Sundowners Kennels

Beware of this place
SHOCK COLLARS ON ALL THE DOGS BIG AND SMALL THEY BOARD AND TRAIN.
false advertisement to never mentioning they use Shock collars on your dogs
They also Spray your dog with water hoses.
these people are nuts and cruel to dogs.
Took my dog for a day try out just to see how my dog does, the place is nice location. when I arrived I ask them not to use there shock collars on my dog, they informed me that this is how they keep all the dogs that stay there from barking they do not allow the dogs to bark, and its safe to use shock on the animals. when I went to pick my dog up at 3:30 it was quiet all dogs were inside in dog crates and cages.
my dog was very thirsty and hungry when we got home and very happy to be home.
Question being, DO all the dog owners who bring there dog to Sundowners know they use shock collars. Read less

We sent our five month old Shiba Inu to Sundowners Kennels for a month of training by a recommendation from a friend of ours and we couldn’t be happier. As some may know, shibas are naturally independent, defiant and stubborn little pups. Our dog Bob was good natured but not too concerned about listening to anyone but himself. After a month with Kate and team, he is sweet natured, much more calm, and really nailing the basics «sit, stay, down, wait, heel,» etc. He also seems really happy to please now versus constantly testing boundaries. We are so happy and grateful that we sent him!

In a word: this is the BEST! We’ve been taking our German Shepherd to Pluis and Katie to correct his reactive behavior — they show such love and, of course, incredible skill, and now our GSD just won his Obedience Qualifications!

We recently boarded our puppy at Sundowners. She has a sensitive stomach and the staff kept us informed on how she was doing while we were on vacation. Not only did they see to her needs but also had some great suggestion for her tummy!
Sundowners staff is always friendly, helpful and the kennel is always clean. Most of all the dogs are happy!

My dog has been going to Sundowners for a couple years now for both training and when I go away on vacation. I can’t believe how excited she gets when we pull in the driveway! She loves everyone on staff there (and she is a tough cookie) and enjoys her time there boarding as well as in classes.
Kate has such a clear way of teaching and demonstrating how to do it, you can see the difference in just one session of training. We have worked on obedience as well as confirmation (show ring) training. Often when I go away, I sign my dog up for training as well which is great because you can see such a difference when you get home.
It is so good to know that I always have a safe place to leave my dog whenever I need to leave town.

Sundowners is a fantastic sleepover camp for dogs who like to have fun and a great place for them to learn new skills, correct bad behaviors and make new friends. The huge play areas, year round sunshine and fresh air are perfect for active dogs. Pluis and Kate are outstanding trainers who love all breeds and always reward them with kindness and compliments. Pluis is in demand as an AKC Judge all over the world and she trains Search and Rescue dogs for fire departments in many big cities across the USA. Kate also has great experience training dogs and together with Pluis, you couldn’t ask for a more highly qualified team. Our dogs love to train with them and we are always happy with the care they get when staying for a few days. They happily feed our dogs the raw diets that we bring for them (plenty of freezer space) and they make sure our dogs get plenty of exercise. It’s well worth it for us to drive an hour to Sundowners for training and we highly recommend this kennel for overnight stays.

It’s worth the drive from my Carmel Valley home to work with and train my dogs with Pluis and Kate at Sundowner Kennel. Their expertise is broad and their knowledge top knotch (Pluis Davern trains Search and Rescue dogs all over the US and is an internationally known dog show judge). In addition to their skill, I am impressed with their empathy for the dogs and kindness to the dogs. There is joy in their voices when they commend a dog for learning a new skill – «that’s it» they’ll say and provide a reward. They train incrementally, taking the dogs through each part of a task and then chaining the tasks together until a full blown desired behavior is achieved. It’s beautiful to behold.
They are never «on the clock» either, they work with a dog or dog/​handler team until they attain success. Another thing I’ve noticed is their joy in sharing with each other or other staff the successes of a dog. It’s not the same old thing, it’s exciting and newsworthy when a dog «gets it.»
I haven’t had occasion to board my dogs at Sundowner yet, but wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to do so. The dogs in the kennel are obviously happy and well cared for. Sundowner has huge grassy areas for the dogs to have outside free time. The kennels have paddocks attached so the dogs can go inside and outside when kenneled.
It’s clear to me that the staff at Sundowners love the dogs and love their jobs, they start early and stay late, and the dogs reflect, with their joyful demeanors, the care they receive. I can’t recommend Sundowner Kennel highly enough.

I don’t recommend this boarding /​kenneling facility due to a worker there spraying the barking dogs directly with a hose. What an inhumane way of treating animals. While picking up my dog I actually witnessed someone working at the kennel spraying dogs 2 – 3 times directly with a hose after they had barked.
Also, while I was checking my dog out of the facility they attempted to overcharge me for my dogs bath. When I checked my dog into the kennel several days earlier I asked them (in person) how much it would be for a bath for my dog. I was told a minimum of $ 50 and at most $ 5 more — making it a total of $ 55 for a bath. After being quoted that price I agreed on them giving my dog a bath. A few days later one of the owners of Sundowners calls me and accuses me of trying to get away from not paying the full price of a bath. Hey, I got news for ya’ — when I’m quoted a price, I hold you to it. I’m an honest and trustworthy person and I don’t appreciate Sundowners Kennels trying to tell me that I’m not. It’s pretty obvious that the person checking my dog in needed more training on quoting prices for dog baths /​grooming.
We will never bring our pet here again due to the above unprofessional business practices.
If you’re looking for a kennel /​boarding place in Gilroy I suggest checking out The Dog House Inn in Gilroy. The high quality of service and professionalism they offer at The Dog House Inn can’t be matched!