A first stay at a Poole or Wimborne boarder or day care
Nine dog boarders and day cares are listed for Poole and Wimborne, and every one is a home boarder. Several build a settling-in step into a first booking, so it is worth asking what that looks like before you commit to a date.
Trials and settling-in visits
Walking Buddies, in Poole town centre, meets and temperament-tests every dog before accepting it, so dogs that board together get on. Walk-Ease, in Canford Heath & Broadstone, requires a pre-visit before any booking. The Dog Nook at Cranbrook, in Parkstone & Branksome, offers a free familiarisation session of up to two hours before a dog's first paid stay. None of the other six businesses listed here publish a settling-in step, so ask directly whether one is offered.
What to pack
Take your dog's usual food for the length of the stay, any medication with clear written instructions, a lead and collar with an up-to-date tag, and a familiar bed, blanket or toy. Note your vet's details and a contact number for while you are away, and confirm with the boarder beforehand exactly what it wants you to bring.
Handover and collection
Doggy Day Care at Merley Mews, in Wimborne Minster, opens Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, so handover falls inside that window. The other eight do not publish set hours, so agree drop-off and collection times directly when you book, and ask how far the boarder will travel to collect your dog if that matters to you: several of Poole's home boarders cover a wide area rather than a single postcode.
During the stay
Celine's Canines, in Parkstone & Branksome, sends owners daily video updates of walks as standard. Ask any other boarder how, and how often, it will update you, since this is not something every business offers. Confirm in advance how medication is given if your dog needs any, and what happens if your dog needs a vet while in the boarder's care.
Before you go
- Ask about any settling-in visit or trial well before your travel dates.
- Confirm drop-off and collection times and whether the boarder can travel to you.
- Check what a bank holiday or a second dog from your household costs on top of the quoted rate.
- Ask what the boarder needs from you if your dog needs medication or has additional needs.
See our guide to choosing a boarder for how home boarding compares with day care before you get this far.
A wider area than one postcode
Several of Poole's home boarders travel further than the area they are listed under. Doggy Day Care covers a stretch from Poole and Broadstone out towards Corfe Mullen, Ferndown and Wimborne Minster, and Walk-Ease covers a five-mile radius from its base in Canford Heath. If you live towards the edge of the coverage area, it is worth asking whether a boarder listed in a neighbouring area still reaches you, rather than assuming it only serves its own postcode.