Finding a Safe, Well Managed Dog Kennel

By Richard Cross Terris

Many people have heard the horror stories of leaving a beloved puppy or dog at a kennels while on holiday, only to return to find the dog has changed personality irreversibly. This is a very rare occurrence, but there are things you should do before trusting any kennel with your pet. The vast majority of kennels look after their dogs with great care, although like any industry there are always some exceptions.

Before you make any decisions the first thing you should do is ask around your friends who have dogs who they have used in the past. You know you can trust their recommendations, and if they have used the kennel recently you can be fairly sure the standards wont have changed that much. Ask them how their dog behaved once they got it home, and whether it looked well fed and healthy.

If you can't get any recommendations off friends, the internet should be your next step. Have a search for kennels in your area and see what people are saying about them. Have they had any bad reviews? Are they overpriced? You can often find reviews of kennels on the internet and they can be very revealing.

Once you've found your kennel ask to be shown around where your dog will be kept. See how happy the other dogs look, and what the living conditions are like. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your pet there then you wont be able to relax on holiday, so make sure you choose the right kennel.