The right choice depends far more on your dog than on the option. A sociable, resilient dog does well almost anywhere; an anxious or elderly one has much narrower requirements.
Boarding kennels
Suits: confident, sociable, adaptable dogs. Dogs who cope well with routine and noise.
Does not suit: anxious dogs, noise-sensitive dogs, very old dogs, dogs with medical needs requiring close observation, and dogs who find other dogs stressful.
What to look for on a visit — and never book without one:
- Clean, dry, warm kennels with no lingering ammonia smell
- Individual runs with enough space to move properly
- Secure double-gated entry and exit
- Staff who engage with the dogs, not just the paperwork
- Clear policy on how many walks per day, and whether they are individual
- Willingness to show you everything, including the kennels in use
- Licensing and insurance displayed
- A vet on call, and a written policy on emergencies
- Dogs in residence who look relaxed
Red flags: refusal to let you see the kennel areas, no request for vaccination records, no questions about your dog, a strong smell, constant distressed barking, or staff who seem rushed.
Ask specifically:
- How many staff per dog, and is anyone on site overnight?
- How much individual exercise and human contact does a dog get daily?
- What happens if my dog stops eating?
- Will my dog mix with unfamiliar dogs, and how are groups chosen?
- Can I bring their own bed and food?
- What is your emergency procedure, and which vet do you use?
Home boarding
The dog stays in a carer’s home as part of the household.
Suits: most dogs, particularly those who find kennel environments stressful, and dogs used to being part of a family.
Does not suit: dogs who do not get on with other dogs, dogs who guard resources, and dogs who are unreliable with resident cats or children.
Check: licensing (required in many areas), how many other dogs are there and whether they are compatible, whether dogs are left alone and for how long, the garden’s security, and whether dogs sleep separately.
Ask for an introductory visit and watch how your dog is with them.
Pet sitters — visiting or live-in
Visiting sitters come to your house two to four times a day.
Suits: cats obviously, and dogs who are genuinely comfortable alone for stretches. Not suitable for most dogs for more than a day or two, because the gaps are long.
Live-in sitters stay in your home.
Suits: almost every dog, and particularly anxious, elderly and medically complex dogs. The routine, the house and the smells all stay the same. It is usually the least stressful option and often the most expensive.
Check: insurance, DBS or equivalent background check, references you actually follow up, a written agreement covering vet authority and costs, and a trial day before a long trip.
Daycare
For working days rather than holidays.
Suits: sociable, resilient dogs who genuinely enjoy other dogs.
Does not suit: a surprising number of dogs. Many find a large group of unfamiliar dogs exhausting rather than fun, and a dog who comes home wired rather than tired is not having the experience the marketing describes.
What good daycare looks like:
- Small groups, matched by size, age and play style
- Genuine rest periods, not eight hours of play
- Staff trained in canine body language who interrupt before things escalate
- A proper assessment day before acceptance
- Willingness to tell you honestly if your dog is not enjoying it
Red flags: enormous mixed groups, no rest area, staff who describe all interaction as “playing”, and a facility that takes every dog without assessment.
Watch how your dog behaves at pick-up over a few weeks. Excitement to go in and calm tiredness at home is good. Reluctance to go in, or a dog who is hyper and unable to settle for hours afterwards, is not.
Preparing whatever you choose
A trial run. One night before a two-week trip. This is the single most valuable thing you can do.
Vaccinations, including kennel cough, at least two weeks in advance — many facilities require this and it takes time to be effective.
Parasite treatment current.
Their own food, pre-portioned into labelled bags, to avoid a diet change on top of everything else.
Their own bed or blanket, unwashed. Familiar smell matters.
Written instructions: feeding amounts and times, medication with doses and timings, routines, quirks, fears, recall word, what they are like with other dogs.
Contact details: yours, a local emergency contact, and your vet. Written authority for treatment, with a cost ceiling you are comfortable with.
ID: tag with current number, microchip details up to date.
Settling in and afterwards
Expect some disruption for a few days afterwards — a dog who sleeps a lot, or is clingy, or has slightly loose stool. Boarding is tiring and mildly stressful even when it goes well, and stress hormones take days to clear.
A probiotic around the trip is a reasonable precaution for dogs prone to stress colitis.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps keep this site free. We only recommend products we would use with our own dogs.
Purina FortiFlora Canine Probiotic Supplement
Single-serve sachets widely used around boarding, travel and other stressful events, where loose stool is common. Start a few days before rather than after.
Sending a familiar long-lasting chew or food toy also helps a dog settle in an unfamiliar kennel.
KONG Classic Dog Toy
Send one that already smells of home, with instructions for stuffing it. A familiar object that produces food is a genuine comfort in a strange kennel.
What to do if it went badly
If your dog comes home in poor condition, frightened, injured or noticeably thinner, raise it directly and in writing, take photographs, and see your vet. In many countries boarding is licensed by the local authority, and complaints are how standards are enforced.
And trust what your dog tells you. A dog who plants their feet at the door of a place they have been before is giving you information worth acting on.
