A first stay at a Durham or Chester-le-Street dog boarder or day care
Booking a first stay with a new boarder, day care or kennels in Durham or Chester-le-Street is different from a routine rebooking: there is no track record yet on either side, so it is worth treating the first visit as a trial rather than a full commitment.
Ask about a trial or viewing first
None of the fourteen listed businesses publish a trial-day price, but several set out how a first contact should work. Shincliffe Mill Kennels and Cattery, in Durham city, takes viewings by appointment only. Day School of Dogs, in Stanley, requires new dogs to attend a paid induction session and start on half days before moving to a permanent weekly slot, and does not take ad-hoc bookings at all — a useful model for what a careful first visit can look like even where a business does not spell it out. With a home boarder such as Walk The Line Dog Walking and Pet Care or Willington Pet Services, your dog would be moving into somebody's house rather than a kennel block, so ask about a short visit before committing to a full stay; both ask new customers to text or email first rather than call straight away.
What to pack
Whichever type of boarding or day care you choose, take enough of your dog's usual food for the length of the stay, since a sudden change of diet can upset its stomach, plus any regular medication in its original packaging, a lead and collar with an up-to-date ID tag, and something that smells of home. Ask the business in advance what it provides and what it expects you to bring, since this varies between operators.
Drop-off and collection
Ask what the arrangement is for dropping off and collecting your dog, since hours vary considerably across this page's fourteen listings. Dovecote Farm Boarding Kennels and Cattery, in Durham city, opens 8:30am to 6pm six days a week and is closed all day Wednesday; its own site asks callers to let the phone ring for a while, since staff are often out on site walking the dogs. Hunwick Boarding Kennels, in Spennymoor & Crook, sets visiting and collection between 11am and noon and 2pm and 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, with different hours on Sundays, Mondays and bank holidays. Day Care 4 Paws, in Consett, opens Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 6:30pm, and is closed at weekends. A home boarder's hours are usually more flexible, since your dog is going into somebody's house rather than a kennel block with fixed times, but confirm this rather than assume it.
A good handover
Whichever business you choose, a good handover covers your dog's feeding times and amounts, any medication and when it is due, its normal toileting routine, anything it is anxious about, and an emergency contact number for you. Write it down as well as saying it, so it is there if you are unreachable during the stay. Ask, too, how the business will update you during the stay, and how it would contact you if there were a problem, before you leave your dog with any of the fourteen businesses listed for Durham and Chester-le-Street.