Hi, I have a 4 year old Jack Russell and she's just fab, so incredibly social - she can hold her own with other dogs but generally she ignores them. She loves being outdoors and enjoys being walked etc. She is very much a mummys girl and will just follow me everywhere. If there is a lap available at home she will sit in it or right next to one of us etc.

For the past 4 years we have boarded her in a sitters home whilst we go on holiday - I just can't imagine putting her in a lonely kennels where she is subjected to constant stress and barking and have little human interaction.

My husband has never really agreed with it and insisted that she should have been introduced to kennels as a pup and got used to it. He prefers to treat the dog as a dog he says! The problem I have is now our usual sitter cannot have her for our 2 week holiday next year so am faced with finding another sitter or the dreaded kennels.

Is a kennel a really stressful place for dogs or do they enjoy being around other dogs? What do you all do? I wish I could ask her lol!

I would have thought that a kennel would be a scary place for a pampered pooch who has never been to one before. I mean, they don't understand that you will be back in a fortnight to collect them again.

I think I would be searching / asking around locally for another sitter. I would have thought that would be a lot less stressy for your girlie.

Now - what do I do. I don't go on holiday. When we got our dogs 9yrs ago I decided that it was the end of foreign holidays. I couldn't / wouldn't put my children in a kennel and they are large dogs so they couldn't be placed with a sitter easily. So, our holidays are now home holidays. We have day trips out and have lunch / dinners out. But we don't leave them.

I know we must be weird though.

I have only used kennels 3 times first time came back and one dog was huge the other starving, as despite us saying they must be fed separately they fed them together and let the bully eat the lot. Second time (different kennels) they both came back with kennel cough. Third time (yet another kennels) one kept escaping so they rang us half way through the holiday to come back and take her out of the situation.

Never used one since and cannot imagine doing so.


We take them everywhere with us or if that isn't possible my nephew comes to stay and looks after them.

If my husband suggested they go into kennels I think I would book him in and take the dogs on the holiday, see how he likes it

Like anything else, you need to use your judgement. Is your dog used to other dogs and fairly outgoing? Nervous dogs do not do well in kennels, there is usually a lot of noise and many strange sight and smells. Neither are they a good option if your dog is clingy as it can make them even worse. If you do opt for kennels, look around and enquire about them, see what reputation they have, talk to other people and ask them what they think.

A good boarding kennel will:

Let you take your dogs own bed/toys/bowls /blankets to help them feel more settled and at home
Have a good knowledge of dogs in general
Be clean and dry ( unless they've just been washed )
Have happy and clean looking dogs
Be willing to show you around the whole place
Know their customers, which dogs should not be put near each other, what to avoid with some etc
Have an up to date license clearly on display
Require that all vaccinations are up to date with proof shown
Most will also want the dog to be vaccinated against Kennel Cough, some kennels insist on it
Have adequate insurance in case your dog needs emergency care/treatment
Good kennels will be willing to listen to any questions you have, be willing to answer and try to quell any anxieties you have, and do as you request, i.e if you say the dog must not be let off the lead on a walk, then they don't do so.

Pleased to say I have found another home boarder about 15 miles away that sound lovely, taking the doggie to meet them next week and hopefully make a booking.

Kennels are stressful, tbh I think your husband was probably right, it's a good idea to get pups used to them, so if an emergency pops up you at least have that option, but that's hindsight for ya! I've done a couple of homestay type boards and whilst I liked the fact hey were Ina. Home I felt there was a lot more room for serious error (losing them in particular) - at least I know my kennels are good, safe secure -although this depends on th kennels I suppose, I've seen some awful ones.

Our little guy Reilly is 9 months old, he first went into the kennels (20 mins from our house) when he was 6 months old for two nights (we weren't going any where we just wanted to see how he would get on and if there was a problem the kennels said he would ring us and we could come and get him).

He has been there 3 times and he loves it. He is a very sociable dog, he starts wagging his tail like mad in the car when he realises where he is going. The kennels is out the country so they have loads of great areas for their walks and they have webcams so we can check in on him. The lady who runs it is lovely and texts us and sends us pictures.

I'm wasn't a dog person till we adopted him and the first night we left him in the kennels I cried myself to sleep but he loves it. He brings his blankie and bed with him and one of my husband's t-shirts and he is a happy little boy.

Our dog would hate kennels and would find it stressful as it takes him a while to warm to strangers and he's not great with other dogs. We are lucky that we have someone who comes to house/dog sit whilst we're away. If we couldn't find a private and personal arrangement we would never leave him. We have increased our breaks in this country though and take him with us.

When I go on holiday my dog also goes to his dog "hotel".

I have know the owner for over 15 years, he was a Police dog handler/trainer. His place is spotless, in fact the kennel floors are cleaner than my kitchen floor! I take one of my dogs blankets and a few toys.

He has a lot of land, one very large field is securely fenced off and he lets each dog have a run around a few times a day along with walks.

I wouldn't let him stay anywhere else.

I would suggest for anyone looking to place their dog, they should go on lots of local recommendations and visit the place before making a booking.