... not to leave our dogs in the car during the summer time.
However even so, you still hear stories about it happening. It's even happened with police dogs. People just don't seem to be aware of how fast a car can heat up, even with all the windows cracked open, it only takes minutes for the temperature to start rising.
I found a good video on the internet where an American vet experiences how it feels for himself.
At the kennels we change our routine during heatwaves. We start the day an hour earlier, feeding at 5am and starting exercise at 7.30am so that the dogs can run and play without getting overheated.
The kennels themselves are nice and cool, and their drinking water is changed and topped up with fresh numerous times a day.
The dogs in the daycare are encouraged to have some rest time in the hottest part of the day.
Sometimes we take them out onto the little paddock where there is a nice breeze and shade from the trees. We like to spray them all with the hose if they are looking a little hot and even have a paddling pool for them to play in.
Jess and the dogs enjoying the shade
Some dogs with white fur need sunblock putting on at regular intervals around the top of their noses and eyebrows to protect their delicate skin from burning.
Henry is one of the dogs who needs sunblock on when he plays outside
There are also other things you can do to help keep your dog cool on these hot days, a good groom and hair cut can help them keep cool, perhaps take them for a swim at the lake rather than his usual walk, or put some toys in an empty ice cream tub, fill with water and freeze, and then let him lick and chew at the ice in order to free the toys!
I'm loving having a proper summer this year, as I'm sure everyone is, and with a few sensible precautions our dogs can enjoy the summer along with us.
Socialisation means allowing your dogs to get used to and learn to play and interact correctly with other dogs. This means developing the correct social skills when meeting new dogs, learning to play nicely (and adjusting the play to match the playmate) and also learning when another dog wants to be left alone. These social skills are important because, basically, dogs love to be around other dogs. It makes them happy, and I always think a dog who doesn't ever socialise is missing out a little. It can also be a life saver, if your dog knows and understands the signals that mean 'leave me alone' it will save them from aggressive confrontations.
Socialisation is best started as early as possible (after the puppy is fully vaccinated of course, and only with other vaccinated dogs). We have recently had quite a few puppies start attending daycare, including our own, and they really love it. It's a joy to see them playing and learning the important social skills.
It goes without saying that if during the temperament assessment a dog shows any sign of aggression means the dog will have to be exercised with just human company and won't be able to socialise. This doesn't mean that we don't like your dog! or that they won't get as much attention, it is simply for safety's sake, as I'm sure you can understand. We are also extra cautious with bigger or powerful breeds ie staffies or rottweilers. This isn't because we believe the media hysteria which gives the breeds an undeserved bad name, but simply because they are stronger and even a minimal amount of aggression would be quite serious - where if a shih-tzu is a bit grumpy it's not such a big deal.
The dogs we can help are ones that are simply nervous, or lacking in social skills but friendly, can certainly be worked on and improved. We also need the consent of the owner to allow their dog to be exercised in a small group environment. Most owners with friendly dogs are more than happy to do so, as it simply makes the dog's experience in kennels a much happier and more interesting one, and I'm sure it's the secret to why our kennels is so lovely and quiet - no manic barking here! Because everyone is well exercised and mentally stimulated. I've read that 20 mins doggie playing with worth an hours lead walk, so no wonder everyone is nice and tired after exercise time.
The beauty of our kennels and daycare is that it provides a perfect environment for learning socialisation skills. When meeting dogs down the park your can't always guarantee they are friendly or under control. All the dogs are temperament assessed before being allowed in group play and supervised by very experienced staff. We also have the opportunity to hand pick playmates who match your dog's character and socialisation level. For example, if your dog has very little experience with other dogs and is very nervous or submissive, we can pick older or less playful dogs for them to meet first. These dogs aren't likely to do more than sniff your dog and walk off. What they will do is provide unobtrusive company, and this can be good for helping nervous dogs overcome their fear as their is no pressure to play or even be too close to other dogs. If the nervous dog gains confidence in this playgroup and shows signs of wanting to play, we can pick other playmates which are a little more exciting. Often a dog can come to stay with us and starts out very nervous, but goes home with bags of confidence and enjoying the company of other dogs rather than being scared.
Another example of how good socialisation can be good for dogs is when they are boisterous (ie essentially very friendly but with not very refined social skills... too 'in your face' for most dogs to cope with. These dogs may often be met with aggression even through they themselves are very friendly). What these dogs need to learn is to control their excitement, be more polite, and learn to recognise who wants to play and who doesn't. With more contact with other dogs these boisterous sorts will soon become less exited around other dogs, simply because it's not such a novelty. They will also learn what gets the best response from the other dogs, and often learn to tone down their behaviour - otherwise no one wants to make friends with them! This also goes for puppies too, who are often over exuberant with their greetings and play at first.
