Someone asked me the other day what are some features I really liked in my experience with boarding kennels.

1. Boarding kennels should give frequent access to an exercise area everyday (included in any boarding package). The dogs should not be going to the washroom in their sleeping area, for house trained dogs, having to go on the floor will stress them out as they feel they are doing something wrong, also, it is not healthy to be sleeping near their waste. Related to this, thier sleeping area should not smell overwhelmingly of cleaning fluid.

2. Barking dogs, I have been to kennels where the dogs seem to be barking constantly, this is usually a sign of boredom, and a sign maybe this is not a good kennel. In every kennel you walk into when you arrive and the dogs see you, of course they will bark, but the barking should subside after a few minutes. Constant barking from other dogs will also stress dogs out and they will not enjoy their stay.

3. Boarding kennels should only allow dogs with all their shots.

For a full list of everything you should see in a boarding kennel, check out Choosing a Boarding Kennel.