**Looking for good dog kennels - Swords/North Co Dublin areas**

Yellow1

Hi All,

I'm just wondering if anyone can recommend a good dog kennels in North Co Dublin (preferably Swords area or near the Airport)?

We need somewhere for our 10 month old Jack Russell pup when we go on holiday in 4 weeks. We've provisionally booked him into Lissenhall Vets for boarding but have heard mixed reviews about this place (eg: they don't walk the dogs). As he's a JRT he would go insane without a daily walk

Thanks

kincly

Best kennels - garristown. Would highly recommend.

DBB

I know a girl who does home boarding in Swords, she only takes in one or two dogs at a time and has plenty of experience, for a price roughly equal to kennels. I can pm you her details if you like?
There's also Beabeg home boarding on the Dublin side of Drogheda if you're prepared to travel a half hour further up the road, they're excellent as many here will testify.
The kennels at Lissenhall would not be to my taste at all. I'm sure the dogs are well cared-for but as the outdoor kennel runs are all wire mesh and in a long line, dogs have full visual access to dozens of other barking, stressed-out dogs. I found the place to be noisy and rather stressful as a result. I've never used them, but I have been in the kennels on business.
I don't know whether it's true that they don't walk the dogs, but I can say with absolute certainty that I would not, ever leave a dog in a place that has a policy of not walking them.

Yellow1

Hi DBB, that would be great if you could PM that girls details. I'll also check out Beabeg.

I just rang Lissenhall to ask them directly if they walk the dogs. Their answer was they don't bring them on "lead" walks but the dogs are let out to run around every day.

cocker5

Personally I would try and go for home kennelling, the minder keeps your dog with her (or him) in their home, i.e. dog is treated as part of the family.

I used to use Fircroft kennels in Rathangan in Kildare years ago (and for above 2 years in total), my guy was never happy down there relentless barking, stuck in small pokey kennels.

Whereas he loves his minder in the home stay kennels, he potters around her house (with her dogs) and has a ball, far better than being stuck confined each day.
You will pay a little more I pay €20 per day (plus I supply all his owner food / treats) but it’s worth it for peace of mind etc. I use a lady in south Dublin so no use to you….

Best of luck

tk123

DBB wrote: »

There's also Beabeg home boarding on the Dublin side of Drogheda if you're prepared to travel a half hour further up the road, they're excellent as many here will testify.
.

My 2 were there over the weekend and had a great time!

Yellow1

Thanks guys. My pup is not fully house trained yet so I'm not sure if home kennelling would be an option for us. I doubt they'd accept a dog unless it was house trained. I really don't want to leave him somewhere where he'll be stressed and upset for the whole week though
I'll have a look into beabeg, I don't mind travelling a bit further for piece of mind.

martinn123

Estuary Kennels, past Woodies, just after the recycling place, under the Bridge

Always use them, and they definitely walk the dogs, you can see the staff, walking along the banks of the Estuary at various times during the day.
Need to Book though.

DBB

Yellow1 wrote: »

Thanks guys. My pup is not fully house trained yet so I'm not sure if home kennelling would be an option for us. I doubt they'd accept a dog unless it was house trained.

Not wanting to make assumptions, but I would be pretty sure that a home boarder would not have any huge problem with a dog not being fully trained. You might just find that the routine they'll get into with the other boarders will bring his housetraining on a lot!

toadfly

Another recommendation for Beabeg. Lex comes home shattered, she loves it there.

Whispered

Just on the subject of walks. Where I worked here in Kildare and in a very high end kennel i visited they don't do on lead walking. In both places the dogs are brought to an enclosed area (a large one), one at a time with a kennel worker.

My routine when taking dogs out was a stroll around the paddock and field, then some play like chasing, tug or ball, a bit of treating and if they liked it maybe a brush out or a cuddle. Each dog got this first thing in the morning, after their lunch and in the evening. Then a quick lap of the paddock before bed.

I can't comment on the place you have preliminarily booked but maybe they do similar. It sounds really bad that they don't get on lead walks but so long as they get out and about that would be my preference. (So easy to learn bad lead habits from another handler). If they don't get walked at all that is another thing altogether. My dogs would go mad with that type of set up.

Having wire between kennels is something I would avoid at all cost. It's stressful and noisy. If dogs take a dislike they could very well try to get each other through the fences and injure themselves in the process.

DBB

Yellow1 wrote: »

I just rang Lissenhall to ask them directly if they walk the dogs. Their answer was they don't bring them on "lead" walks but the dogs are let out to run around every day.

To echo what whispered said, I wouldn't take issue at all to dogs getting off-lead runabouts in a suitably secure paddock instead of on-lead walks, in fact I'd prefer it! But I'd want to know that they were getting a runabout several times per day, and that if they were being allowed run with other dogs, I'd want to know that all dogs were assessed as dog-friendly, and matched for size, and supervised closely.
But in this case, the layout and structure of the kennels would be a dealbreaker for me.

Yellow1

I would agree that I'd actually prefer off the lead run arounds as opposed to lead walks as long as they're supervised and safe. My fella is an absolute nutcase though and runs til his legs nearly fall off so I'd want assurances that he wouldn't be able to get out of the enclosed area as he's a bit of an adventure seeker.

I really don't like the idea of the wire fencing in Lissenhall though - he will be stressed enough as it is being away from home without hearing all the other dogs yelping.

I'll have a look into Beabeg, but I'm going to enquire about home kennelling first to see if they'll take him untrained.

Thanks for all your advice!

tk123

If you google map Lissenhall you can see a couple of smallish pens/enclosures that might be used for off lead runs. Definitely not the big paddock at the front because it has a wooden fence Looks a bit industrial for my liking tbh

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=216411320787461576920.0004d6021bc705e7141be&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=53.476426,-6.199765&spn=0.012873,0.042272&source=embed&dg=feature

belongtojazz

martinn123 wrote: »

Estuary Kennels, past Woodies, just after the recycling place, under the Bridge

Always use them, and they definitely walk the dogs, you can see the staff, walking along the banks of the Estuary at various times during the day.
Need to Book though.

Hi, as far as I know estuary don't walk the dogs.
I Train behind there and I have never seen any of the dogs being walked. I would not leave any dog there

Art Fonzarelli

Hi, does anyone know anything about Hilton 5 Star Kennels (off Malahide Road)?

cricketchick

Hi there. My two go to home from home boarding near the airport. They stay in the house with other dogs. It's a thoroughly professional operation. They're walked for an hour a day off lead. I wouldn't leave my two anywhere else.They also walk my two during the week, and have done for the past two years. Can highly recommend them. Let me know if you want further info.