We have quite an established group in the daycare now, and it is lovely to watch the dynamics and behaviour of the dogs. They all seem to know who wants to play and who's needs a rest, and they adjust their play to suit the playmate - ie the big dogs will wrestle lying on their backs, giving their smaller friend the advantage and making the game 'fair'.
They all look forward to coming to daycare, dragging their owners in and often not wanting to go home! (and some of these dogs started off very nervous too!).
Doggie daycare is becoming more popular now with owners working long hours and simply not having the time to spend walking their dog. Daycare is a perfect solution as the dog has both human and canine company all day, lots of exercise and stimulation. It boosts their confidence and makes them calmer and more manageable at home.
What's nice about our daycare here at Woodland View is that it is quite small, with only limited numbers attending. This means that the staff can manage the dogs easily, making the environment safer and also more suitable for small puppies or older, or nervous dogs who would be overwhelmed at a bigger daycare.
For lots of pictures and videos of the playtimes, please visit our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/woodlandviewkennels
Any other enquiries please give us a call or e-mail.
for all your support and sympathy following Amber's death.
Although we are at peace with it, I feel like I will forever walk around with a little bit of sadness - a piece missing. We have hundreds of happy memories which we talk about and I think of her daily.
We have laid her ashes to rest in a pot with my favourite tree, with a little grave marker that reads...
'Amber'
There will never be another you.
We miss you Baba
I think her story touched a lot of people because it expressed how just much these dogs mean to us. They really are family and when they are gone they are never forgotten and never replaced.
and we have been mad enough to do it all again.
Meet Mila (pronounced Mee-la) ...
She is a feisty Border Collie puppy with one blue eye and one brown eye. Very intelligent and cheeky - I have the feeling she is going to rule the roost! She causes chaos constantly and anything not nailed down is a toy!
I'm sure she will provide me with many a blog topic as she grows up too.
We have just started to socialise her in the Doggie Daycare and hope in future she will play as big a part in the kennels as Amber did. I often wish Amber could meet her and teach her some doggie manners!
This is a very personal story, nothing Kennels related I'm afraid. I make no apologies though. My main reason for wanting to write it is so that I have something to remember. I don't want the memories to fade.
I hope that any one interested in the Kennels might be able to get some idea of the type of people we are through reading it. Our passion and our love for our own dog means that we understand the feelings you have for yours.
In November 2006, myself and Lee decided that finally, we could afford to get a dog. We were so excited, we'd waited for so long! We agreed that we would like a medium (coffee table) sized dog, a Collie or Collie cross. This was the breed of my childhood dog and of course, they always tend to be your favourite.
So, we booked 2 weeks off work, and off to the Dog's home we went. It wasn't a nice place, noisy and damp and horribly cold. All the dogs had obvious signs of kennel cough with streaming eyes and noses, and their manic barking was deafening. The first dog we asked to meet was a beautiful Staffordshire Bull Terrier bitch. However, we got her out of the kennel and she proceeded to run up Lee's body and sit on his shoulders! She then jumped off and ragged on the lead with ferocity. Thinking of our poor Poppy cat at home, we said sorry to her and put her back as we knew she wasn't for us.
We carried on walking up and down the kennels, past all shapes, sizes and ages, all barking like their life depended on it. We walked up and down a few times before we noticed her. Sitting quietly by the bars, a little Collie cross, about a year old, with bright ginger fur, googly eyes, bat ears and a foxy brush of a tail. We asked to take her for a walk around the grounds and as we strolled along me and Lee looked at each other and smiled, she was the one. Her name we decided, was Amber.
The staff at the Dog's home were, to be honest, uncaring and negligent. They did not rush to give us a house check at all. We made the 30 minute journey every day to visit her and give her a walk and a pigs ear, and after a week, when still no progress had been made with the rehoming, we complained and they just told us to take her home.
Amber when he first got her, lying on top of Freddie, my Mum's dog
Of course being a rescue dog (no history but 'stray') she came with a little baggage. Kennel cough that lasted 4 months until she was better. She was terrified of the car, didn't have a clue about house training, and liked nothing more than to rummage through the bins for food (which she'd then hide around the house - digging a pretend hole and covering it over with pretend dirt - yes very cute but she'd do this until her nose bled!). If you let her off the lead she'd sprint for the hills, oh yeah and she chewed a few massive holes in the carpet of our rented house too!
