and stay clear of?

boxerly

I dont like kennels.I have heard some horror stories and know peeps who run kennels who are in it only for the money.They CAN and not all of them but some are so nice to your face and the dog and as soon as ye go the dog is thrown in to a kennel and left there.Dont like them at all xx jmo

rainbowtrout

boxerly wrote: »

I dont like kennels.I have heard some horror stories and know peeps who run kennels who are in it only for the money.They CAN and not all of them but some are so nice to your face and the dog and as soon as ye go the dog is thrown in to a kennel and left there.Dont like them at all xx jmo

Not all of them are like that though, and not all of them are in it just to make as much money as they can. I don't have anyone that I can leave my dogs with if I have go away for a night or two so kennels are a necessity for me every now and again. Appearances can be deceiving, I agree. Word of mouth is often the best way to go. I used to leave my dogs in a kennel attached to a vet's practice. The place was spotless and modern and I thought, my dogs will be well looked after here. But when I collected them, they were miserable and dirty. All dogs get dirty but this was more of a neglected look. There was one instance where I went to collect my dog and the kennels had closed early. I could see my dog through the window, she was locked up in her pen without a bowl of water. That was at 3 in the afternoon and nobody was around to open up until 9 the next day. I never used them again.

Then I went to another kennels also close by. On appearance it doesn't look as good, the kennels are old, but clean, but the dogs are well looked after, plenty of exercise walks, food, water, the owners play with the dogs and send me text updates and my two are full of beans when I come to collect them. They are able to give me a detailed account of what my two have been getting up to all week, which dogs they've made friends with etc. The last time I left them up to the kennels when I was away for a weekend they were straining to get in the gate. They wouldn't have been doing that if they didn't want to go there.

It just takes time to find a good one.

boxerly

OMG your poor dog ( same happened to me with my cat,I went to collect her and nobody was there so I went into the "kennels" she was locked in a tiny crate with no water and she was lying in her pee??? I flipped.The kennel is run by a vet ?? Id never ever go back again,I wont name that place but if anyone is around clane,celbridge,maynooth pm if ye want name so ye wont make a mistake of leaving your cat or dog there.

rainbowtrout

boxerly wrote: »

OMG your poor dog ( same happened to me with my cat,I went to collect her and nobody was there so I went into the "kennels" she was locked in a tiny crate with no water and she was lying in her pee??? I flipped.The kennel is run by a vet ?? Id never ever go back again,I wont name that place but if anyone is around clane,celbridge,maynooth pm if ye want name so ye wont make a mistake of leaving your cat or dog there.

Not run by the vet, but it's attached to the practice, so you would assume standards would be good. That's awful how your cat was treated.

tk123

For us I asked the trainers where he goes to daycare where they recommend - I'm a newbie too with my first dog. They take brilliant care of all the dogs at daycare and I knew any kennels would have to be pretty good to get their recommendation and meet their standards. When we collected our pup his was in great form - really relaxed and happy so I knew we'd made the right decision.

monkeypants

Thanks everyone, I'll just take a look around then.

kylith

sral1 wrote: »

Look up the www.ibkca.com Here you will find people who are serious about the boarding industry. The kennels I use is a member.

Thanks for that! I'm probably going to have to kennel my pair for a couple of days in Septemeber, and it's good to know that the only kennel I can get to is on that list.

CL32

Hi everyone,

I'll need to use a boarding kennel for two days next week. Thanks to the link above I'm hoping to use P&E in Crumlin.

Its my first time using kennels so I'm a bit nervous about choosing one. Has anyone any feedback about P&E?

Thanks in advance.