Kennels

[JoeyQ]

I know that at some point I will have to kennel Joey. What should I look for in a kennel and how do I know that they are doing what they say they will do during his stay?

[Vanessa]

I asked this same question a while back…and got some great advice.
First...check to see if they have a website and see if anyone has given it a review. (Google it)
Second...Give them a call...and see what the screening process is. They better have one! The kennel/pup daycare I looked into made me fill out papers and bring the puppy in a few times for temperment evaluations and to see how they got along with the others.
I DONT like the idea of putting a dog in a holding cell. I perfer them to be able to run around and play and be interactive with the others.
Also...Show up without an appointment. (This is really important)
You want to see how the facility looks. If it is clean and the dogs are taken care of. You really want to catch them off guard.
Last...take your pup there a few times before you go on your trip. Get them to really like going there. It should be a fun place for them.

Im the type of person who will worry if I do not know how my baby is being treated. Thats why I would really research places.

I saw that you are in Michigan...I dont know where exactly but here is a website that has a bunch of different kennels in MI.
http://www.findpetcare.com/se/dog-boarding-detroit.htm
also check out this website:
http://www.breederweb.com/services/dog_kennels_and_dog_boarding.asp
click on breeder web dog services directory…and put your state and kennel request...a few pull up in your state.

I hope this helps.
~Vanessa

[JoeyQ]

Thanks, Vanessa!! I am in Ann Arbor about 45 minutes from Detroit.

[Vanessa]

Check out this place…it looks good. They even have a dog cam so you can see your pup while away.
http://www.arbordogdaycare.com/index.html
It looks like they will be offering overnight stay soon.
I hope this helps.
~Vanessa

@JoeyQ:

Thanks, Vanessa!! I am in Ann Arbor about 45 minutes from Detroit.

[jessi76]

The daycare I've used in the past is now offering overnight boarding. I prefer to leave my dog w/ friends or family, in a home environment, however, if for some reason that wasn't possible, I'd use the daycare I'm familiar with, for a few reasons:

double fenced - and very HIGH fencing, along with sun-shades over the outside runs.

they maintain crate training.

They maintain the positive training I've used with my dog (same place I took training so they use the same commands)

the staff is familiar with my dog, his likes/dislikes, his friends, and those he doesn't get along well with.

cleanliness - this place is spotless (and I've shown up unannounced… a few times)

the friendliness and caring nature of the whole staff. they treat my dog as if he was their dog.

peace of mind, I have not worried once leaving my dog in their care. they are familiar with his antics, handle him WELL, in a caring and positive manner. Besides family or friends, they are the next best. there are quite a few kennels and daycares closer to home for me, and a heck of alot cheaper, however, I will drive those extra miles, and pay the extra amounts to be assured my dog is safe, healthy, and happy.

I think you should put as much care into finding a good kennel as you would into finding a good daycare for your child.

[jys1011]

Jessi does this place have a website??? I would love to check it out!

[Vanessa]

I think you should put as much care into finding a good kennel as you would into finding a good daycare for your child.

I FULLY AGREE

[tlbuddy]

I also have had to board Cali a fews times and came to this website for good advice. I ended up boarding Cali and Eastpoint Pet Resort. They are affiliated with the Ky Humane Society and they are next door to a Vet. I agree with all of the previous postings. I went to a couple of boarding places and they would only let me go back so far and wouldnt show me exactly where they wer going to board Cali, so I did not leave her there. The Pet Resort evaluates each dog and allows them to interact with one another and they are also open 7 days a week.
I also agree with the cleanliness and friendliness of the staff and reccomendations from other people that have let their dogs stay there, They even have some rooms with beds and a tv. Cali had the basic room because I knew she would tear up the bed and they keep the tv on Animal Planet and she starts to bark when she hears another dog bark.
I have also kept Cali at our vet for an overnight stay when an emergency came up, but they keep her in a kennel that is no bigger than the one I have at home and they only take them out 3 times a day. No socialization at all. Most reputable places will give you a tour of the place and give your pet an evaluation to see how Joey interacts with other dogs:)
Oops gotta go Cali somehow got in the bathroom and is running around with an entire roll of toilet paper in her mouth:eek:

[StellaGirl]

joey i know how you feel i had to leave my little girl when i went camping w/ the family and my vizsla i was soo upset the whole weekend i could not enjoy it at all so if you find help let me know please
thank you shannon

[Quercus]

I don't have much to add to this thread. But I can tell you that we board all five of ours when we travel (talk about expensive…yikes!) I love the kennel we go to, it isn't fancy, but the woman understands dogs, and seems to be very careful. I wanted a place that had indoor/outdoor runs, so that the dogs can eliminate outside, and watch the world go by whenever they want (at least during the warm months). The kennel is on this woman's farm, so there are always lots of interesting animals to watch.