But over the first year all these things disappeared, not with any special training or anything, just by getting on with it. That's the special thing about Collies, their capacity for learning is so very natural. Not only did all her quirks and problems disappear, but she learned commands with an ease that I've not seen before. I often wonder what we could have taught her if we'd just taken more time.
She learned all the basic commands sit/stay/down etc within minutes. We also taught her some novelty tricks, spinning round, standing up on her hind legs etc. She even learned how to play a guessing game using cups and a ping pong ball, we'd hide the ball under a cup, switch them round, and she'd tap the one the ball was under with her paw for a treat.
She also learned an awful lot of words and cues on her own. She knew what 'walk' meant - of course most dogs do, but she also know all the words connected with that special word. Eventually you run out of 'secret' words for walk - she was just too clever. She also knew words like 'bath' (not a favourite), squirrel (look out the window... burst through the dog door.... fly down the garden like a bat out of hell... look up tree and bark), and 'where's that mole?!' (sprint to nearest molehill and dig frantically). Along with knowing things like, when Lee takes his glasses off, it's time for bed (and for some strange reason she found this exciting). In fact, if I were to list all the things she learned it would take me a considerable time. She was one of the cleverest dogs I've known.
'Bath' - not her favourite word!
Lee and I fell in love with her of course. She was almost like a child to us. We'd play silly games with her, like hide and seek - she'd look for Lee all on edge, barking as if to say ''come out!''. He'd jump out on her and chase her away - she loved that. Sometimes we'd cover her over with a blanket so she couldn't see - she'd walk around tail wagging bumping into things. She had a great sense of humour and was always happy to make us laugh. We also made up a 'voice' for her. I don't know if anyone else does this with their pets. Maybe we're just a bit weird! but her 'voice' was her sort of persona, which was always a bit of a smart arse. We would annotate things that she did to make us laugh ...... you probably had to be there!.
During her first couple of years I worked as a veterinary nurse, working shifts meant she never spent too long alone, however I eventually decided that veterinary nursing wasn't for me (although I would never go back and not do it - I learned an awful lot during those 2 years) and I became self-employed as a dog walker. This meant that from then on, we spent most of our days together.
What a life for a dog that is! To be a dog walker's dog. She'd jump in the back of my van and off we'd go. I wasn't the sort of walker who took loads of dogs at a time (I think its a little irresponsible) but Amber was always there as a companion for my doggie customers, and more importantly, she would always come back to me, which meant so did they.
She loved them to chase her, she was so fast and nimble. She would toy with Ted the cocker spaniel (who we took walking most days). He'd run as fast as his legs would take him, ears madly flapping up and down with the sheer effort, but he would never catch her. Sometimes she'd let him catch up and at the last second, dart in another direction (Ted had some near misses almost crashing into trees - I'm sure she did this on purpose!). When it was her turn to do the chasing, she'd catch Ted with ease and nip at his bottom.
One particular time Ted was chasing her, Amber suddenly decided she needed to have a wee, she squatted, and Ted (not slowing down any) collided into her at 100mph. Her body was like a ramp. He flew over her head and through the air, ears still flapping, crashing into the mud. We were creased double with laughter at such a funny sight.
So fast and nimble!
We'd walk for miles each day, in all weathers. In the summer when it was too hot, we'd stroll down to the lake and I'd sit on one of the big flat rocks, and throw a ball for them to fetch. She loved to swim, and would dive in getting a 10ft head start on the other dogs. Once she was swimming back with a stick and poked Ted up the bum, making him leap out of the water and yelp - poor Ted! But so funny!
Leaping in to the cool water on a hot day
In 2010, Lee and I finally (after 10 years) got married, and Amber even came with us on our little honeymoon. There was no question about whether we were taking her or not - of course we were!
This was also the year that we got asked, by Teds owner's in fact, to run Woodland View Kennels. A new venture for us which meant that Lee and I would be working together every day.
Looking for pheasants outside our honeymoon cottage
Amber also played a big part in the running of the kennels. We like to let the friendly boarders play together, and Amber was an important part of our 'temperament assessments'. She had a great ability to interact in the correct way with other dogs. She would be quiet and gentle with nervous or old dogs, tolerant of puppies, and stern with over boisterous sorts (she was very good at teaching manners). Quite a dominant character, all the other dogs seemed to know that she was the boss, but she was always friendly and fair.
