Q: What experience do you have with Dogs or Puppies? A: We have had Dog & Puppies for over twenty years. Ranging from small Toy Dogs like the Maltese to the large Pyrenean Mountain Dogs. We have trained and socialised Puppies and young Dogs for a leading UK Assistance Dog Charity for over 10 years with great success. We do not charge the charity for boarding / training etc and never will. We think ALL Dog & Puppy Charities, from Assistance Dogs, to Rescue Centres and those offering Medical help all do a FANTASTIC job that is often very hard work. Our own work with the Assistance Dog Charity is ongoing into the foreseeable future. We have recently started adding leaflets to our own information packs on behalf of the Dog’s Trust, again we are very happy to do this and make no charge to the charity.
Q: Do I need to book in advance? A: Normally Yes. Due to our long experience and expertise we are generally busy. However, it’s always worth a call to check. The Puppy Dog Hotel does very little advertising as most of our new clients stem from personal recommendations from our current clients. Our clients come from across England and Wales, several travelling several hundred miles to use our services.
Q: Does My Dog / Puppy need to be vaccinated? A: Yes. All Dogs & Puppies must be fully vaccinated including Kennel Cough before they stay. Dogs or puppies may visit for assessment without having had a kennel cough vaccination.
Q: Can I visit before deciding to use you? A: Yes. In fact we always insist on meeting the Dog / Puppy before making any commitment. More importantly you can check us out too!
Q: Is every home boarder licensed & insured? A: No, you should check this before booking and insist on seeing the license & insurance details. Always insist on visiting the boarder’s home prior to booking. If a home boarder or Home Boarding Service will not let you see where your Dog or Puppy is going to stay there may be a reason why they do not want you to see where you’re Dog or Puppy is going to be! A good tip is to ring the local Council to ask if the person/premises are really licensed. It’s very easy to download FAKE LICENCES from the internet and this is something we have heard about. Licensed home boarders must have insurance and meet numerous safety requirements and stipulations as part of their licensing conditions. They will also be visited at least twice a year by the licensing authority to make sure standards are maintained. A good home boarding service will ALWAYS insist on meeting you and you Dog or Puppy. You can check that we are fully licensed by ringing Chiltern District Council on 01494 729000 and asking for the licensing department or visit their website and follow the links for Animal Licensing Chiltern District Council
Q: Are all home boarders suitable to look after my type of dog? A: This is something you need to consider carefully when you meet the home boarder. Some may have a problem with the sheer size of a large breed for example. Many home boarders will not accept an intact male for instance or puppies under 6 months of age, bitches in season or due to come into season. Many licensed home boarders are governed by the licence restrictions on mixing dogs/puppies that fall into these previous three categories. Due to our long experience and general knowledge of dogs/puppies these restrictions have been lifted by our licensing authority.
Q: Will my dog or puppy stay with you or will you place it with another home boarder during its stay? A: Your dog or puppy will only ever stay with us, it is very important to us that your dog or puppy will receive only the best care available and be loved as though it were our own, we could not guarantee this if the dog or puppy were placed with a third party. Therefore we do not use a ‘Third Party’ as many dog/puppy ‘Home’ boarding services do, many third party home boarders are simply not licensed to operate and often do not have the experience required to offer a loving and safe environment for your pet. Many do not ask that your dog or puppy is vaccinated and if they are not asking you they are not asking anyone else, this puts your pet at substantial increased risk of catching a transferable illness such as Kennel Cough. Many pet sitting services state that your dog or puppy may be placed with various home boarders during its stay, to keep moving a dog around is not an ideal situation. Unfortunately we hear some very distressing cases of dogs and puppies that have been left with unlicensed home boarders and we feel strongly that ALL home boarders should be licensed. Please remember our two main pieces of advice is ALWAYS visit where your dog or puppy will be staying and ALWAYS ring the relevant local Council to check the premises are licensed, even if you see a license, this may save you and your pet much heartache.
