A boarding stay goes well or badly largely on the basis of decisions made weeks before the dog arrives. Dogs that struggle in kennels are usually dogs that arrived cold — first separation, first strange environment, all in one go. Preparation solves most of it.
Four weeks out: choose properly
Visit in person and look past the marketing.
Ask about:
- Licensing and inspection rating
- Staff to dog ratio, and whether anyone is on site overnight
- Daily routine: how many walks, how long, individual or group
- Whether dogs from different households are mixed, and how they decide
- What happens if a dog stops eating
- Their vet arrangements, and whether they will use yours
- Emergency and evacuation procedures
Look at: the smell, the noise level, whether the dogs already there seem settled or frantic, how staff handle the dogs in front of you, cleanliness of the water bowls, and whether they ask you as many questions as you ask them. A kennel that does not want to know about your dog’s quirks is a kennel to avoid.
Three weeks out: vaccinations and paperwork
Most kennels require core vaccinations plus kennel cough, and they usually require the kennel cough vaccine to be given at least two weeks before arrival. Leave time.
Get together:
- Vaccination card
- Flea and worming treatment dates
- Your vet’s details and out-of-hours number
- Microchip number and up-to-date registered contact details
- Insurance policy number
- Written feeding instructions with actual weights
- Written medication instructions, dose and timing
- An emergency contact who is not travelling with you
Two weeks out: the trial stay
This is the step people skip and the step that matters most.
Book a single overnight, or even a day visit, well before the real booking. It does three things: the dog learns the place is temporary and you come back, the staff learn the dog while you are still reachable, and you find out about any problems while there is still time to change plans.
If your dog has never been separated from you overnight at all, build up at home first. Leave for an hour, then three, then have a friend look after the dog for an evening.
One week out: build the associations
Start feeding meals in whatever travel crate or carrier you will use. Send a bed that smells of home rather than detergent — so do not wash it.
Keep exercise normal. Resist the urge to exhaust the dog before the stay; arriving tired is not the same as arriving relaxed.
What to pack
Kennels vary in what they want you to bring, so ask. Generally:
- Food, pre-portioned into labelled bags for each meal. This removes every possible error.
- Bed or blanket that smells of home
- A familiar toy, though check their policy on toys left with unsupervised dogs
- Medication in original packaging with written instructions
- A worn t-shirt of yours, unwashed
- Lead and collar with ID tag
IRIS USA Airtight Pet Food Storage Container
Handy for sending a week’s food in one sealed, clearly labelled unit rather than a bag that splits in the boot.
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Do not send anything you would be upset to lose, and do not send hard chews to be given unsupervised.
The handover
Keep it short and matter of fact. Long emotional goodbyes raise the dog’s arousal and make settling harder. Hand over the lead, give the information, leave.
It feels cold. It is kinder.
Managing the anxious dog
If your dog is genuinely anxious about separation, a kennel may not be the right answer, and no amount of preparation will make it one. Options worth exploring:
- A home boarder who takes one dog at a time
- A sitter who stays in your house
- A friend or family member the dog already knows
- A vet conversation about short-term medication for a stay that cannot be avoided
Calming aids can take the edge off for mildly unsettled dogs.
ThunderEase Dog Calming Pheromone Diffuser Kit
A pheromone diffuser used in kennels and homes. Ask whether your kennel will plug one in, and start it at home a fortnight before so the association is already familiar.
Coming home
Expect a few days of oddness. Common and usually temporary:
- Sleeping heavily for a day or two
- Being extra clingy, or oddly aloof
- Drinking a lot
- Softer stools from the change in routine and water
Get back to the normal routine immediately rather than compensating with extra fuss. Most dogs are fully themselves within three days.
The honest assessment
Plenty of dogs board perfectly happily and come home smug. Plenty of others find it genuinely hard. The trial stay is how you find out which you have, and it costs one night to avoid a fortnight of worry.
