Boarding Kennels

[Judy]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

This is not meant as an advert for our kennels but if you want to know more about our kennels then go to google and look up kennels dorset our name comes up alot.

Why don't you put a link to your web page as your signature - this would then appear at the bottom of all your posts. You can do this by going to your profile and adding it.

 

[JAX]

Tessandprince The point I was trying to make was why do boarding Kennels charge so much more than Greyhound kennels . ? what happens to the dogs after there racing career was quite irrellivent to the question.



As regards prize money . I would say they get 10% of winnings , most dogs run once a week at the most with `apperance money` being approx £25.00 so £2.50 a dog per week extra !! wow !!!!!!!!more if it wins but they don`t do that every week or even every month. :x

GreyhoundLover , please don`t tarnish every one with the same brush, They unfortunatly don`t have to be Greyhound Trainers to beat S . . T out of dogs , I know of several trainers who keep more old retired dogs than they have runners.

One lady trainer even lives in a battered caravan so she can keep more dogs .

visit the kennel where she came from and the dogs are kept in very small kennels with 2 dogs in each one.

As you know Greyhounds are couch potatoes so why would they need huge kennels ??,they go out for exercise more times than alot of pet homes/boarding kennels , and 2 dogs together !!don`t your dogs like company , would they want to be alone ? Most trainers but a dog and bitch together for company .

I don`t like what happens to alot of them after racing and have worked for and with any Greyhound rescue/rehoming scheme that has needed my help . But that hasn`t answered my original question has it .!

 

[Rae]

I'm not going to mention the places name. The owners wouldn't allow ANY breeds that might bark and they would beat the c**p out of any dog that made a slight whimper  :angry: If someone requested that their dog have bedding from home, they would just put it in a storeroom (the same with toys & treats) One old golden retriever barked once or twice, and my boss got this plastic pipe and started beating him with it until he was shaking with fear (this dog was 15 years old) and the man was laughing saying "He enjoys it really!" I only worked there for month.

I understand that you wouldn't want to name the kennels on here, (although maybe you should incase anyone is thinking of using them) but, did you report this cruelty? I don't know how it works, but perhaps the council would revoke the licence and I presume the RSPCA would investigate too. No wonder you couldn't work there any longer :rant: It is absolutely abominable that someone's much loved pet would be treated in this way whilst in the care and trust of a boarding kennels, who were paid to look after them properly. :'(

Surely any breed, (except for a Besenji?) will bark/yap/howl so potentially every dog in that kennel would get a beating at some point? :rant:

 

[shirlnmisty]

Tess thank you for the insight on the other side of the kennels business, I used to work with horses and it was damn hard work so i can only imagine :sweating:

Luckily for me I have a trusted friend to take my greyhound and whppet for the 2 days so its just the lurchers that will need kenneling, even so, I will be so worried till I get home

I really dont think you can compare racing kennels to boarding kennels, both are completely different businesses and remeber your greyounds all get the same food maybe in different anounts but the trainers are not thinking well the whippet in the corner gets.... the GSD eats...., she needs 4 feeds a day he needs 2 a day etc. I have been to a few racing kennels through our volunteer work and the people who run them are lovely and are good to their dogs, who are kenneled in pairs with no problems, maybe I am lucky but I can only speak for the kennels ive seen and trainers ive spoke to

Jax I dont know where your greyhounds are running but at Shawfield I have never heard of 'appearance money' being paid (maybe Ive just not heard of it tho) also as far as I know most of the trainers do not get paid for looking after the dogs, they only get % of winnings and bets etc. The RGT pay for the retired ones tho

 

[Lydia]

Pet care is only as good as the people who provide it .£ 4.50 per dog per day is too cheap . You get what you pay for we charge £ 12.00 + vat  for a gsd and have picked up 5 new customers with 8 gsds between them in January 2004

If in your reply, this paragraph was referring to my post, I take great insult to this paragraph.

It is implying, that I looked for the cheapest kennels I could find, so what did I expect, when I was lied to, by the kennels in question, and, my dogs suffered.

If it was me, you were picking up on, you clearly did not read,that this was 10 yrs ago.

You can't say,what prices you and your partner were charging, 10 yrs ago, as you were not in business then.

I rang, every effing kennels in yellow pg's, Thompson Local,and recomendations from friends.All the quotes I had, for one day per dog,at that time were £4.00 - £4.50.

