Kenneling

We strongly do NOT believe in kenneling as a way of life for pet, companion, and service dogs. (We are talking about kenneling, not crate training. We believe crate training is a critical skill for all dogs to have, but that's another post.)

Kenneling does, however, have its place.

Life happens. Accidents happen. There’s a four-letter-word that happens. Kenneling may be needed during one of those happenings.

While you may never want to have your dog kenneled, we consider it a necessary life skill because of the sheer unpredictability of life.

And if your dog ever needs to be confined at the vet, isn’t it better to help him have the experience and understand and be comfortable with confinement when life is good, rather than when he’s stressed and uncomfortable?

So do your dog and yourself a favor and reduce the stress of unexpected life events and prepare yourself and your dog for kenneling if it’s ever needed.

You will want to do this at least once, and preferably three times, between the ages of 5 and 9 months, after she has had her puppy shots but before she reaches maturity.

Find a good boarding kennel, one certified by the American Boarding Kennel Association (ABKA) and one that provides add-on services. In particular, look for one that provides extra play time and daytime doggie daycare and give your dog a vacation at a kennel. Some facilities even have puppy cams so you can watch the daily play sessions. You may be surprised at how much fun your dog will have.