Dog Boarding FAQs

Home dog boarding means your dog stays in a real family home while you are away, rather than in a commercial kennel block. At The Collar Club Ipswich, dogs live alongside us as part of the household, with access to comfortable indoor spaces and personal attention.

Traditional kennels house many dogs in separate runs or units. Home boarding keeps numbers very small — we accept a maximum of five guest dogs at a time — and dogs settle into the home environment, sharing living areas, sofas and beds rather than being confined to kennels.

We accept a maximum of 5 guest dogs at any one time. Keeping numbers low means the house stays calm, routines are easier to maintain, and every dog receives genuine personal attention.

Yes. We are licensed by Ipswich Borough Council under licence number AWL0005. The licence covers home boarding and day care in a domestic setting, and we work within the conditions it sets.

Dogs sleep indoors in the house, on beds and sofas. They are never kennelled, crated overnight against their routine, or left in outbuildings.

Please pack your dogs standard food, enough for their stay. Any special treats they may have. Medication if required. A blanket or something that smells of home so they can snuggle up with it. If they sleep in a bed, please bring that. Lead, collar with ID tag and a harness if they use one.

Yes. Full details of your dogs normal routines will be discussed during a meet and greet and is detailed on our registration form.

Yes, where we have availability. A minimum 24 hour charge will apply.

Yes. We offer dog day care in Ipswich as a smaller, homely alternative to large commercial day-care centres. You can read more on our dog day care page.

The process starts with an enquiry so we can learn about your dog, followed by a meet and greet where we make sure everyone is comfortable. Once we confirm the stay, you can plan arrival day with confidence.

Yes. Dogs must be up to date with their core vaccinations and with flea and worm treatment. Please bring the vaccination record to the meet and greet.

Yes, by prior arrangement. Bring medication clearly labelled with dosage instructions and your vet's details.

Yes — we send photos and messages through the stay, and give you an honest handover when you collect.

For ordinary weeks, a few weeks is usually enough. For school holidays and Christmas, book several months ahead, as capacity is limited to five guest dogs and popular dates fill quickly.