A first stay at a Bournemouth boarder or day care
Whether your dog is going into Country Kennels Dorset's kennels, a day-care site or one of Bournemouth's nine home boarders, a first stay usually starts with a shorter visit first, so both sides can see how the dog settles before a longer booking.
Before you book: ask for a trial
Bella's House, a home boarder in Winton, offers a free meet-and-greet before any booking and requires a trial day or night before it will take a booking of a week or longer; that kind of step is common practice across this niche even where a business's own material doesn't say so, so ask about it wherever you call. Fido's Friends, also in Winton, takes dogs aged one year or older that are already house-trained and used to other dogs, which is worth checking against your own dog before arranging a trial.
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. Dog Tails Home Boarding, in Kinson, asks about microchipping, vaccination and parasite treatment ahead of a stay; have those details ready when you call, whichever business you choose.
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. Dog Tails Home Boarding runs day care to set hours, 8:15am to 5:30pm for a regular booking or 8:30am to 8:30pm ad hoc, so confirm the exact hours of whichever business you choose before you turn up, since these vary.
Meeting a home boarder first
Because a home boarder's address is only given once you book, the first real look you get at where your dog will actually stay is usually at a meet-and-greet, not before. Nine of Bournemouth's fourteen listed businesses are home boarders; use that first visit to see the garden, ask how many other dogs might be there at the same time, and ask what a typical day looks like in the house, rather than relying on a written description alone.
Collection, prices and what can add to the cost
Walkford Woofs, a home boarder covering the Christchurch area, publishes its rates: overnight boarding from £35 for one dog and £60 for two, day care from £20 for up to four hours or £30 for over nine, and a one-hour home visit at £15. Dog Tails Home Boarding publishes a lower rate for a second dog from the same household (£37) than its first-dog rate (£45). Ask any business whether the same kind of discount applies, and whether being early or late for collection adds to the price, since neither is unusual for this kind of business but is worth confirming before the day itself.
Longer stays and busy periods
Country Kennels Dorset, near West Moors, opens for drop-off and collection between 9am and 12:30pm and 1:30pm and 4pm daily; check the exact hours of whichever business you book, since a kennels' gate hours are usually narrower than a home boarder's. If you are booking over a school holiday or Christmas, ask early: kennel and home-boarder space in Bournemouth fills up faster than an ordinary week.