She always says our dogs love it while they were there...well, my guess is they tolerate it well...but they certainly aren't loving it when I load them up, and they have figure out where they are going...and they are more than happy to rush to the van and spring into their crates to go home when we come back.

I am really glad they have each other when we board them. I would be more hesitant to board one alone. I really prefer to have a house sitter stay with single dogs in particular, but sometimes that just doesn't work out.

Either way...dogs are pretty resiliant...especially basenjis...I think we worry more about them when we vacation than they do about us

[JoeyQ]

I have not started visits to boarding facilities, but that is on the list for the new year. I don't want to get "stuck" so will do my homework in advance. I really can't consider someone to come into the home as Joey is not trusted in the home out of his crate. So far I have been able to board Joey with the breeder. It is like going to camp. He smothers the breeder in kisses and forgets all about me. (I am rationalizing that it is because I have had him only 3 months and he was with the breeder 10 months of his life…gotta preserve some dignity for myself :D). I'll have to go to counseling if Joey continues this behavior once I have him longer than the breeder did :D! Anyway, I will report any interesting tidbits I discover on my trek.
Andrea, please send me a private mail msg regarding the place that you board. I am not that far away from you and actually had to board a dog at a kennel in Ada (info about this in another thread). Thanks

[Tayda_Lenny]

Hi Joey, I actually live in Ann Arbor as well and recently had to board my two basenjis. I was almost sick over it, as I have always been able to leave them with their breeder who lives in Howell. But she was having puppies while I was gone so she was not available this time. anyway, I seriously think I contacted/visited about 20 kennels in SE michigan and the only ones that I woudl even consider were: Hallidays Pet Resort (Plymouth), Tall Oaks Kennel (Whitmore Lake) and Borderhauss Kennels (Pickney). Hallidays and Tall Oaks both had clean facilities, indoor only runs (not indoor/outdoor) - I wanted an indoor only run so that it wasn't so cold for them with the door going to the outside opening and closing all the time. They would be taken out (supervised) several times a day and the indoor part was kept around 72 degrees. Tall Oaks actually has really large indoor runs for the dogs… probably 5 feet by 20 feet or so. Those were my two favorite kennels. The only downside to them was that they all had probably 100+ capacity. I was worried about kennel cough as well as the amount of noise that 100 dogs generate. Especially considering how quite basenjis are (most of the time).

But my true recommendation and the place I ended up taking my dogs was Borderhauss Kennels in Pinckney. A bit of a drive from AA but totally worth it. It is a lady that runs a kennel out of her house. She only boards 5 dogs max at a time and they can either live with her and her dogs like one of the family, or in her basement there are two huge fenced off areas, probably 10 x 10 where they can stay. She is a breeder/trainer of border collies and is very dog saavy. She has a large fenced in yard where they can go to play and run around - and her prices are the most reasonable of anywhere I found. www.borderhauss.com. Good Luck!

[JoeyQ]

Wow! Thanks for the info!!! Did you happen to check out Arbor Hills south of Chelsea? Someone recommended this one to me, but I have not been there yet. Pickney is worth the drive for me if it is a great kennel!! How did your Bs do there? Did you have to have the Bordatella shot for them to stay? Also what vet do you use? I think it would be nice to have one that is B sauvy! Hey…tell us about your Bs!!! Joey is 14 months, red and white and our first dog (yeah, don't snicker :D) I had cats for many years so actually connected with him sooner than my husband did. Some of our kids still don't understand that he is just not the kind to have you "in his face". Thanks again for the info!!

[Tayda_Lenny]

Hey Joey,

I know that Arbor Hills has a pretty small facility, I think around 20-25 runs, and it does have a good reputation. I started to avoid the places that had indoor/outdoor runs becuase of the coldness issue at this time of year. But to be honest, I don't remember exactly why I ruled it out - possibly price. Boarding 2 dogs for 10 days (the duration of my recent boarding) starts to get pretty pricey and I think Ann Arbor had higher prices in general than other places I checked. They both did well at Borderhauss. I had them there for 10 days and I think they were fine. Laura said that Lenny (puppy) got a bit restless and would run toward the wall and jump off of it, which sounds hilarious to me and doesn't suprise me one bit, but I liked that they had such a large area to stay in. It was probably 10 x 10 or so… which is waaay bigger than any of the other places I went to see and it was inside her house in the basement. they also had plenty of time supervised out in her yard. Overall, i think it was best choice for them and me.

