Skipton Kennel

I despise the thought of having to board my dogs… HOWEVER not anymore. Place is immaculate– no smell inside or out! 100% confidence. Ive watched play time, group and one on one… just like home. I like the staff, no fancy smanchie– it is about the animal. AMEN!

We have been bringing our beagle Blake to Skipton since the start of the year and could not be happier! He wags his tail the whole way up the driveway and Karen and her team are always happy to see him. He’s very energetic and seems to get along great with the other dogs he plays with. They have very accommodating hours and provide feedback on Blake’s behavior, etc. They even post pictures of the dogs on their Facebook page so we can see Blake and all his friends! Best part is we can be flexible in what days we bring him and don’t have to commit to anything. Reasonable rates, close to home, great staff, great experience.

Seven-​plus years later, and I am still singing Skipton’s praises. They are my favorite local business, hands (paws) down.
Karen and her team understand canine behavior, socialization, wellness, etc. like nobody I’ve ever met before. The care they show to the dogs – and the thoughtful way they socialize them with one another (once they’ve gotten to know their personalities) – gives us pet parents great peace of mind. I’ve learned so much from Karen and her team. They will all regularly go out of their way to share their knowledge with you. It is a rare combination to be equally caring and intelligent with pets, as well as with people. The team at Skipton has mastered that balance.
Truly, I’d be remiss to move away from the Waltham area. Skipton is an indispensable part of my – and my dogs’ – lives.

My dog, Scout, has gone there twice, but I think we’re done. They’re nice enough, and they keep the dogs safe, but I don’t get the impression they do much else. Both times I’ve picked Scout up, she’s had scrapes on her nose from rubbing her face on the crate. (She doesn’t usually experience separation anxiety like that)
Also, she’s very dog friendly and it would relax her to spend time in the yard, but based on their facebook pictures this last time– it looks like she only went in the yard by herself. I get the impression that the dogs are crated most of the time they’re there, and from what I’ve seen of the cage area, the crates aren’t very big. There may be bigger runs in another area of the building, but it wouldn’t be where the dogs stay all the time.
I’ll be looking for a boarding facility with bigger runs where she can be turned out in playgroup for most of the day, or engaging a private pet sitter from now on.
One plus: They do bathe your dog before you pick them up, which is a nice service.

I brought Neshek (Mr. N) to Skipton for a Thursday-​Tuesday stay. I am so happy with the care and attention he received that I had to come home and write a review straight away. My husband and I were looking for a kennel in the Waltham-​Watertown-​Newton area and hadn’t found anything prior to now that really grabbed our attention. We would continue to board Neshek near my parent’s house which was out of the way. I took a chance with Skipton, called the day I needed to board him and they were very accommodating and took a chance on us even though he wasn’t in day care with them. I was welcomed by all the staff especially ‘Goose.’ She was so nice and warm, and was very patient and understanding when Neshek was nervous and unwilling to enter the office. ‘Goose’ called me a few hours after Neshek was dropped and assured me he was doing well and even posted pictures so I could see he was ok. I am so happy with the care that I would not hesitate to board Neshek again with Skipton and will start doing day care as well so he can continue to develop a relationship with everyone.

Skipton Kennel has the best animal groomer in Waltham.
Our 3 dogs have been groomed at Skipton Kennel for years. They are located behind Kindness Animal hospital. In December, their groomer Sharon left and they hired Ashley to take her place.
We are hesitant and fussy about who grooms and cares for our shih tzus. But, Ashley did a perfect job on our dogs, even our «Drama Queen» who hates to be groomed.
Usually, the drama queen dog lies about in shock for two days after her grooming.
But, not this time. She felt comfortable with her as all my dogs did.
My spoiled dogs don’t get exposed to strangers. But, they all liked and did well with Ashley grooming them. She definitely has something that my dogs sensed she is a trusted and friendly human.

We have been taking our dog to Skipton Kennel since she was a puppy. Karen, David, and all of the staff spend the time to get to know her, understand her personality, and really take care of the animals there. We moved about 30 minutes away, but we still always bring our dog to Skipton. It’s worth the drive because we know she is in good hands! She always comes back to us looking happy and healthy!

Our dogs, Cooper & Kirby, are loyal Skipton fans. They stay with Karen, David and the team two or three times a year. When we turn the corner onto Linden Street the dogs get so excited! When we get back, the dogs are happy and not in a hurry to leave. Super nice staff who have worked wonders with our dogs. The vet on site is a bonus.

We bring our hyper Dalmatian Bella to Skipton 2 – 3 times per week for doggie daycare. We are so lucky to have found such an amazing place filled with such amazing people! Karen and her staff care for the dogs like they’re their own. Bella is always so excited to go to Skipton, and always happily tired out when she comes home. It’s such a relief to know we can count on Skipton to look after and play with our dog while we’re working or away.
We wouldn’t go anywhere else! They’re the best!

We’ve been bringing our 15 year old American Eskimo to Skipton for the past 3 years, and couldn’t be happier with the staff, their groomers, or their kennel services. The owners clearly care about dogs, and we feel like our dog is as well taken care of at Skipton as she would be at home; this is an especially big feat as our dog is a bit standoffish, and doesn’t warm to just anyone. We’ve found them to be really accommodating when we needed last minute kennel or grooming care, and also appreciate their warmth and friendliness. They’re also attached to an animal hospital, which is a big perk in terms of peace of mind (especially with an older dog) as well as for times when our dog needed a shot – they’ve brought her over to the vet and picked extra prescription dog food for us when necessary.

