Just Came Home From The Dog Kennel Disappointed

[becandcharch]

If you don't mind saying, who and where are they, Becandcharch?

Sure thing. Check out their website http://www.bedsfortails.com.au/

They are in Victoria, down the Mornington Penninsula.

[mita]

When people ring to enquire how their dogs are going, it is really reassuring for them if you can say something about the dog's individual ways, because they then know that you are actually communicating with and caring for their dog. Sometimes an issue in a big establishment. I have kennels because I love dogs - I wouldn't be happy just sitting in the office handing out invoices, operating the eftpos machine and working out staff pay and rosters. I like being with the dogs, poo and all

Sylvia

I've just quoted one section of your post, but I thought it was all Very reassuring for a dog owner to have their pet stay at a kennels where the staff has insights & attitudes like yours.

I wondered, too, if the size of the kennels, precludes the personal touch.....or if a kennel of any size can be committed to it.....if that's the kind of service they love providing.

Our shelties used to go to a nearby kennels, which was in its early days. But has since grown into one of the major boarding kennels around Brisbane.

When our shelties went there, the personal touch was amazing.

First time I picked up our 2 shelties, the co-owner remarked how much our p/b sheltie girl was so un-sheltie like in her behaviour, while our little male sheltie was. He said that Shelley reminded him so much more of an outgoing Border Collie the way she acted.

He said, for example, when he was sitting next to her, she'd lean all her weight against him. And he said he found the BC's tended to do that.

I had no idea if this was a BC trait or not....but I was so taken how he'd figured out how different our Shelley was.... he must have spent time with her, to find that out.

And while, we were fixing up the bill with his wife... he & Shelley were sitting together out on the steps.....with Shel leaning in against him as if they were the greatest friends. Both shelties, too, had been beautifully brushed....no extra charge.

[Nevafollo]

So I went on holidays for 5 nights, flew out early tuesday and got home early sunday. Dropped Pete at a kennel I had read good things about on here and overall was quite disappointed.

Whilst on holidays I called them to see that all was well (probably a bit over the top but its the first time I've left him in a kennel and was worried he would feel like he was back in the pound) the lady who answered, after I said I was wondering how Pete was going said "Um, Pete? Um. I'm not sure. I'll go ask X ..." which is fine I don't expect everyone to know about all the dogs, but then I got X on the phone who said "Yeah he's going fine." Fair enough but not exactly reassuring.

First look at the invoice and they had charged pete as an extra large dog, which I mentioned and they changed (would have ended up being an extra $18 if I hadn't have said anything)

Pete was at the kennel from 4.30pm monday until 3pm sunday and I got charged for 7 days. I did not feel there sunday pickup policy was clearly explained to indicate that if I picked up on a sunday I would get charged the same as if I picked up before 10am on the monday. Doesn't seem logical or fair.

The people didn't say a single thing which indicated they had spent any time with my dog. Nothing about whether he was barking, if he ate all the food they were giving etc (I gave them his normal food incase he was fussy, doesn't seem like they fed him that)

I just sort of expected they would say SOMETHING about him - they are supposed to love dogs right?

So then I get home, and realise they didn't even brush him! His legs and face fur was all knotted. Oh and he feels like he's lost about 3 kilos (which he can't afford)

And for this I paid $175

Are my expectations too high or did I just get a bad place?

The policy is the same where I work and I think its fair enough.

As for the phone call, it may have been someone answering the phone who in training or doesnt normally answer the phone, I make a point of trying to know all the dog names, but when I first started I used to get very confused very easy!

Did you ask questions about how he went? If you did and they didnt answer then thats just rude! If you didnt ask then you should have

The weight loss thing I think is hard, kennels can be stressful on a dog no matter how well they are cared for and 7 days isnt very long for the dog to settle in. I have found most dogs that come in take 2-3 days to settle in (sometimes longer) and in that time they may choose not to eat. If he was in where I work and was there for say 2+ weeks once we noticed that he had started to loose weight his food intake would have been upped but when they are only in for a week it can be hard. There are a few dogs that come in that are a breed that is known to loose weight in kennels so they automatically get fed two or three times a day and then their are owners who request thier dog gets feed more often because they know their dog needs it.

