# Dog Kennels - whats your opinion?



## welshkate

I am considering setting up my own kennels but want to know what dog owners think of kennels? What would be a good idea? bad idea? What would make you feel more comfortable leaving your dogs at kennels? What would you like to see or not see at kennels?

As I am a veterinary nurse I would be open to dogs on long term medication, prescription diets, insulin injections, etc, as I am fully trained and have plenty of experience. I would also want to cater for recently injured animals (it always happens at the worst time) that didnt require permanent veterinary care, although i would be happy to attend vet check ups while the owner was away.

Let me know your opinion. 

Thank you!


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## Amethyst

Though I never use them for mine (have use catteries in past) I think there is always the need for a REALLY good one. I think it may be about choosing your market carefully and considering location. Mediocre kennels are ten a penny, those that offer something special less common ... in my experience.

Some owners will go for cheapest regardless, we preferred the top of the market and lliked to see some home comforts for the cats, they even had a television (yes I know  ) to make it feel more like home  

So if I HAD to use a kennel, I would want one that offered some luxury accommodation, such as a real bed and tv, the option of paying for extra attention and for their own bedding to be brought in.

So basically within reason (of course) a home from home environment, so far as a kennel could allow 

The idea of leaving dogs supervised by a vet nurse would be a great plus 

sadly I've heard many dog owners gripe over the years about kennel costs, so I guess I am in the minority who used to pay almost as much for the cats holiday as our own :blink:


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## welshkate

Thank you for that!

And yes a home from home environment is deffinately something i would work towards. I think a bed is a great idea! Although some owners may not appreciate it if there dog does not sleep on a bed at home, and i get him into the habit of it! but an option for the owner would deffiantely be a plus. 

:001_smile:


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## Amethyst

welshkate said:


> Thank you for that!
> 
> And yes a home from home environment is deffinately something i would work towards. I think a bed is a great idea! Although some owners may not appreciate it if there dog does not sleep on a bed at home, and i get him into the habit of it! but an option for the owner would deffiantely be a plus.
> 
> :001_smile:


The dog kennels at catterry we used did have normal kennels too and only a few "bedrooms" so really catered for all requirements/budgets 

Despite being the most expensive cattery and kennels in area, it was a very popular place and spaces always in demand.


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## welshkate

I would even want my regular kennels to be of high quality and comfort. Do you think that a kennels where dogs requiring mediaction, etc would be of any use? I have contact 20 kennels in my local area and only 1 would accept a dog requiring daily insulin injection, and they even said they werent really trained but would "give it a go".


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## Amethyst

welshkate said:


> I would even want my regular kennels to be of high quality and comfort. Do you think that a kennels where dogs requiring mediaction, etc would be of any use? I have contact 20 kennels in my local area and only 1 would accept a dog requiring daily insulin injection, and they even said they werent really trained but would "give it a go".


Definitely, I think places that cater for "special needs" dogs would be appreciated, those with health issues or simply elderly.

Another BIG priority would be security, so I would look for somewhere that this was taken seriously


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## Highlander1975

We never use them and go on dog friendly holidays, due to the simple fact they look like prison cells.You hear others comments that have used them and its upsets me, we cancelled our holiday to Cyprus because we couldnt bear the thought of our girls being put in a cage no matter how big, with a cold concrete floor. Although they would have been together its not home, our girls are spoilt i would never denie that they are our babies.

A home away from home would be a great idea but it will never happen, you`d need a really comfy sofa carpet on the floor and a heater in each room, it would be too expensive, Lol :smile:


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## Thorne

welshkate said:


> I would even want my regular kennels to be of high quality and comfort. Do you think that a kennels where dogs requiring mediaction, etc would be of any use? I have contact 20 kennels in my local area and only 1 would accept a dog requiring daily insulin injection, and they even said they werent really trained but would "give it a go".


Kennels offering medication are always a good thing, in fact I'm always surprised by how many _aren't_ willing to administer meds.

