A first stay at a Macclesfield, Wilmslow or Congleton boarder
Whether your dog is booked into Newgate Kennels & Cattery in Wilmslow, one of the area's ten home boarders, or a franchise territory like Barking Mad, 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 or meet-and-greet is available even where a business's own site does not mention one.
Before you book: ask for a trial
Woof Squad, a home boarder covering Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme and Woodford, publishes a paid trial sleepover of £20 for 12 hours before a first full booking — a useful model for what to ask any of the other home boarders here, even where a trial is not advertised outright. Coppice Boarding Kennels & Cattery, in Higher Poynton, runs 24-hour staff attendance with a vet on call, which is worth asking about at a kennels that does not mention it on its own site.
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. Rookery Retreat, a home boarder specialising in flat-faced breeds such as French Bulldogs, is a reminder that it is worth mentioning any breed-specific needs, from breathing to temperature sensitivity, when you first get in touch.
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. Barking Mad's two local franchise territories, Barking Mad Stockport and Barking Mad Wilmslow & South Manchester, match dogs with an approved host family rather than boarding them all at one site, so ask how the specific family you would be matched with is chosen and introduced beforehand.
Collection and drop-off
Ask what happens if you are early or late, and whether a bank holiday changes the price. Newgate Kennels & Cattery is open seven days a week, 8am to 6pm, but does not accept new arrivals after 2pm, and closes on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Grove House Boarding Kennels keeps set drop-off and collection windows, Monday to Friday 9am to 11am and 1:30pm to 3pm, and weekends 9am to 11am only. Studholme Kennels & Cattery takes bookings by phone or in person only, with no online booking system, so build in time to call ahead.
Meeting a home boarder first
Ten of the seventeen businesses here board dogs in the boarder's own home rather than a kennel block, so their address is only given once you book, not published on this page. 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. Katie's K9s, a home boarder in the Congleton area, keeps group numbers small and tailors its routine to each dog, which is the kind of detail worth confirming for yourself at a first meeting rather than taking on trust.