What boarding looks like
Roughly this. Nothing here is a timetable, and a dog who has just been dropped off by someone they love does not always read the room on day one, so the first evening is usually slower than the rest. The shape of it holds after that.
Evening: getting here
Drop off whenever works around your travel. If it is late, that is fine, I would rather you got here than rushed. The first hour is mostly sniffing the place and working out where Georgie keeps his things.
The last walk
Everyone goes out before bed. It is usually the quietest walk of the day and it does more for how well they settle than anything else I do. GPS tracked like the rest, so it turns up on the report with the route and the distance.
Settling
Then the evening goes how evenings go. Everyone on the furniture, somebody working on something they were given to chew, the house winding down. Dogs who want company get it and dogs who would rather take a corner to themselves are left to it.
Where they actually sleep
This is the question people mean when they ask what the setup is, so here it is plainly. There are no kennel runs and no crates unless your dog wants one. They sleep on dog beds, on the couch, and a fair number of them end up on my bed. Tell me how it works at home and we will do that.
If your dog is crate trained and settles better in one, bring it. That is a preference worth honouring, not a problem.
Through the night
I am in the house all night, which is most of what overnight care amounts to. Dogs who need to go out get let out. Older dogs and dogs on medication get checked on. If something is wrong at two in the morning there is somebody there to notice, which is the part a building full of empty offices cannot do.
Homesickness, and the first night
Some dogs do not eat the first evening. Some pace, and some park themselves by the door for an hour. That is normal and it nearly always passes by the second day, once they have worked out that the routine here is a routine rather than a series of surprises.
I will tell you how it is going rather than only sending the good bits. If your dog is genuinely not coping, you will hear that from me early, while there is still time to do something about it.
Morning
Out first thing, then breakfast and meds for whoever is on them. After that it is an ordinary day here: the yard, a walk, and the same nap in the afternoon that everyone else gets. A boarding dog is a daycare dog who also sleeps over.
How many dogs are here
I host up to four or five at a time, but most days it is just Georgie and a couple of friends. It is only me, and keeping it that small is what lets every dog get proper attention rather than a share of someone else's. When you ask about dates we can talk through who else will be here.
That is the whole difference between this and a kennel. Nobody is behind a gate waiting for a turn in the yard, and nobody spends the night in a room on their own.
Boarding rates
20% holds an overnight, and the balance is due before drop-off. Refunded in full more than 5 days out, kept inside 5 days. Zelle, Venmo, PayPal or cash. Puppy is any dog under a year old. 2nd dog is the rate for a second dog from the same household, and holiday nights are full price per dog. The full rate list, including daycare, is on the homepage.
Before the first stay
We do have to meet first
A meet and greet is required before a first overnight. It is free and takes about twenty minutes. We go through your dog's care in person, they get to meet Georgie, and we both get to see whether it is a good fit before anyone commits to a week. If it is not, I would rather we knew that in advance.
Vaccinations
Required: rabies, DHPP and Bordetella. Strongly recommended: canine influenza. Proof of rabies is required by law, so I need that on file before any stay. You can send records here, and there is a box on the booking form for the expiry dates.
What to bring
Their own food, measured out if you can, since switching food mid-stay is how a good week turns into a bad one. Their own treats for the same reason. Any medication in its original packaging with written instructions. A bed or blanket that smells of home if they have one, and the crate if they use a crate. Toys are here already.
Medication, seniors and special cases
Pills, drops, insulin, a joint routine that has to happen at the same time every day: all fine, and all things I would rather you over-explained than left out. Tell me on the booking form. If your dog needs something I cannot safely do, I will say so rather than find out the hard way.
My dog is nervous, or not great with other dogs
Tell me up front and we will work out whether it is a fit. There is room here for a dog who would rather keep to themselves, and dogs get separated when they need to be. Resource guarding, reactivity or any bite history are things I need to know before the meet and greet rather than after.
Will I hear from you?
Yes, without having to ask. Photos through the stay and a report at the end with the walks, where you went on them, and how the whole thing went. It is your dog and you are on holiday, so you should not be wondering.