A first stay at a Bolton boarder or day care
Whether your dog is booked into Paws & Play Doggy Day Care's indoor activity park in Bolton centre, Ladyshore Grange's kennels in Little Lever or one of Bolton's 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
A trial or introductory visit is common practice across this kind of business, even where it is not stated outright on a business's own site. It lets a kennels see how a dog settles among others, and lets a home boarder see how a dog behaves in a house alongside their own pets and family. WOOF! Dog Services, a home boarder near Leigh, says on its own site that it was recently at capacity for new enquiries, so ask about current availability before assuming a trial can be arranged quickly.
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. The Dawg House Daycare & Boarding, in Horwich, runs both day care and home boarding from the same business, so it is worth asking whether a dog already known to its day-care side settles more easily into an overnight stay there.
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. Paws & Play Doggy Day Care Ltd, in Bolton centre, and Paws Doggy Day Care Leigh Ltd both run an indoor activity park or paddock alongside day care, so ask how a new dog is introduced to the wider group on its first visit.
Collection and drop-off
Ask what happens if you are early or late, and whether a bank holiday changes the price. Copperbeech Boarding Kennels & Cattery, in Blackrod, sets specific drop-off and pick-up windows and closes over Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and Easter Sunday, so check its calendar before planning a journey around a holiday. Ladyshore Grange Boarding Kennels and Cattery, in Little Lever, publishes set drop-off and pick-up windows too, and opens seven days a week year-round.
Meeting a home boarder first
Five of the thirteen businesses here 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 Dawg House Daycare & Boarding, Puddles & Cuddles Pet Care, Wendy's Wags, The Dogmother and WOOF! Dog Services. 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.