As for the grooming he probably should have had abit of a brush being a coated dog and being in a week. But alot opf kennels will only do it if requested!

[Nevafollo]

Generally ALL kennels work like motels - pick up before a certain morning time e.g. 10.00, 11.00, noon, whatever and you don't pay for that day. It's a bit cheeky charging an extra day when morning pick up is not available, however over summer holidays some kennels charge a minimum of a fortnight regardless of how long you want the dog to stay there . You can't actually collect the dog within that fortnight! Also, daily rates vary enormously from state to state, area to area and aren't always a good indication of the care that your dog will get.

If it's a large kennel you probably won't see the person that actually cares for your dog when you drop off or pick up, so it's not unusual that they didn't appear to have a clue about your boy. There's probably (hopefully, at least) a kennel girl that looked after your guy each day and knows him really well - knows his funny little ways, how he likes his food presented, which hand he has to shake before he's allowed to eat, how he likes his rug laid on his bed etc It's one of the drawbacks of a large kennel or a busy time - lack of continuity of care. I felt awful last week when a regular customer came to pick up their Rottie girl and seemed a bit anxious - "was she alright?" - "yes, of course she was, why do you ask?" I said. "Oh, she didn't want to go with the girl that was here when we dropped her off". I was out picking up dog supplies to last us over the coming holiday period and couldn't be there to take the Rottie in. My part time kennel girl who knows the dog well and I have the greatest faith in, was probably just not who the Rottie expected to see at the office!! Anyhow, all ended OK but I felt that I'd let her down by not being there when she arrived It's OK though - she's back in for a few days and I greeted her at the car - she was really pleased to see me ;)

When people ring to enquire how their dogs are going, it is really reassuring for them if you can say something about the dog's individual ways, because they then know that you are actually communicating with and caring for their dog. Sometimes an issue in a big establishment. I have kennels because I love dogs - I wouldn't be happy just sitting in the office handing out invoices, operating the eftpos machine and working out staff pay and rosters. I like being with the dogs, poo and all

Sylvia

The bolded it bit I find to be very very true, my boss will often ask me to bring a certain dog out so I can talk to their owner about him or her because I'm the one who has spent the time playing with and feeding the dog, sometimes I dont like saying good bye to the dogs especially the older ones.

One of my most fave dogs has been sick for about a year and really started to go down hill recently was very hard to say goodbye this time because I dont think I will see hime again, he is only 5 yrs old

[Pete.the.dog]

if you picked up between 10am-10.30am you were not charged for that day, any time after you were charged for that day.

The thing was that they didn't offer a morning pick up on sunday - if they did I would have been there then, they only let you pick up between 2 and 5

well i think they can't charge you for that then. what does their sunday policy say?

It says that "customers are charged for the day of pickup unless they collect before 10am (except Sundays)" - I took this to mean that sundays they weren't charged because the option didn't exist. Just a bit unclear to me.

--

I am sure, daily rate was $24.95 and invoice states "7 days"

It seems everyone has different ideas about grooming. This wasn't the most expensive of kennels yes, but it wasn't the cheapest either! I made sure that Pete had no knots when he went in - his coat is such a nightmare in the condition they gave him back because he (understandably) isn't patient with me brushing out the knots - and I have to do it in bits and peices over a few days or he just gets too grouchy about it.

Unless you actually paid for a grooming session I would not expect the dog to have been brushed.

I would because kennels are paid to care for your dog. Part of the care of a long-haired dog is to brush it regularly.

some kennels offer a daily brush at an extra cost, espeically for the breeds that are more prone to matting, you cant expect a long coat dog to be given more attention than a short coated dog for the same price imo, if your dog needs daily brushing or grooming unfortunatly in some establishments you will have to pay extra for it

Smooth or long should make no difference.

If the dog comes in knot free it should leave in the same condition.

If the dog is in a monster coat & the kennel isnt good at coat work then they should say no.

The problem is most kennels hose whilst the dogs are still in the runs & they get wet & matt easy.

