Preparing for a first stay: a simple checklist

What to pack, what to tell us, and what happens at the meet before your dog's first night with us.

By Emily · 4 December 2025

An apricot cockapoo in the enclosed garden at The Collar Club Ipswich

Planned outline

This article is an editorial placeholder. The finished piece will be written and approved by Emily before publication — no AI-written copy is published automatically.

Sections to cover: the pre-stay meet, vaccination records, food and medication, and the handover on arrival day.

Helping a nervous dog settle away from home

Familiar bedding, unchanged mealtimes and a quiet first evening — the small things that make a first stay easier.

Two cream cockapoos watching out of the window at home

Kennels or home boarding? An honest comparison

Where each option genuinely works best, and the questions worth asking before you book either.

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Going away?

Give them a holiday of their own.

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