In 2011 I became pregnant with our first baby. It was a terrible pregnancy fraught with complications and worry. Amber was there all the way through. She wasn't sure why I was so stressed out, but she'd put her little head in between my legs (she liked to do this for some reason - always used to make non-doggie people so uncomfortable!) and I'd smooth her silky ears flat. We'd go walking together (or rather, she'd run and I'd waddle) and in her own way, she helped make a difficult time more bearable.
Two months before our baby was due, we found a lump under Amber's teats. I immediately worried that it could be a mammary tumour, a common cancer in bitches (and we had her spayed late). So we went to the vets as soon as we could and a biopsy was done.
I heard the phone go as I was wallowing in the bath, and Lee came up and told me the bad news. Amber had cancer, worse still, she had lymphoma. Lymphoma is a very aggressive cancer, and not something that can just be removed as the lymphatic system goes all around the body. The vet said without treatment (chemotherapy) that Amber would die within 2 months. Well, I sat in the bath and I cried and cried and cried. She was only 7 years old. It was a death sentence.
But it wasn't over for Amber yet. The vet, Richard, said that chemotherapy could possible give her another year or so, and apparently, the chemotherapy was different than the sort us humans have when we suffer from cancer. It would be wrong to give a dog the same aggressive chemotherapy as humans, they can't consent to being put through such discomfort and pain. Therefore chemotherapy for dogs is a much gentler version, not aiming to cure the cancer but simply to extend the dog's life as long as possible whilst keeping the 'quality' of life as high as possible. We were insured so, we decided to try it an see how it went.
The stress of the diagnosis was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I was admitted to hospital with high blood pressure (which turned out to be pre-eclampsia) and I gave birth to baby George was born 5 weeks early. Amber had her first dose of chemotherapy whilst we were in hospital.
The chemotherapy went much better than we imagined. Yes there were a few days when she was a little ill, the odd day of nausea or perhaps a urine infection that we'd have to nip in the bud. But once the right dose of drugs had been chosen, the months ticked along and we almost forgot that she even had cancer. We'd drop her off at the vets for a day every 3 weeks. She'd have her drugs and settle down in her kennel, have some dinner there, and then I'd pick her up and off we'd go for another 3 weeks. She was such a well behaved dog, going to the vets was no stress at all for her. I'd hand over the lead and off she'd trot for her drugs and dinner. Richard said she was a pleasure to treat.
You think a year is a long time, but the days, weeks and months tick by quickly. Especially when you have a demanding little boy to take care of.
Amber didn't think much of George when we first brought him home. George suffered from silent reflux (essentially - acid reflux) and because of this he screamed... a lot! She'd hide under her chair and peep out, probably wondering why on earth we had brought this little banshee home to disrupt our lives.
Eventually, George grew out of his reflux, the crying lessened and then weaning began - and so did a beautiful friendship. Amber suddenly discovered that 'the Brat' (that's what her 'voice' called him) dropped an awful lot of food.
The start of a beautiful friendship
The love between Amber and George grew. She would come and sit in his playroom with me and try to pinch his toys while I wasn't looking. She'd let him climb all over her (I always permitted her an escape route from his rough little hands, but she never seemed to want to get away) and she'd keep trying to lick his nose if it was runny (I know - gross!). She'd sit and watch George play and join in with a gentle tug of war or bringing the ball back when he threw it. This was such a bitter sweet thing to watch, as I knew George would never remember Amber, but I hoped that Amber felt her life had been enriched by him.
Our two kids
George's canine walking frame
''Come here Brat and let me lick your nose clean''
Time went by too quickly. We never forgot that our time was limited with her, and loved her like each week was her last (well we never knew!). Eventually, as expected, the cancer returned. We found a new lump on her neck. This meant that the drugs needed to be changed as she had become resistant.
So we tried some different drugs. The first drugs had no ill effects but also, no effect on the cancer. We tried another drug, which made her feel quite ill and nauseous. We tried again, with worse effects. She was so poorly with the last chemotherapy treatment, that we decided, with heavy hearts, to call it a day. We stopped all treatment and let the cancer run it's course.
We decided that we were going to end it all at the first sign of discomfort. We wanted to have control of how and when she went, no emergency put to sleep because she'd gone down hill quickly, with her feeling terrible or in awful pain. I wanted her to die peacefully before that happened. To us the length of time she had wasn't important, only that she felt happy.
We walked together every day without fail, and we never missed an opportunity to fuss her and give her attention. The lumps grew every day, which was worrying, but I got into a routine of walking her each morning, and if she looked bright and happy and energetic, then I would say 'today she's ok' and not worry about her. Until the next day of course.