They offered a hydrobath at extra cost, but I just assumed brushing would be included. I agree showdog I think they should give the dog back in the condition he came, he has a long woolly coat and I just sort of feel like anyone who knows about dogs should know it would be very uncomfortable to leave his type of fur unbrushed for a week! Especially if hosing the dogs down (which they said they did do, which ALSO made me a bit uncomfortable because I know Pete hates being hosed down and is scared of hoses generally)

I might say in the letter that they should say on their website or at least on arrival that brushing is extra, because I would have paid it if I had known - that's assuming they offer it as an extra.

I'm glad to hear the weight loss isn't unusual though

When people ring to enquire how their dogs are going, it is really reassuring for them if you can say something about the dog's individual ways, because they then know that you are actually communicating with and caring for their dog. Sometimes an issue in a big establishment. I have kennels because I love dogs - I wouldn't be happy just sitting in the office handing out invoices, operating the eftpos machine and working out staff pay and rosters. I like being with the dogs, poo and all

Sylvia

Should have brought him to you!

The policy is the same where I work and I think its fair enough.

As for the phone call, it may have been someone answering the phone who in training or doesnt normally answer the phone, I make a point of trying to know all the dog names, but when I first started I used to get very confused very easy!

Did you ask questions about how he went? If you did and they didnt answer then thats just rude! If you didnt ask then you should have

The weight loss thing I think is hard, kennels can be stressful on a dog no matter how well they are cared for and 7 days isnt very long for the dog to settle in. I have found most dogs that come in take 2-3 days to settle in (sometimes longer) and in that time they may choose not to eat. If he was in where I work and was there for say 2+ weeks once we noticed that he had started to loose weight his food intake would have been upped but when they are only in for a week it can be hard. There are a few dogs that come in that are a breed that is known to loose weight in kennels so they automatically get fed two or three times a day and then their are owners who request thier dog gets feed more often because they know their dog needs it.

As for the grooming he probably should have had abit of a brush being a coated dog and being in a week. But alot opf kennels will only do it if requested!

Thanks for that sammy, it sounds like the 7 days was pretty standard practice. I "should have asked more questions but after getting nothing from asking "how did he go?" I just thought it was pointless.

I guess I know for the next place I go to to specify about brushing and other things

[Pete.the.dog]

There's probably (hopefully, at least) a kennel girl that looked after your guy each day and knows him really well - knows his funny little ways, how he likes his food presented, which hand he has to shake before he's allowed to eat, how he likes his rug laid on his bed etc

Well I hope so but I think the kennel girl was the one who I got passed over to on the phone who gave me a blunt "yeah he's fine" with a stop-wasting-my-time tone of voice

[Nevafollo]

if you picked up between 10am-10.30am you were not charged for that day, any time after you were charged for that day.

The thing was that they didn't offer a morning pick up on sunday - if they did I would have been there then, they only let you pick up between 2 and 5

well i think they can't charge you for that then. what does their sunday policy say?

It says that "customers are charged for the day of pickup unless they collect before 10am (except Sundays)" - I took this to mean that sundays they weren't charged because the option didn't exist. Just a bit unclear to me.

--

I am sure, daily rate was $24.95 and invoice states "7 days"

It seems everyone has different ideas about grooming. This wasn't the most expensive of kennels yes, but it wasn't the cheapest either! I made sure that Pete had no knots when he went in - his coat is such a nightmare in the condition they gave him back because he (understandably) isn't patient with me brushing out the knots - and I have to do it in bits and peices over a few days or he just gets too grouchy about it.

Unless you actually paid for a grooming session I would not expect the dog to have been brushed.

I would because kennels are paid to care for your dog. Part of the care of a long-haired dog is to brush it regularly.

some kennels offer a daily brush at an extra cost, espeically for the breeds that are more prone to matting, you cant expect a long coat dog to be given more attention than a short coated dog for the same price imo, if your dog needs daily brushing or grooming unfortunatly in some establishments you will have to pay extra for it

Smooth or long should make no difference.

If the dog comes in knot free it should leave in the same condition.

If the dog is in a monster coat & the kennel isnt good at coat work then they should say no.

