Boarding Kennels And Rescue Dogs

[teekay]

Ok, so we have had Mya for about 4 weeks now. She was rescued by K9angel from Blacktown pound around New year, and we adopted her the end of Feb.

We have been invited to go camping for Easter (3 days) and I am unsure what to do with my dogs. I don't really want to take them with us but is it too soon to board Mya? I don't know whether, coming from the pound, a boarding situation would be too stressful for her. Will she remember and think she is back in the pound? If so then i just don't want to go.

Jenna and Mya get on ok, so I suppose I would house them together but they do have the occasional spat where Jenna hides under the table to get away from Mya and Mya then knows to leave her alone. Where would Jenna hide in a boarding situation?

OK, I'm beginning to think I am answering my own question here. Am I being too paranoid?

Please, any advice would be great. I want to do the right thing. If this means not going then so be it.

[~*Shell*~]

I would suggest not boarding Mya while she's still settling in, especially if she's having a couple of problems with Jenna - do you know someone who could come around and feed/play with your dogs for those 3 days? Or someone who could babysit them for a few days? A boarding kennel is different from a pound and I've found Zero coped very well with the boarding kennel where he just shut down in the pound.

Is there a reason you don't want to take them with you? I have camped with Zero before and it was great!

[teekay]

I would suggest not boarding Mya while she's still settling in, especially if she's having a couple of problems with Jenna - do you know someone who could come around and feed/play with your dogs for those 3 days? Or someone who could babysit them for a few days? A boarding kennel is different from a pound and I've found Zero coped very well with the boarding kennel where he just shut down in the pound.

Is there a reason you don't want to take them with you? I have camped with Zero before and it was great!

Thanks Shell, There isn't really a good reason why I was not happy taking them. I suppose I just haven't really even camped myself before and the logistics of taking 3 kids and 2 dogs seemed a little overwhelming.

I will consider taking them with me or not go at all I think. As long as they get a good walk they do tend to sleep all day anyway. I could take their crates to make sure they are safe. Mya is a bit of an escape artist so we would have to make sure she was either tethered or crated but I guess that is ok.

I'm such a worry wort

Any tips for happy camping with dogs?

[juice]

as its only 3 days could you get someone to come and walk them and feed them everyday at home?

shame i'm not near you , i often do this for friends wo go away for the weekend. :D

[stormie]

I think I'd be inclined to just do it and board her. Treating her like she's got 'issues' could create stress, where as if you treat her like she was never a rescue and is just a regular dog, she's more like to act like one.

Could you not request they have separate runs next to each other?

Maybe I'm a harsh biatch, but I think going to kennels like it's no big deal wouldn't be too much of an issue. I don't really believe that dogs think all that much about their pasts and relate it to their current situations. All she'd know was that she was in a kennel there and then, and it's only 3 days and then you'd be back.

But JMHO :D

[~*Shell*~]

I would suggest not boarding Mya while she's still settling in, especially if she's having a couple of problems with Jenna - do you know someone who could come around and feed/play with your dogs for those 3 days? Or someone who could babysit them for a few days? A boarding kennel is different from a pound and I've found Zero coped very well with the boarding kennel where he just shut down in the pound.

Is there a reason you don't want to take them with you? I have camped with Zero before and it was great!

Thanks Shell, There isn't really a good reason why I was not happy taking them. I suppose I just haven't really even camped myself before and the logistics of taking 3 kids and 2 dogs seemed a little overwhelming.

I will consider taking them with me or not go at all I think. As long as they get a good walk they do tend to sleep all day anyway. I could take their crates to make sure they are safe. Mya is a bit of an escape artist so we would have to make sure she was either tethered or crated but I guess that is ok.

I'm such a worry wort :D

Any tips for happy camping with dogs?

It is a bit overwhelming to take so much with you but I wouldn't camp without Zero now. When I first got him he would run off at any opportunity but now he has a "hang around" command (it's only taken me 3 years to teach!) which means he's allowed to do whatever but if he is in my general area, he gets rewarded for it.

I don't have many tips for happy camping with dogs - Zero is easy to take anywhere! When we camp, we go waterskiing and Zero loves to come on the boat with us. By the time we've been out in the morning, he's usually tired enough that all he wants to do is sleep so i tether him in an area with a lot of shade, a big water bucket and his toys and he pretty much just sleeps for the rest of the day until dinner. Make sure you check for ticks though and put tick collars on them - when we're camping at night, I will line brush Zero while we're sitting around so I know he doesn't have any on him. I also crate him at night which he's totally fine with. He usually goes in there by himself.

If you're worried about it and can't find someone to spend some time with your dogs over those 3 days it might be a better idea not to go.

[Monah]

If you go board them in separate enclosures. IF Jenna hides from the other dog sometimes, she will have 3 days of it and may not eat etc. in the same pen and this could set up behaviour probs between them.

You may not be able to find boarding for easter at this late date anyway. I also wouldn't have someone popping in to feed etc. unless they can 'live in'. It's just a little early re the interdog relationship etc. IMO

If it were me, I wouldn't go. I dont think not going is treating her like she has issues, how would she even know you are not going or have a choice?

