purple_mog Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 hmm its a tricky one this. I think it is different when you have dogs with special needs - whether thats medical, emotional etc. I am over protective of my dogs, because both are pretty sensitive and I know most people simply won't realise anything is wrong until its too late - by which point it can take me quite literally several months to get Finn back to normal. I am this weekend using a friend to pet-sit for the first time ever in four years of having dogs. This is only because I can trust her to follow my instructions to the letter and she understands that Finn can be unpredictable etc. I actually wouldn't trust anyone else apart from my mum. And I wouldn't leave my dogs just with my dad again after last time!! He was lovely to them but simply doesn't understand Finn's fears about noises, and need for company at such times There is I think a big difference between some folk who walk dogs/pet sit/run kennels with a love for the animal but no real understanding of them, and the wonderful folks who 'get' the nuances of dogs. Its taken me 6 kennels to find one I like - its small, quiet and has a large secure paddock for exercise. The dogs are hardly ever on leads at all and there is no lead walking. The lady who runs it has several GSD's of her own, is involved with rescue and very understanding of Finn's particular foibles. And I can trust her to do exactly what I ask. Of course I need to book literally months in advance, but having somewhere safe and secure to leave my dogs knowing that they will come out pretty much as well adjusted as when they went in is always worth it. Personally, if you feel Jess is happy on her own in kennels I'd stick with your original plan. But then I'm a mistrustful whatnot!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranirottie Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 I look after dogs for people in my own home and have done for a long time. I follow the owners intructions to the letter because some dogs are happier if kept to their regular routines. Most of mine have been coming for years and are really at home here, they rush through the door and just fit in with mine,no conflict or fretting at all whilst their owners are away. It does help that my Ebbi and Kizzy are both very laid back and gentle girls who accept any dog into here.I think a good pet sitter,in your home or theirs,is preferable for a sensitive dog but many dogs are happy in good well run kennels.x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Thanks for all your opinions - at least I'm not the only one that wibbles when I'm on hols You're right in that Jess is a happy go lucky girl. I think the main thing that worries me is she can get quite barky/scared when she's onlead with other dogs and the kennels exercise them in the nature reserve which backs onto their land on flexis in small groups. I know they always match up dogs that will get on but I always worry that something might happen when I'm not walking them. But then I guess the same could be said of a petsitter - they might encounter an unfriendly dog etc at the park and I guess there's just nothing you can do about that The kennels we use was recommended by our vet and she boards her dog there and lots of people at the park do too and have always said good things. I've kennelled Ollie there once a couple of years ago and they did honestly tell me that he really hadn't liked it and had curled up outside to get away from all the noise and hadn't wanted to go for walks etc. which is when I decided I wouldn't try kennelling him again. With Jess they've always said she's not a problem. They're also always booked up months in advance and only have 14 kennels so I guess that's a good sign too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReikiAnge Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Di, I have no doubt that your kennels is fantastic, and even though I've not met you yet, yours is one of the few that I know I can recommend if anyone is ever looking for a kennels. However, just like pet sitters, they do vary, or at least they did when I worked in a boarding kennels years ago. There's no way I would have sent my own dogs there Thankfully the staff were very good with the dogs but I ended up with a very low opinion of the kennel owners. I wouldn't judge all kennels on that one and I haven't ever left my dogs in kennels, but I would have to go with one that had been highly recommended - just like I would a pet sitter Sorry Jules that was no help was it. I would rather find a pet sitter for mine, mainly for Sno I guess, but I would say if Jess is happy in kennels and you can't be sure that you can find a reliable pet sitter, then go back to the kennels you know and trust Unless knowing she's in kennels is going to ruin your holiday of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
safneo Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Being another with a nervy collie, I wont use kennels for mine. I did try an overnight once and Neo was not a happy bunny. Also, I have to have separate but adjoining kennels for them both as Neo takes out his stress on Saffy but as they are used to spending the days together while we are at work, neither of them cope well at being alone and need each other at least. Its just not financially feasible for us to pay for two kennels and pay for a family holiday so we have very few. OH doesnt enjoy taking the dogs on holiday as they are hard work and he is usually in need of a rest. I do have a lovely friend that is going to have them at my house for a weekend though so I can take OH away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 generally your average happy go lucky labrador will be equally happy in kennels as in most other places, as long as there is breakfast, dinner and playtime lol.. I can understand peoples worries of boarding nervous dogs, I am the same with Akita (we are going to Denmark in october) where as I know that Indy and Lex will be fine. but then I would NEVER leave Akita with a petsitter, in my house or theirs, as I would simply not trust that solution at all! At least at my work they are well used to scared/nervous/aggressive dogs, and have ways around all problems. Most dogs will slot into some kind of routine with time, and with "red sign" dogs, they make sure they are handled by as few different members of staff as possible, to not stress them unnecessarily. We have about 83 kennels, so also lots of staff obviously. The dogs are exercised off lead in secure paddocks, and only go on off-site walks if people have specifically booked for that, and then always on a harness. We also do clicker sessions, which lots of dogs love, teaching all sorts of tricks if the owner has not asked for a specific training area (which they mainly don't as it is mostly meant as a bit of fun and using-your-brain time for the dogs). Last week I taught a labrador to retrieve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 I'm sure Jess would be fine with kennels, too - they are both happy-go-lucky dogs who take life as it comes and would settle anywhere so long as they got fed and exercised. Just wanted to be clear that I was talking about my Jess here, sorry if it was confusing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacobean Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 It's like anything else in life. There will be good and bad in both pet sitters and kennels. The last time I kennelled mine was a number of years ago now. 2 of them were placed in the same kennel otherwise one of them would have fretted. The other was on his own. We left our contact details and advised that we were in the UK and could come and collect any time if they fell ill or weren't doing well. They assured us they would contact us. I made a point of advising that of the 2 dogs together in the kennel one dog would eat any food he could find and the other would let him eat hers. When we went to collect them we found one very fat dog, one hungry dog and one very stressed dog. That was the last time we used kennels. These days we take the dogs with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 We always separate dogs at feeding times, unless absolutely certain they are fine to leave together. Not all kennels are staffed by morons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacobean Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Yes I know which is why I said there are good and bad as in everything else in life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheryl33 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 I'd always use kennels. I've used petsitters a few times but they charge the earth! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranirottie Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 not if you take the dog/s to the sitters home they don't. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbas_mum Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 I use a friend of mine who is also a pet sitter, mainly because I know for a fact that if they put Jasper in a kennel they wouldn't get anywhere near him again until I came back, Maddie would fret terribly and Kimba would probably guard the 2 of them. Jasper is a very stressy dog when away from me and would probably still resort to biting if he felt cornered. Plus my lot are best kept together and there aren't very many kennels that are happy to board 4 big dogs in 1 kennel. Before my friend started petsitting I had one of our vet nurses that stayed at my house, I guess I have just been very lucky to find fantastic dog sitters - plus my parents and/or sister will often drop round to my house to borrow something whilst I'm away, which gives them a chance to check the dogs all look ok for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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