Daily Life at Sturgeon County Kennels

Many dog owners have asked what day-to-day life is like for their dogs at Sturgeon County Kennels. What do they do all day long? When do you walk them? How long do you socialize them for? Are they always barking?

Sturgeon County Kennels tries to structure daily life to look more or less the same for dogs to provide a sense of calm and familiarity. By giving dogs a routine that they can anticipate, we believe that they are given a much happier and rewarding kennel experience. That being said, here is what everyday life usually looks like at the kennel:

Morning

The kennel opens at 8:00am and we quickly open up all the dog doors to give outside access to the dogs. After the kennel doors are open, we start feeding the dogs (according to their owner’s feeding instructions) and administer any medications. Once done, Sturgeon County Kennel staff pick up poop and start cleaning and disinfecting the kennel. We vacuum the entire kennel everyday and mop it out to sanitize and disinfect. We frequently pressure wash the kennels to clean any areas that mopping and vacuuming might miss.

As we clean the kennel, we let out groups of dogs in one of our four play areas to socialize in. This makes it easier to clean the kennels and gives the dogs a chance to play.

During the winter months, we start a fire in our wood-burning stove, which keeps the office warm and cozy for all incoming and outgoing visitors.

After cleaning is done, all the dogs are given fresh water and brought back inside for the next part of the day.

Early Afternoon

Once the kennel is clean and smelling fresh, we move into the early afternoon. This is play time for the dogs. We let the dogs back into play areas to socialize in, take them on walks around the acreage, and sometimes even take pictures of the dogs posing on our walks. Check out our Instagram and Facebook pages for a couple pictures of some very photogenic dogs!

Another important piece of the day is spending time with the dogs in the kennel. We want all the dogs to feel welcome and at home at Sturgeon County Kennels, so we always spend individual time with the dogs in their kennel. If your dog is shy or nervous, we try and spend even more time with them to calm them down and make them feel extra comfortable during their stay.

After spending some good quality time in with the dogs in the early afternoon, we soon get into the late afternoon.

Late Afternoon

After all the excitement of the morning, we want to give the dogs a chance to relax and enjoy some quiet time. We finish socializing the dogs and turn on some calm music. If allowed, dogs are given their treats and have a chance to rest and chew on a toy or bone.

Around 5:30pm, we feed the dogs their evening meals (if required). Any additional medications are also administered at this time. We are still around in the kennel throughout the day and are often found tinkering with one repair or another, or we may be in the office and hanging out with a furry pal.

Throughout the day

Throughout the day, we keep busy with a number of other things such as washing dishes, making repairs, keeping things tidy, taking phone calls, and just spending time playing and petting your dog. Poop runs are frequently done to keep everything looking and smelling good. We hang out in the kennel all day long so we are never far away from your dog!

Nighttime

Once everybody has had a chance to digest their supper and wind down for the day, we go in at night to shut the kennel down. For an added level of security during the night, we shut the outside access doors at around 8:30pm. We give everybody a good night pet, turn the lights off, and wish everybody a goodnight!

This is typically what a standard day at Sturgeon County Kennels is structured like. If you have any additional questions or concerns, feel free to give us a call at (780) 921-3336!