Hotel K9

16/08/2024

13/08/2024

Last week the dogs were so full of fun and personality!! 🤪💫🙃🚀✨

They showed us a great time and all had an amazing holiday!

We are so lucky to be fully booked all summer long, if you are thinking about booking with us next year please let us know asap… spaces are already filling up!

05/08/2024

What makes us (in our opinion) the best daycare!?

🐾 Maximum of 10 dogs per day. Usually between 5-7 dogs per day.

🐾 A one hour walk for every dog! Some in groups and some separate to cater for individual needs. Walks are also shortened for older or injured dogs.

🐾 Daily training for the dogs to help them settle together as a group.

🐾 Perfectly tailored food enrichment for the dogs to keep them settled, busy and able to focus independently in a group. We have individual pens within the daycare room for dogs that struggle with having food around others.

🐾 Dogs are never left unattended, they have one or two members of staff with them at all times.

🐾 CCTV into our daycare room for owners to see what they are up to!

🐾 Enrichment based play that focuses on human interaction.

🐾 Limited dog on dog play with focus on settling afterward.

We cannot stress enough how large daycare numbers with unrestricted play is NOT what we do at HotelK9!

Happy to answer any questions you may have about daycare!

The team Hotel K9

Dog daycare has grown hugely in popularity in recent years. And, like any new industry which has grown rapidly, the quality of the provision varies greatly. So how do you decide –

• whether daycare is right for your dog?
• which daycare to choose?

𝗜𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗴?
Daycare isn’t right for every dog. Here are some points to consider when deciding if it might be right for yours –

• Is your dog anxious or lacking in confidence? While an under confident dog might grow in confidence in a smaller daycare they are likely (in my experience) to struggle in a large scale daycare. It can be tempting to think that by being around other dogs they will ‘get used to it’ but, very often, it’s totally overwhelming for them and can make existing problems worse.
• Is your dog super interested in other dogs? If so, is giving him pretty much unrestricted access to lots of other dogs likely to be helpful? Or do you run the risk of turning him into a hypersocial dog with no boundaries?
• Can your dog settle and relax around other dogs? If not they are going to be exhausted (and not in a good way…) after a day at day care.
• Can your dog tolerate rude, socially clumsy dogs? Do they have the social skills to defuse and de-escalate tension or might they react if they feel painted into a corner?
• Are you prepared to neuter your dog early? Many local authorities make neutering by a given age (often as young as 6 months) a condition of daycare licensing however early neutering can often be at odds with the health and well being of the dog, particularly for large breeds.
• Why do you need/want daycare for your dog? Is additional care a necessity, for example, if you are out of the home for long periods or your dog has separation related problems which mean they need access to a human at all times? Or are you simply looking for a socialisation opportunity for your dog in which case what other options are available and which would suit your dog best? Would they get more out of spending time outdoors in a smaller group with a dog walker? Would a trip to the park meet their socialisation needs (always bearing in mind that socialisation is not just about meeting other dogs)?
• How will you mitigate or avoid the potential behavioural problems which can arise from daycare? The lessons your dog might learn in day care are unlikely to be helpful in their life outside of daycare. Think about what daycare might teach them…they get unrestricted access to play with lots of dogs lots of the time, they may get little practice settling and switching off, they are kept physiologically aroused a lot of the time, they often practice using their voice a lot. Are these things that might become problematic in contexts other than daycare? How will the young, adolescent dog who plays all day with every dog in daycare react when he’s out in the world and can’t interact with every dog there? Frustration? Barking? Pulling?

If you’ve answered these questions and are happy that your dog would benefit from (NB not just cope with...) a day care environment how do choose the right daycare?

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲?
There are many different styles of daycare from small, in home facilities to large, industrial scale daycares. So what should you consider when choosing a daycare?

• Size. How many dogs are cared for at any one time? There’s a world of difference between being in a group of 6 dogs and one of 60. What will your dog be comfortable with (and what are you comfortable with)?
• What size are the daycare's groups? Will your dog be in a small group (

03/08/2024

This week has been a blessing 🙏🏼😇☀️🦋

The best dogs we could ask for, the sun, the best treats, the best walks and the best cuddles! We are so lucky to look after these dogs and we love every single one of them with all our hearts!!

