Tipping: Dog Kennels

[HelloChum]

Hi,
Do you tip and how much do you tip when you board your dog?

Another thread about tipping at pizza/chinese restaurants reminded me that I wanted to post about tipping the folks where you board your dogs while on vacation.

The place we intend to use is a family run business--we can choose to board her in a kennel or their house--we are opting for the house this time. She will also go to "doggie daycare" and swimming...may be small extra fee for those....(I know this is sounding over the top--I promise we are not!!)

It will probably be in the order of $25-30/day...dog will be there 2 weeks...looking at about a $400 bill...what is an appropriate tip?

$50, $75? more/less?
Thanks

 

[pal-mickey]

I have never tipped the kennel where I board my dog. I feel it's a business and they are providing a service I have to pay for.

 

[java]

I never tip the kennel. I am of the - we are paying for a sevice and I pay extra for all the play time ect. so I am paying for that already. I have never heard of tipping kennel people.
Now if I had someone coming to my home- that might be different.

 

[HelloChum]

Okay--I have to admit that last year we did not tip at this place--simply b/c we paid with a credit card and had no cash on us to cover a tip.

For some reason, not tipping did not sit well with me at the time because I was unsure if it was expected. So now I am just double checking what the consensus is prior to our upcoming summer vacation.

thanks for the replies....

 

[DISdreamin']

The only time I ever tipped a kennel was when I also had them bathe and clip nails for both our dogs - and the tip was for those services and not the actual kenneling.

 

[Hannathy]

I have never tipped a Kennel.

I guess if I asked them to do something special and they didn't charge me for doing it I would tip then but never for just normal boarding.

 

[njsweetP]

We've been using the same kennel for 7 years and have never tipped. I'm paying enough already ($40-45 a day) and it's well worth it. The place is immaculate, great big outside play area, skylights in the kennel, heated floors in the winter...

 

[robinb]

I have only tipped at a kennel when they would bathe my dog and clip her nails. I don't tip for a regular stay.

 

[labdogs42]

I don't tip at the kennel. Grooming, yes, kennel, no. So, in this case, I would not tip.

 

[cvjw]

I usually tip the person who takes care of my dog at the kennel $20 when I drop her off so that she will be well looked after. It might not make any difference, but it makes me feel better.

 

[Kate and Pete]

We have two dogs and have used the same kennel since they were pups. We've never tipped - actually, I never even thought about tipping...(even though we LOVE the people who work there!).

 

[scard192]

I boarded my cat last year and did not feel the need to tip. I paid $18/day plus an additional $6/day (every other day) for "play time". Didn't feel any need to tip. But then a cat doesn't need to be walked.

 

[Skatermom23]

I think it depends on the type of kennel. One that is located at the vets office or is run with multiple employees, then no, I would not tip. However, one that is located as part of a home business, yes I think you do need to tip.

 

[bettymae1121]

Never tipped at a kennel, never occured to me that I should! In a bizarre situation where an employee went above and beyond the call of duty...maybe then but otherwise I don't think it's a "tipped position".

 

[scrappyjae]

I didn't tip when we used a kennel last October, and good thing I didn't. I dropped off a healthy little puppy, but what I got back was a sick little mess. It took a couple of weeks to get him back to normal. Needless to say...we won't be going back there.

 

[mom2travel]

we've had dogs and/or cats for a long time and also have never tipped at the kennel.

 

[angwill]

We board with our vet who has his business on the side of his house. He is very innexpensive at $7 per night per dog so I do tip. It isn't expected but I tip because the woman who grooms and bathes the dogs also takes care of the dogs during the day while they are there. I give her $10 per week which isn't a lot but I pay so little and know my dogs love her so to me it is worth it.

It took me a while to find a place I knew my dogs liked. First two boarding places my dogs wanted nothing more than to get the heck out of there when I picked them up but this place is different because they have to go say goodbye to the lady who takes care of them before they let me take them home.

 

[kristilew]

I'm glad everyone is saying they don't tip - I was starting to panic when I saw the thread title! We've used the same kennel for 12 years and never tipped.

I do send a generous gift card to the two ladies who own it every Christmas, from my dogs

 

[pinkminnie]

I don't tip the kennel, but I do tip the groomer.