Q: What happens if the local Council find out that my dog is staying with an unlicensed home boarder? A: It is a legal requirement for many home boarders to be licensed, if they are not the first thing to consider is that any third party insurance they may have in place might be invalid as many policies state in the small print that the holder must be licensed. More importantly from a clients point of view is that their dog or puppy may be removed from the premises and placed in a kennel until the owner returns, this of course can be very distressing for the dog/puppy and the owner. The council have a duty to the local tax payers to keep costs as low as possible; this will often means the council have to place the dog/puppy in the cheapest kennels they can find.
Q: Can all home boarders look after a puppy or young dog? A: Most home boarders are willing to take on a puppy or young dog and most will undoubtedly try their best to provide the best care. However a puppy or young dog’s needs are far greater than that of an older dog for example. Puppies are most impressionable up to the age of 16 weeks, so what the puppy learns up to week 16 are VERY important as commands and handling etc can be imprinted into the puppy’s way of thinking. It is also extremely important with puppies and young dogs to take into account both their bone and muscle development, this is very important to make sure a puppy or young dog receives the correct amount of exercise. Very often puppies and young dogs require more feeds for example, it is important that the feeding regime is maintained and MORE importantly the puppy or young dog is fed the correct way, doing this teaches the puppy/young dog various commands such as recall, sitting, waiting, leaving etc. All these commands can be emphasised and taught to the puppy/young dog with the simple act of feeding if done correctly. Due to our very long experience with training and socialising puppies and young dogs for a major UK Assistance Dog Charity we specialise in the care and training if required of puppies and young dogs, although of course we do have dogs of all ages and even a few pensioners who stay with us for their holidays!
Q: Can all home boarders look after my elderly dog? A: Of course this answer is very similar to the one above for puppies. It is just as important that a home boarder is aware of any conditions an older dog may have. They may require less exercise for example. They may not be able to digest a large amounts of food at one go and as a result require several small feeds throughout the day. They may require various medications that are given at regular intervals. It is very important that you make a home boarder aware of any such requirements and ask if they can accommodate them. It would be very unfair for example to put two young excitable and playful dogs with a much older dog that has severe or restricted mobility due to arthritis.
Q: Can all home boarders administer medicines and treatments for example? A: Many home boarders are more than capable and happy to administer any medication required by your dog or puppy. However you should check before hand if your dog/puppy has a complex condition that requires accurate and numerous medications would the home boarder feel capable of providing this. Can they inject a dog with diabetes for example? We are very happy and experienced to carry out any medication routine that is required.
Q: The home boarder has not asked me whether my dog/puppy is vaccinated and they have not asked whether my dog is vaccinated against kennel cough. They have not asked whether my dog has been treated regularly for fleas and wormed. Does this matter? A: Yes it does. All licensed home boarders have a legal obligation to take copies of all up to date vaccinations including kennel cough. They should also ask when your dog/puppy was last routinely treated for fleas and wormed. Remember that if you not being asked this the chances are other dog’s owners are not being asked! This puts your dog/puppy at an unacceptable risk that could lead to serious health issues not to mention a costly Vet bill.
Q: So what are the main tips you would give when selecting a home boarding service? A: Firstly ALWAYS visit the home and go inside! Is the garden secure for example? Always check with the local council whether the premises are licensed to board dogs. Check whether the boarder has any liability/Veterinary Health insurance in place. Ask what experience they have for your breed/age of dog puppy (This is extremely important with puppies and young dogs). Ask what Veterinary Surgery they are registered with for 24 hour emergency care. Ask how many dogs they will board at one time. Where will your dog stay during the day/night? How many walks will your dog have and for how long. What would they do in the event of an emergency with your dog for example? Ask as many questions as you want. And probably the best advice of all is if your dog does not seem happy during the visit or if things simply just do not feel right then go with your instinct!
Q: I am please to have found you. Will you agree to have my Dog or Puppy every time I need you? A: Although we would love to have the same Dogs or Puppies regularly this is simply not always possible due to demand. Many of our clients do book their Dog to stay with us several times a year and are able to book well in advance. We always suggest that our clients find an alternative licensed home boarder who may be able to help when we are fully booked.
Q: Can you recommend a kennel where I could leave my dog or puppy? A: Sorry we simply do not feel able to recommend any kennels at all. Whether it is a traditional kennels or a glorified shed, they are still kennels which means the dog or puppy will not have the freedom of a house and more importantly constant human contact.