A selection of pictures taken during her final days...
We had 3 more wonderful and happy weeks. On the last weekend when I noticed the way she was moving looked a little strange, tucked up. She also started to sleep a lot, the sort of deep sleep that you usually only see in a truly exhausted dog. On the Sunday I looked at her and noticed how she was sitting, with her hanging down. We also noticed her shaking a little. She was still eating, happy to go on walks and interested in life but, we knew this was the beginning of the end. We wanted her life to end on a happy note so we agreed tomorrow, Monday 25th March 2013, 15 months after her diagnosis, was the day we were going to put her to sleep.
That morning Lee booked her appointment, 11.15am. We took her for a lovely walk through the woods. I made sure I took everything in. She ran around, sniffing smells and picking up sticks, eating the snow and jumping over puddles, looking back every now and again to check we were still coming. Once the walk ended she hopped into the boot of the car, and we drove to the vets. I could barely hold myself together but was determined not to break down and upset her.
We were shown into the vet's room, and Richard took Amber out of the room to put her cannula in (something she was well used to after all this time). I thought to myself 'this is taking a long time' and then she came trotting happily through the door back to us. Richard said it had taken a while because she had been running around the back, having a fuss from all the staff who had grown fond of her. We asked her to lie down on the mat, and always obedient she did just that. I nodded to Richard to go ahead, and stoked her silky ears the way she liked as she quickly and quietly passed away.
Its a strange thing, stroking a dog whilst it dies. I've done lots of anaesthesia's and it's not the same. When a dog is put under anaesthetic, they go limp in your arms but you can feel still the life in them. Their bodies still feel warm and supple. With euthanasia, you can, without doubt, feel the life disappear from their body. They almost turn to stone under your hand. The sparkle in their eyes just disappears all of a sudden. Like turning off a light.
Just like that she was gone.
We don't feel guilty though. In fact I think Amber's death went as well as anyone could ask for, she was surrounded by love and happiness and it was timed perfectly. We did what we wanted, and that was to keep her life wonderful right to the end. No pain and no suffering. That was our final gift to her.
The days after are hard. After all for seven years she's always been... there.
In her basket by the door, looking out of the window (for that goddamn squirrel), in the rear view mirror of the car (chin on the back seat, wondering where we're off to), in with the kennel dogs during exercise (usually hogging all the balls), at my feet in the kitchen watching the floor for crumbs. You miss the little things.
No I'm not driving - but felt like I needed to take a picture. I knew I'd miss this. and I do
Share? No way!
Of course we will do it all again. After all I can't have my little boy growing up without a dog. My Mum had some wise words for me. She said to me not to wait too long. She said you'll wait and wait for the pain to go and it just won't. You will always miss them. And when you do get another dog, eventually, (hopefully after a long time), they will die too, and then you will miss that dog just as much. I think Lee and I have got another 3 dogs in us yet. This means we'll have to go through all this pain 3 more times. It's no wonder some people say ''never again!''.
We're not one of those people though. She was worth it.
Now, this may seem rather a boring topic, but if you are at all unclear about vaccinations and wish to kennel your dog any time soon then I'd urge you to read on.
It doesn't happen often but there has been times where we have to turn dogs away because their vaccinations are not up to date. We're not being awkward we promise - It's a legal requirement and the most important part of our licence conditions, not to mention a requirement of our insurance. We simply cannot take un-vaccinated dogs.
The poor owner will have their holiday all planned and arranged, and all of a sudden they will have to beg a friend or relative to take care of the dog, and they can't just go to another kennels either. In the UK all boarding kennels can only board vaccinated dogs - any kennels who takes in an unvaccinated dog is breaking their Kennel Licence conditions, not to mention putting the health of the dog and their other boarders at risk.
As part of our Boarding Kennel Licence conditions it is a requirement that all dogs staying here are vaccinated against Canine Distemper, Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Leptospirosis and Canine Parvovirus and other relevant diseases. These are covered by the normal vaccination injections your vet usually recommends.
Most dogs are vaccinated as puppies. The primary vaccination consists of 2 injections given 2 weeks apart. The dog is then covered for a year (starting from the 2nd vaccination) and will simply need a booster injection once a year to keep up the protection.