I agree with Amethyst; although a lot of people use home boarding there is always a need for a really good kennel. the one I work at is regarded as such and spaces go fast. For some, myself included, people pet sitters and similar aren't an option - one of mine is quite nervous and is genuinely content in a kennel environment; moving into an unfamiliar house or having someone move into our's would undoubtedly distress her - so there's always going to be a market for a more upmarket boarding facility. 
A lot of places provide lead walks OR an exercise area instead of both, which I think would be preferable. Also worth bearing in mind that many kennels will not serve raw or otherwise specialist diets!

Flooring can be an issue too - it can easily end up it too smooth (easy to clean but dangerously slippery; tiles are terrible for this) or too rough (good grip but harder to clean and can give a dog sores, something we experienced at the first kennels we boarded at). It sounds nitpicky but the floor surfaces would be one of the first things I'd look at while looking around a kennels, slippery floors are a nightmare for older and giant breed dogs in particular.

Good luck if you decide to go ahead!


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## newfiesmum

welshkate said:


> I would even want my regular kennels to be of high quality and comfort. Do you think that a kennels where dogs requiring mediaction, etc would be of any use? I have contact 20 kennels in my local area and only 1 would accept a dog requiring daily insulin injection, and they even said they werent really trained but would "give it a go".


Certainly. Nobody wants to leave a dog who needs regular medication, wouldn't trust a kennel to give it to him even if they said they would. If you advertise that you are qualified to do so, that would put people's minds at ease a bit. My newfie has to have his supplements everyday for his arthritis or he cannot walk properly. I wouldn't leave him in kennels anyway, but I would not want to leave him at all in case he didn't get it, in case someone thought it would be all right to forget it for one day.

When we used to leave our retriever in kennels, the place we went to was impressive in that, they fed what the dog was used to, always asked, they made sure they had the name and number of our own vet, and when I saw the kennel owner in the high street once, the dog took off to say hello, wagging his tail! That is a recommendation you cannot ignore.

I think staffing is going to be your main concern, though. You can't do it all yourself and need to make quite sure you have the right people who really care about the dogs. The other thing is whether it is attached to your house. Will someone be there all night? I wouldn't leave my dogs anywhere that was not attached to the owner's living accommodation.


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## newfiesmum

Highlander1975 said:


> We never use them and go on dog friendly holidays, due to the simple fact they look like prison cells.You hear others comments that have used them and its upsets me, we cancelled our holiday to Cyprus because we couldnt bear the thought of our girls being put in a cage no matter how big, with a cold concrete floor. Although they would have been together its not home, our girls are spoilt i would never denie that they are our babies.
> 
> A home away from home would be a great idea but it will never happen, you`d need a really comfy sofa carpet on the floor and a heater in each room, it would be too expensive, Lol :smile:


One year my husband took my dog to the wrong kennels. It wasn't until we went to collect him that the mistake was discovered and of course, she did not have a kennel for him so he spent the whole fortnight in her house with her dogs. Best time he has ever had in kennels.


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## kimdelyse

Grove Kennels are the best I'm aware of... I don't know of any others that so much as compare!

The Grove Luxury Boarding Kennels in Staffordshire Luxury Dog Hotel


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## Amethyst

Highlander1975 said:


> A home away from home would be a great idea but it will never happen, you`d need a really comfy sofa carpet on the floor and a heater in each room, it would be too expensive, Lol :smile:


You could of course never replicate it exactly, but some kennels are providing rooms which come as close as possible given circumstances. These rooms ARE expensive but some owners are willing to pay, I would in a dire emergency 

Most owners will not pay over the odds, so any kennel would also need standard "budget" space too.

I don't use kennels either and we take our everywhere with us, so VERY spoilt and our "babies" like yours :thumbup1:


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## Amethyst

kimdelyse said:


> Grove Kennels are the best I'm aware of... I don't know of any others that so much as compare!
> 
> The Grove Luxury Boarding Kennels in Staffordshire Luxury Dog Hotel


Now that is luxury dog boarding 

Really it makes you realise how hard it must be for the dogs put in standard kennels


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## Highlander1975

We get laughed at by friends because they dont understand why we wont do it, we swopped our Cyprus holiday for the highlands in Scotland! Rented a log cabin on the Loch Lochy best time of our lives so i dont think it was that bad a choice. Dogs are like your kids they dont go with out ever.Lol


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## Highlander1975

Amethyst said:


> Now that is luxury dog boarding
> 
> Really it makes you realise how hard it must be for the dogs put in standard kennels


:smile: That is so cool they even get TV lol, Totally agree Amethyst


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## welshkate

Wow! All this information is great.