A very p****d off Lydia

 

[tessandprince]

Jax , Looks like I hit a raw nerve on the subject of what happens to a working dog after their career is over !! What is irrelevant about the question ?

Lydia , You are quite right that I didn't note that your prices where about 10 years old . Sorry . perhaps you could contact them and post todays prices ?

My guess would be £ 7 .

I am always suprised how difficult it can be to get people who book their dogs in to inspect our kennels ,especially after a recommendation . "If its good enough for Mrs S its good enough for me" is the usual response . Lydia appears to have made the cardinal error of not inpecting before leaving her dogs .

Everyone :

You would be amazed at how many calls we get asking us to board dogs which start with " We been let down by ...." . This normally turns out to be shorthand for "My parents are ill and can't look after my dog" .

You may not want to leave your dog in kennels but you do owe it to them to research all kennels in your area to find a good one in cases of emergency.

 

[BeeJay]

> Lydia appears to have made the cardinal error of not inpecting before leaving her dogs .

No she didn't she inspected them before trusting them with her dogs. She would have 'cause that's Lydia. If you knew her and how she feels about her dogs then you'd know that she'd give a prospective boarding kennels the 3rd degree and also she wouldn't have gone for the cheapest option.

What Lydia had was a bad experience with boarding kennels. Actually come to think of it I've only boarded any of my dogs twice and both times they came back with kennel cough and in the first case the bedding was soaked in urine but I put that down to her being a youngster at 6 months although she was clean in the house.

I personally don't use boarding kennels because I have a problem with trusting others with my dogs. I have problems leaving my dogs in my vets care let alone someone that I don't know well and I have a brill vet.

The last time that I had a petless holiday I left my dogs and cats with Alan's parents. Who are brill. Now I simply have too many dogs so don't go on holiday.

 

[Lydia]

Lydia , You are quite right that I didn't note that your prices where about 10 years old . Sorry . perhaps you could contact them and post todays prices ?My guess would be £ 7 .

Lydia appears to have made the cardinal error of not inpecting  before leaving her dogs .

Once again,you are making an incorrect assumption.

I weeded out, a lot of prospective kennels over the telephone,before inspecting my shortlist.

I didn't know,if my dogs would settle in kennels,which is why they were booked in,from Friday p.m.,until Sunday a.m.Less than 48 hrs..

The kennels could have contacted us anytime,we were at home, less than a 20 min WALK,from these particular kennels,for the whole of this time.

I cannot quote you,what they would be charging,for kennelling now,as they no longer take boarders.Quite frankly,why the b***y h**L should I,if they still did :blink: .

You seem to think,they would be charging £7.00.As they were the most expensive, 10 yrs ago,why would they now be charging,so much less than you?

Or is it just,that you are assuming again, that the Cotswolds is so much cheaper than your area?

In your very first post,you stated that whippets do not do well/thrive,in a kennel environment.

As you are so perfect,in your kennelling business, when a whippet owner phones your business,regarding kennelling their whippet.Do you explain this to them,and tactfully suggest,that they try an alternative, eg, family/friends/pet sitting service ?

Or shall I be as rude,arrogant and offensive as yourself,and "assume" the answer is no.

 

[JAX]

Do you get the impression that you won`t be getting any customers from this board Tessandprince ?

Why do people have to book a time to inspect ? Worried about being caught out!

My friends kennels are open for inspection [SIZE=14pt]without [/SIZE] appointment provided it`s during opening hours.

 

[Mark Roberts]

Looks like I hit a raw nerve on the subject of what happens to a working dog after their career is over !!

um now do you mean greyhounds or the thousands of racing & working whippets (or any other type of Running dog) who stay with their owners till they are lost through old age!

does the prize money make up the difference ?

I take it you've never raced Greyhounds? the prize money aint that good.

I agree with JAX :thumbsup: a kennel should be open anytime for an inspection, if not then they should be left well alone.

 

[chelynnah]

We have just come back from holiday after leaving our girls (one whippet mix and one purebred) in kennels. I believe tessandprincess's kennels (the new poster).

We stumbled across these kennels by recommendation 2 years ago when my petsitter had a family emergency (son in France diagnosed with Cancer) a week before we were to go on holiday. We phoned several whippet friends and asked for recommendations as I 'hate' the thought of kennelling, and I'd already been through inspections in Scotland of several kennels where I wouldn't leave my worst enemies!! Really good kennels are hard to find, and kennels that understand whippets even harder.

