A first stay at an Eastbourne boarder or day care
Whether your dog is booked into Nightingale Boarding Kennels in Polegate, Linden Lodge Kennels & Cattery near Hailsham, or one of Eastbourne's five home boarders, a first stay usually goes better with a shorter visit first, so both sides can see how the dog settles before a longer booking. Ask whether a trial day or meet-and-greet is available even where a business's own site does not mention one.
Before you book: ask for a trial
Eastbourne Doggy Daycare is explicit about this: it runs a four-hour taster session before a first booking, and takes puppies from 12 weeks old. The Sussex Dog Retreat limits its home boarding to four dogs at a time and says it has experience with senior dogs and dogs living with dementia or other health issues, which is worth mentioning at a trial if it applies to your dog. Active Animal Pet Care's own contact page currently says it is not accepting any new dogs for day care or boarding as it is full, so check current availability before assuming a trial can be arranged at all.
What to pack
Take your dog's usual food for the length of the stay, any medication with clear written instructions, a bed or blanket that smells of home, and a lead and collar with an up-to-date tag. For a home boarder, ask whether the household has other dogs or pets of its own so you know what your dog is joining, not just where.
Handover on the day
Give the person taking your dog a clear account of feeding times, any health issues and how your dog behaves around other dogs, since this is the point at which a boarder can adjust its plan for your dog specifically. We Love Pets Eastbourne & Polegate says it runs a "no pack walking" policy and never takes more than four dogs out at once, so it is worth asking any business here how many dogs are walked or kept together at a time.
Collection and drop-off
Ask what happens if you are early or late, and whether a bank holiday changes the price. Nightingale Boarding Kennels sets drop-off and collection windows of 8:30 to 10:30am and 2:30 to 4pm, with no afternoon collection on Wednesdays, so check its calendar before planning a journey around those hours. Linden Lodge Kennels & Cattery opens Monday to Saturday 9am to noon and Sunday and bank holidays 10am to noon, with evening collection available at 5pm for an extra night's fee.
Meeting a home boarder first
Five of the eight businesses listed for Eastbourne board dogs in their own home rather than a kennel block or day-care premises, so their address is only given once you book, not published on this page: The Sussex Dog Retreat and We Love Pets Eastbourne & Polegate in the Eastbourne centre area, Dingo's Rest and Salty Seadogs Seaford in Seaford, and Active Animal Pet Care in Hailsham. Use a meet-and-greet to see where your dog would actually stay, ask how many other dogs might be there at the same time, and find out what a typical day in the house looks like, rather than relying on a description alone.