dog sitter

I met a friend of a friend in the woods and was chatting with her about putting billy in kennels in the summer when we go on holiday (booked before we got billy), i didn't really want to do it, and she said, her friend who was in the woods at the time looks after dogs (she has known him for 17 years), I went and had a chat, and he knew billy through my husband walking him, so hopefully the summer is sorted. It's good as well as my eldest son can still have him at weekends, he is not coming on holiday and works full time. I am going to take him to his house once a weeks for an hour or so, so billy gets used to it.

Can anyone see anything wrong, or is it better to out him in kennels, this is all new to me, but the thought of him being in kennels makes me sad

How well do you know the guy? Also, have you asked to speak to others whose dogs he looks after?

If I were you I'd do a lot of research as to how he looks after the dogs, what experience he has & get references from other people who have used him.

After all, you will be handing over your precious pup to a relative stranger to look after!

I must admit that, if it were me, I'd go for a boarding kennel rather than a stranger.

As caryll said you need to be sure this guy can be trusted. If you cant find enough people to vouch for him though I would be tempted to look for another dog sitter. I personally wont put my girls in kennels, they lose too much weight and Skibadee gets extremely stressed out! But I guess its a matter of personal choice.

I left my Taz and Cassie with a word of mouth good dog sitter, 59 days later Cassie had pups. Definatly do your research and get him a passport so next time he can come with you lol

MissRogue wrote:I left my Taz and Cassie with a word of mouth good dog sitter, 59 days later Cassie had pups. Definatly do your research and get him a passport so next time he can come with you lol

omg

thanks everyone, i do know a couple of people who he has looked after their dogs, will go off and ask them, i would have done that anyway. I am asking everybody i see with a dog about kennels or sitters, so hopefully the same names will keep coming up

Caryll, the kennels that you said looked after bullies (ages ago), never got back to me, maybe they don't need any new people.

I'm surprised they never got back to you - did you write or email? This is their website http://www.bullyview.com/kennel.html and this is their email address Bullyview@aol.com. I think their phone no. is 01268 764300.

Give them a ring, they're usually very helpful.

I emailed, thank you for the phone number will try that

Its my last holiday this year!!!!!! Holly is twelve and we will then be taking local holidays and the dogs are coming with us .
But mine have always stayed home and ive got a housesitter but im lucky my eldest still home and doesnt hol with us but a young girl who rides one of the horses 3 times a week will stay at mine if I need shes wonderful shes at uni training to be a vet she loves the animals and is so good with them

woody actually loves the kennels - he peers lovingly out of the car whenever we arrive but then again i think they spoil him. he doesnt seem to want to leave when i go to pick him up. i was lucky in the fact that my sister has used the same kennels for years so i knew the dogs were always well looked after. i started him off by just taking him for 1 night when he was only a couple of months old, then a weekend and gradually built it up so he knew i would come back for him.
have you looked into "Creature Comforts"? They arrange for your dog to go and stay with a suitable "host" in their own house - you stipulate what you want e.g. no cats and what food/walking and sleeping arrangements you usually have and they match you up. i looked into it for Woody but there werent any local to me that suited my requirements - its a little bit more expensive than kennels (about 12.50 per day i think) but could be an option?