My friend's daughter had worked at this kennel under the previous owner and recommended them. We went out that afternoon unannounced to inspect it. To top it off it was a bank holiday. We expected to find them closed. Imagine how pleased we were to find them not only open but to be given a full tour from one end of the kennel to the other - NOTHING to hide there!! A long discussion followed on the needs of whippets and how they don't do well and at the suggestion of the owner we agreed to have the dogs fed 3 times a day instead of their usual two in order to keep weight on them. A week later they were in kennels for 12 days and they did very well. Were very happy when we returned, had lost a bit of weight, but not near what we expected and were healthy, happy and glad to see us.

This year we had a similar problem. Our one sitter got birds over the holidays and was unable to take them for the long period we had originally booked and our other sitter was out of the country, so we booked them into kennels again. We took a one day session to leave them overnight a week before we left just so they would be used to it, and then just this week got back from our 12 day holiday. They did EXTREMELY well. Both of them came out at exactly the same weight they went in!! They were happy to see us, and tired as is expected, but we were very pleased yet again. I would totally recommend these kennels but of course would insist that people go and view them as well.

I would never just take someone's word for it no matter how well I know them, as my expectations may be completely different than theirs.

I don't think kennels are the best environment for our breed of dog, but you never know when you will have an emergency and the best idea is to research the kennels near you so you have an option. I have TWO dogsitters and this year neither one could assist.

Anyway, enough rambling. Great kennels are few and far between and I feel extremely lucky to have found one I KNOW I can trust my girls to.

Wendy

 

[Macha]

it looks like this will be a useful thread, but I haven't got round to reading the 30 messages

I find most kennels in my area (NW Ireland) and also in Scotland charge £7/dog/day but many give a reduction for two dogs kenneled together and some vary price according to dogs' size. Although the price is the same, the quality of the runs and the service given varies. (when I think of it, the price is very reasonable when the kennel workers walk the dogs twice a day)

When I have had my dogs kenneled locally, I have been charged per night. So I was annoyed when I left them in a kennel elsewhere for a few days and was charged 4 days for what I thought was 3 days. Also, it was a large kennel where the dogs were given minimal attention; no walks ,no personal bedding allowed in the runs, etc. I left the dogs at 4 pm of a Monday and picked them up at 9 am on the Thursday. I had always been very clear with the kennel that I would need to collect my dogs early on the morning of departure. They were cleaning the runs when I arrived and the dogs didn't get their morning feed and I did not think I would be charged for the Thursday but I was. Am I right or wrong to complain about being (over?)charged/

 

[Seraphina]

I have quite a lot of experience with boarding kennels, albeit mostly as an observer. My daughter got herself weekend and holidays job in one when she was 14, and worked in kennels right up to second year at university. Also one of my very close friends has been running small boarding kennels for the past 20 years and we, on couple of occasions looked after these kennels when she needed to go away.

The first thing you have to realise that to build (or buy) kennels costs lot of money, so unless you are eccentric millionaire, you will need to make profit. As in all business you will make money by being efficient. You cannot take every dog out individually on a leash, prepare its individual meals etc if you want to get the kennels clean.

My friend would take maximum 50 dogs, but the one where my daughter worked at would have 250 in the busy time. To take 250 dogs for 10 minutes walk each would take 4 hours.

My friend had two long (100m X 3m)) fenced lanes from the back of her kennels, where she would put dogs to exercise, while she cleaned their kennels. She did this twice a day. Even that, kennels are very labour intensive business.

If I had to go away, I would leave my dogs in kennels. They may loose bit of weight, they may not be happy but, I would know that they are safe. .

If left at home with somebody coming over few times a day i would be worried that the may dig themselves out, they could charge past her as she opens front door - they have done that to me, but come as soon as I called , they may not come to a stranger.

If I would want to get into kennel business I would make sure the kennel complex is well designed, facing south (north hemisphere), especially all floors are sloping to good deep drains. The whole thing is well fenced such a way that no canine Houdini can get out, and everything is organised such a way you do not have to run miles every day. I would also incorporate at least some heated kennels for Whippets and other housedogs.

