kennel advice

[Augie Dog]

My niece is coming to visit for a few days and I don't know what to do with Aug. We will be gone all day and night for two days. I can't just leave him home. There is no one that I can have to check on him either.

He will hate this, but I think kennel is the only way for him to be taken care of for two days. What do I look for in a kennel? Aug will be heart broken, but I just can't leave him alone.

[Mark]

Hi David,

One solution may be to check with your Vet if you like & trust them. We found that our Vet doesn't advertise it, but will Kennel puppers for time periods for a week or less.

What to look for? Hmmm, there are probably a lot more knowledgeable people than I to address that one. Actually my mother house & dog sits when we're gone.

Good luck,

Mark

[isobelsmom]

Hi David,

I used to manage a boarding kennel at my vet clinic. The first thing I will say is to be VERY CAREFUL! The reason for this? Many boarding kennels hire high school kids and, nothing much against them, they tend to be a little less than good with both cleaning and the animals. Many just wanna get it over with and go home. I ran into this where I worked and it was one of a couple reasons I left. Also, if you give them food and toys and such for your dog they may not allow the dog to have them.

Really check out the place. Make an unexpected visit to see what it's really like. Look at the other dogs there to see their condition. Ask about emergencies and any special practices they have like walks and cuddling.

I personally do not kennel my dogs---for one I have seven pups and another I just do not trust them (kennels) any longer. Just go over the kennel with a fine tooth comb---maybe you can get a referal from someone who uses one. Or like Mark said ask your vet. I really do not mean to scare you--just give you a heads up to look carefully before you board.

mary

[Bernie]

My doxie Hannah goes to Doggy Daycare, which also kennels animals. I was given a referral by a friend who also uses the facility. When I called just for daycare they required that I come in alone in advance and inspect their facilities. I had a tour, was given a written explanation of what was expected from me and the staff.
Fortunately the staff is mostly mature where Hannah goes. Since she does go for daycare the staff knows her and treats her like one of the family. Please get referrals from friends and insist on touring the facility on a planned and an unplanned visit. You only want to leave your dog where you know you can trust the staff. I hope that you will be as lucky as I was in finding a good place.

[Oscar's Mom]

It is hard to leave your pup in a kennel. Just be sure to inspect the facility first and ask questions. This last time we went on vacation, Oscar had to stay in a kennel for one night, our friend picked him up and stayed at our house for the rest of week with him. When our friend went to pick him up, they said that Oscar totally ate his blanket and there was nothing left. I was soooo mad, I don't believe it all. It was a nice blanket with a design on it, like the kind you would throw over a sofa, so I think that someone took it or another dog destroyed it. This kennel came highly recommend from 2 of my co-workers. It really hard to pick one.

[Roxane]

Hi David:
Here comes some really dumb questions:
Is there no way, if he is crated, that you could take him along? What about a pet sitter? Are there any reputable dachshund people in your area who might take him for that short time? You might be able to arrange a pet sitting exchange.
Have had some really good experiences with kennels and a couple of not so good experiences. The not so good ones have really soured me on kenneling. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/sick.gif
Roxane

[Little Freddie]

I had my Freddie kenneled once, and it turned out fine, although I HATED to do it, but at that time I had no choice.
VERY important is to use your NOSE & EYES! The facility should smell and look reasonably clean! NO feces, FLIES, etc. should be present, if it is, WALK away! The facility should also be organized and have bins marked with it's contents and so forth. The staff should be genuinely concerned for your pet's welfare, and enjoy their work! Use your gut feelings; if there are ANY red flags or hesitations, WALK away!
Finally, if you do decide on a place, TAKE your dachsie with you for a 2nd tour; that way it will be an easier transition. ALSO, see if you leave your dachsie's bedding and toys there (normally it's fine); he/she will feel more at "home".<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm1.gif" border=0> Good luck! Let us know!

