Boarding my dog when we go on holiday

[newbie]

For the first time we are having to find a kennel for our Westie when we go on holiday in September for a week. Does anyone know of a really good homely kennel in Worcestershire area. Or any advice would be appreciated.

[Snappy]

Try this
http://www.barkingmad.uk.com/
The downside of this is you cant meet the host family but nicer than kennels

[lankeela]

No way would I leave my dogs with someone I had never met. Much safer and better off in kennels.

[Snappy]

Like people at the kennels cant treat them bad!

[kita1]

What about homesitters? www.homesitters.co.uk are the original ones and employ people aged 40 plus, they are fully insured and your house is looked after too. They are more expensive than kennels but your dog gets to stay in its own home and keep to its own routine and its usual walks. Having worked in boarding kennels I would not put my dog in one. The ones I worked in appeared very good but at the end of the day they are running a business and in it to make money. For a normal pet dog used to being on its own, in the comfort of its own carpeted home (probably sleeping on chairs and beds!) to be put in a concrete run next to 20 other dogs of all ages and sizes and abandoned is really stressful.

The only other thing I would say is if you do have to put him/her in a kennel then consider trying booking a couple of days first so at least your pet has the experience of you coming back to pick it up, and you will be able to see what the kennels are like. Take notice of the kennel maids and not the owners as it is the kennel staff who will be looking after and handling your dog. Make sure the dogs have fresh water available at ALL times. One kennels I worked in the water was outside and when the dogs were brought in at night they had no access to water until the morning. They had four members of staff looking after 50 dogs and 30 cats. Find out how many people work there, and figure out how much time each dog is allotted for feeding etc.

Enjoy your holiday, and make sure your dog does too!

[bookaholic]

The one bit of advice I would give to any owners is ask to look round the kennels before booking your pet in. If they do not want you to look round be very wary, even if they are busy they should still make time for you.