Dog boarding kennels
- Thread starter HayleyMarie
- Start date
I have some of the same concerns about boarding Rhys that you have with Pan. He's a lot of dog to handle, is also intact, but has the added dog aggressive label, especially in a strange environment without me handling him.
Over the time that I've had him, I've come to trust my vet's office and I would board him with them for a short period. They have seen me manage him for almost two years and how vigilant I am with him; most of the staff understands.
If your parents are able to come and get him for short periods then the vet might be a good option.
I live four hours from one of Rhys's breeder and she has made it clear that he's always welcome. She's really one of the few people I trust with Rhys besides my husband.
Over the time that I've had him, I've come to trust my vet's office and I would board him with them for a short period. They have seen me manage him for almost two years and how vigilant I am with him; most of the staff understands.
If your parents are able to come and get him for short periods then the vet might be a good option.
I live four hours from one of Rhys's breeder and she has made it clear that he's always welcome. She's really one of the few people I trust with Rhys besides my husband.
I just went around looking for a place to board my dogs at the end of February for 4 days around St.Albert. I ended up asking the tech student at work to come and house sit.
I toured 3 kennels and was not impressed by any. The first one smelled bad, was cold, extremely loud, and had no visual barrier between kennels. I don't expect Buckingham Palace, and I'm okay with a dog kennel not smelling like a bouquet of roses... but I also don't think it should smell overwhelmingly like dog. I don't expect it to be balmy during the winter when they have outdoor runs attached, but it shouldn't be cold. And I am not okay with my dogs being nose to nose with someone else' dogs... who knows if they're sick or dog aggressive.
Second kennel smelled okay, but was cold and also just chain link between kennels.
Last kennel was the best. It smelled alright and there were solid divisions between dogs. There weren't attached outdoor runs, so while warmer it means people actually handling my dogs to take them out, which I'm not crazy about.
I may just be really picky, but the last kennel I boarded them at was great. The "kennels" were individual rooms so it was quieter, and they had attached outdoor runs that the dogs went out in. I liked that because it meant no one was walking my dogs and potentially losing them. The outdoor runs were just chain link between dogs, but they were there in the dead of winter so they weren't spending much time out there. And in spite of the attached outdoor run, inside wasn't cold. I had them keep sweaters on my dogs for the whole stay because it was a little cool, but not worryingly so.
Anyway, I wasn't impressed with the kennels around St.Albert. PM me if you want to know which 3 kennels those were.
I toured 3 kennels and was not impressed by any. The first one smelled bad, was cold, extremely loud, and had no visual barrier between kennels. I don't expect Buckingham Palace, and I'm okay with a dog kennel not smelling like a bouquet of roses... but I also don't think it should smell overwhelmingly like dog. I don't expect it to be balmy during the winter when they have outdoor runs attached, but it shouldn't be cold. And I am not okay with my dogs being nose to nose with someone else' dogs... who knows if they're sick or dog aggressive.
Second kennel smelled okay, but was cold and also just chain link between kennels.
Last kennel was the best. It smelled alright and there were solid divisions between dogs. There weren't attached outdoor runs, so while warmer it means people actually handling my dogs to take them out, which I'm not crazy about.
I may just be really picky, but the last kennel I boarded them at was great. The "kennels" were individual rooms so it was quieter, and they had attached outdoor runs that the dogs went out in. I liked that because it meant no one was walking my dogs and potentially losing them. The outdoor runs were just chain link between dogs, but they were there in the dead of winter so they weren't spending much time out there. And in spite of the attached outdoor run, inside wasn't cold. I had them keep sweaters on my dogs for the whole stay because it was a little cool, but not worryingly so.
Anyway, I wasn't impressed with the kennels around St.Albert. PM me if you want to know which 3 kennels those were.
I have never had to board my small dogs as I have either my sister, brother-in-law or niece come over every day and check on them. I have secure runs with a heated building for them to go in and out of so I know they are safe even though they are always in my house when I am home.
