Friday 12 August 2016


Moving on – Introducing Mila


Most of our lovely customers who attend the kennels and daycare will know our Mila, our ditsy, petite Collie with the blue eye. Here’s her story. 


Losing Amber was hard.

It was a strange mixture of feelings. We’d always known from the first day of her diagnosis with Lymphoma, that it was going to kill her. The vet had given us a vague figure, based on his experience. That figure was six months, perhaps even a year. 


Amazingly, thanks to the chemotherapy, Amber sailed well past her one year limit and achieved an extra fifteen months of life.  But even though each day was a gift that I cherished, my anxiety ate me up inside. I couldn’t bear to lose her, yet it was happening and inescapable, and all I could do was wait and wonder when.


When that day finally came, and Lee and I sat on the floor beside her,  nodded to our vet, Richard, to go ahead, and felt her little body go limp in our hands, I was shocked that I felt... relieved. 



All that waiting and wondering had taken its toll, and not only that, but I had been worrying about her euthanasia. I was so scared that her very last moments may frighten or cause her stress, but it wasn’t like that. Her death was peaceful and calm and she was surrounded by love. It was only us that hurt, and that we could live with. 


It didn’t take long for the silence to get to us. The lack of clicking nails on the wooden floors, a knock on the door without a flurry of barking, her favourite squeaky toy ‘Baby’ lay alone in her basket. It had been less than a week and I felt guilty even thinking about getting another dog so soon, but I had been grieving for Amber’s loss every day for the past fifteen months, I didn’t need, or want, to grieve anymore. The chaos and mess of a naughty puppy seemed like it would be a welcome distraction. So, the hunt began. 


Amber had been a rescue dog, but this time, just this once, we made the decision not to adopt a rescue. One look at George, our crazy, noisy, bolshie toddler, and we knew that it just wasn’t fair to expect an adult dog, who had perhaps been neglected or abused, to cope with him. A puppy could grow up right in the thick of it and not know any different. 


It didn’t take long for us to find her. The last puppy left out of a farm litter of Border Collies. We pulled up the car and parked on the dirt track, and there was a young man waiting for us with this tiny ball of fluff in his arms. He hadn’t mentioned when we had phoned him, but she had one blue eye, and it sparkled in the sunlight like a jewel. We fell in love instantly. We asked to see the parents, and her father came walking aloofly by. He pee’d up our car tires, sniffed us, and went on his way. No time to chat. Work to do. Her mother had to be carried out held in a firm grip. She wagged her tail and wriggled frantically, licking us as we stroked her. Apparently if he’d have put her down she had a habit of jumping in the duck pond and swimming about after the ducks. Ok, fair enough, the mother was obviously a complete dipstick, but both parents looked healthy and friendly, so we handed over £120 and took her home. We named her Mila. 


Straight away we spotted that she was clever. It took almost no time or effort to teach her basic commands. Let’s face it with George we barely had the time, but in the true nature of a Collie Mila soaked up what she needed to know like a sponge. She had just the right temperament for where we are in our lives right now, which can only describe it as ‘the midst of chaos’, especially since our second child, Matilda, came along. I’m not sure whether her temperament is something that nature gave her, or a consequence of living in a madhouse, but it suits us all the same. 





She’s bold, fearless, and always ready to play. She’s been on the slide, the trampoline, crammed into the back of the car along with George’s bike. She’s been shot with a nerf gun (it’s a good game because she likes to bring back the foam bullet!), she’s been in the paddling pool, she been dressed up in silly outfits, she wrestles with Lee and thinks nothing of riding on his back and him jogging around the house. If ever a dog was bombproof, she is. Mila is also a comedian, and never fails to make us laugh numerous times every day. Even when she’s fast asleep she makes us laugh, as her tongue pokes out through her teeth when she’s relaxed. It also pokes out when she concentrates... basically she has a permanently daft expression. 



Don’t let her expression fool you though, she’s intelligent, and puts it to good use too.  I can’t actually remember doing any ‘real’ training with her, much to my shame. Still she knows the important things and does them well. Sit, down, stay, and recall are faultless. Also, like Amber, she has a whole dictionary of words that she has learned for herself, which consequently we end up avoiding as they get her over excited. However avoiding these words only leads to her learning the new ones, and quite soon we are going to have to consult a thesaurus before discussing any plans to go out for a walk. 



In the Doggie daycare, quite often, when Lee calls out dog’s names to come in, they pretend they can’t hear him. Somehow, Mila knows everyone’s name, and when she see’s that they’re ignoring him, she jumps of the sofa and rounds them up to the door in typical Border Collie fashion. She loves the daycare, and can’t wait to accompany Lee over in the morning. I’m sure she thinks we just invite over all her friends every day for her benefit.  

What can I say but Mila has fit into our little family like a piece to a puzzle. She’s not Amber, nothing like her in fact, but a replacement is not what we wanted anyway.


Lee and myself were discussing this the other night over a glass of wine, figuring out how many dogs we may have the pleasure to own during our lifetime and what their characters and legacy may be, how we will try to recall them all when we’re in the old folks home reminiscing, and we can’t remember their names. 


‘What was that first one called?’ we’ll say to each other. ‘The special one? The one with the goggly eyes and the bright orange fur?...The one that was human?’

We’ll perhaps ponder her name for a while and then we’ll remember. 

