A first stay at a Cambridge boarder or day care
Of Cambridge's 20 listed dog boarders, day cares and kennels, 13 work from the boarder's own home and 7 run purpose-built boarding kennels, mostly around the Ely area. Whichever kind you book, the basics of a good first stay are much the same, and worth working through before the day itself rather than at the door.
Before you book
Book a short visit or a single trial day before any longer stay. It lets your dog meet the people, the other dogs and the routine it will be living with, and it lets you judge the house, the garden or the kennel block for yourself rather than from a photo. Put the practical facts in writing at the same time: your vet's name and number, who to call if you cannot be reached, and any medical or behavioural detail the business should know before the first night.
What to pack
- Your dog's own food, portioned by day, with a day or two spare.
- Medication in its original packaging, with the dose and timing written on it.
- A collar or harness carrying a tag with your current number, plus a lead.
- One familiar item, such as its bed or a worn blanket, if the business allows it.
- A short written routine: meal times, how long it usually walks, and what tends to worry it.
A good handover
A good handover is a two-way conversation. The person taking your dog should want to know about feeding, exercise and temperament; if nobody asks, treat that as a signal. Agree the return date and time in writing, along with how the business will contact you if anything changes. With a home boarder, the address usually comes only after you have booked, because it is a private house, so settle in advance where and when you will meet.
Collection
Before the stay, ask how a late pick-up is charged and whether a second dog from the same home pays a different rate. When you collect, ask for a brief account of how the stay went, covering appetite, sleep and how your dog settled, whether or not the business offers one unprompted; it is a fair expectation after any booking.
If it doesn't go to plan
If your dog seems distressed at collection, or a business can't answer straightforward questions about the stay plainly, that's useful information even if nothing visibly went wrong — you're not obliged to book with the same business again. Most first stays go well; an honest debrief either way makes the next one easier to arrange, whether that's with the same business again or a different one next time. See our vaccinations and licences guide for what to ask before you get to this point.