A first stay at a Guildford dog boarder or day care

Booking a first stay with a new dog boarder or day care in Guildford, Godalming or Cranleigh is worth treating as a trial, not a full commitment, since neither side yet knows how your dog will settle.

Ask for a trial before a full booking

Some of the ten businesses listed here already build this in. Doggy Digs Cranleigh, run by Steph since 2021, requires a trial day or overnight stay before regular bookings begin, and its holiday boarding places were paused and are due to reopen from June 2026, so a first booking there is also a good moment to ask about current availability. If a business does not mention a trial itself, ask whether one is available — a short visit before a full day or an overnight stay lets both sides see how your dog copes before committing to something longer.

What to pack

Take enough of your dog's usual food for the length of the stay, since changing diet suddenly can upset its stomach, along with any regular medication in its original packaging, a lead and collar with an up-to-date ID tag, and something familiar from home such as a bed or blanket. Ask in advance what the business provides and what it expects you to bring, since this varies between businesses.

Drop-off and collection

Ask what the arrangement is for dropping off and collecting your dog. Simone's Doggy Creche is open 8am to 6pm; Paws4aWalk offers weekday drop-offs 8am to 4pm, with weekend drop-offs and collections by arrangement. A home boarder's hours are often more flexible than a fixed day care, since your dog is going into someone's house rather than a site with set opening times, but confirm this rather than assume it — and remember that, as a home boarder, the exact address for any of the eight home boarders listed here is only given once you book.

A good handover

A good handover covers your dog's feeding times and amounts, any medication and when it is due, its normal toileting routine, anything it finds stressful, and an emergency contact number for you. Write it down as well as saying it. Ask how the business will update you during the stay — a text, a photo, a call — and how it would reach you if there were a problem.

Collection day

Ask what collection involves: whether a final walk or feed is included, whether you get a short handover on how the stay went, and whether you need to collect any belongings you left behind. It is also a good moment to ask about booking again, particularly with a home boarder such as Croft Doggy Daycare or Tazmanian Tails, where a returning dog that already knows the routine can make a longer future stay more straightforward for everyone.