maxie

Maybe you could look for a private carer. Someone who you can meet beforehand, maybe go on walks with the dogs. See how they interact. It seems like your dogs might be more comfortable in a private home with someone they already know?  I don't know how good the pet carer websites are, but it might be worth a look.    Thanks for the update. I do hope the authorities will make her life difficult!   

It really pisses me off to hear about your experience. If they don't like dogs, they shouldn't run a kennel. Even worse with shy dogs who come with a bit of baggage and need particular care to become confident. And I hate that you even have to suspect one of them has bruising. You are sounding remarkably calm for that, but I suspect you were spitting with rage. Plus, you paid a lot of money to have your pets taken care of. Maybe that is the problem. Too profitable?   Re: nutritious diet, yadda yadda. There are so many different dog foods and preferences of dogs and owners. You can't switch a dog used to BARFing to dried food in a day and vice versa, for example. It's a recipe for disaster.   Let us know how this plays out.

Good luck. I hope your proof is enough to make a whole lot of trouble for them. Pricks. If they can't deal with bouncy dogs or any dogs, they shouldn't be running a kennel. 

  That sounds a bit weird, to be honest. I contacted a doggy day care and they had a long form I had to fill out, then 4-5 pages of terms and conditions that spelled out exactly what they would do, wouldn't do, what they would take responsibility for and how they would deal with a variety of scenarios.  All the dogs that were there for boarding had their own bedding and of course you have to provide your own food. Not just in case of allergies, but also most dogs do not react to well to a sudden switch in diet. If I ran a kennel, it would be in my own best interest to make sure the dogs are eating familiar stuff as piles are much easier to clean up than puddles (sorry).    I also had to provide proof of vaccinations and Haftpflicht insurance for the dog.    The question is how far you want to go. Just never use them again yourself. Give a bad review on Google, Facebook etc. Make sure other people don't go their to keep their dog safe. Get compensation for your vet bills. Report them to the Tierschutz or Veterinäramt.    https://www.lmtvet.bremen.de/tiere/tierschutzbeschwerden-4686  https://www.bremer-tierschutzverein.de/   

"Oh, but surely she's going to lose weight before the wedding!!" Turns to me: "Right?"    Ok, got another one: "So when is the baby due?" He's six months old, you moron. Didn't say the last one out loud, but I think my face said it anyway.  

If they drugged your dogs to keep them quiet, it would be an absolute no go. Do try to collect samples. The vet should also be able to advise you what to do next.   What is the certification of the kennel? The ones I know are certified according to §11 Tierschutzgesetz. The people running it are certified trainers. Quite often they are part of a federation or similar, which have their own rules and regulations and probably would not be very happy if people who advertise being certified according to their standards not treating the dogs in their care right.   I guess the people to complain to/ contact would be the local Veterinäramt. Sadly though, a lot of times they cannot do very much. Worth a try though. And of course don't forget to leave bad reviews everywhere :-)

Re: Zwischenzeugnis - We have also given them to people with time limited contracts for them to start looking for other jobs. Or if your work situation changes, but that can be anything from additional responsibilities, new boss, new projects etc.  I am not HR, but I have had a few people apply with a Zwischenzeugnis from their current job and neither I nor the HR representative found it weird. You definitely don't need one, but it doesn't hurt either.  One of my colleagues asked for one after two years, just to have it in case he wanted to apply elsewhere. The job he had before had a completely different focus and he wanted something to show what he was currently doing. Of course your boss is always going to wonder if you are applying for a new job somewhere when you ask for a Zwischenzeugnis, but as this is actually what your boss wants, he should be more than happy to write you a good one to make sure you get another job and leave. 

Re. Mutterschutz: You could work in the six weeks before birth, but you would have to give your employer a written info that you are doing so willingly etc. Some people do that and take more time off after the birth.  If the baby is born before the due date, those days are added onto the 8 weeks.  If your baby is premature (as per the doctor's definition, pre week 37, or below 2.500 g etc.), you get 12 weeks after the birth.    Example: If your baby is 6 weeks early, you will have 18 weeks maternity leave with Mutterschaftsgeld: 8 weeks after plus 4 weeks for premature baby plus 6 weeks you didn't take before the birth. 

And please change your locks asap. The guys seems to be such a prick that I wouldn't put it past him to mess up the place while you are gone just to make trouble. Changing a lock is not that hard though that depends on the lock that is in there at the moment. And best take a friend with you when you go there. It's always good to have a witness.

Do you have a works council? That would be your first address  

The reason the airbnb landlord does not want to give you the document might be that s/he doesn't have permission to let out the place as a holiday rental or sublet it. If caught, they could face heavy fines in some cities. The suggestions above are really good ones. a furnished rental might be expensive, but would solve those issues. To look for a place to live, some companies have a notice board - often online - where people advertise apartments etc. Depends on the size of the company.   Welcome to Germany and good luck!   Re: schools - School holidays in Baden-Württemberg don't start until next week, so if you want to have a chat with any schools in particular, now is the time! Depending on type of school you want for you eldest (regular, international, alternative (Walldorf, Montessori), you could go the other way: Find a school you like and focus your search for accommodation on that area.

Could you give some examples, please? :-)    

Oh, and most clubs have their own guns. They might not be the best or the fanciest, but since everyone has to be a member for over a year and needs to shoot regularly, before even applying for a license, they need to have some to get the new members trained.  For example our club: air rifles and pistols, some shotguns, several .22s, one 9 mm, one .357 revolver, one .44 and one .45.  If someone else is using it, you might need to wait a bit, but they are there for all the members to use.     

IPSC is shot in BDS. BUT: You do not necessarily need to be a member of a club that is a BDS member. You can also be part of a DSB club and become an individual member of the BDS.  For IPSC you need you gun licence (WBK) and then an additional safety course because you are moving around with the gun.  There is also the BDMP which offers 1500 competitions and Bianchi.  My husband does both and is waiting for the safety course for the IPSC which is supposed to take place sometime in August.  His German is rudimentary at best. The IPSC scene is very international and most people we have met a competitions speak English - a lot of the participants don't speak German as the matches are usually international.  Our local club has a lot of helpful, English speaking members and of course he relies heavily on his very own interpreter, aka me, for the official stuff and paperwork.  There is one place near Frankfurt where you can get do the theoretical part for the gun license in English. If you need more info, just send me a PM. 

There are two associations: Bund deutscher Sportschützen and Deutscher Schützenbund. You could check their website as they seem to be a bit more up to date than some clubs http://www.ziel-im-visier.de/inhalt/Vereinssuche/ Not sure where to find it on the BDS page, but you could ask the Landesverband Bayern: https://www.bdsnet.de/ueber_uns/landesverbaende.html   When you go talk to them, make sure you ask about what kind of shooting they do, what kind of calibers, disciplines etc. Some clubs will make new members shoot air guns for the first year, followed by a year of small caliber shooting. Some clubs may not have the facilities to shoot anything other than .22. Or only have a couple of 25 m ranges etc. It all depends on what you want to do and what kind of shooting you want to get into.