Kennels

[StellaGirl]

joey i know how you feel i had to leave my little girl when i went camping w/ the family and my vizsla i was soo upset the whole weekend i could not enjoy it at all so if you find help let me know please
thank you shannon

[Quercus]

I don't have much to add to this thread. But I can tell you that we board all five of ours when we travel (talk about expensive…yikes!) I love the kennel we go to, it isn't fancy, but the woman understands dogs, and seems to be very careful. I wanted a place that had indoor/outdoor runs, so that the dogs can eliminate outside, and watch the world go by whenever they want (at least during the warm months). The kennel is on this woman's farm, so there are always lots of interesting animals to watch.

She always says our dogs love it while they were there...well, my guess is they tolerate it well...but they certainly aren't loving it when I load them up, and they have figure out where they are going...and they are more than happy to rush to the van and spring into their crates to go home when we come back.

I am really glad they have each other when we board them. I would be more hesitant to board one alone. I really prefer to have a house sitter stay with single dogs in particular, but sometimes that just doesn't work out.

Either way...dogs are pretty resiliant...especially basenjis...I think we worry more about them when we vacation than they do about us

[JoeyQ]

I have not started visits to boarding facilities, but that is on the list for the new year. I don't want to get "stuck" so will do my homework in advance. I really can't consider someone to come into the home as Joey is not trusted in the home out of his crate. So far I have been able to board Joey with the breeder. It is like going to camp. He smothers the breeder in kisses and forgets all about me. (I am rationalizing that it is because I have had him only 3 months and he was with the breeder 10 months of his life…gotta preserve some dignity for myself :D). I'll have to go to counseling if Joey continues this behavior once I have him longer than the breeder did :D! Anyway, I will report any interesting tidbits I discover on my trek.
Andrea, please send me a private mail msg regarding the place that you board. I am not that far away from you and actually had to board a dog at a kennel in Ada (info about this in another thread). Thanks

[Tayda_Lenny]

Hi Joey, I actually live in Ann Arbor as well and recently had to board my two basenjis. I was almost sick over it, as I have always been able to leave them with their breeder who lives in Howell. But she was having puppies while I was gone so she was not available this time. anyway, I seriously think I contacted/visited about 20 kennels in SE michigan and the only ones that I woudl even consider were: Hallidays Pet Resort (Plymouth), Tall Oaks Kennel (Whitmore Lake) and Borderhauss Kennels (Pickney). Hallidays and Tall Oaks both had clean facilities, indoor only runs (not indoor/outdoor) - I wanted an indoor only run so that it wasn't so cold for them with the door going to the outside opening and closing all the time. They would be taken out (supervised) several times a day and the indoor part was kept around 72 degrees. Tall Oaks actually has really large indoor runs for the dogs… probably 5 feet by 20 feet or so. Those were my two favorite kennels. The only downside to them was that they all had probably 100+ capacity. I was worried about kennel cough as well as the amount of noise that 100 dogs generate. Especially considering how quite basenjis are (most of the time).

But my true recommendation and the place I ended up taking my dogs was Borderhauss Kennels in Pinckney. A bit of a drive from AA but totally worth it. It is a lady that runs a kennel out of her house. She only boards 5 dogs max at a time and they can either live with her and her dogs like one of the family, or in her basement there are two huge fenced off areas, probably 10 x 10 where they can stay. She is a breeder/trainer of border collies and is very dog saavy. She has a large fenced in yard where they can go to play and run around - and her prices are the most reasonable of anywhere I found. www.borderhauss.com. Good Luck!

[JoeyQ]

Wow! Thanks for the info!!! Did you happen to check out Arbor Hills south of Chelsea? Someone recommended this one to me, but I have not been there yet. Pickney is worth the drive for me if it is a great kennel!! How did your Bs do there? Did you have to have the Bordatella shot for them to stay? Also what vet do you use? I think it would be nice to have one that is B sauvy! Hey…tell us about your Bs!!! Joey is 14 months, red and white and our first dog (yeah, don't snicker :D) I had cats for many years so actually connected with him sooner than my husband did. Some of our kids still don't understand that he is just not the kind to have you "in his face". Thanks again for the info!!

[Tayda_Lenny]

Hey Joey,

I know that Arbor Hills has a pretty small facility, I think around 20-25 runs, and it does have a good reputation. I started to avoid the places that had indoor/outdoor runs becuase of the coldness issue at this time of year. But to be honest, I don't remember exactly why I ruled it out - possibly price. Boarding 2 dogs for 10 days (the duration of my recent boarding) starts to get pretty pricey and I think Ann Arbor had higher prices in general than other places I checked. They both did well at Borderhauss. I had them there for 10 days and I think they were fine. Laura said that Lenny (puppy) got a bit restless and would run toward the wall and jump off of it, which sounds hilarious to me and doesn't suprise me one bit, but I liked that they had such a large area to stay in. It was probably 10 x 10 or so… which is waaay bigger than any of the other places I went to see and it was inside her house in the basement. they also had plenty of time supervised out in her yard. Overall, i think it was best choice for them and me.