Susanhttp://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

[Jennifer]

I would reccommend finding a kennel that will hand walk the doggies. There is only one kennel that I will take my doggies (I can't leave my blind dachsie Oscar cuz he has panic attacks) and I have only had to do that twice. I have a few neighboors we trade dog watching with. If you have to kennel them I would find one that gives the doggies alot of attention, not just leaves them in a cage for the duration.

I have found a kennel a great kennel where I live that walks them four times a day. They have no hose system in the kennels, so they have to hand clean any accidents, so they are motivated to walk them.

The doggies get supervised play time in a yard (based on size), and are typically only in the cage to eat and sleep.

The first time I took the doggies there, I had to fill out a questionaire with questions about what time the dogs are used to doing their business and eating (so that they stay on the same schedule), what games they like to play, where they like to be scratched, and if they are scared of thunder storms and how to comfort them. They also encourage you to bring toys, treats, and blankets while other kennels I've talked to discourage this. When I picked up CHarlie (my lab), they gave me a report card on him, telling me that he had lots of fun and made lots of new friends. And all the kennel workers came out to say good bye and told me how much fun they had playing with him. I think Charlie didn't want to leave.

It really made feel like he had gotten alot of attention and wasn't just sitting in a cage.

[pluto'slanie]

Hi David, I left Pluto in a kennel once. I did a pre inspection. The place was packed with pups and was clean. They exercised the dogs 4 X a day by size and played with them. The manager/owner told me that Pluto was miserable the first day, but played with the small dogs after that. I brought his pillow and toys but if I had my druthers, I wouldn't do it again. See if a friend or neighbor can help out.

[Krista]

Since its only for two days, could you hire a pet sitting service? Even "behind the pet times" Dayton has several good services that will come in.

They are insured, bonded, and will get emergency vet care for your pupsters if needed. The one in my area has some great references, even my vet likes them, but I have not used them yet.

I found them through a website called Pet Sitters International...got the website off an article in last months DORG mag

heres the link, maybe they have one near you.
http://www.dachshund.org/article_petsitter.html

[OwnedByChaucer]

I've only had to leave Chaucer once (but will have to again in November), but I took him to the kennel at my vet. I figure, if I trust them to do surgery on my animals, it's okay to leave them there. He seemed to be fine when we came to collect him, and the animal hospital is convenient since they have 24 hour pick up and drop off (it's also a vet emergency) We know the girls who work there like our pups though, since they always are carrying them away and cuddling them when we go in for appointments, so we figure they are well taken care of.

I always vote with the vet kennel over a pet sitter since at the vet, if there were some sort of health emergency, I am confident it would be taken care of immediately, since we sign paperwork that says to give whatever treatment necessary, in the event we can't be reached immediately and critical care is necessary. That's always nice when you are travelling, since even if the vet has a number where you are, it's likely you'll not be sitting in the hotel room at all times http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

[Penny's Aunt]

Hey, folks that have already posted that you found a good place: could you go back & edit? Give the name & city/state of the place? It may help others here in the future.

Yes, ALWAYS do a surpise tour of the facilities. If they won't let you, leave. If there's a little poop here & there, that's okay if it's fresh. No one is waiting outside each run for the dogs to poop. But use your nose for odors of an overall nature, & worn-in filth. Also check for sprinkler systems, etc. A wooden kennel near here burned to the ground one night, killing 45 loved pets.

Also, check with your vet's office & ask if any of their employees do pet-sitting, many do. Or if they know of good ones.

Any friendly, reliable seniors in your neighborhood that could use a little extra cash?

If there's any chance he could go with you, check out http://www.petswelcome.com for hotels/motels that accept pets.

<FONT COLOR="#00FFFF" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Penny's Aunt on October 03, 2000 at 01:39 PM</font>

[Jennifer]

Good idea about posting the good kennels here. The place I posted about that hand walks the doggies, has supervised play time, has you fill out a questionaire about your pets likes and dislikes and gives you a report card on your pet is Camp Canine in Cary, North Carolina. It is around Raleigh, NC. They are a small facility so it is hard to get in, but each pet gets a lot of personalized attention. They will let you tour it any time and also encourage you to call and check on your pet if you are worried about them. Note that they call the pets "Campers".