“I can’t possibly put my dog in a boarding kennel”
We hear this almost every day, usually on the phone and usually with a guilty conscience. Behind it lies the fear of letting your own animal down. After thirty years with dogs and cats in the house we can say: for the vast majority the opposite is true.
Where the worry comes from
When you hand over your pet, you often have a particular picture in mind: a dog sitting alone, waiting. That picture is the reason some people postpone their holiday or never plan one at all.
How the handover works and what happens in the first hours is explained in The first time without me. This article is about the other side: what a stay actually gives your pet.
What we see instead
Our dogs live in groups, with companions and an outdoor area they can use at any time. The day has a fixed routine, and there is always someone in the house. For most dogs the tension of the first hours settles within a day or two.
The side effect nobody expects
Dogs that have little contact with other dogs at home, react uncertainly to them or shy away from strangers learn here by example. All day long they watch how other dogs behave with one another, they eat and sleep in the group.
After longer stays, owners tell us again and again at pick-up that their dog approaches other dogs more calmly than before. This is not a training programme and not a promise: some dogs need longer, some stay reserved. But we see it often enough to mention it.
And the cats?
Our feline guests also live in a group as a rule. That includes plenty of places to retreat to, so every cat can withdraw when she wants her peace.
From experience
With shy cats we see it regularly: at first they keep to themselves, after a few days they are sitting in the middle of the group and getting on well with the others. At pick-up there is often nothing left of that initial reserve.
How a stay with us works is explained on the pages about the Dog boarding and about Cat boarding.
Request a holiday for your pet
We will look at your preferred dates and come back to you with an offer.