The problem is most kennels hose whilst the dogs are still in the runs & they get wet & matt easy.

They offered a hydrobath at extra cost, but I just assumed brushing would be included. I agree showdog I think they should give the dog back in the condition he came, he has a long woolly coat and I just sort of feel like anyone who knows about dogs should know it would be very uncomfortable to leave his type of fur unbrushed for a week! Especially if hosing the dogs down (which they said they did do, which ALSO made me a bit uncomfortable because I know Pete hates being hosed down and is scared of hoses generally)

I might say in the letter that they should say on their website or at least on arrival that brushing is extra, because I would have paid it if I had known - that's assuming they offer it as an extra.

I'm glad to hear the weight loss isn't unusual though

When people ring to enquire how their dogs are going, it is really reassuring for them if you can say something about the dog's individual ways, because they then know that you are actually communicating with and caring for their dog. Sometimes an issue in a big establishment. I have kennels because I love dogs - I wouldn't be happy just sitting in the office handing out invoices, operating the eftpos machine and working out staff pay and rosters. I like being with the dogs, poo and all

Sylvia

Should have brought him to you!

The policy is the same where I work and I think its fair enough.

As for the phone call, it may have been someone answering the phone who in training or doesnt normally answer the phone, I make a point of trying to know all the dog names, but when I first started I used to get very confused very easy!

Did you ask questions about how he went? If you did and they didnt answer then thats just rude! If you didnt ask then you should have

The weight loss thing I think is hard, kennels can be stressful on a dog no matter how well they are cared for and 7 days isnt very long for the dog to settle in. I have found most dogs that come in take 2-3 days to settle in (sometimes longer) and in that time they may choose not to eat. If he was in where I work and was there for say 2+ weeks once we noticed that he had started to loose weight his food intake would have been upped but when they are only in for a week it can be hard. There are a few dogs that come in that are a breed that is known to loose weight in kennels so they automatically get fed two or three times a day and then their are owners who request thier dog gets feed more often because they know their dog needs it.

As for the grooming he probably should have had abit of a brush being a coated dog and being in a week. But alot opf kennels will only do it if requested!

Thanks for that sammy, it sounds like the 7 days was pretty standard practice. I "should have asked more questions but after getting nothing from asking "how did he go?" I just thought it was pointless.

I guess I know for the next place I go to to specify about brushing and other things

Yep I think its good to be specific about things but dont cross the line to annoying If I were you I'd request extra feeding and request grooming be done!

[stormie]

Ok so we're not a full boarding kennel, but we do board small dogs and used to at our previous clinic too. Our policy here is now the same as our previous clinic - to only charge people by the night. Before we took over here, they had the policy where if they dropped off before midday they were charged for the day, and after midday they weren't; same thing for pick-up too. But it just didn't seem right charging someone an extra day who came at say 12:30pm - and where do you the drawer the line? So easier to just explain the overnight fees.

As for grooming, all our animals are brushed, deodorised and eyes cleaned prior to going home and those with gunkier eyes are cleaned daily. Anyone who stays 7+ nights is bathed prior to going home and of course anyone that decides to have a poo party in its cage/run is also bathed. The vets wife is our groomer too, so clients are also offered that service during their stay too.

As for knowing the animals, I agree with what the others have mostly said in that not everyone gets the same amount of interaction with them. At our last clinic, I looked after the boarders so I knew each one very well and could tell all the owners stories about their animals etc, where as our other nurse rarely had a lot to do with them and often had to ask me. Here, I don't get to have as much to do with them as I'd like, but too involved with surgery and our other nurse/kennel hand does the majority of the boarding care. I try to interact with them as much as possible, but when we're busy, it's almost impossible.

[Jed]

Sounds pretty ordinary to me, I think the rate is ok, but their communication skills need an upgrade - Petethedog should have been advised what the deal was for Sundays, when he left the dog there.

And if the person who answered the phone didn't know anything about Pete, she should have fetched someone who did to speak to the owner. Not that hard.

And of course a long haired dog should receive at least minimal grooming so he is not knotted on collection.