With Kris, my Doberman, I never had to leave her until she was almost two. There are no boarding kennels around but then I found that the Doggy Daycare also boards. They are at the Daycare during the day and one of the people there, take them home at night. As I have known the people running the day care for several years, I felt confident leaving Kris there the three times now that I had to be away as it is too cold for her to stay at home. They also take them out for a walk on leash as well.
With Kris, my Doberman, I never had to leave her until she was almost two. There are no boarding kennels around but then I found that the Doggy Daycare also boards. They are at the Daycare during the day and one of the people there, take them home at night. As I have known the people running the day care for several years, I felt confident leaving Kris there the three times now that I had to be away as it is too cold for her to stay at home. They also take them out for a walk on leash as well.
FWIW - I worked as a kennel attendant at a vet clinic for a few years and would avoid leaving my current/future dog(s) at such a location unless it was an absolute emergency.
Here's why:
Unless there was an emergency with a dog (such as the time that a dog in boarding had a seizure and was brought to the "treatment" area for further monitoring), the dogs were basically cared for by high school students working for minimum wage with varying levels of actual interest in the field. The dogs were kept in kennels that are just big enough for them. Panzer is big enough that he would have pretty much guaranteed himself a spot in a run versus one of those metal vet cages, but the medium-large sized dogs had it the worst. On non-busy days, a medium-large sized dog would likely get to stay in a run, rather than a large cage. But if there were enough extra large dogs to fill the runs (which were about 2 ft x 4 ft), the medium-large dogs would get bumped into large kennels which were no bigger than a dog crate. The dogs got walked by the high schoolers 3x per day for a few minutes each time. Really, enough time for the dog to pee and poop and then back inside. The outside walking area was not fenced and bordered a large road. One time, a dog got loose of its slip lead and the vet staff had to catch it as it ran, panicking near this large road.
If the client paid extra, his or her dog would be given one or two "play times" per day for fifteen minutes a piece in a small fenced area. This was nice, but even with the max number of "play times" each dog was living in a crate sized space for roughly 23.25 hours of the day (I'm assuming 2 15 minute play times and 3 5 minute walks). Most owners did not opt for "play time" and so their dogs spent about 23.75 hours in a crate per day.
The kennel was extremely loud and for as often as it was scrubbed and cleaned, there would inevitably be a dog or two who would soil itself regularly, leading to a distinct doggie smell in the back.
And this was not a bad clinic. The vets were knowledgeable, the kennels were each cleaned three times per day (or more if the dog used the bathroom in the cage), the cages and runs all had solid barriers between each dog, kennels and cages were sanitized with a steam cleaner between each animal, and each animal had constant access to water and would be fed according to the owner's specifications. But the sheer stress level of the dogs must have been through the roof. You will never be able to create a full-proof scenario in which there is no possibility of something happening to your dog. This is life. Things can happen.
And so I got to thinking... if I had to decide between a slim chance of something happening to my dog at home, but her being unlikely to be stressed beyond the fact that I'm not present vs. a slightly slimmer chance of something happening in a controlled kennel environment, but her almost definitely being terrified and anxiety ridden, I'd pick the former in a heartbeat. Chances of something happening are slim in either case. Stress is almost inevitably significantly lower in case one than in case 2... AND in case one, I get to pick who is actually caring for my dog...
Things can happen anywhere. If I were in your shoes, I'd be inclined to have a professional sitter come and live at my house for a few weeks. That way, if something happens (god forbid), the dog is near home rather than in a totally novel environment. Likewise, his normal routine is maintained as closely as possible.
If I HAD to pick a kennel, it would be a small privately owned kennel where the owner takes care of the dogs themselves and does not employ staff.
Here's why:
Unless there was an emergency with a dog (such as the time that a dog in boarding had a seizure and was brought to the "treatment" area for further monitoring), the dogs were basically cared for by high school students working for minimum wage with varying levels of actual interest in the field. The dogs were kept in kennels that are just big enough for them. Panzer is big enough that he would have pretty much guaranteed himself a spot in a run versus one of those metal vet cages, but the medium-large sized dogs had it the worst. On non-busy days, a medium-large sized dog would likely get to stay in a run, rather than a large cage. But if there were enough extra large dogs to fill the runs (which were about 2 ft x 4 ft), the medium-large dogs would get bumped into large kennels which were no bigger than a dog crate. The dogs got walked by the high schoolers 3x per day for a few minutes each time. Really, enough time for the dog to pee and poop and then back inside. The outside walking area was not fenced and bordered a large road. One time, a dog got loose of its slip lead and the vet staff had to catch it as it ran, panicking near this large road.