With regards to the flooring, thats a very good point I wouldnt want any animals being uncomfortable or hurting themselves! I think i would deffinately consider the carpet option for the inside of kennel, and would deffinately not be having cold stone floors! I would deffinately provide the option of an outdoor run or lead walks, and the staffing wouldnt be an option as I already have another veterinary nurse who would happily work for me. 

I would also be considering having a weekly groomer come to the kennels, i rememebr putting my dog in kennels once years ago and she came back filthy! I wouldnt want any of the dogs staying with me to get ina mess.


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## welshkate

I have also looked at the Grove kennels and they are amazing!! Thats deffinately the standard I would like to set for my kennels.


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## newfiesmum

welshkate said:


> Wow! All this information is great.
> 
> With regards to the flooring, thats a very good point I wouldnt want any animals being uncomfortable or hurting themselves! I think i would deffinately consider the carpet option for the inside of kennel, and would deffinately not be having cold stone floors! I would deffinately provide the option of an outdoor run or lead walks, and the staffing wouldnt be an option as I already have another veterinary nurse who would happily work for me.
> 
> I would also be considering having a weekly groomer come to the kennels, i rememebr putting my dog in kennels once years ago and she came back filthy! I wouldnt want any of the dogs staying with me to get ina mess.


That's another thing. The kennels where we used to leave Sammy always gave him a bath before we picked him up, and the one my brother used in Leeds used to do the same.

I remember being appalled the year of the gales, 1987. My little mongrel was in these kennels which blew down, and he was already scared of loud noises and such like. Why they didn't bring all the dogs inside I do not know, even if it was a squash. I would have. The main thing was that when we went to collect, the cat had grown a bit as he was only young, and I happened to say, jokingly: Are you sure that is the same cat? I know my sense of humour doesn't always get through to some people, but she actually went to see if she had another ginger cat about the place! Put me right off.:nono:


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## babycham2002

kimdelyse said:


> Grove Kennels are the best I'm aware of... I don't know of any others that so much as compare!
> 
> The Grove Luxury Boarding Kennels in Staffordshire Luxury Dog Hotel


Wow I havent found anywhere as good as that in Kent,
Think I will go for home boarding when my selfish brother and sister in law get married abroad in 2013.


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## Thorne

welshkate said:


> With regards to the flooring, thats a very good point I wouldnt want any animals being uncomfortable or hurting themselves! I think i would deffinately consider the carpet option for the inside of kennel, and would deffinately not be having cold stone floors!


I will just add here that almost all dogs WILL defecate and urinate in their kennels, so a fully carpeted floor would end up being replaced quite quickly! Rubber matting designed for stables could work well; it's warm, won't cause sores, gives good grip and is far comfier than concrete.

Failing that... underfloor heating? 

I'm starting to get grand ideas myself!


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## Guest

I use kennels for my dogs, but then again - I work in the ones I use which makes it an easier decision!!  

The dogs at work only spend evenings in kennels, and join our day care dogs for play time during the day (from Arena time, walks and field time they are kept rather busy) and are also allowed out at night for 1.5 hours of play time before bed. My dogs are used to the day care centre, so kennels to them are not stressful and they love having an overnight stay  

As for other kennels - the main comments I get from people visiting us is that kennels look 'jail like', the dogs are not out of the kennels enough (for walks or playtime) and in some cases dogs from the same household are not allowed to share a kennel (no idea on this one, apparently 'research' shows they will fight!!!) 

If you do set up a kennels good luck, and no matter how high quality you make it just be prepared for some people not liking your services - you can't please everyone afterall!!


