# Should I send my puppy to a kennel? Advice



## Ares2010 (Mar 14, 2010)

We are going out of town at the end of May and was not sure if we should place him in a kennel for a couple of days. I don't want him thinking we are leaving him but we can't take him with us because we will be gone all day and that would not be fair for him. The kennel I saw is really nice and has good expectations. Any advice?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

How old is he? Has he had all his shots? If he has to have the bordetella make sure it is at least 2 weeks prior to staying in the kennel. Is there friends or family that will keep him for a couple days instead?


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## Ares2010 (Mar 14, 2010)

He will be 6 months when we go, and he will have all his shots. They said they can do the bordetella there when we drop him off. I have one person who is thinking about it but not sure yet bc she is out of town at the moment. I am just trying to get ideas in advance. He is really good with other people who are friendly. He is great with our other dog, and good with other dogs once he gets to know them. I have just heard some awful stories about kennels.


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## tatiana (Feb 3, 2010)

I don't think vaccines "take" immediately, hence the above recommendation to have the shot 2 weeks prior to any boarding.

The boarding facility should know better, so that would make me wonder......


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

If you are going to do b. it is best to do it several days before leaving the pup. So far as leaving the pup, Sheila Booth (Purely Positive Training) I think it was recommends that you do this at least once at 6 months or earlier so that the dog gets used to the idea that this might happen. 
Frankly, you are better off leaving your pup with a licensed kennel rather than with a friend. Although I have had excellent results leaving my dog with a friend, I had another bad experience where the dog escaped. He was gone for nearly a week before someone captured him and called me. Another friend had a tragedy when her dog decided to leave where it was staying. The friends felt terrible but that did nothing to revive the dog. Kennels are equiped to contain your dog safely. Friends aren't always able to do that.


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## Sigurd's Mom (May 12, 2009)

When Sigurd was 6 months old we left him at a kennel for 7 days. It was the only thing we could do, as we have no friends or family here. It was OK (as in he didn't die or become anxious), he just picked up a nasty habit of barking. He also had cuts on his face because the kennels had metal mesh. Be careful what kennel you use, if you hear dogs barking - run away. This lady never ever told them to shush (she also gave me a lecture that Orijen isn't good food, and she said she had fed him her own food the whole time ). She also never gave him his fish pills the whole time. Do your own research and ask questions, sometimes the kennels with good reviews, and recommendations turn out to be the worst.

Months later, we left him for 17 days when he was 10 months old at this GREAT kennel, no barking dogs, private runs and rooms (concrete walls, no metal mesh). Since we were leaving him for so long, we decided a week before we left to leave him at the kennel for a night/day. He didn't want to go when we picked him up. We were told he fit right in and was just a super happy camper. I will use this place from now on.

I think leaving him at kennels has helped molded him into a great dog. He's social and isn't scared if I'm not in sight. I feel like I could leave him anywhere and he'd be happy go lucky.

By the way, the first place preferred we didn't call her at all to see how the dog was doing. She told us this before we left, but I figured she would pick up at least once during that week to give me an update. When we'd call she wouldn't pick her phone up. The second kennel corresponded with me via e-mail every second day to tell me how he was doing/what dogs he's made friends with, etc. I was told I was welcome to call any time of day/how many times I want. I wish I could have, but I was out of country, and with a 5 hour time difference (didn't want to call early in the am!). So if the kennel says you can't get an update - *RUN*!

So, overall I say go to a kennel, but please do your research, you don't want your dog to pick up nasty behaviours from other dogs, or for the kennel owner to change diets, etc.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

a kennel would be my last choice. i'm not saying i wouldn't kennel
my dog. i would perfer someone come to my house several
times a day. if i come find someone to stay at my house fulltime
i would do that.

if i were going to kennel i would take my dog to kennel several
times before leaving him there for any length of time.
first i would go to the kennel and hang out with my for
a couple hours. my next visit i would drop my dog off
for a few hours. the 3rd visit i would leave him over night.
i might do 2 over night visits before i would leave him
for a week or so.

make sure your dog is current on all shots. i would get the bordella 
shot for my dog. i would make sure my dog had the shot
a week or two in advance before his stay. now that i think about it
it's probably better for your dog to have the shot before visiting
any kennels with him.

if your dog goes to the kennel and gets his shot while
he's there i don't think it's going to help much for that visit.

before my puppy was allowed to attend puppy classes he had
to have the required shots 10 days prior to the class starting. i'm
usuing that therory regarding the bordella shot.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Like others have said, I would make it a point to leave him for doggie daycare once or twice first and then overnight before you leave him for any long amount of time. That's what I did with my dogs and it turned out well. Fortunately I found a great kennel that takes very good care of them.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I have a vet that would refuse to do a bordetella if you were dropping him off within a couple of days. The reasoning, told to me by my vet tech, is that the bordetella will lower his immune system and make him more susceptible. You really should discuss this with your vet and not the boarding facility.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I've only had a friend watch the Hooligans once and would never do it again - one of those people who thinks they know everything ... it was a disaster. 

I'm happy with boarding kennels. I like to get personal references for kennels. I had one disaster - a kennel I used for about 10 years was sold and the new owner was afraid of GSDs - she thought they were all evil, so after a lot of phone calls, getting information about other kennels from friends, etc. I found a new kennel I'm extremely happy with.


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## Sambuca (Mar 13, 2010)

Have you considered a doggy camp?

Here are some in Ohio: Camp Bow Wow Ohio Dog Boarding and Daycare


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Since he's an adorable 6 month old.... you have friends or neighbors that would take him in when you are gone?

I know people in my dog classes, that know me and my dog FROM class, always are willing to do the 'if you take my dog, I'll take yours'.... thing. Specially with summer coming up and most of us taking off. 

Have you asked any of the people in your dog class?


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