This isn’t just a job for us, it’s a way of life 💜🐾

31/07/2024

Sally and Saul have settled in so well! We have learned a lot about them in the short weeks they have been in our care. Here is what they have been getting up to….

🐾 We had their first vet visit, received a micro-chip, vaccine for kennel cough, flea, tick, worming treatments and are booked in to be neutered. Interestingly they appear to be only 18 months old but will be needing a full de-scale on their teeth!! We have no idea what they were fed previously and I don’t think I want to know…😵

🐾 We have decided to feed them a high/medium quality kibble, Millie’s Wolfheart. At first they struggled with the rich food but after careful portioning and some time they are now gaining weight.

🐾 They also had a visit to the secure dog field and had the chance to run and move around freely, interestingly they chose to stay close to my side and did joyful Zoomies around me, they did not go further than a few meters away.

🐾 As you may have seen, they both wear a muzzle when out walking. This is part of GALs insurance policy and they must wear them, unfortunately they were not muzzle trained when they arrived so we have been trying hard everyday to help them feel more comfortable in their muzzles! They have responded beautifully to the training!

🐾 It would also appear they have had limited experience of being on a lead… this will make for excellent off lead work in their future but they need to know the basics of how to walk on a lead first and we are slowly getting there.

🐾 We are also working on toilet training as it would appear they have had no experience of living indoors.

A beautiful pair there is no doubt. But there is a lot of work to be put into them and we are committed 🥰💜🐾

28/07/2024

We recently received a shipment of Kuranda Dog & Cat Beds! The lovely boy Cooper helping to put them together and being the first to try them out!
Approved ✅

These really are the gold standard in dog beds!

🐾 Orthopaedic
🐾 Raised up for comfort
🐾 Aluminium frame for extra support
🐾 Hygienic, easy wipe surface
🐾 Indestructible and chew proof

24/07/2024

This space has been filled 🥰

🤫🌤️💭🌈💕📣

**Last minute availability for July/August!**

Due to an unfortunate situation one of our rooms has become available from the 28th of July until the 7th of August!!

If you would like to snap up this chance to give your dog the best summer holiday please contact us directly and we can book you in!!

Rooms are £35 per night which includes daily walks, enrichment puzzles, socialisation, underfloor heating and CCTV for you to view your dog on holiday!

Call Carolann on 07854118216 or message our page!

21/07/2024

📣 We are proud to introduce Sally and Saul 📣

These beautiful lurchers are both special and remarkable, with so much resilience and promise, shown by the love and trust they have displayed to everyone they have met so far on their journey with us.

Their situation is one that we have never experienced before. We were approached by Greyhound Awareness League (GAL) in an emergency situation to rescue these pups.
For HotelK9, this is just the beginning of our journey rescuing dogs, and we couldn't be more excited to start off with Sally and Saul in conjunction with GAL and their training and behaviour expert Helen Hutcheson of Glasgow Dog Trainer (GDT).

HK9, GAL and GDT are all passionate about ensuring dogs are living the best life they possibly can with love and respect. GAL have been working closely with GDT promoting ethical training and positive new starts for the dogs that come in to GAL's care. We are so excited to become part of this united team and we will be working closely to train and re-home these dogs using positive reinforcement and ethical methods. Our main priority is for Sally and Saul find a happy home together where they can be given the unconditional love that they deserve.

Please follow along with Sally and Saul's journey with us; we will be updating our social media regularly with anecdotes about their personalities as we learn more about them.

13/07/2024

Krispy Kreme for dogs!
🍩🐕🐾🍥🐕‍🦺

07/07/2024

Friday at HotelK9!!💜☔️💆‍♀️💟 Some gorgeous pictures of our Friday crew😍 Brilliant, fun walks to start off the day with tons of sniffing, and lots of enrichment to wind down☺️ Hello summer!!👋☀️🍉

21/05/2024

Unpopular opinion 🤔🤣
So true, your dog isn’t trying to ‘dominate’ you anymore than your 3year old is!

And as far as aggression goes??? It’s an outlet for an instinct that was deliberately bred into the dog for working purposes! On that note we are now selling real rabbit tugs and toys for the best tug games!! Ask at reception! 🤩🐇📿🐕💜

11/05/2024

❗️📣 This space has now been filled 📣❗️

Unexpected availability in June!!🤫🎉🤪

☀️7th-21st June 2024☀️

Due to an unfortunate cancellation, we have 2 weeks available for one room (single dog or 2 dogs sharing).