I'd write a little not saying how disappointed I was, and why. May help them lift their act

[Dogsfevr]

But it just didn't seem right charging someone an extra day who came at say 12:30pm - and where do you the drawer the line? So easier to just explain the overnight fees.

The thing is Kennel are operating 24/7 .When our hours for opening/closing have finished we are still working & people seem to forget that.

Irrespective of what time that dog comes in its under your care & covered by your insurance .

The dogs get checked before bedtime & in summer depending on the severe heat are still outside at 10 pm (although many kennels dont they shut at 6pm & that is it for the day)

We get some dogs that may bark at 2 am ,i will be up there asap seeing why & shutting them in if need be,

One has to assume its barking for a reason & to go check especially as you get dogs with medical issues.

Kennels aren.t a 9- 5 normal job they work well outside the normal hrs many of there clients would ever consider working themselves.

Our day for example starts at 6am & where not finished till 7pm generally latter 7 days a week 365 of the year.Its hard work & often people whinge about the prices & think they should pay a pitence but they have no idea what expenses kennels have BUT a kennel should always offer the basic needs without extra charge unless the dog comes in unrealistic maintainable condition .

I certainly now of a kennel that doesnt brush & there highly used ,they reply we dont now how to brush as they own smooth coats.Sda part is those who have used them have ended up with matted dogs that are beyond hope & need clipping off which should never happen

There are plenty of wonderful kennels out there but everyone has a different idea,have different council rules & different set ups & its finding the right facility for that dog.

We have long coats so brushing isnt a big deal for us & we have all the gear .

At peak times some of the larger kennels will have staff to just answer the phone/invoice because the reality is people want you to give there dog plenty of attention but answer the phones aswell & during the severe heat kennels are very busy ensuring the dogs are all stable & coping.

We tell people to call & we suggest a time that works well after all we would get people ringing all times of the day & night forgetting time differences & wanting to now how Fred was going. At 2am im not a cheery person & some would take offence that you didnt chat longer . No sorry form them just how is my dog .

Edited January 12, 2010 by showdog

[Winterpaws]

There's probably (hopefully, at least) a kennel girl that looked after your guy each day and knows him really well - knows his funny little ways, how he likes his food presented, which hand he has to shake before he's allowed to eat, how he likes his rug laid on his bed etc

Well I hope so but I think the kennel girl was the one who I got passed over to on the phone who gave me a blunt "yeah he's fine" with a stop-wasting-my-time tone of voice

It's xmas and they are operating at full capacity - the busiest time of the year. Maybe cut the poor worker some slack and realize she was most likely run off her feet.

If he had never been boarded before and you were so concerned then maybe next time consider a trial run of one night in a less busy period

[OSoSwift]

I know in WA at least there are some kennels that advertise that they board coated breeds and will do whatever grooming required. Maybe you have something like that available?

Customer service goes a long way!

[Pete.the.dog]

It's xmas and they are operating at full capacity - the busiest time of the year. Maybe cut the poor worker some slack and realize she was most likely run off her feet.

If he had never been boarded before and you were so concerned then maybe next time consider a trial run of one night in a less busy period

Good idea thanks

She probably was run off her feet, however part of running a good kennel service in my opinion, and the opinion of kennel owners who have already posted, is to make their customers feel like they are leaving their animals with people who care for them and pay them some individual attention, and that was not the impression I got from "yeah he's fine"

[Pockets]

I had a lady drop of some bearded collies I think, she was down for a show or something and wanted them to have a run around in our super playtime yard for a few hours and she would come back and collect them, fair enough...

Now it was a wet, miserable day, so was a bit muddy and wet in the yards, when she came back her dogs had had a fantastic time, but were a bit muddy and wet, she cracked it and said how am I supposed to bath them they have a show tommorow she saw the yard, new it was a wet yuck day, but wanted them to have a run, we got her some buckets of water and went out of the way to get her some towels aswell to clean them up as best she could, but she was quite rude!

[poocow]

The kennel I managed charged per calendar day (unless picked up before 9:30am on the day of departure).

Grooming was extra but any long coated dogs got brushed every 3-4 days.

As for him losing weight, well kennels are a high stress environment, dogs need to be fed extra to maintain their weight. I always fed extra to what you would feed in a home environment.