If the client paid extra, his or her dog would be given one or two "play times" per day for fifteen minutes a piece in a small fenced area. This was nice, but even with the max number of "play times" each dog was living in a crate sized space for roughly 23.25 hours of the day (I'm assuming 2 15 minute play times and 3 5 minute walks). Most owners did not opt for "play time" and so their dogs spent about 23.75 hours in a crate per day.
The kennel was extremely loud and for as often as it was scrubbed and cleaned, there would inevitably be a dog or two who would soil itself regularly, leading to a distinct doggie smell in the back.
And this was not a bad clinic. The vets were knowledgeable, the kennels were each cleaned three times per day (or more if the dog used the bathroom in the cage), the cages and runs all had solid barriers between each dog, kennels and cages were sanitized with a steam cleaner between each animal, and each animal had constant access to water and would be fed according to the owner's specifications. But the sheer stress level of the dogs must have been through the roof. You will never be able to create a full-proof scenario in which there is no possibility of something happening to your dog. This is life. Things can happen.
And so I got to thinking... if I had to decide between a slim chance of something happening to my dog at home, but her being unlikely to be stressed beyond the fact that I'm not present vs. a slightly slimmer chance of something happening in a controlled kennel environment, but her almost definitely being terrified and anxiety ridden, I'd pick the former in a heartbeat. Chances of something happening are slim in either case. Stress is almost inevitably significantly lower in case one than in case 2... AND in case one, I get to pick who is actually caring for my dog...
Things can happen anywhere. If I were in your shoes, I'd be inclined to have a professional sitter come and live at my house for a few weeks. That way, if something happens (god forbid), the dog is near home rather than in a totally novel environment. Likewise, his normal routine is maintained as closely as possible.
If I HAD to pick a kennel, it would be a small privately owned kennel where the owner takes care of the dogs themselves and does not employ staff.
^ Not all vet clinics are created equal, though. I've noticed that clinics whom just offer boarding as a side thing don't have very good facilities (and I personally wouldn't board my dog in that kind of environment). If the vet clinic offers boarding for boarding's sake, however, not as a supplement for their practice, I've seen some very nice facilities (the clinic I work at now included - our boarding facility is extremely high end).
So I wouldn't rule out a clinic boarding facility just because it is at a vet clinic. Definitely tour the place first.
ETA: Oh, and with Abrams, I don't have any worries about him not letting people care for him in a boarding type scenario. He is great with people in public. At home, however, I was very clear with the pet sitter that she would need to make her visits a happy thing or she may have problems with him. Lucky for me, he's really not *that* protective of a dog and aside from roaring at her when she first walked in he didn't give her any trouble being in his house without us present. When she watched him the second time she was on his "approved guest" list and he didn't give her any issues at all.
My point being - typically dogs do fine in a boarding scenario as long as they're well socialized with people in public and don't have any weird fears/triggers (like cage aggression). And having someone he doesn't know well come into your home to care for him may be more challenging for him than boarding.
So I wouldn't rule out a clinic boarding facility just because it is at a vet clinic. Definitely tour the place first.
ETA: Oh, and with Abrams, I don't have any worries about him not letting people care for him in a boarding type scenario. He is great with people in public. At home, however, I was very clear with the pet sitter that she would need to make her visits a happy thing or she may have problems with him. Lucky for me, he's really not *that* protective of a dog and aside from roaring at her when she first walked in he didn't give her any trouble being in his house without us present. When she watched him the second time she was on his "approved guest" list and he didn't give her any issues at all.
My point being - typically dogs do fine in a boarding scenario as long as they're well socialized with people in public and don't have any weird fears/triggers (like cage aggression). And having someone he doesn't know well come into your home to care for him may be more challenging for him than boarding.