Good luck

Lida

 

[doris]

does anyone know if the person who started this thread actually did set kennels up, or if they were ever seen or heard of again?

and how did this thread appear after such a long period of time? it started 18 months ago!

perhaps there could be a FAQ on kennels that k9ers do recommend? or am I the only one who has used kennels that returned happy fat dogs to them? (w00t)

 

[Seraphina]

I did not look at the original date

Lida

 

[Susan]

My dogs will be going into kennel's next year. The last time Robbie was in he went in at 18 1/2lbs and came out at just over 15lbs. I am not going to use them again :rant: I had used these kennel's for about 8 yrs too.

I am going to look at the kennel's Liz (Tanks owner) works at and maybe book them into there. I have noone who can look after my lot at home .

 

[OEH]

I use kennels near Oxford- they really are excellent. The dogs even get excited when they know where they are going. They lose a little weight, but I think this is down to walking only on a lead. They get walked twice a day. Once when they saw the woman who runs the place while on a walk they shot off flat out to see her and licked her all over.

The place is called 'Lakeside Kennel' (and the kennels have a great view of a lake, and apparently Tess particularly enjoys watching the ducks)

 

[*Lesley*]

We have a caravan, especially so that we do not have to consider a holiday without the dogs (to us, it wouldnt be a holiday without them anyway).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Me too :thumbsup: plus i'm scared of flying :b

My Uncle has just set up a kennel-ish type business. It's basically a kennel but without the kennels :wacko:   He looks after dogs in his home, whether it be just for the day or a short stay etc. This would probably suit a Whippet better than a kennel because it can stay in a house and curl up in a basket or whatever He also has a huge garden (and I mean huuuge garden - for British standands anyway ) that the dogs can roam in when not inside. I would be more tempted to leave my dog in this sort of environment because it is homely... I'm sure there are a lot of nice kennels but for a dog that is adjusted to home life it must be pretty hard on them to stay in a kennel?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

That sounds fab a real home from home, I'd go for that :thumbsup:

The post probably came up because someone was searching for kennels on their assisant??? :unsure:

 

[oakmoorehill]

My dogs go to kennels if we go away. The owner is really good she shows afghans and grande blue de gascoines.

She always arranges mine so they go in groups of 2 or 3( the last time they went I had 5 whippets and a GSD) the GSD goes on his own the whippets are aplit into 2 groups but they are always kept so they can see each other as Beethoven goes mad of he can't see his whippies.

They have plenty to eat twice a day and rearly loose much weight. She will also take Tegan for me when she is in season.

We saw her at the hound show on Sat were she saw Tegan's pups for the first time. She said if they were old enough to show we must be expecting Tegan in season soon and to give her a ring if we needed her to go into kennels. I told her unfortunately she had come in season when the pups were 5 months and we didn't ring as it was just before the big local holiday end of June beggining of July so I didn't think she would have room for a bitch in season.Her reply was she would always make room for her regulars even if it meant moving her own dogs round to fit her in.

She always does a special rate for me as I always take at least 6 unless Tegan goes in on her own for seasons

If we see her at shows my dogs all run to her with tails wagging and plenty of kisses we always take the dogs into the kennels areas ourselves and they are happy to be left.

 

[ILoveKettleChips]

Ooooooh this has been a good thread. Mine go into kennels once in a while. My mum's dogs live in an outside shed with a fenced run some days, and I wouldn't trust Austin alone with them as they might eat his wussy ass! So it's kennels whether they like it or not.

There are a few to choose from here, but the place mine stay is a client of the practice and the girl who runs it is excellent. The building is new, clean and bright, and the kennels face other kennels, so there's always stimulation. They can share beds, and having their own diet is no problem. If I take in toys, even the half-eaten rawhide chews are returned to me when I collect them! There are huge exercise runs and enough of them that all dogs can get a good spell outside each day. Maisie doesn't like it much (she was kennelled in a rescue centre and I don't think it's a fond memory) but Austin howls with excitement if we drive past.

I know of another place where the owner is very nice but terribly dizzy, and flustered. She is probably very knowledgeable (and more experienced than the girl who runs mine?) but I wouldn't feel comfortable that she'd do the right thing if anything went wrong.

I guess this decision is a personal one, but I'd base a lot of my impressions on the staff and their attitudes. Maisie in particular doesn't like it, and would be happier with my family, but she's well cared for and healthy when I get her back, and I know she still eats and plays when she's there, so I feel it's adequate.