'Amber, that’s it...' The special one. The one that was so clever she was almost human. Our first dog and the one that broke our hearts because she left too soon. That will be her legacy and the way in which we remember her. 

And then we’ll burst out laughing. 

‘And what was that clown of a dog called? The one with the bloody tongue that stuck out of its head? The one that was daft as a brush and used to make us laugh until we cried?’



That would be Mila. 







The most beautiful pup we ever saw





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All dressed up ready for Santa 













Every boy needs a dog! 













There's the tongue 




.... and again 




The one that makes us laugh - Our Mila 
































Wednesday 17 February 2016



Woodland View Kennels - Doggie Daycare 







What is 'Doggie Daycare'?

Doggie daycare is a relatively new phenomenon, it is kind of like, a dog 'crèche'. Where an owner can drop their dog off for the day whilst they are busy, to be cared for and played with. It is thought of as more of an American invention, but rapidly becoming popular in the UK, and it's not hard to see why. With people working longer hours, it often becomes difficult to give our dogs the attention and stimulation they need. This can lead to them becoming excitable, destructive, or even depressed. Doggie daycare can provide that much needed company, exercise and stimulation. It is also wonderful when the weather is terrible and their walks aren't so long, or perhaps during times of illness or turmoil. It can be difficult however, to find a daycare that suits you and your dog.





What is special about Woodland View Kennels Daycare? 


Woodland View Kennels Doggie Daycare is a daycare that is mainly held indoors (with an outside run for toileting). It is bright and airy and heated so that dogs won't become cold (and of course, they won't come home caked in mud!). There are sofas to lounge on and toys to play with, and it is supervised at all times by competent, experienced staff. 

We have a capacity of just 15 dogs, which is relatively small as daycares go, so we find more nervous, elderly or small/toy dogs do well here, as they feel safe and not overwhelmed as can so easily happen in the chaotic atmosphere of larger doggie daycares. 







Will my dog be safe at Doggie Daycare? 

We pride ourselves on being safe here at Woodland View. The Daycare building has a three gate entrance, to ensure that no dog can accidentally escape (even if they jumped one gate, there are still two others to get past before they are free). The main gate is self closing, so that should a forgetful owner not close it behind themselves, it will close anyway.

As mentioned above, the daycare is always supervised. The dogs are never left unattended, not even for a minute.

We also undertake a whole days 'temperament assessment' for every newcomer, to ensure that they are dog friendly, and responsive to commands.


What is a 'temperament assessment?' 



At our daycare, every dog will have an 'assessment day' before being able to come to daycare on a regular basis. This day is free of charge, and it can be a whole day. We don't feel that an hour is enough time to assess a dog and that is why we try to get them in for a full day.

What we aim to do during this day, is assess their temperament and the way that they behave with us and the other dogs. What we are looking for, is a dog with no aggressive tendencies. We also like them to be responsive to our voices and actions.

The first initial meeting between a new dog and others, will be with us using our own dogs (Mila and Emy). We will then gradually introduce them, one by one, (usually starting with the calmest dog first, moving up to the more boisterous) to the daycare group, using a lead if we feel we need to.

Watching the new dog's initial reaction to each meeting can give us an insight into their temperament, and any aggressive or dominating behaviour can be spotted during these early stages. Once this has been done and all has gone well, the new dog is allowed to play with the group, and we will pay particular attention to their behaviour during the day and get to know their personality.

Any dog which we have any reservations about, even slight, will not be allowed to attend the daycare. Our first priority is keeping our current dogs safe, and we would never take any unnecessary chances.

Most dogs however, get on very well, and really enjoy their day making new friends and playing. It is often the first time that they have really been free to play and interact with other dogs, and they love it.






Do they need to be vaccinated or neutered to come to daycare? 

Yes.

All male dogs much be neutered. This is Council licence condition rules and something that, although we know many full male dogs would get on just fine, we must still follow. Bitches do not need to be spayed although we do ask that they stay at home during their seasons as they can often get pestered and upset by the other dogs.

The vaccinations that the dogs must have to come to daycare are the same as the ones that they need to come to kennels. Full yearly boosters plus, in addition, the Kennel Cough vaccine (which is a separate vaccination, given via a squirt up the nostrils).

All dogs must also be 6 months of age or older. (Also council licence condition rules).

We do not restrict entry on breed or size. We have never felt the need to, as when undertaking the temperament assessment we also account for the way the bigger dogs behave with the smaller ones (i.e. they must be aware of their size and not trample others!).



What are your prices and opening hours?

The daycare opens at 7.30am, and closes at 6.30pm. This gives people a little extra time to get to and from work to drop off and collect their dogs.

The cost for the daycare is £15.00 per day, or for two dogs from the same family, £25.00 per day. We also run a loyalty card scheme, where every 10th visit is free.

We fell that this is excellent value and very competitively priced.


How can I be sure my dog enjoys it? 

We take regular photos and videos of all the dogs at the kennels and daycare. So you can see for yourself! Sometimes it does take a little time for them to settle in, but every dog we have had, who may have started out a little nervous, has gained confidence in themselves within a very short space of time.



Please visit our Facebook page to see more photos and videos.

Interested? - Feel free to message via Facebook, or e-mail/telephone us for more information! 

www.facebook.com/woodlandviewkennels

enquiries@woodlandviewkennels.co.uk

01829 760631