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## newfiesmum

Pets_R_Me:) said:


> I use kennels for my dogs, but then again - I work in the ones I use which makes it an easier decision!!
> 
> The dogs at work only spend evenings in kennels, and join our day care dogs for play time during the day (from Arena time, walks and field time they are kept rather busy) and are also allowed out at night for 1.5 hours of play time before bed. My dogs are used to the day care centre, so kennels to them are not stressful and they love having an overnight stay
> 
> As for other kennels - the main comments I get from people visiting us is that kennels look 'jail like', the dogs are not out of the kennels enough (for walks or playtime) and in some cases dogs from the same household are not allowed to share a kennel (no idea on this one, apparently 'research' shows they will fight!!!)
> 
> If you do set up a kennels good luck, and no matter how high quality you make it just be prepared for some people not liking your services - you can't please everyone afterall!!


Now that's an idea! You could set up a doggy daycare as well. There aren't nearly enough of those in this country and it will give you more of an income in the winter.


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## s4simo

How about webcams in their 'room'. Some child nurseries have them. The owners would log onto the Internet and enter a code / password that would be linked to say their dogs room and wherever else you like for example common play area. This means that owners can always check in on their animals and reassure themselves everything is ok.


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## 912142

Yes I agree with webcams - it also keeps staff on their toes if they are aware that owners could be viewing. 

Also being able to view the daily worksheet would be helpful rather than waiting until the holiday is over to find that your pet hasn't eaten in a fortnight and has lost a substantial amount of weight. :smile:


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## SixStar

I don't leave mine in kennels (if I go away, they come too) but IF I did in an emergency, I have to say I wouldn't want a fancy, all singing, all dancing kennels with carpet, tvs, soft furnishing etc 

I would pay well over the odds for a decent kennel, but not one like that. I'd want a good traditional kennel- where the dogs are in kennels with outside runs attached, and are brought out for walks, off lead time in a secure area, playtime, fuss & attention, grooming etc. Those pet hotels with all the carpets etc may look nice but just can't be pratical. I'd want a kennel that can be completely scrubbed down with disinfectant between occupants (which isn't possible with carpets and soft furnishings).

I'd want my dogs to he housed in 2 and a 3- the Greyhounds together, and then the other 3 (but I know that some kennels wouldn't be comfortable housing a Westie with 2 giant breeds), and for them to be able to all see one another a couple of days a day- ie, be walked together or taken to the off lead area together.

I'd also want a kennels that insists on vaccinations (some don't) and that either doesn't take in season bitches or houses them somewhere completely different from the main kennels. 2 of my boys are entire and would stress at being kennelled near an in season bitch.

I'd look for a small kennel block- ie, only 5 or 6 kennels/runs in a block, to keep noise to a minimum, with heating, lighting (dimmed at night) and idealy DAP plugged in. 

I would expect to be able to take my dogs own food, bedding and toys (I'd understand that toys and bedding could potentially get lost/broken).

I'd love it if I could recieve updates via text throughout my dogs stay.

See, I'm not at all fussy am I


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## edidasa

i dont know from 1st hand, but i heard that kennels are a goldmine. (northampton)


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## Blondie

I reckon there is a HUGE gap in the market for kennels that will accept unvaccinated dogs.


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## edidasa

haha. probably. welshkate can help vaccinate them.


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## Blondie

edidasa said:


> haha. probably. welshkate can help vaccinate them.


Lol! I wouldnt wanna come back from my hols and find my dogs had been vaccinated, that wasnt quite what I meant, LOL!


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## Lucy B

Have you tried typing into google 'dog boarding hotels'. We used Canine Country Club last time we left the dogs. They are expensive but incredibly popular. All of the kennels are suites, with sofas, beds even tables

They offered a lot of exercise which was important for our dogs being high energy breeds, and they offered suites that were 10ft x 12ft  and all of the suites had a massive 14ft outdoor (garden) room for the dogs to play in with views out onto the fields.

If I was going to board the dogs again it would be here. For me the deal clincher was the small number of other rooms (15 others I think), so my dogs got loads of attention, the room sizes and the amount of exercise provided.

Hope at least some of that helped


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