This place is fabulous. My brother and I left our dogs there over the last holidays (thanksgiving and xmas). When we brought them back for the Christmas stay, my dog jumped on the staff like he saw an old friend. That sealed it for me.
They also gave discount for multiple dogs, even though technically it was separate (my brother and I each had one)
I will be using them this holiday season and every other time I need to board my dog.

I wouldnt leave my dog anywhere else on the planet!!!
The owner and her son are the best and treat every animal as they were their own!

The dogs are in crates most of the day and dont get any interaction with other dogs. if you are going to leave your dog in a crate, why pay for it!

Skipton is really as good as it gets. In my dogs’ 5 years of life I have tried 5 different kennels/​day cares. I may be an over protective mom, but I didn’t like any of those places (due to repeated injuries and neglect) until I found Skipton.
Karen knows as much about dogs as Cesar Milan. Every time my two boys visit Karen, they come home well behaved and so happy. It’s a great sign when they are happy to walk into her home. I also love that our vet is right next door. If anything were to happen, I feel safe that their doctor can be there in a flash.
I know unfortunate things could happen anywhere. Lightening also strikes. However, if something were to happen, I know Karen would do everything in her power to help my boys.
I moved 40 minutes away from Skipton 8 months ago and haven’t even wasted my time searching for a new kennel. I rather make the drive knowing my boys are taken care of. Karen and her son treat my dogs the same way I would. They’re not there to make money, they are there because they LOVE animals and know what’s best for them more than most owners. It feels like I’m leaving my dogs with family when I leave them with Skipton Kennel.

I brought my dog here a few times when we needed to travel. I’m attached to my dog and I’m not going to lie, it broke my heart a little to have to leave her somewhere. I sorted through reviews and even asked people on Unilocal about their experiences here. We decided on Skipton and made arrangements to bring her. They offer a free play day to test it out, and we did that and she seemed fine. Phew.
Shortly after that came the four night stay. I didn’t want to do it, I can’t lie. We had no choice though. The day came (finally) for me to pick her up. I was all excited thinking she would run and jump at my voice. Nothing. Nothing at all. That’s how much she likes it here.

We love Skipton. Our pets love Skipton… and Karen and David. Skipton is my dog’s home away from home. It was so nice to find a kennel staffed by people who love all dogs. We have a bully breed dog, Bailey, who is a pitt bull and have run into so many problems with other kennels with their stereotypes and biases. My dog is a therapy dog, she is not a well behaved dog with a beast inside that is waiting to explode and kill.
Karen and David are very loving and it was very helpful to have them walk us through their facility and talk about their daily routines with the dogs. I love that their fees are reasonable and include food and treats if needed. Bailey always arrives with her tail wagging and always leaves with her tail wagging. I can tell that the people at Skipton really love her and really take care of her. It makes it much easier to leave her when we need to go out of town. This place is well worth the drive across town from Chelsea.

I LOVE Skipton. My ex-​boyfriend and I used to take his dog, Riley, there when we went away overnight or for weeks at a time. Karen and her team were phenominal. Riley was always happy to be there and was always in great shape when we came back for him. They loved him there! Always excited to see him and play with him. He was epileptic so they made an exception and kept them in house with them at night time. They’d handle his seizure episodes if, unfortunately, he had one while there, with professionalism and skill. If needed, they’d take him to the vet and keep in constant communication with us. Riley no longer visits his friends at Skipton since he has since moved out of state but I can say with certainty that he misses them.

I love Skipton. It’s the only place where we have brought our dog for boarding where the next time we bring him in he’s actually wagging his tail and happy to see everyone who works there (and comes back to us wagging his tail).
They exercise the dogs according to their needs to make them happy dogs. What a wonderful philosophy. On top of that, I’ve found them completely professional in every respect.
Kyla, if you happen to read this, don’t get defensive about personal attacks when you make personal attacks, i.e. your statement that «all the great reviews are misleading» [note: aside from Kyla’s review, all but one review gives five stars… the other gives four stars], or that «(the owner) is kind of crazy.» And if you’re actually freaked that your dogs were fed bull penises, then (1) why not ask your dogs whether they enjoyed them, and (2) take a visit to the factory where they make your dogs’ food and then get back to us.
Sorry for the personal attacks, everyone, but really – this is a great kennel.

If not for Skipton Kennel in Waltham and Karen & David, I would never be able to go anywhere including work! I have two Italian Greyhounds who are hmmmm HIGH MAINTENANCE and Skipton still likes them! I too them to another kennel once and they both came back sick with paw infections. One lost 3 lbs in a week which is a lot of weight loss for a 17 lb dog.
They come back happy, and healthy after a stay with Karen & David (who live there!). The animals are not kept in dark, small crates or left out in cement dog runs for hours. The kennel is NOT your typical kennel. It is a large, clean, well lit home but don’t take my word for it — get the grand tour!
Dogs are treated according to their needs and personalities. My dogs are older and one has Cushings disease and the other is seizure prone and this is another reason I would never leave my dogs anywhere else. Every animal is treated like «family» and my dogs enjoy their stay.
I can actually go away and know that my dogs are being taken care of the same way they would if it was me. I am very very happy that I found Skipton. I would NEVER take my pets anywhere else.

We were out of town for 12 days, and I couldn’t sneak both of my pups along for the whirlwind ride. I found Skipton Kennels on Unilocal,and went, previewed it, felt really comfortable.
Halfway through our trip, we got a voicemail from Karen, telling us how precious our dogs were, and how she was most likely going to kidnap them. That made us laugh when we got the message, and definitely put us at ease.
When I went to pick them up, the dogs were happy, goofy, and seemed very relaxed. They were excited to see me, and I’ve noticed one of my dogs has completely stopped his submissive urination problem. Don’t know if that has anything to do with Skipton, but I’ll go ahead and assume they worked their canine magic!