How can I go about finding a place to keep my dogs?

Have you asked at your vet’s if they know anyone? They or your groomer would be the best ones to ask.

This place looks pretty promising. I did a google search on “personal dog care + washington, DC” and a few forums popped up, as well. They might be able to offer some suggestions.

I dogsit and board in my home all the time. I don’t advertise at all – I usually get calls from people that are referred from my other customers. I did though send my business cards to vets and shelters. I would ask your vet – they checked up on me to make sure I was okay before putting my card out. Plus, they would know who to stay away from as well.

Here is my take, your dogs are very safe and secure in a well kept kennel. If it smells it is not well kept. I had a kennel for 15 years and the only time it would smell might be first thing in the morning before it was cleaned and that was only if I had some hog dogs in. And believe me there are some dogs who are hogs just as there are some people.

In a well run kennel, you have no worries about someone opening a door and the dog darts out. You have no worries whether the carer will show up at your home the prescribed times.
The kennel owner has probably faced all possible types of crises in the past and knows how to handle them. They will recognize when a dog needs a vet.

I would check out all the kennels before you make a decision that all kennels are smelly and not adequate.

@rooeytoo Beat me to it. I visited six kennels in a 50 mile radius of my home, and found two that were outstanding. Your vet might know someone who does pet sitting. At my vet, two of the part-time workers are available.

Personally, I’m not into kennels. My dogs (all 5) of them, aren’t used to being kept in a crate all day – and would probably go crazy.

@hrcmatt The best kennels have a long yard with a shelter at one end, and open space at the other, so the dog can run free in his area. None of the good ones stick your dog in a cage. Many of them even have doggy cams (extra fee) you can look in on your dog any time you want. Several I visited also had group runs, to accommodate several dogs in one family.

@hrcmatt – I would never take my dog to a kennel where they are kept in cages. That is why I would not board my dog at a vets office, most of them keep the boarders in with the sick dogs in cages.

A good kennel has indoor/outdoor runs, that have tops inside and out so the dogs cannot escape or get in with the dog next door. And it should have security fencing all around the entire dog holding area. And the best indicator is your nose, it should smell clean.

I don’t like pet sitters who stop in once or twice a day. I don’t want strangers in my house and I have known sitters who overextended themselves and there weren’t enough hours in the day for them to visit all the dogs on their list.

The best is to find a retired couple and have them move into your house. That is what we usually do with the 2 older dogs. The young one is too much of a handful for most, we either take her with us or put her in a resort kennel.

@rooeytoo I agree with “strangers”, but a recommended person from your vet, especially an employee you know, is a great idea.

@YARNLADY – as I said I don’t like the idea. If a person has 20 homes to visit and on a good weekend that does not seem excessive and they spend 1 hour at each residence that means they only get 4 hours sleep. And the dog is not going to get 1 hour of attention because the sitter has to travel from home to home.

So if you are going to use one, I would ask them how many they book at any given time. Find out how much time they spend with each animal, then see if the hours add up.

I also worry about the dog getting past them when they open the door. I have seen a lot of people working at vets who don’t have a clue about handling dogs. Working at a vets does not make them either honest or expert at handling dogs. What is their procedure if a pet does escape. There are a lot of questions to ask.

But if you feel secure that is your business, I just wouldn’t recommend it based on my observations and experience.

@rooeytoo I am more intimately acquainted with the workers at my veterinarian, because my grandson used to work there, and is dating one of them.