It is important that, when kenneling your dog, these vaccinations do not overrun whilst the dog is in kennels. For example, if your dog was last vaccinated on the 1st May 2014, and you have a stay booked from 30th April to 2nd May 2015, this means the dog must be taken for the booster vaccinations before they come in for boarding. In reality, your vet would not consider the dog to have truly 'missed' their vaccinations for up to a couple of weeks after the date, but with regards to boarding kennels, our records must show all dogs to be vaccinated, so even a day overrun is not acceptable.
If your dog has missed a booster vaccination (ie they were due in May and you didn't remember until July) they will need to start from the beginning again with the primary vaccination and they won't be able to stay in kennels until they have had the 2nd vaccination of the set. This means it will be a couple of weeks before they can board, so don't leave it until last minute before checking!
At Woodland View Kennels we also require all dogs to be vaccinated for Kennel Cough (I personally dislike the name 'kennel cough'. The truth is, your dog can catch kennel cough from anywhere, training classes, doggie daycare, or the local park). Now, be careful, because some owners presume kennel cough is covered in the normal vaccines mentioned above - it isn't! It is something you have to ask your vet to do in addition to their yearly booster vaccines.
The kennel cough vaccine is given via a little squirt up the nostril. It covers them for a year and so we always recommend doing both the normal vaccines and the kennel cough together at the same time. Not only do you only have to remember one date when you do this, but often vets give a discount for both done together.
When your dog has been vaccinated, your vet should give you a small record booklet. In which he/she will record the type of vaccine given, and the date it was given. When your dog comes to kennels we will ask to see this card as proof that your dog is up to date with their vaccines, and we will photocopy it for our records. Make sure your vet remembers to update the card with every vaccination given.
If you ever lose your vaccine card, don't panic! Your vet will have all your dog's medical history saved on their computer system and will be able to check on there that they are up to date, and can give you a new card and sign it confirming the date they were vaccinated last.
I hope that this has covered the basics of what can be a confusing subject. Please ring us or your own vet if you have any other questions about vaccinations.
It occured to me that if I wanted to take my dog to a kennels, one of the most important things that I would like to know is 'who will be looking after my dog?'. After all you wouldn't leave your child with a person you didn't know anything about. So, I thought I'd write a little about the Woodland View Kennel team so you can get to know us a little better!
Lee
Lee used to work as a Chemistry teacher before taking on Woodland View Kennels. The plan when he and Zoe moved to the kennels was for Lee to continue teaching whilst Zoe ran the kennels, however, he decided to get out of his stressful teaching career and that they would both run the kennels as a husband and wife team. Although it is Zoe who has the qualifications, Lee has a natural talent for working with dogs and can often bring the best out of any dogs with behavioural issues (nervousness etc).
Zoe
Zoe is the Manager here at Woodland View Kennel. She has a BSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and has worked with animals all her life, including horses, working as a veterinary nurse, and running her own dog walking and pet sitting business.
Having never run a kennels before, Zoe and Lee run the kennels from a dog owner's point of view, by thinking 'what would we want from a kennels?', hense the luxury accomodation, friendly and personal sevice, and by most of all, making sure the dogs are not only clean and well fed, but that they have had plenty of exercise, mental stimulation and affection.
Pete
Pete joined our team earlier this year in order to supervise the daycare for us. He is very experienced with dogs and is a keen Gundog Trainer, and trains and competes his dogs in trials. His experience in dog handling means he is a fab additon to the team and very capable when it comes to supervising the group play and assessing temperaments when dogs start the Doggie daycare.
Work Experience Students
We also have regular Work Experience students come and help us out at the kennels. This is nice because it is helping young people in our local community, and also it is an extra person to play with the dogs and give them attention. We always monitor work experience students very closely to ensure that they and the dogs they work with are safe.
Well the day is nearly upon us. As usual the building took much longer than planned to build, but at last we have an opening day - 10th September!
Here are some pictures for you:
All shiny and new...
The 'chillaxing' area...
Fun and games!...
Some Information for you (may be subject to change)
Charges - £15.00 per day (discounts available for full weeks and additional dogs coming together).
Opening hours - 7.30am - 6.30pm
Male dogs must be neutered, and we'd prefer female dogs to be spayed (they must stay at home during their seasons).
The daycare will be supervised at all times to ensure that dogs are safe and enjoying themselves.
All dogs must undergo a 'temperament assessment' which will take place on their first day with us. This is to ensure that they are of a suitable temperament for daycare (share toys nicely, able to get on with a variety of breeds and characters etc).
We're fully insured for your peace of mind.
All dogs must be fully vaccinated and also have their kennel cough vaccine (please be aware that this is separate from their yearly boosters, please check with your vet).
Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below!