I believe they did need the bordatella shot to stay. They both have had it, so i didn't look for it specifically on the requirement list, but it seems to be standard at a lot of kennels. Even though, there are so many strains of kennel cough out there that vaccinating for one doesn't preclude them from getting one of the many others, but I guess its better than nothing.

The vet I use is Washtenaw Veterinary Hospital which recently moved to Packard just near the Eisenhower split. They have been pretty good so far, and last time I was there I asked them if they had any other basenjis and they said mine were their first. What vet do you use? Do you ever go to the Saline Dog Park? Did you know they were supossed to be opening a dog park at Platt and Eisenhower? Not sure if it is open yet.

So all is well with Joey as a first dog? Tayda was my first dog... I think I was lucky... she is so calm. Lenny is a true handful. But they're great. They definitely interact with people on their own terms, huh?

[JoeyQ]

Hi T/L!
Thanks for all the info!! Yes, so far Joey has been great and I think he is a B that is calmer than the average. (I had a weim for three months and whoosh, way different! I guess I don't really count our weim as a first dog since we didn't have him very long.) He still chews things up, but I categorize that as typical B instinct.
No, I haven't been to any dog park for that matter. I would like to go since we do not have a fenced yard and the exercise he gets is always on leash. (I run with him.) What do you have to do to go to the Saline Park? Don't know anything about the other one openning. It would be fun to see Joey rip around other than up and over the sofa!!
Do you take Lenny to the park too? How old is he again? (Funny, I named a cat, Lenny. Leonard when we were formal.:D He was really like a human. Slept stretched out with his head on our pillow.)
I am taking Joey to the vet next week at Village Animal Clinic in Dexter. I took my weim there and know lots of people who love the place. I will ask if they have other Bs there. My breeder takes his Bs to Brighton.

[Tayda_Lenny]

Nothing special is required to bring the dogs to the dog park in Saline. It is fun to watch them run…. I haven't been in a while because of the cold/wet weather, but when it gets nicer I'll probably start heading out there on weekends. I actually met a lady off Craigslist who lives who wanted to have a little "dog play time" in her backyard becuase her dog is scared of the car so she couldn't take her to the dog park. She's about a mile from me that has a fenced in yard and I bring the Tayda and Lenny there pretty often to run around and play with her dog. I really need to get a house with a yard.

Lenny just turned 1 year old on New Years Eve! Plenty of puppy energy!

[tlbuddy]

Something else I thought of. You might want to ask if someone is actually at the facilty 24 hours. About a week ago I wanted to have Cali groomed while I went out of town overnight. I let her stay at our vets office overnight because they also have a boarding facility. I asked every question that I could think of and I was so stupid for assuming that someone would be there overnight:eek: When I picked her up the next day I asked one of the employees if Cali gave them a hard time. She told me that they had problems getting Cali to go in the kennel, but other than that she did fine. I also asked her how many people are there at night with the dogs. (Why didnt I ask this before I left my baby!) She said that once they close at 6pm that no one is there with the dogs until they reopen at 8am the next morning. They are closed on Sundays, but someone comes to let the dogs out:mad: I was horrified:eek: and upset with myself for not checking this. I have only had to board her 1 other time and that was at a pet resort and someone was there 24 hours. I was so upset with myself that I started crying because Cali and the other dogs were there by themselves all of that time. To make a long story short she will not be going back there and I will definitely make sure that a place has staff there with the dogs overnight. Some of my friends also said that they assumed that someone was with their dogs whenever they are boarded overnight at kennels. I would never leave Cali alone for that length of time. I am wondering if they really took her outside 4-5 times a day. Sorry for the long post, but I am still a little upset over this.

[Vanessa]

Oah My Gosh!!!! I can't believe they just leave! I would be so upset if I heard that. Thanks for telling your story. I WILL ask that from now on and tell others too! Thanks.

[JoeyQ]

When I had to take a friend's dog to a kennel (long story), the dog's vet told me that there was no one there at night and that they stay in a crate except for 3x out to do "business". I think this may be very common at a vet's office. I am not sure that boarding is their top priority and think many people use it only for short notice/emergency situations. So, I guess finding a good kennel before you need to use it is the way to go.

[tlbuddy]

I agree about researching places in advance. My vets office is also a boarding facility and grooming facility. They also have a pet store where you can by supplies, toys etc for your dog. It is one of those places where they do it all. Cali has been getting groomed at the vets office and normally I drop her off and pick her up a few hours later. I was amazed at the number of people that they say board their pets there when they go on vacation. In the future I only plan to take her to the vets office when she has an appt. for a checkup or is sick. I will fjnd some place else to take her for grooming and the pet resort for boarding. I have definitely learned my lesson.

