Social contact:

Top of the list and often in short supply due to its fulfilment being labour intensive, is social contact.

Dogs have inherited social tendencies from their ancestors and this has been accentuated in those dogs bred to work closely with man or to be a companion.

Since most dogs retained in boarding kennels come from a pet home, lack of adequate social contact can be top of the list of stressors.

A cost-effective way to combat this is to employ staff that like dogs and who will maintain a cheerful, relaxed attitude, talking and making a fuss of them during routine cleaning and maintenance activities.

In addition, giving staff extra time to spend several minutes per day with each dog playing, grooming, stroking them and giving treats for compliance with requests will result in higher staffing ratios, but also in happier, more contented dogs, a benefit that can be marketed to the customer.

Well-managed staff who like dogs and who have a friendly, efficient approach can substantially reduce tension in the kennel and are probably the most important factor in reducing stress levels.

Investing in staff and ensuring they are happy in their work will bring considerable improvements for the dogs in their care.

Avoiding sudden changes

Where possible, changes to routine should be kept to a minimum to avoid stress, particularly with vulnerable dogs (e.g. puppies, elderly dogs, disabled dogs, dogs on medication, or fearful dogs).

This particularly applies to feeding routines.

Owners can be asked to bring in food at least for a few days supply (so the change over to kennel food can be made gradually), or they can be asked to supply food for the complete duration of their stay if (preferred), thereby reducing the potential upset tummies.

While providing for individual needs does increase the organisation needed, it has considerable benefits for the dogs for a little extra effort.

Control over environment and reduction of environmental stimuli

Kennel Design

Thoughtful kennel design allows dogs to make choices about where they want to be at any given moment.

The provision of a separate sleeping area from the run gives flexibility for the dog, and a larger kennel will allow more choice of places to rest, play or explore.

Further areas can created without increasing the size of the kennel by providing carefully positioned low shelves for the dog to rest on. This shelving allows the dog to look over adjoining areas, providing interest and variety of outlook.

Kennel noise and disturbance can be reduced by keeping numbers low in each block (if possible, or when rebuilding).

Music

Playing relaxing classical or new age music has been shown to further relax dogs in a kennel. However, this must NOT be left on all the time or it just becomes 'white noise' and meaningless.

Temperature & Ventilation

To avoid discomfort and further stress, temperature and ventilation levels should be adequate for comfort of dogs used to a home environment.

Comfort items from home

The provision of bedding, preferably the animals own, together with toys and chews (preferably those left by the owner) can help dogs to relax.

Owners should be encouraged to bring items, but told that they may not be returned in good condition since the dog is likely to chew and destroy them while they are away.

Toys and bedding from home will be familiar and will smell of home, helping the dog to settle more quickly.

Strangers

Staff should be aware of the concerns some dogs have over the presence of, and being handled by, strangers. Taking the time to make friends with the dog will help when routine handling is required.

Staff should be well trained in dog behaviour to help them to read their body language and be sensitive to their needs.

Other Dogs

Staff need to be aware of the stress caused to some dogs by the presence of other dogs

Careful placement of the dogs in kennels can help to balance the needs of shy or fearful dogs by avoiding placing them next to aggressive or overpowering dogs, particularly if kennels have wire rather than solid partitions between the runs.

Staff also need to be sensitive to a dog’s concerns about other dogs when moving them around the kennels, taking care to avoid aggressive or noisy dogs if possible.

Placing ‘difficult’ dogs at the end of a block to avoid having to take all the other dogs past each day can really help to reduce stress levels.

Smell

Spray DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) in the corners of the kennel, or use a DAP plug-in for bigger areas (e.g. reception, internal corridors) if appropriate. This will help comfort and settle the dog immediately.

Disinfectant

To a dog’s sensitive nose, disinfectant is a powerful smell.

Making sure the kennels are well rinsed (or quietly steam-cleaned) after being disinfected can help to reduce or eliminate the residual smell.

Having a bucket and shovel for each kennel occupant can help reduce the spread of disease and make it unnecessary to completely disinfect each kennel every day. The ideal solution is where dogs get walked and exercised regularly so that toileting is done outside.