We have taken our dogs all over the country camping , caravaning, without any problems, in fact, it is GREAT FUN :D

[Ons]

this was my concern about my foster dog who became my foster failure dog.

About a month after I got him I had to go away to a compulsory work conference for four days. I took him to the kennels where my other two had boarded so they knew the routine. Flash was absolutely fine although I worried about him. He was happy and healthy when I picked him up and a couple of months after that he spent over 3 weeks there with no dramas. I did express my concern with the kennel owners so they kept a special eye on him.

I'd board her in her own enclosure but ask for adjoining enclosures to your other dog. Take a few toys and blankets from home so she feels secure.

My understanding is that dogs can smell "death" :D at a pound, a smell that they don't get at the kennels so they feel more secure.

[Stitch]

Apart from all the other issues, have you considered that you may not even be able to find a boarding kennel with vacancies this close to Easter???

So your question may be moot!!

Just a thought!

[Shakti]

I found what I think is the perfect solution - I had a house sitter in to look after them. The house sitter lived in our house while we were away at absolutely no cost and the animals were spoilt rotten! Plus of course the fear of people thinking our house was empty was alleviated as it was obvious that there was still someone at home.

I recommend Happy House Sitters!

[kirsty79]

Ok, so we have had Mya for about 4 weeks now. She was rescued by K9angel from Blacktown pound around New year, and we adopted her the end of Feb.

We have been invited to go camping for Easter (3 days) and I am unsure what to do with my dogs. I don't really want to take them with us but is it too soon to board Mya? I don't know whether, coming from the pound, a boarding situation would be too stressful for her. Will she remember and think she is back in the pound? If so then i just don't want to go.

Jenna and Mya get on ok, so I suppose I would house them together but they do have the occasional spat where Jenna hides under the table to get away from Mya and Mya then knows to leave her alone. Where would Jenna hide in a boarding situation?

OK, I'm beginning to think I am answering my own question here. Am I being too paranoid?

Please, any advice would be great. I want to do the right thing. If this means not going then so be it.

Hi Teekay,

I was in exactly in the same situ this time last year. I rescued Jessie (11 yrs old and very set in her ways) last March and we were going away 4 weeks later. If we put her in kennels she'd be going in with my 3 yr old basset (incidentially, they had several spats in their first 2 weeks together and are now the best of buds ) I was thinking all sorts. Is she going to be traumatised from being in enclosed spaces surrounded by many barking dogs? Its so similar to shelters, will she be thinking I'm giving up on her and taking her back Anyway, I took the plunge and she was absolutely fine. I went to collect them and they both pretty much looked at me as if to say "oh, have you been somewhere then?" :D

Just give them extra special cuddles and a couple of biscuits that evening after picking them up and they will have forgotten all about it by the next morning!

[sandgrubber]

I run a smallish boarding kennel with flexible management practices. I have had quite a few dogs from rescue situations come in . . . owners worried that the dog will be upset because he/she thinks it's back to the pound. Never a problem. The rescues have seen worse. Many of them, on finding they can run around all day and get two good meals, and if they're up to it, other dogs to play with, decide the kennel is Heaven.

Choose your kennel carefully and you shouldn't have problems

[Winterpaws]

If they have the occasional spat then I wouldn't leave them alone at home for 3 days with an occasional visit from someone

Board them - they will be fine

[Dogsfevr]

The greater percentage of our clients are rescue dogs & they cope fine but as alread mentioned finding akennel this late will be way harder

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Personally I don't think you've had Mya long enough to board her. In this case, I'd either suggest a good friend staying at your place or a vet nurse or something (and let dogs meet person beforehand).

[Bjelkier]

If they have the occasional spat then I wouldn't leave them alone at home for 3 days with an occasional visit from someone

See now this bothers me too, what if a spat escalates while you are gone and there is no one there to sort it out?

Personally I would either take them with me or not go.

I have been camping with four dogs at a time, one wasnt even mine but everyone was fine and aside from getting soaked we had a good time.

[Blue Fox 001]

As others have said finding a suitable kennel at this stage might rule it out but I would think a smaller establishment would be fine.

We have many rescue and pound dogs come to stay and not one has been traumatised by being kenneled, and a few have only been a week in their new home before medical issues forced them to come and stay Honestly the owners worry a lot more than the dogs generally do :D

Edit to add - I wouldn't kennel them together though, next to each other sure but in a confined space with nowhere to retreat too is asking for trouble, as is leaving them home together unattended.

Edited March 24, 2010 by Blue Fox 001

[teekay]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I think we have made a decision. Well nearly, it's one of 2 options.

Either we take them with us or

If our 17 year old son decides not to come with us we are leaving them here in his care. He works 5 hour shifts but we have a secure area outside where I can put one dog and the other can stay inside so I know they are both safe.

I will put them into kennels later in the year if we go away again but i just feel it is too early at the moment.

Thanks again