Please message us if you are interested in booking these dates!💜🥰

Thanks
HotelK9

05/05/2024

What a fantastic week it has been for all of us here at HotelK9!🏩💜We have had so much fun, especially with the beautiful weather.🏞️☀️🫧

25/04/2024

This is absolutely beautiful… she’s set the bar high. All groomers should be working to THIS standard 🥲🥰

20/04/2024

Hk9 attended the Scottish Tollers meet up today!! Nessie was loving it the whole time, in her element 💜🐕💦☀️

14/04/2024

We had the pleasure of judging at the dog show that took place along side the horse show next door!!
Absolutely gorgeous dogs! We can’t wait for the next one!
I think my favourite class was waggiest tail!
The largest class was best behaved… but honestly I just enjoyed getting to pet some new dogs 🤣🤦🏼‍♀️

14/04/2024

13/04/2024

Some daycares and some residents, we love them all. The HK9 family has grown so much. We are so lucky to have these amazing dogs in our lives 💜🏩🐾

08/04/2024

The busy season has begun!🥰📈 Here are some beautiful pictures taken over the past few days of our residents… They cannot get any cuter!!😊 Here’s to a wonderful spring!!🌼☀️👒 -HotelK9 Team💜🐶🐾

27/03/2024

You may see a the HK9 staff as judges at this event! It’s a great day out and so much fun to participate in!!
See you all there 😍💜👌🏼

Why not bring your pooch over to take part in our Spring showing show on 14th April

🐶Dog classes 🐶
11am Indoor Arena
Class 1. Cutest puppy (under 16months)
Class 2. Pretty pooch (female)
Class 3. Handsome hound (males)
Class 4. Best behaved k9
Class 5. Condition and turnout for breed

£6 a class or £10 for 2classes.

20/03/2024

A wonderful trainer we know well and follow the same ethics… did you know that all dog trainers are not the same?? Did you know that not all dog boarding facilities are the same…? And the handling methods are at the discretion of the business owner. It’s is NOT governed or regulated. We only use kind, considerate and positive handling techniques, something to think about when looking for help with your furry family member 🐾💜

A question for the general dog owning public....

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀?

A well known lick mat company currently has a PR nightmare on their hands due to their decision to promote a high profile aversive trainer* on their stand at Crufts.

The company's response has been that they were "𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨" in approaches to teaching dogs. Which lead me to wonder how widespread that lack of awareness is.

Do the general dog owning public know that there are different approaches to teaching dogs? Do they understand what those differences are? Do they actively seek out trainers who fit with their own ethos? Or do they believe that all trainers teach in broadly the same way?

The rise in aversive training (and it is on the rise) suggests one of two things. Either people genuinely don't understand the training techniques being used on their dogs. Or they do but remain willing to subject their dog to them.

For trainers like me, who want to promote a non-aversive way to live with and teach dogs, it's an important distinction because in order for people to make a choice they first need to know there's a choice to be made!

Thoughts?

PS there’s no shame in not knowing what you don’t know and admitting a lack of knowledge is a strength, not a weakness

EDIT - I have deliberately not named either party so please don’t mention them in the comments. Thank you x

* 𝘣𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥, 𝘦.𝘨. 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘦𝘵𝘤 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨

20/03/2024

💛💛💛This is so important to us 💛💛💛

Be kind, be respectful, be happy

🐶💛 DOGS IN YELLOW 💛🐶

Have you ever seen a dog wearing yellow?

💛 Yellow lets others know that your dog needs space.

By raising awareness of ‘Yellow Dogs’ we can help to make the lives of those dogs, and their people, a little bit easier easier when they’er out and about.

As an owner of an anxious dog, I can’t tell you just how much I appreciate it when people give us space. It can make the difference between a lovely enjoyable walk, or an awful, stress filled one. And all of us want our dog’s to enjoy their walks 💛

So if you see a dog wearing yellow, please just respect their space.

And if your dog wears yellow, or your friend’s dog wears yellow, or you just love dogs.... please help raise awareness of WHY dog’s wear yellow and HOW everyone can support those dogs and their people.