Pet hotel or boarding kennel

Boarding is what most people look at when they can't take the dog along. Some dogs find the new place interesting and cope easily. Others find the change hard going: the schedule is different, the family is gone, and settling in takes time. That's exactly why an assessment before the stay matters.

Clean pens are only the starting point. A well-run kennel has admission procedures and clear acceptance criteria. It has safe spaces, ventilation, constant access to water, a cleaning schedule and rest areas, plus a plan for medical situations. Each dog needs to be watched as an individual. One needs more exercise. Another sleeps more. A third only settles when it can't see the other dogs.

Before a longer stay, an acclimatisation visit or a short trial period helps. You get to see how the dog walks into the space and how the staff respond. You also see what happens once signs of stress show up. Go over the feeding schedule and which belongings you can leave. Ask how you'll stay in touch, what the policy is on dogs interacting, and how they decide to move an animal to a quieter area.

A stay shouldn't be non-stop activity. Dogs need sleep and stretches of time with no interaction at all. A dog that runs around all day may look “happy”, but it can be too wound up to rest. Staff have to tell balanced play from compulsive behaviour, curiosity from agitation, and the odd bark from stress that doesn't let up.

It makes sense for holidays or longer trips, when care at home can't be arranged and when the dog can handle a change of scene.

A big space with plenty of activities doesn't automatically mean the stay suits your dog. For some dogs, quiet and being kept apart from others matter more. They need to know what comes next.

Before the stay there's a visit or an assessment, and together you set out the medical and behavioural conditions.

Where possible, the dog settles in gradually. During the stay it's monitored, and at the end you get a report.

Persistent barking or whining, repetitive pacing, diarrhoea or refusing food tell you how the dog is finding the stay.

Have the food portioned out with instructions, the medical documents with your vet's contact, and the belongings the kennel allows. Write down how the dog rests and how it copes with being handled.

Look for safe areas that are easy to clean, and for dogs being separated when needed. Supervision should be real, backed by an emergency plan. A serious kennel sits down with you for a detailed first conversation and has a protocol for keys, access, the leash and emergencies.

A few basic behaviours make the stay easier: going into the pen, waiting at the door, accepting being handled. Boarding still shouldn't be sold as a universal fix for anxiety.

Boarding isn't right for every dog, and preparation starts with the dog's health. Book a vet check before you reserve and make sure vaccinations are up to date. That includes the ones kennels want on top of the usual schedule: the kennel cough vaccine is required almost everywhere, and some places want it given at least two weeks before the stay. Worming and flea and tick treatment belong in the same conversation.

Talk to the kennel well in advance. The day you drop the dog off is too late to find out which medical documents they need, what their admission rules are and which belongings they accept, or what they suggest for getting the dog ready. Every place has its own conditions, and some ask for a visit beforehand or a short trial period. A question asked early saves you a surprise at the door.

When you're weighing up a pet hotel or a boarding kennel, don't assume the same format works for every dog. Start from your dog and how it handles change.