A first stay at a Folkestone, Dover or Deal boarder or day care
Seven of the eight boarders and day cares listed for Folkestone, Dover and Deal work from their own home rather than a kennels block, so a first stay usually starts with getting to know the boarder before your dog stays overnight there.
Before you book
Home From Home, in Folkestone, only takes a dog for overnight boarding once it already knows that dog from regular day care, specifically so the dog has some continuity before an overnight stay; day care there runs Tuesday to Friday from 8am to 5.30pm, with some Mondays available by request. Not every home boarder here works this way, so ask directly whether a trial day or a shorter first visit is available before a full overnight stay, and what it costs.
What to take
None of the businesses listed publish a fixed packing list, so ask what to bring, but a boarder or day care will typically want your dog's own food for the length of the stay, any medication with clear instructions, a lead and collar with an up-to-date tag, and a bed or blanket with a familiar smell if your dog settles better with one nearby. Ask whether bedding and bowls are provided or whether you need to bring your own.
Handover and during the stay
At handover, a boarder should ask about your dog's routine, feeding times, any medical needs and behaviour around other dogs; this is also your chance to ask how many other dogs will be there during your dates, and whether they come from one household or several. Hella's Happy Hounds, in Deal, is run by Suzie, who typically takes only one or two dogs at a time so each gets individual attention; stays there usually run from about a week up to three weeks, by its own account, longer than a short weekend trial in most cases. Come Stay Play, near Dover, is run by David and Heidi alongside their own three dogs, with over 20 acres of private woodland used for off-lead exercise during a stay, again by its own account. Ask any boarder how your dog will be exercised during the day and whether that exercise is one-to-one or alongside other dogs.
Collection
Ask what happens at the end of the stay: whether collection is at a set time, whether a late collection is charged extra, and whether delivery back to you is offered. Bowesfield Kennels and Cattery, the one boarding kennels listed here, offers a collection and delivery service by its own account, alongside its day care and overnight kennel boarding; ask any home boarder whether they offer the same, since it is not something every home boarder here does.
Whichever business you choose, a first stay tends to go better when questions like these are asked and answered before the booking is confirmed, not on the day itself.