Kennel Advice

How do I sign up?

Search for your kennel by going to the "Find a Kennel" section, enter the name or location of your kennel and select search. Once you have found your kennel click on the kennel and then click on the red “Claim this kennel” button at the bottom of the page. The Good Kennel Guide only lists licensed kennels so we will need to check and enable your account . Once this has been done you will be able to log in, personalise your own content and interact with other users. Licensed home boarders are only listed upon request. If you are a home boarder who wishes to be listed on The Good Kennel Guide or if you are not able to find your licensed kennels on the site please contact us by going to the Contact section on our Home page and provide your details and we will provide further assistance.

My licence application is pending can I still sign up?

As The Good Kennel Guide only lists licensed kennels and boarders you will need to wait for your licence to be issued if this is a brand new application for a licence. This does not prevent you from starting to gather the information that you want to put on your profile on our website in the meantime. If you have previously held a licence and your renewal application is in progress you will still be able to review and amend your personalised listing and profile whilst the application is ongoing providing that you already have a username and password. If you have not held a username and password before you may need to wait for your identity and licence to be verified before you are able to personalise your profile. 

Do I need to sign up to use the site?

Anyone can view the information on The Good Kennel Guide and you do not need to sign up to review the information posted about your kennels or home boarding.  If you wish to interact with users and Dog Owners , add photos or personalise your profile you will need to sign up. This can be done for free by searching for your kennel in the "Find a Kennel" section and then clicking on the red “Claim this kennel” button at the bottom. The Good Kennel Guide only lists licensed kennels and boarders so we will need to check and enable your account. Once this has been done you can log in and personalise your own content at no cost. Licensed home boarders are only listed upon request. If you are a home boarder who wishes to be listed on The Good Kennel Guide or if you are not able to find your licensed kennels on the site please contact us by going to the Contact button on our Home Page and providing your details and we will provide further assistance. There is no cost to kennels or home boarders for a listing or taking bookings on The Good Kennel Guide. The Good Kennel Guide does not charge any subscription fee.

How does The Good Kennel Guide work?

The Good Kennel Guide takes the stress out of dog boarding by only listing licensed kennels and boarders who meet the standards required by the Animal Boarding Act 1963. All kennels that hold a valid licence have a free listing on the website which they can “claim” by creating a free account, this allows them to personalise their listing and interact with dog owners. Licensed Home boarders are only listed on The Good Kennel Guide upon their request.

Is The Good Kennel Guide free?

All kennels that hold a valid licence have a free listing on the website which kennel owners can “claim” by creating a free account, this allows them to personalise their listing, add photos and additional services and interact with dog owners. This also allows them to enable booking should they wish to do so which is also at no cost to kennels and home boarders. The Good Kennel Guide does not charge any subscription fee to kennels or home boarders. Licensed home boarders are only listed on The Good Kennel Guide upon their request.

Can I set my own prices for dog boarding?

Yes The Good Kennel Guide allows you to provide your own price information and add photos and additional services and take bookings at no cost to kennels or home boarders. The Good Kennel Guide does not charge any subscription fee.

How can I advertise my other services, like dog walking?

Kennel Owners and boarders can add additional services to their listing free of charge. The Good Kennel Guide does not charge any subscription fee. 

How do I reset my password?

Go to the User Log in section and click on “Forgotten your user name or password”. This will prompt you to enter your email address registered to your profile. If an account exists for the email address entered you will be sent an email with a link to reset or change your password.

How do I create a Kennel Owner/Boarder profile?

If you wish to interact with users and Dog Owners you will need to sign up. This can be done for free by clicking on the User sign up button at the top and clicking on the Kennel owner sign up at the bottom of the page, alternatively, you can search for your kennel by going to the "Find a Kennel" section, entering the name or location of your kennel and selecting search. Once you have found your kennel click on the kennel and then click on the “Claim this kennel” button at the bottom of the page. The Good Kennel Guide only lists licensed kennels so we will need you to provide some initial information to allow The Good Kennel Guide to verify you as the licence holder before you are able to amend your content or interact with other users. Once this has been done you will be able to log in, personalise your own content and interact with other users. Licensed home boarders are only listed upon request. If you are a home boarder who wishes to be listed on The Good Kennel Guide or if you are not able to find your licensed kennels on the site please go to the User sign up page and click on the Contact Us link so that we can help you to get listed on The Good Kennel Guide.

