Santa Monica Kennels
4 ratings since posting on Monday, August 30, 2004
Overall Rating   based on 4 ratings |
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I used to work at Santa Monica Kennels and I would NEVER board my dog there. Mind you, I am by no means a disgruntled employee, I quit on my own terms, I simply couldn't take it any longer. Here is the deal, people, they are liars and just in this for the money, the statements they make on their website and pamphlets are simply not true: the cages are cleaned once for every dog in the morning. They are only cleaned more if there is need (dog soiled it), not a "minimum of twice a day". The dogs get walked around the little dog park next to the faciltiy about twice a day, if they are lucky maybe three times ("4 - 6 times a day, yeah right!). There is no playtime or love/cuddle time, the place is understaffed and there is simply no time for that. And no, the dogs do not get to frolick around the dog park like some people think. The "bedding" consits of a rubber mat and a towel! The gourmet food was standard IAMS when I worked there (maybe they changed that, however I doubt it!). The complementary Bath is simply a necessity, since all the dogs are filthy and reek after having spent 24hrs a day in a run! The worst part however are Holidays (especially Christmas and Thanksgiving)! The place will be stacked with Vario Kennels and they accept twice as many dogs as they are legally allowed to! We struggled to clean all the cages and kennels and not all the dogs got a chance to even go out and stretch their legs! We were totally understaffed, four employees for about 140 dogs!!! (the legal capacity is about 60 dogs!). Trust me, I saw the saddest pooches in that place and I would never ever to that to my dog. Do your dog and yourself a favor and avoid Santa Monica Kennels at all cost. Did you ever wonder why they do not have any pictures up on their website? Well, I don't, I know why! Try Wagville, K9-Camp or Go Dog LA instead. Your dog will be most grateful! -  Diane
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posted 03/13/08
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I used Santa Monica Kennels to train my (2) dogs. I was extremely happy w/their training, so much so that I have referred several friends. One of whom has her dogs in training w/them now & she is as equally satisfied as I am. I will encourage her to post on this site. I wanted to respond to the person whom posted the not so nice review. As far as Potty training. It frustrates me when people expect their dogs to hold it for hours & hours.Your animal is a living breathing thing. Do you go a 8, 10, 12 hour work day & not relieve yourself? Are you following the guidelines given to you w/your training? It is the owners responsibility to work w/your dog everyday. And if you read your contract Potty training/housebreaking is not guaranteed, why should it be-each dog is different. It also states on your contract that if you are having problems to call them & they will help you w/your needs. Have you called them & asked for help? I can personally state that if you follow the training guidelines given to you when your dog graduates then you won't have a problem. I am delighted w/the training my dogs rcvd & will continue to recommend them highly to others. I've also used their boarding facility. It is a boutique experience that provides individual attention to your dog. They are continuously walked & even get play times. The staff is loving & caring & does a excellent job in giving them each extra attention. They have only been acommodating to me & my dogs needs. My dogs are always happy to arrive & happy when I pick them up. Everything is incld in their stay. They provide bedding, toys, treats, & food but you are also free to bring your own. They even get a complementary Spa day upon pick up (bath, blowdrying, brushing, ear cleaning, & nail clipping). They use only the best food-Canidae. A holistic, human grade all natural food. I suggust calling ahead & making reservations as they are very popular. Visit their website @ santamonicakennels.com or give them a call and the friendly staff can help you with any questions about boarding and training programs they offer. Its a great place....you should check it out. - kisses4elvis , posted 02/03/07 |
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I agree that boarding your dog there is fine but not for training. They got very expensive dog training programs. By paying about $3000 or more for a 6 weeks program, you may think that your dog would be trained well and not do any house breaking. The truth is, my dog only know how to sit, come, recognize NO. These are basic commands that I bet EVERYONE can train their own dogs easily. My dog came back worse than before. He would pee very little and not poo at all when we bring him out for a walk. Even I walk him every 3 hrs, my dog still poo and pee in the house near but not ON the wee wee pad. I don't expect to have to walk my dog continuously after the training program! Even worse, he would bite and break the wee wee pad, bite through the wall. Well, Santa Monica Kennels' suggestion after the training is to put your dog in a crate. Wow, so I paid $3000 for training my dog to be put in a crate so then he won't do any house breaking! I see no point of training a dog at Santa Monica Kennels at all. Oh, and don't try to express yourself to hope to get a solution to your dog's problems after the training. Because their customer service after the training may be terrible. No matter what a customer says, I don't think employees at Santa Monica Kennels should yell or scream at you, which one of them did to me. The worst service I have ever experienced. - Matt , posted 11/02/06 |
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We've boarded our pug at Santa Monica Kennels many many times. the best thing about Santa Monica kennels is that they have an outdoor dog park about the size of half a city block that the dogs get regular, supervised exercise in. Whenever we go there to drop our dog off, we see dogs each with their own walker being trotted around the grounds. It's kind of a no frills place on the inside and has that creepy dog kennel smell, but our dog has always been happy going in and happy coming out and never seemed traumatized or weirded out. Santa Monica Kennels is about $30 per day (it's a very popular kennel so don't wait til the last second to reserve your dog's spot). They don't do Sunday pick ups and they're very strict about making sure your dog's shots are all up to date. So make sure your little guy has had his shots and be prepared to show the paperwork to prove it. - Alicia , posted 08/30/04 |
