Customer Reviews

Kennels and Kenneling: A Guide for Hobbyists and Professionals (Howell Reference Books)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Kennels & Kenneling: A Guide For Professionals And Hobbyists continues to be an indispensable, instructional reference for anyone keeping multiple dogs either as a business or as a pastime. The reader is provided with strategies for planning, designing, constructing, and operating a successful kennel; instruction on how to make running any kennel easier and more enjoyable; solutions for problems common to both hobby and professional kennels; tips on keeping visitors happy and healthy; answers to most common kenneling and client questions; easy ways to maintain the information and records necessary to running a kennel smoothly; as well as effective and practical policies to ensure repeat visits and placements of canine guests. If you intend to create your own kennel, whether for personal satisfaction or for profit, begin with a careful and thorough reading of Joel McMains' Kennels & Kenneling.

I've read at least 80 books on kenneling and dog care so far and this book is the best I've read. Period. As I read the book, I kept saying "yes!...yes!" Because I had finally found a business owner that is *really* in the business because of a true love of dogs. Many people say they love dogs, but Mr. McMains lives that through his kennel design, ideas, and actions. You can't fake that kind of affection. The book was full of helpful hints, ethical solutions to dilemmas, and a common sense that any potential kennel owner should have. If I find myself in Mr. McMains neck of the woods, I am definately going to ask for a tour of his facility and ask for any new ideas or suggestions he might have!

OK, there are not so many books on the subject. From the few available, this one is probably the most comprehensive. Just behare that it was primarily designed with the professionals in mind. I think that there is still a large market for the hobbyists, that is, breeders that just want a simple kennel with 4 or 5 runs. By the way, with the help of this book, and some extra research, I was able to build a really nice kennel, used as a reference by many other breeders in my area.

This book discusses everything from sanitation to grooming to feeding to kennel construction. There are sample kennel construction ideas and sample ideas for boarding contracts etc. Wether you have multiple show dogs in your kennel or just board dogs for others or hobby, this is an essential guide. Mcmanis has several tips on policy and planning to keep your dogs and customers happy and returning. There were also many frequently asked questions that I had grappled with for years but after reading this book I was able to solve them.

I would actually give it a 4.5 only because I had hoped it would contain more blueprint-type details. It's an outstanding overall book about kennels in general and the most important thing to me is that the author really puts dogs first and all his recommendations are based on how certain behaviors make the dogs feel, which is also the most important thing to me.

This book was very easy to read and has good ideas and it also includes check-lists (which I thought was a good idea itself). It is easy to read, yet gives good details. I would reccomend this book for anyone remotely interested in Kenneling. It will let you know if the job is for you or not.

This book was full of actual information and helpful guidelines instead of the usual cliche's and generalizations that make up so many other how-to books. It sealed my interest in becoming an owner of a boarding kennel. The author's flexible yet common sense attitude toward his business is inspiring. The animal anecdotes made me laugh and some made me cry. I hope to be as firm yet compassionate as the author in my future business. Does he do seminars?

This book was a delight to read, was easy to follow, and added humor to a topic that can be harrowing to all but the stought-hearted. I would have wished for more detailed pictures, but one can't have everything. This book is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to build habitats for all kind of animals. The processes in this book follow sound, ethical, and humane animal husbandry practices.

This book was very informative on planning and building a large kennel. From ground up, to additions, to what materials are best to use.
The only thing I didn't like is this book doesn't give alot of information on a small(3 to 5)dog kennel.

I really enjoyed this book. I was interested in how the kennel operation works and this book definitely gave me insight. The problem/solution pages were extremely informative. Very down-to-earth, not too wordy like other books.