Holiday home booked - but who would care for my dog?
We had arranged a short break away before we got Bentley, our little Maltese/Poodle-cross. At just 4 months old, who would look after him? A puppy is very demanding so I didn’t really want to put the responsibility onto a friend or relative. The only answer would be finding a decent kennel so I started reviewing local ones.
When I arrived with Bentley, I wanted to be greeted by a friendly person who was willing to show me around there and then. I wanted to see the kennels in their true state. I needed to see what kind of people would be looking after him, to see someone who loved animals and would look after my dog as if it was their own.
The last thing I wanted for him was to spend his ‘holiday’ in a grubby, dirty place where the floor was constantly wet or soiled, so cleanliness was extremely important. Would he have an individual enclosure or would he be with other dogs? Would he have exercise? Did they give him play time or walk him?
Before long, I found what I was looking for. A very friendly, older lady came to the door announcing herself as the owner and said she ran the kennels with her son. She was very willing to show me around and gave Bentley lots of strokes and cuddles - exactly what I wanted to see. Although the building was much older than some I saw, it was extremely clean, didn’t smell and the dogs seemed happy. She said hello to each one as she passed. Exercise for him would be very important and she told me they walked each dog twice a day, on their own land, so he would be safely away from traffic and noise.
I collected him yesterday - and he was really happy to see me. They told me he cried when I left him but soon quietened down. They were honest and told me he didn’t eat a great deal, but did eat enough which was reassuring to hear. All in all, it was a lovely holiday for us - and a happy holiday ‘home swap’ for Bentley.
Tags: dog, holiday home swap, kennels, pets