[Terry]

I'm a big fan of in-house pet sitters. We have someone who can stay overnight in the house, so we get house sitting as well. At present time we have 7 Basenjis, so boarding at a kennel gets really pricey, plus one special needs dog with Fanconi. We usually take 2 or 3 dogs with us if we're going to a show, but last year we left all the furkids home with their pet sitter for a month when we went to visit our new grandson. That way they get to keep a semblance of their usual routine, and they still get to sleep in our room even if we're not in it. We're fortunate to live where we don't have to worry about snow or really cold weather, and they're all used to being outside during the day when we're at work. We have a big yard so they can run.

Terry

[JoeyQ]

Your situation sounds like the exception to the rule. I can see with 7 Bs, that an inhouse person would be the way to go. Wow! One month! I bet you missed your Bs a lot! Hope your vaca was fantastic!

[jys1011]

Terry-WOW 7 BASENJIS!!! :eek: I hope you live in a mansion or a jungle
I'll have to look into the house sitting situation. Its been very hard finding an acceptable boarding place. I've found one that is 4 hours away!

[kippy_whip]

most kennals will give you a contact number and you should be able to "inspect" the kennal before you book

i would make sure the exorsize facilities are good and te kennals are not too cramped

[wizard]

I went to Europe recently and had to board EL D. When I first started making plans for the trip, I also started looking into boarding facilities (thanks for all the good suggestions given in this forum BTW). At first I thought a vet would be a good choice in case something happened, but when I saw that rarely do they have anyone living there after hours and only small amounts of time for outside activity, I had second thoughts. I visited several boarding facilities - some provided extra large kennels, some lots of outdoor times, some had fire suppression and alarms (not all!) but rarely did they have exerience with basenjis. "Oh no dog has ever jumped our 4 foot fences"; "Oh we let the dogs all play together and never have any problems". I thought maybe I was just overly paranoid. In the end I talked to my breeder to see if she had suggestions for boarding and found out that she will board dogs if she bred them. Talk about not having any worries while away - maybe other breeders do the same.

[Robin_n_Jack]

I have actually used Pet Smart PetsHotel a few times, and find it gives me a lot of peace of mind. Here is my theory: Because it is a large chain, they are held to a higher standard to keep up with the rest of the stores. All of them are exactly the same, and many of them actually have a vet office in the store. That is not to say that there is anything wrong with independant kennels, in fact I am sure that many of them are a lot better, I just feel better with Jack at the PetHotel.

The staff got to know my dog and watched him to see which dogs he got a long with best during playtimes. Then they would let him out with those dogs. Once, when I left him there, There was apparently a husky who was there for the first time and was really scared, but he really latched on to Jack and the got a long really well, so they let him and the husky stay in a playroom together practically all day (supervised).

I used them in Pittsburgh quite a few times, and Jack loved it there. However, the closest one to Boston is in Framingham (yuck!- too far!) so I will be looking for a new place soon- Jessi76 what place do you use?

[renaultf1]

@wizard:

In the end I talked to my breeder to see if she had suggestions for boarding and found out that she will board dogs if she bred them. Talk about not having any worries while away - maybe other breeders do the same.

Yup, same here. When I went to the BVI for 2 weeks this month, my breeder took care of both my dogs. Certainly a relief!

[wrx227wrc]

Hey Joey I don't know if you have found a place but we have a great lady just north of GR. Her name is Sam and her kennel's name is Hyer Luv. Her facilities are not basenji perfect only being that he fences are not super high, so if you have a climber or jumper it may not be the best place. For us it works perfectly because Piggy doesn't do either of those especially when she has other dogs to play with.

She is basenji experienced with others than Piggy. Piggy has spent a significant amount of time with her (about 3 weeks in the last 8 months or so). She loves Piggy to death and even lets Pig sleep in the bed with her when she is there. She is also very reasonable price-wise at $15 per night. For long periods it may be worth your drive over here. Other places I contacted and went for an interview were $30 and over and took in far more dogs than I could ever imagine them being able to adequately care for.

She was very thorough with the interview…we were there for over an hour the first time. She asked us to provide a detailed description of a typical day in our life so that she can keep her on schedule. She is very particular about making sure the temperaments of dogs that play together is appropriate. She also gives you a great deal of feedback when you pick them up and I really think she keeps our training up for us. Piggy comes home and is exhausted for days so I know she has gotten plenty of exercise. She also loves to go to Sam's and runs to the door when we ask, "wanna go to Sam's?" Sam and Fred go above and beyond and have even helped us out in a pinch many times and with advice for training and other dog-related issues. Once we had to take Piggy there with an injured foot from a dogpark incident and Sam and Fred took care of her injury impressively well.

She is well respected as a responsible ****er spaniel breeder and I do not feel that it interferes with her ability to care for our dog in any way. She is very strict about only having as many dogs as she is able to provide enough love and time for. I have run into other owners who have boarded with her and they seem to be equally as passionate about the care that she provides their furfriends too.

You can visit her website at: http://www.hyerluv.com/hyer/kennel.html

Other B owners I know have used camp bow wow and really liked it. I do like their facility but don't know much about the overnight care there. I know that there are some over your way. Over here it runs about $38 per night.

Best of luck!