A first stay at a Wolverhampton boarder or day care
Fourteen of Wolverhampton's eighteen listed dog boarders and day cares are home boarders, so a first stay here more often means your dog moving into somebody's house for a night or a fortnight than checking into a kennel block. That makes the run-up to a first booking worth doing properly, whichever of the eighteen you choose.
Before you book: ask for a trial
Most home boarders and day cares will offer a short trial visit or a single day before a longer stay, so the dog meets the household, any other dogs and the garden while you are still nearby. Ask what a trial involves and how long it runs, since this varies a great deal between one business and the next and is worth confirming rather than assuming.
What to expect from a home boarder specifically
Since most of Wolverhampton's listed businesses are home boarders rather than a kennels, expect the first conversation to cover your dog's temperament and routine as much as your dates: many home boarders limit how many dogs they take at once, and want to know how your dog gets on with other dogs and with children before confirming a booking. Photographs of where your dog will actually stay are reasonable to ask for before a first visit, and a boarder willing to show you round in person, rather than only describe it by phone, is worth treating as the norm rather than an extra.
What to pack
Take your dog's usual food for the length of the stay rather than relying on the boarder to have the same brand, along with any medication in its original packaging and clear written dosing instructions. A lead, a bed or blanket that smells of home, and a couple of familiar toys all help a dog settle faster into a new house or kennel run. Write down your vet's details and a second emergency contact, and leave both with whoever is looking after your dog.
A good handover
A good handover is unhurried: time to walk the dog around wherever it will be sleeping, a written note of feeding times and any quirks, and a clear answer to what happens if your dog needs a vet while it is in their care. Ask this last question directly rather than assuming an answer, since arrangements differ between businesses and this is not something the directory can confirm on anyone's behalf.
Collection
Agree a collection time and what happens if you are running late, particularly with a home boarder whose day may be built around when your dog is due to leave. If the business also offers a collection or drop-off round, ask whether that covers your postcode and your dates rather than assuming it covers every area listed on this page.
See our Wolverhampton vaccinations and licences guide for the questions worth putting to any of the eighteen businesses before the first stay itself.