Frequently asked questions
Is every dog suitable for home dog boarding?
No. We provide family environments which are only suitable for friendly, family dogs. We cannot take any dog which shows any aggressive tendencies, or has any record of aggression towards humans or other dogs. All dogs must be calm, balanced and non-aggressive. We can cater for puppies as long as they are house trained. We cannot take any dogs that are destructive, bark excessively, have separation anxiety, or are incontinent. We cannot take any dogs that pull hard on the lead, or bitches that are in season.
Does my dog need to be vaccinated?
Yes, we will need a copy of your vaccinations card. Your dog must also be wormed and treated for fleas. In the Summer we recommend anti-tick treatment to be used as well.
How will my host family know how to care for my dog?
All our families are trained, and have experience owning dogs of their own. We encourage continuous training and good manners in our dogs, and our families will be able to continue any training you are doing with your dog. They will always have a copy of the form you have filled in about your dog, so you can give them as much information as you wish about your dog and his/her home routine. You will always meet your home boarding family before your booking, so that is a good opportunity to fill your host in with any additional information. Our hosts are given the opportunity to attend Canine First Aid training days, and are all trained in basic canine psychology and first aid.
Will my dog be let off the lead?
This depends on your wishes. If you believe your dog’s recall is 100% and you wish the carer to let your dog off the lead, then if the carer is happy they will do so. However you must accept full responsibility if your dog gets lost, causes an accident or gets into a fight. Our carer’s usually test the recall on a flexi-lead for the first few days, and use treats to reward good recall. Our guests all wear dog tags with our telephone number on them during their stay.
What sort of host families do you have?
We have a range of host families suitable for home boarding a variety of dogs. Some are retired and enjoy the company of boarding dogs, some are young couples and families who enjoy the extra exercise and the fun of boarding lively young dogs, all have one thing in common: their love of dogs. Our basic criteria are that they must be based at home, they must be over the age of 25 years, they must not have any children under the age of 5 years, and they must have a secure garden. We reference all our families, and personally interview them to check their suitability. All our host familes are provided with a full set of procedures to follow and where required our host families will also be licenced by their local council. Generally this means they will have been inspected by a council inspector as well as a local vet, and will need various health and safety measures in place.
How do I meet my host family?
If a suitable host family is available, you will be put in touch with your proposed host family. You must contact them and arrange a visit at a mutually convenient time within a week, and then the booking can be confirmed.