Vaccinations, licences and what to ask a Manchester dog boarder

Twenty-three dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Manchester, spread across seven areas and licensed by four different councils: Manchester City Council, Trafford Council, Stockport Council and Bury Council. None of them publish a vaccination timetable or a safety guarantee, and this directory does not set one either — a business's own vaccination and health policy is theirs to state, and yours to ask about before you book.

Vaccinations and kennel cough

Every boarder, home boarder and day care will ask what vaccinations your dog has had before it takes a booking, but requirements vary between businesses and are not listed on this site. Kennel cough cover in particular is handled differently from one business to the next; ask directly rather than assuming a stay elsewhere means the same policy applies here.

• Which vaccinations do you need to see, and how far ahead of the stay do you want the certificate?
• How do you handle kennel cough: is cover required, and what happens if a dog shows symptoms during a stay?
• If my dog falls ill while it's with you, which vet do you use and who makes the call?

Breed rules and household conditions

A boarder or kennel can set its own conditions on breed, age, or how many dogs it will take from one household — none of the 23 businesses listed here publish a specific breed policy online, so this is a direct question rather than something this directory can answer for you.

• Do you have any breed restrictions or conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate?
• How many other dogs will be there at the same time, and are they from one household or several?
• Are you insured, and can you show evidence of current cover?

Home boarders and shared households

Thirteen of the 23 businesses listed for Manchester are home boarders, working from their own house rather than a kennel block. If your dog doesn't get on with other dogs, or has never lived alongside a cat, ask specifically how many other animals will be in the house during your dog's stay, not just how many dogs are booked in on the same dates.

What the licence covers

Every business listed here holds a licence from whichever council covers its area, but Manchester's licence details come from a third-party mirror of four councils' registers rather than a council's own page for most of them, and none of the entries found this pass carried a council star score. See our Manchester council licences guide for what each council's register does and doesn't show, and ask to see the certificate itself rather than a number quoted on a website.

Before you book

• What does the price include, and how are the first and last day of a stay counted?
• How is medication given during a stay, and is there a charge for it?
• Is collection included, or charged separately?

Whether you're calling a home boarder in Stockport or a day care in Prestwich & Bury, these are worth asking before you commit to a date.