kami Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Hello DOLers, Was hoping you could give advice as I am rather uncertain of which way to go? A few of you may have read my threads regarding Annie, my rescue dog. Well, the time has come for Annie's owners to get married! We would very much like to be able to do the traditional thing and have a honeymoon, and so have arranged pet boarding for our pet pigeon Bong Bong. We are having more difficulty arranging boarding for Annie, as we are conscious of making sure she goes into a safe yet stimulating enough environment, whilst still not losing all the hard work we have put into obedience with her. We also don't want her to regress with her separation anxiety. We have inspected Hanrob, but felt that she would absolutely hate being on her own in the kennel environment given her previous issues with seperation anxiety and biting her nails/feet. We are considering Keppala, it sounds less shelter like, and has good reviews on here. lastly, we have looked at using a local pet minder who is insured, and who has great reviews. We arranged to do a meet and greet, dogs got on quite well (except one tried to mount Annie...), however i have a few concerns: - the pet minders experience training dogs was using negative behavioural training when at dog obedience with her own dog. I am concerned that while she says she would use positive reinforcement, that it is something that takes time effort and experience to do properly. She said she doesnt give treats to her own dogs generally. I am greatly worried Annie could lose her confidence if trained negatively. - the yard had multiple vehicles and general stuff lying around (family of 4). Annie is a magnet for eating things she shouldn't. In the first few weeks we had her she ate cigarettes and chocolate and developed a taste for dog toxic plants. - she wanted to take annie off lead with her own dogs after stays with them for a week, which i was concerned about. Said she was happy to only take her onlead if i was worried about it, and use an enclosed park for the first few times. Annie is still learning the boundaries of being offlead, and i am afraid she wouldnt listen to someone new. She also herds other dogs if given the opportunity (i always get others permission to have her offlead before letting her approach others) Am i being overly cautious, or does this ring alarm bells for anyone? on the plus side, the family who would look after her seemed lovely, she loved the other dogs, and was good with their kitten. She got on well with the family members. We desperately want to do what is best for her while we have our honeymoon, with peace of mind that she is safe, and happy. Any thoughts or suggestions would be great! We just don't know what to do with her, and dont want to risky any steps back after how far she has come. Worst case if we cant find her someone/something reliable and trustworthy we will take her with us camping at pet friendly places, but are not super keen as this may be one of our only chances to have a holiday alone as a married couple for a while. Many thanks, Susie and Huw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Definitely not that pet sitter! I would find a really good boarding kennel if I were you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph M Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Avoid Hanrob like the plague. Kepala is awesome, lots of things to do and opportunities for extra swims and plays and things to do. I do worry somewhat about care at another's home, to be honest. Something about the idea just leaves me cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kami Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Thanks kirty! Its strange though because her dog is a therapy dog and is lovely and calm. It makes we wonder if we are just being overprotective and jumping to conclusions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 I would never expect anybody else to keep up the training with my dog. I board my dogs so they are safe while I am away. No other reason. I have just booked in my youngest for her first time boarding in Sept. I do not want her trained, walked or to play with other dogs while I am away. I want her kept safe. I do not care if she is bored out of her brain while I am away. I want her kept safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kami Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Thanks for the feedback about Kepala, so far i think that will be the next place we check out. The idea of a family really appealed because Annie loves having a job, whether it is to sit, or drop and stay somewhere - being left in a run I am concerned will send her mad. She is only on her own for 4 hours a day here. I know every dog is special, but she has come so far, and I am frightened that being on her own for so long each day with minimal human interaction will send her bonkers. She doesnt just like people, she needs them. Here, she has the kong genius, and then her bobber, and other things to keep her occupied when we are busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kami Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Rebanne, we dont want them keeping up obedience work like heeling ect. And you are absolutely right that safety is hers, and our first priority Annie was a dog that cowered and flopped onto her belly when we first got her when anyone tried to touch her, with her tail in between her legs. I am nervous that a heavy handed approach could set her back in this regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyolf Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Some kennels allow you to bring toys. So she could have her Kong ect during the stay to play with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kami Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Yeah i will check that out with Keppala. We tend to feed her meals through puzzle balls/bobbers ect or training so she doesn't turn into a little fatty :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kami Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Annie would be able to roll down a hill if she had her way :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyolf Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 (edited) Haha I have a dog the same! I manage a kennel and we have dogs that come in that get fed with stones on top of the biscuits or we put the food in a wobble Kong. We even had one dog that had to have his biscuits put into a cupcake baking tin lol Edited July 17, 2015 by Eyolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Definitely not that pet sitter! I would find a really good boarding kennel if I were you. Yeah I wouldn't use her either. Kepala are pretty good. Do you have any dog savvy friends who could stay at your house with her so she's in her own environment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kami Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Not really, my fiancees best man we considered, but his mum is seriously unwell now so he needs to be there for her. Our friends that have dogs mostly have dogs that are D.A or reactive. Another friend who could potentially have, fractured her patella and tore ligaments in her knee when she tripped over Annie when walking our dogs together! Dogs can be a dangerous hobby... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Better Late Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Kepala sounds great, hopefully that works out. Alternatively, there could be a DOL member near you who could look after Annie for your peace of mind? Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Cottage Kennels are also very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kami Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Thanks cosmolo. I hadn't heard of them, but based on their website this could be perfect for Annie. Lots of things to watch and see, and a temperment matched buddy to hang with. As soon i have days off i think this is where i will be heading to inspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Depending on your budget they have some gorgeous rooms very similar to what a dog might be used to at home- they are super quiet compared to the normal kennel area which might be beneficial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Yes another vote for Cottage Kennels :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Best Dogs! Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 (edited) I'm not sure the cost, but Ernie the Dog Bloke is likely to be my boarder when I get called away for work. I've met him a few times, he did in the house one-on-ones with Thistle when she was at her worst. I was pleased to find out he boards dog (even had one he'd just picked up sitting in the car watching us during her first session/evaluation) and trains them while they are there. http://www.thedogbloke.com.au/boarding-and-training.htmlThere are three Board and Train options available: 7 Day - Life Training 14 day - Socialisation and Life Training 21 Day - Aggression, Socialisation and Life Training He's not a dog hotel place, Ernie typically deals with dogs with major issues. He uses positive reinforcement and operant conditioning, not negative. He was very understanding of Thistle's fearful and submissive behaviour, she even began to ignore him (amazing as poor Ernie fits every stereotype she's scared of). He recommended the place I go to for Sunday training (as Ernie doesn't do classes outside of boarding) and the trainers there talk highly of him. All I can see is you're in VIC, Ernie is located in Melbourne. Edited July 17, 2015 by Thistle the dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 If you are going on honeymoon in Australia can you find a place that allows dogs. That way you wouldn't be worried & the dog would be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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