Mark and I had been mostly satisfied with Colt’s previous kennel, Mutts & Mittens, but with a 3 week trip to The US fast approaching and them somewhat dropping the ball with his reservation, we decided it was a sign for a change. We were a little concerned leaving him there anyway for such a long period of time since there’s not as much social interaction or activities as we would like.
So, we decided to do the 5 days of trial “daycare” at K9 Kulture, a different kennel, to see if it was a better fit. At M&M, Colt had an air conditioned cage that although a nice size, was an individual unit meaning he spend most of the day by himself. But at K9 all the dogs are kept together. They are outside during the day in a fenced in area and in an indoor air-conditioned area with shared beds at night so he gets unlimited interaction with other dogs. There is also a lot more organized activity at K9 with a daily 2.5km walk and swim (which Colt LOVES) versus just two 15 minute outdoor romps at M&M.
Colt being introduced to the pack
Swimming with friends
Just chilling
On the 3rd day of his 5 day temperament testing period I went there to see how he likes it. For spying, there is a very convenient K9 Kafe where you can order coffee or food and watch your dog play – they even serve dogs there too! All seemed well enough and Colt acted like he was really enjoying himself. Although, he wasn’t paying too much attention to the other dogs instead choosing to make his rounds amongst the trainers to see who he could lean against and sucker a few pets out of – he had a 100% success rate from what I saw.
Colt stalking one of his favorite trainers for attention
Making friends with one of the few other Great Dane in Singapore
Hot so taking a break by sitting under the shaded area with fans
Enjoying his playtime
In case I wasn’t convinced enough that Colt thoroughly enjoyed himself, he decided to show me. Each morning before Colt would get picked up, the driver would call my phone and by the 3rd day Colt picked up on this. Now every time my phone rings Colt rushes to the door and does tail-wagging circles by his leash. Talk about a blow to the ego. I mean, he could have at least pretended to not to be so excited!
Sleeping sound after a long day at daycare!
Anyways, after Colt's extended stay at K9 we are pretty happy/satisfied with his care and all signs point to the conclusion that he enjoyed himself as he still goes to the door when my phone rings and has now taken to longingly barking at and chasing after vans (the K9 pick up vehicle). Also, my friend Hayley went for a coffee at the K9 Kafe to check on Colt while we were gone (Thanks again Hayley!!) - she said Colt looked healthy and was getting attention. Our only complaint is that they failed to properly give him his medication for a foot infection which led to a few complications and a vet visit. But, can't complain too much since they did try to rectify the situation by not charging us for the transportation or vet costs. So, all-in-all, Colt was happy so we are happy. We will definitely use K9 in the future.
Photo of Colt playing ball that Hayley sent me while we were on vacation
In other Colt news...We need to give a shout out to my mother-in-law, Gayle, who introduced us to the Thundershirt. We've only used the shirt a few times now since it's not storming as frequently but it has transformed Colt from a blubbering mess during storms to his calm alter-ego "Thunder Colt". We would recommend Thundershirt to anyone whose dog has storm anxiety.
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