I believe they did need the bordatella shot to stay. They both have had it, so i didn't look for it specifically on the requirement list, but it seems to be standard at a lot of kennels. Even though, there are so many strains of kennel cough out there that vaccinating for one doesn't preclude them from getting one of the many others, but I guess its better than nothing.

The vet I use is Washtenaw Veterinary Hospital which recently moved to Packard just near the Eisenhower split. They have been pretty good so far, and last time I was there I asked them if they had any other basenjis and they said mine were their first. What vet do you use? Do you ever go to the Saline Dog Park? Did you know they were supossed to be opening a dog park at Platt and Eisenhower? Not sure if it is open yet.

So all is well with Joey as a first dog? Tayda was my first dog... I think I was lucky... she is so calm. Lenny is a true handful. But they're great. They definitely interact with people on their own terms, huh?

[JoeyQ]

Hi T/L!
Thanks for all the info!! Yes, so far Joey has been great and I think he is a B that is calmer than the average. (I had a weim for three months and whoosh, way different! I guess I don't really count our weim as a first dog since we didn't have him very long.) He still chews things up, but I categorize that as typical B instinct.
No, I haven't been to any dog park for that matter. I would like to go since we do not have a fenced yard and the exercise he gets is always on leash. (I run with him.) What do you have to do to go to the Saline Park? Don't know anything about the other one openning. It would be fun to see Joey rip around other than up and over the sofa!!
Do you take Lenny to the park too? How old is he again? (Funny, I named a cat, Lenny. Leonard when we were formal.:D He was really like a human. Slept stretched out with his head on our pillow.)
I am taking Joey to the vet next week at Village Animal Clinic in Dexter. I took my weim there and know lots of people who love the place. I will ask if they have other Bs there. My breeder takes his Bs to Brighton.

[Tayda_Lenny]

Nothing special is required to bring the dogs to the dog park in Saline. It is fun to watch them run…. I haven't been in a while because of the cold/wet weather, but when it gets nicer I'll probably start heading out there on weekends. I actually met a lady off Craigslist who lives who wanted to have a little "dog play time" in her backyard becuase her dog is scared of the car so she couldn't take her to the dog park. She's about a mile from me that has a fenced in yard and I bring the Tayda and Lenny there pretty often to run around and play with her dog. I really need to get a house with a yard.

Lenny just turned 1 year old on New Years Eve! Plenty of puppy energy!

[tlbuddy]

Something else I thought of. You might want to ask if someone is actually at the facilty 24 hours. About a week ago I wanted to have Cali groomed while I went out of town overnight. I let her stay at our vets office overnight because they also have a boarding facility. I asked every question that I could think of and I was so stupid for assuming that someone would be there overnight:eek: When I picked her up the next day I asked one of the employees if Cali gave them a hard time. She told me that they had problems getting Cali to go in the kennel, but other than that she did fine. I also asked her how many people are there at night with the dogs. (Why didnt I ask this before I left my baby!) She said that once they close at 6pm that no one is there with the dogs until they reopen at 8am the next morning. They are closed on Sundays, but someone comes to let the dogs out:mad: I was horrified:eek: and upset with myself for not checking this. I have only had to board her 1 other time and that was at a pet resort and someone was there 24 hours. I was so upset with myself that I started crying because Cali and the other dogs were there by themselves all of that time. To make a long story short she will not be going back there and I will definitely make sure that a place has staff there with the dogs overnight. Some of my friends also said that they assumed that someone was with their dogs whenever they are boarded overnight at kennels. I would never leave Cali alone for that length of time. I am wondering if they really took her outside 4-5 times a day. Sorry for the long post, but I am still a little upset over this.

[Vanessa]

Oah My Gosh!!!! I can't believe they just leave! I would be so upset if I heard that. Thanks for telling your story. I WILL ask that from now on and tell others too! Thanks.

[JoeyQ]

When I had to take a friend's dog to a kennel (long story), the dog's vet told me that there was no one there at night and that they stay in a crate except for 3x out to do "business". I think this may be very common at a vet's office. I am not sure that boarding is their top priority and think many people use it only for short notice/emergency situations. So, I guess finding a good kennel before you need to use it is the way to go.

[tlbuddy]

I agree about researching places in advance. My vets office is also a boarding facility and grooming facility. They also have a pet store where you can by supplies, toys etc for your dog. It is one of those places where they do it all. Cali has been getting groomed at the vets office and normally I drop her off and pick her up a few hours later. I was amazed at the number of people that they say board their pets there when they go on vacation. In the future I only plan to take her to the vets office when she has an appt. for a checkup or is sick. I will fjnd some place else to take her for grooming and the pet resort for boarding. I have definitely learned my lesson.