TO KENNEL OR NOT

[Sparrow Hawker]

What's the preferred method of keeping working dogs to Kennel them or to allow them run of the house.

Regards,

HH

[Gaz]

Kennel them

[Gaz]

To quote old JM "When the dog aint working it should be in the kennel dreaming about working"........ :finga: :mrgreen:

[Goldie]

Kennel every time, they go soft on you lying in front of the fire when they are not out. Kept in the kennel they tend to have a better coat which is no bad thing considering the weather we get.
Dont forget a wet dog stinks and her indoors aint best pleased :!: :lol:

[Shaun Byrne]

My Cocker lives out in her Kennel and will return there for a knap and a drink even if given the run of the house and garden. She has plain old straw for a bed and is out in all weathers.

A happy healthy dog!

[Jack Merlin]

KISS.

"Keep It Simple Stupid".

An old film maker's maxim and good advice. Why make life complicated?

If your dog is kennelled, it knows when it comes out it is expected to work. That creates a very special relationship between owner and the dog. And put a padlock on the door to keep wife and kids away!<g>

Keep a dog in the house and its life immediately becomes complicated. Don't do this, do do that, don't jump up there, don't eat that, don't drink out of the toilet bowl, etc., etc. When a dog comes in from a hard day's work, it needs its own place to rest. Kennel every time.

When we were kids we weren't allowed to touch working dogs in case it "spoilt them". Not a bad rule in my opinion. If the family insist, keep another pet dog in the house, but don't spoil the worker if you are aiming for the best results.

[Sparrow Hawker]

Cheers for all of the replies.

Regards,

HH

[CastleFalconry]

I've always had my dogs in the house in the main and have never had any problems with them not working. I suppose it depends on your domestic set up and what you prefer to do.

When not working They're pets. As soon as I get the bird travel boxes out, they slip straight into work mode.

What I will say is that when there's no one in the house, the dogs are left free run of the garden, with a nicely furnished kennel. Not only does this add security for my birds but is also very useful if we're going to be away for any length of time.

Horses for courses, but it's always useful to be able to kennel any dog.

Be good. R. x

[Varmint]

Are you thinking of getting a dog Simon?

[Jack Merlin]

Horses for courses

Absolutely! I keep English pointers and they DO love the sound of ripping cloth! :(

[Jiff]

in my lercher days,i kept dogs under both conditions,in the early days i had to keep my dog in doors as i had no garden,believe me they were not soft and worked as hard as any,if you'r dog is kenneled it must be walked,if its indoors and its **** weather its easy for the two of you to curl up infront of the fire :lol: i prefer kenneled these days as im married and things easily get out of hand with a regime when you have a wife and kids chucking all sorts down to your dog,from chocolate(which is a big no,,no) to left over dinner,eventualy you'r dog just looks at the food you'r supplying(neutritionaly) ballanced to the work load expected,has a sniff and then holds out for more hand outs of rubbish food,i must add that when i have a kenneled dog that doesnt mean to say that is his/her domain,they still spend alot of time arround us(under suppervision) and generaly kip in the kennel,pluss the fact in the real world we can't be there 24/7 a working dog in the home gets bored or worse still excited and the end result can be expensive,so it's kenneled for mine and it's safety. :lol:

[Sparrow Hawker]

Hi Varmint,

I would love one lol, after seeing Spencer work I can see the extra dimension a dog provides and it was fantastic watching him work, he covered a phenominal amount of ground 8) Unfortunately right now being at home I can't have one :cry:

Cheers,

HH

[HawkMan69UK]

minewas kenneled for 3 years she works just as hard now but when no ones home its the kennal cage and thr run of the garden she gets the best of both worlds

[KevGem1]

my dogs are kepped in the house and have been for years i have no trouble with them what so ever. I take them out working and they will work themselves to a stand still. i just take them home quick shower over them and on there bed in the kitchen. coming from a doging background my self i have had many dogs looking for the perfect all rounder and in the past has cost me a lot of money on furniture and curtains etc. etc. I think if you are intending to keep working dogs in the house you need to have somebody there through the day aswell. the thing is with working dogs is they are clever enough to get board very easy and that is when the trouble starts. Although there is a lot to be said about keeping them out side you dont have to put up with any of the messing about. It is up too the individual and you should choose what is best for you and suites you and your family after all its them that have to live with them as well. hope this is of some help KEV.

[Coedhirion]

I always had my dogs in the house when I was there (that's never very much)
the rest of the time they were with me every where because work allowed this. I found I had a better relationship with them. Now circumstances mean the dogs cant come inside and I have problems with them getting yappy when they can hear but not see things going on. they have very nice large kennels, are quite happy to jump in when work is finished. They work as well as the ones that came indoors, but some how I dont have the same connection with them.

[Varmint]

My boys dont have massive kennel runs, but they do get walked and allowed a good run twice a day, they have warm clean bedding and a clean environment to live in, my GSP works most days and my Young Setter will be starting his first season this year, my Lab is waiting patiently for the shooting season to come round once again as he picks up three days a week but might be duck flushing again this coming season if i can decide what im gonna fly?

My GSP could do all three jobs, but he's enough on his plate just working 3-4 hrs a day as it is, so im glad he's got the back up if needed?
all three will go either in the house or the kennel but im glad for many, many varied reasons that they are in the kennels.

Ironically, i have a better and more focused realtionship with them all whilst in the kennels than i do with them in the house?

[SSL]

[quote="Varmint"]My boys dont have massive kennel runs....quote]

Hello Varmint,

Just wondering if you received my PM?

Steve.

[Coedhirion]

Varmint any ideas why you have a better and more focused realtionship with them all whilst in the kennels than i do with them in the house? as I said earlier I dont recon I have as good a relationship now the dogs are kenneled. they get a lot of exercise and work, but seem extra excitable when I go out there and tend to bark a lot more. They seem more desperate for affection, they get lots of praise but of course miss out on spending evenings curled up indoors trying to convince me they are small enough to be lap dogs!! I try to make up by giving each dog a few minutes private attention ie soppy pats and playing ball, anything other than work that they find fun. May be there is something more I could do, or maybe I just miss having a dog around 24/7