The person on the phone does seem a bit short with you but they could have been busy.

Btw the price is very reasonable.

[Gayle.]

I just sort of expected they would say SOMETHING about him - they are supposed to love dogs right?

The are in the business of boarding dogs. They kennel them, feed them, make sure their medical needs are attended to.......and you pay for that service.

Grooming seems to be dependent on the kennel. I boarded two small long haired dogs once, for a fornight and they weren't brushed the whole time. When I asked why they weren't brushed, I was told I should have requested grooming (they also had a grooming salon) and the charges would have been added to the bill. It didn't occur to me that it would be extra, but from then on I knew to at least ask about it.

What did you want them to say? That he was cute? They might not have thought so, a lot of dogs are cute only to their owners. That he was well behaved? They might not have noticed. Poorly behaved dogs tend to stand out, quiet well behaved ones don't.

That he ate, didn't eat, pooped, didn't poop, barked, didn't bark? That's what you pay them to worry about while you're away, now you're back they can hand the dog over and they don't have to worry about him anymore. If he had medical issues he was there, then yes they should say something (and I think most would) but general behaviour? They don't know what his normal behaviour is like so don't have a yardstick by which to measure.

[Pete.the.dog]

What did you want them to say? That he was cute? They might not have thought so, a lot of dogs are cute only to their owners. That he was well behaved? They might not have noticed. Poorly behaved dogs tend to stand out, quiet well behaved ones don't.

That he ate, didn't eat, pooped, didn't poop, barked, didn't bark? That's what you pay them to worry about while you're away, now you're back they can hand the dog over and they don't have to worry about him anymore. If he had medical issues he was there, then yes they should say something (and I think most would) but general behaviour? They don't know what his normal behaviour is like so don't have a yardstick by which to measure.

Fair enough. I guess as much as I pay someone to look after my dog while I'm away, I still worry about him, that's the kind of person I am. I guess I would have liked to know about his general behaviour, e.g. his barking and eating, so that I could assess whether or not this was normal for myself, and consider that in the context of whether I would leave him there again.

I was not interested in hearing my dog was cute

[poocow]

What did you want them to say? That he was cute? They might not have thought so, a lot of dogs are cute only to their owners. That he was well behaved? They might not have noticed. Poorly behaved dogs tend to stand out, quiet well behaved ones don't.

That he ate, didn't eat, pooped, didn't poop, barked, didn't bark? That's what you pay them to worry about while you're away, now you're back they can hand the dog over and they don't have to worry about him anymore. If he had medical issues he was there, then yes they should say something (and I think most would) but general behaviour? They don't know what his normal behaviour is like so don't have a yardstick by which to measure.

Fair enough. I guess as much as I pay someone to look after my dog while I'm away, I still worry about him, that's the kind of person I am. I guess I would have liked to know about his general behaviour, e.g. his barking and eating, so that I could assess whether or not this was normal for myself, and consider that in the context of whether I would leave him there again.

Just a helpful hint then, when you ring up - ask those questions you want to know the answer to. Not a generic hows my dog...they might not know that you want that answer to include things about his eating and pooping schedule.

[Dogsfevr]

Fair enough. I guess as much as I pay someone to look after my dog while I'm away, I still worry about him, that's the kind of person I am. I guess I would have liked to know about his general behaviour, e.g. his barking and eating, so that I could assess whether or not this was normal for myself, and consider that in the context of whether I would leave him there again.

I was not interested in hearing my dog was cute

In all honesty these are questions you would ask when picking the dog up not whilst your away.

We get people who phone & we dont discuss at lengths all in sundry,people just want to now how there dog is going & fine is often the answer,if there is any drama,s we have contact # for people if we need it.

generally those that ask questions is due to a specific area (picky eater,health issues,elderly dog .

[wire]

Pete, I had visited several kennels in Adelaide last month to place my dog.

To be honest, appart from one kennel, I found the rest pretty scarey and would never put my dog in any of them, no matter what.

Perhaps you could consider a private home to look after your dog next time, there are several out there and their fees are around the same, give or take.