This helps to save time & disinfectant and also improves life for the dog kept in the kennels, as well as helping to keep the kennel dry.

Enriching the stay of kennelled dogs

The following are suggested as ideas for providing dogs with interest during their stay. Although they may require extra staff time, customers may appreciate and be prepared to pay for the extra care their dog receives.

• Social contact with staff in the form of stroking, grooming, treats for compliance with requests

• Daily walks and/or the chance to run free in a large area

• Play with toys with staff

• Toys left in the run for dogs to play with. Toys need to be strong, large enough not to be easily swallowed and be able to withstand being disinfected before being passed on to another dog

• Toys that can be filled with the dog’s dinner or with treats, such as kongs or activity balls, can help to relieve the boredom of confinement. These can be washed and disinfected after use

• Chews – rawhide or other chews can be given during the day while staff are there to supervise

• Provide interest in the run by hanging old tyres and encouraging them to play with them by hiding treats inside

• Provide interest and relief from heat stress in summer by placing hard plastic children’s paddling pools in the run and adding a few inches of water

• Float treats or pieces of vegetable or fruit on the water in the dog’s water bowl

• Add interest to the view by placing a bird feeder nearby, but at a safe distance so that birds cannot be caught

• If the kennel walls are solid, arrange strategically placed peepholes so that dogs can see what is going on

Veterinary care

Due to the increased stress levels associated with life in kennels, it is not surprising that dogs are more likely to develop illness while at the kennels.

If the dog has existing conditions that the owner has not left details of, or has history of certain problems, these may not be taken into account unless the dog’s usual vet is called during illness.

This lack of continuity of veterinary care can compromise the dog’s health and so it is recommended that the veterinary surgeon that the owners regularly use is called if the dog develops a health problem during their stay.

Special care for vulnerable dogs

Special care is needed for vulnerable dogs, such as puppies, elderly dogs, disabled dogs, dogs on medication, nervous/ fearful dogs, or dogs with a high activity level.

All such dogs will need special care and will require extra time to ensure that all their needs are meet.

Pairs of dogs

While it is comforting for many dogs to be kennelled with a familiar dog, it is important to watch for signs that all may not be right.

Staff will need to be able to notice antagonistic body language and displays and may need to separate them to prevent fighting and injury. This becomes particularly important when dogs that differ in size are kept together.

Socialising and mixing dogs

Mixing dogs from different households is not recommended unless with permission from the owner and if there is a member of staff with enough knowledge and time to supervise them well.

For some dogs, play time with other dogs is a great stress reliever and also a good energy release, but care needs to be taken and expert supervision is required.

ALWAYS Visit First

Make an appointment to view the kennels rather than just turning up so that it is convenient for the kennel owner and fair to the dogs already staying - and they will have time to answer your questions.

• Be sure to view well in advance of when you need the kennels. Good ones get booked up early, especially during busy holiday periods.

Assess the Staff

Above all else, choose a place where the staff are interested in and like animals! Dogs are social animals and fare best with kind, empathetic and professional staff to care for them.

• If the choice is between kennels with miserable, difficult staff and a kennels with friendly staff that really care, choose the latter.
  
  
• Find a kennels where staff are friendly, polite and interact easily with dogs and the customers.
  
  Surly, ill-at-ease staff are likely to be poisonous with the dogs in their care and such establishments are best avoided.
  
  
• Choose a place where there is sufficient staff to give individual care.
  
  
• If the kennels claim to walk all dogs, ask for how long and then do the sums to see if there are enough staff to make this possible. Staff are expensive, especially if they are well trained and good quality, so expect to pay more for a better service.

Assess the Accommodation

The kennels should be clean, tidy and welcoming.

• The housing for the dogs should be at the correct temperature, and dry.
  
  
• There should be no smell, and proper food storage facilities should be available.
  
  
• Check the dogs to see if they look happy and settled. There will be initial barking as you walk in, but this should settle quickly in a well run kennels as stress levelss will be low.