So it has to be Kennels :(

After much discussion in our house it has been decided that when we go away later in the year Rolo will have to go into kennels for the 4 days. Obviously I will go and visit local kennels over the next few weeks but i'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what I should be asking and what I should be looking for... good and bad points. I've never had to use boarding kennels as previously my parents had my dog stay with them, but now they are feeling older and Rolo is very young and energetic and needs more than they can give him. Thanks

caryll know a good kennel lynne also used it but i dont know if it close but top show dogs go there

Thanks Steve I'll hope to hear from them which one that is and how far from me it is...

Never used kennels myself, Moo comes with, but I think the kennels reccomended by Lynne & Caryll was

http://bullyview.com/kennel.html

I could be wrong

Sorry no help never used kennels, would go with a recommendation though. Give them as much info about your dog as you can, if he is OK with other dogs etc, how much he is walked and when and what he is fed and when.

We used kennels in April I would recommend them they are in Essex

They specialise in the bully breed, what you need to ask is do they take them for individual walks and not with other dogs, this may by fine if your dog is ok but billy is dog aggressive

Caryll recommended them to me and they were brilliant

Thanks Janey, Holiday wise and days out they do normally come, or if its a car show where we can't take them as i said normally my parents step in But as he's still only a baby its to much to ask of them. I just checked Bullyview out, looks and sounds great but its too far away from me unfortunately. I'm sure we'll find somewhere safe for him. Its going to break my heart leaving him but I just want to know he'll be safe and ok, its what a good kennel should be, and fun for him too:)

Thanks Lynne! They look really nice but they really are too far away from here for Rolo. Thanks for the advice on walking i will put that on my list to ask them about. Rolo's pretty much sound around other dogs but I will still make a point of getting an answer on their walking routines and practices.

we changed our holiday plan so Tilly could come along as she looks so sad when we leave her , we wouldnt settle, my OH has sacrificed a 2 week hol in Fuerteventura for the love of our staffy That said our old dog used to go in Kennels regular as he was too old to get in and out of the caravan we owned and he was ok. I think as said above , individuasl walks , but for us we could tell immediately on the first interview with oine and the body language that htey were right for us. She loved our old boy and had a special kennel nearer the house for when the older dogs stayed to give them some peace and quiet

I know the delema but I search high and low and found this outfit here in the states. The only concern now is that I am not sure if my dogs are going to want to come home. Visited it yesterday for a tour. I want to stay there myself! I realize the link doesn't do you any good, but just so you know some really nice places exist out there: www.waghotels.com

hey , well we picked ziggy up from the kennels today . We used the one my parents used as i grew up with our dog . I went down and me and the other half chose the kennel block and paid for an extra walk a day for the six days we were there . Ideally u want to be able to look at the blocks they are staying in and check they are clean , heated / cooled for winter/summer . see how big they are (we paid for the nxt size up to what they reccommended as we felt the one for small medium dogs was too small . Ask for a list of all the stuff they do , some will tell u a daily plan etc .

Depite worrying baout zig the whole time i was away , he is now sprawled out on the sofa and hasnt shunned or ignored us for his time away , he just hasnt budged off the sofa lol!

Wow i'd like to go and have a look round!!! Don't think you'd get me out let alone Rolo!!! Thanks for the advice Laws, I'll check out what upgrades they do if any... I'll feel better knowing he has a few extra treats and luxury's Will also want to know if he can have his cage in the kennel too... just with the door open... as he likes to curl up in there its his safety spot

Most kennels will let you take favourite blankets/toys with them, so I don't see why you couldn't take a crate.

I know the bullyview kennel is quite a way from you, but I used it a couple of years ago when Dempsey was only 4 months old & they were really good. They don't, however, let you walk around & have a look. They are very security minded & don't want people upsetting the dogs that are there. However, what you see on the website is actually what the kennels look like. They are heated (not that they'd need to be at the moment) and John & Mandy really understand the bull breeds. They breed EBTs to a very high standard and have owned/bred Staffs as well.

If you can manage the distance it will be worth it.

Have u asked rolo's breeder if they know of a good kennel or if they are willing to board him for you?
Worth a shot!
Otherwise I'd probably try and find a bully breed kennel more local to you

Saying that though, mine recently stayed in a local recommended kennel, it was quite small and family run, plus they asked for proof of vaccinations, boosters and she had to have kennel cough vac as well so that made me feel that they were a good responsible kennel.

I'll have another look at Bullyview and discuss it with my other half, I have a feeling that its further away than we are actually going for the 4 days lol, but i know its worth it if Rolo's in such good care. Will check out all my recommendations and at least I know now what i should be asking and checking for, Rolo's fully vaccinated, kennel coughed and insured and its only for 4 days. I shall check the local dog too as he should have a good idea who has a good practice procedure. Thanks all

Hi, I dont know where abouts you guys are but we always use
http://www.yell.com/biz/all-breeds-boarding-kennels-bromyard-4109507/

My molly absolutely LOVES it! I feel sad when I leave her cuz she just bombs away from me as if to say "see you later looser!" She sulks when we pick her up but mainly because it means she has to come away from there! We tried a couple of other kennels and found she was unhappy at them and we worried we could never leave her! We found that visiting and seeing the kennel helped, we then put her in over night to see how she dealt with it an so she knew we would come back, now she even knows when we turn on to the road its on!!

Aw thanks Moussepig! That's very much out of our way, but really nice to know you found a place to leave your girls where they are happy. We used a kennels local to us, again like you we visited several times and took Rolo to the one we eventually used 3-4 times to meet the staff etc. I don't know that he really liked it there but I knew he was safe, getting his walks, food and played with. He wasn't stressed as he didn't destroy anything so all in all, we will use them again. He's such a spoilt baby, nothing is ever perfect for him