What information do I need to get my profile set up?

You will need to provide and verify information such as your business name, address and contact details. Providing additional information such as prices, photos and additional services is optional, however The Good Kennel Guide encourages kennels and boarders to personalise their profile as much as possible as this can encourage dog owners to look at and use their services more than a partially completed profile. Listings and bookings on The Good Kennel Guide are completely free to kennels and home boarders and we do not charge a subscription fee.

How do I communicate with potential customers?

Due to data protection you are not able to contact dog owners without them initially expressing an interest in your kennel or boarding service by making an enquiry. The best way to communicate and reach potential customers is by completing your profile as fully as possible and encouraging your existing customers to add reviews which will increase the visibility of your kennel or boarding service on our website. 

How do I communicate with existing customers?

The Good Kennel Guide displays the bookings that you have made through our website on your profile. To communicate with those who have already made bookings go to their booking and select “message dog owner”. This will allow you to message the dog owner through their profile on The Good Kennel Guide.

I do not have a boarding licence, can I be listed on The Good Kennel Guide?

The Good Kennel Guide only lists licensed kennels and boarders, so unfortunately you will not be able to be listed on our website. The Good Kennel Guide highly recommends not entering the boarding business without a boarding licence as this is vital to ensure animal welfare and to communicate how professional your business is. Further information on how to obtain an animal boarding licence can be found on your local council website.

I don’t wish to appear on The Good Kennel Guide- can I remove my listing?

If you do not wish to feature on The Good Kennel Guide at all you can request for your business to be removed from the website please contact us and we will remove your listing. Please note that should you wish for your details not to feature on the website we will continue to store your details outside of the website, so that we know not to include you on the website in the future.

I do not agree with a review that has been posted about my kennels- what can I do about it?

All reviews have a right to reply from the Kennel owner or boarder. Please read our guidance and terms and conditions before responding and ensure that your response is compliant with these policies. Any malicious or inappropriate reviews can be flagged to the system administrator by clicking on the "Report review" button. The Review will be reviewed and dealt with according to our Acceptable Use Policy.

I already have my own website, why would I use The Good Kennel Guide?

Having your own website does not guarantee that you will reach your desired users. The Good Kennel Guide undertakes its own marketing and advertising activities which mean that you can reach a wider audience without the huge up-front costs of developing or maintaining your own website. The Good Kennel Guide gives you the tools you need to manage your dog boarding business, so why give yourself additional stress and costs to deal with? If you have an existing website you may wish to include a link to let your customers know that you are featured on The Good Kennel Guide.

I also own a cattery or small animal hotel, can I still advertise on The Good Kennel Guide?

The Good Kennel Guide does not currently list catteries and small animal hotels separately. You can list your additional services on you kennel listing if you wish to. The Good Kennel Guide does not charge Kennels and home boarders for a listing or taking bookings and there is no subscription fee. 

How can I make my kennel or boarding service more visible to potential customers on The Good Kennel Guide?

The best way to communicate and reach potential customers is by completing your profile as fully as possible and encouraging your existing customers to add reviews which will increase the visibility of your kennel or boarding service on our website.

I hold an animal boarding licence but cannot see my business listed on The Good Kennel Guide- what should I do?

The Good Kennel Guide cannot always control the timely release of information on animal boarding licences. Please contact The Good Kennel Guide on thegoodkennelguide@gmail.co.uk and we will add your listing to our website (once we have been able to verify your animal boarding licence with your local council). Licensed home boarders are only listed upon request. If you are a home boarder who wishes to be listed on The Good Kennel Guide or if you are not able to find your licensed kennels on the site please go to the User sign up page and click on the Contact Us link.

Being a home boarder, my business address is the same as my home address. I have concerns about this information appearing on a website, what can I do?

Home boarders information is not automatically listed on our website. Home boarders must give consent for their information to appear on our website so your address will not be listed without your prior written consent.