Tips for choosing a boarding kennel for your dog

You’re excited, it’s only weeks away until your family is going on holiday! If you can’t take Fido with you this time, the options are finding a good pet sitter or a dog boarding kennel. Not all dog boarding kennels are equal. So, how do you know what’s a good one? Fortunately, Louise Newman, the founder of Let’s Go Fido, a dog training business in Sydney knows all about dogs and boarding kennels. Louise shares her top tips for choosing a boarding kennel for your dog.

Listen now to the Pets4Life podcast or download the transcription for great advice about choosing a boarding kennel for your dog. You’ll have peace of mind knowing your pooch will be happy and well looked-after in a good kennel while your family is soaking up the sea and sun.

Louise’s key points from tips for choosing a boarding kennel for your dog podcast

• Puppies under six months old and dogs over 10 years old may be better suited to having a dog sitter.
• Visit the facility in person or ask the manager of the boarding kennel to give you a tour using Facetime
• 

  Louise Newman with Hobbs, Rosie and Harry

  Listen for the noise level! There will be some barking but a high level of constant barking is not a good sign

• Steer clear of boarding kennels that ‘double stack’, that is; double up with two unfamiliar dogs in one kennel in the busy periods.
• I recommend not to take up the option of training at the boarding kennel particularly if the trainers are not qualified in positive reinforcement methods
• In summer, look for a dog board kennel that has a water park/features
• The kennel runs should not be facing each other, they should face out towards a yard.
• Good kennels will have a low handler to dog ratio such as one person to four dogs
• Ask about enrichment (toys for mental stimulation) for your kennel when they are on their own in their kennel.

More about Louise Newman

Louise is the Founder of Let’s Go Fido, a dog training business in Sydney. Louise is a qualified professional trainer with a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services as a Delta-accredited instructor and a Pet Dog Ambassador Instructor and Assessor. Louise has many years of experience in training pet dogs large and small.