A first stay at a Telford boarder, day care or kennels
Whether your dog is booked into Cottage Boarding Kennels and Cattery near Redhill, one of Telford's six home boarders, or a franchise branch like We Love Pets Telford, a first stay usually starts with a shorter visit or a trial first, so both sides can see how a dog settles before a longer booking. Ask whether a trial is available even where a business's own page does not mention one.
Before you book: ask for a trial
A trial or introductory visit is common practice in this kind of business, without every one of Telford's twelve stating it outright on their own site. It lets a kennels see how a dog settles among others in a run, and lets a home boarder see how a dog behaves in a house alongside their own pets and family, and any other dogs staying at the same time.
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. The Dog Nanny Shropshire, in the Madeley & Ironbridge area, is licensed for up to seven dogs including her own, so ask how many other dogs will be there during your dates if group size matters to your dog.
Handover on the day
Give the person taking your dog a clear account of feeding times, health issues and how your dog behaves around other dogs, since this is the point at which a boarder or kennels can adjust its plan for your dog specifically. Hayden's Home Dog Boarding, run by a married couple in the Madeley & Ironbridge area, also has a dog groomer in the household, so it is worth asking whether a groom could be arranged around a stay.
Collection and drop-off times
Several of Telford's premises kennels publish set collection windows: Cottage Boarding Kennels and Cattery takes viewings and collections Monday to Saturday mornings and late afternoons, and Sunday mornings; Chetwynd Firs runs boarding from 10am to 6pm and day care from 8am to 6pm daily; and Hound Hall in Market Drayton takes collection and drop-off from 8.30am to 10.30am and 4pm to 6pm. Train Me & My Dog, a home boarder, gives a narrower window of 7am to 10.30am. None of Telford's other eight listed businesses publish a specific collection window, so ask directly and check whether being early or late, or a bank holiday, changes the price.
Meeting a home boarder first
Six of Telford's twelve businesses board dogs in their own home rather than a kennel block, so their address is only given once you book, not published here. Use a meet-and-greet to see the garden or house, ask how many other dogs might be there at the same time, and find out what a typical day looks like, rather than relying on a written description alone.