Q: I am disappointed that you are fully booked; can you suggest another home boarding service? A: Yes we are happy to pass on the details of other home boarding services if we cannot accommodate the dates you require.
Q: Do you ever refuse to have a dog staying in your home? A: Although this happens very rarely we do advise some clients that we cannot accept their Dogs for boarding. This would be because the Dog is on the Dangerous Dogs Register or is aggressive towards other Dogs and Puppies or has severe behavioural problems. We always have to think about the well being and safety of ALL the dogs and puppies in our care and would never knowingly put any dog or puppy staying with us at risk of injury. We can though offer clients with aggressive Dogs / behavioural problems advice and training on rectifying the problem and offer a 1 to 1 visiting service if required.
Q: I want to book your services but cannot visit with my dog or puppy before they stay, can I book over the phone or online? A: Sorry no. We always insist on meeting clients and their dogs or puppies before agreeing to anything. This allows us to assess your dog or puppy. More importantly it allows you to check us out too!
Q: I want to visit you with my dog or puppy for assessment when convenient; can I pay a deposit for you to hold my dates in the meantime until we meet? A: Sorry no. Due to our popularity we run on a STRICTLY first come basis this seems the fairest way. Until we meet and you have paid a deposit no dates can be held. Once we have met and we are happy with the dog(s) and you are happy with us then future advanced bookings can be made via telephone or e-mail.
Q: I want to book my dog or puppy with you for various training. Will my Dog or Puppy be completely trained when I get them back? A: Training levels obtained rely on many things such as the amount of time the Dog or Puppy is with us, age, breed, owners approach etc so nothing can be completely guaranteed. However, the pass rate for UK Assistance Dogs is around 1 in 4 due to the very high standards required. To date ALL of our full term Dogs and Puppies have passed. This along with the many references we receive from very satisfied clients should tell you something!
Q: My Dog / Puppy needs regular medication can you administer this? A: Yes we can administer medication as required. WE have several regular clients whose dogs are unfortunately very unwell and we need to stick to a regular medication regime.
Q: Can you help with behavioural problems? A: In most cases yes, in fact this is something we specialise in. We are happy to offer advice and behaviour sessions. We believe that most dog’s behaviour problems can be rectified with the correct rehabilitation procedures being implemented; this includes showing the dog respect and love in helping it overcome its problem. Our superb success rate has been demonstrated by our client’s comments and recommendations. It is of course important to correctly identify the under-lying problem in the first instance, and this is something many owners are not able to do correctly often reaching the wrong conclusion for their dogs behaviour. We will always listen and try to help, we have NEVER suggested to a client that a Dog should be put to sleep due to its behaviour, we have yet to meet a dog or its owners who cannot be helped in one way or another.
Q: Will my Dog / Puppy be kept in a kennel? A: Certainly not! We do not have any kennels. Your Dog /Puppy will stay with us in our home and be treated as though they were our own valued pet. We always try and maintain the dog or puppy's normal routine, we want your dog or puppy to be happy and feel like a valued member of our 'Pack'. So some of our friends sleep in crates, some in the kitchen, hallway and some in our bedroom, just like home!
Q: Do I have to pay a deposit or in advance? A: We require a 20% deposit to hold holiday dates, if you are visiting for assessment and the dates you require are available you will able to pay the deposit then to secure the dates. Future telephone or e-mail bookings can be made and the dates will be held for a period of 10 days to enable you to make the deposit payment. Full payment to finally secure your dates must be made no later than 30 days prior to commencement your dates. If the deposit or final payment is not received within the allotted time periods your dates may be cancelled and offered to a third party, deposits and final payments are non-refundable in the event of cancellation. We can accept payments in various ways: Bank Transfer, Cheque, Cash (Do not post), Debit or Credit card via paypal.
Q: My Dog or Puppy has a set routine, like having a Gravy Bone as a treat at certain times of day. Can you maintain this? A: Yes of course. We offer a first class personal service for all our clients and try to stick to the Dog or Puppies normal routine. Many of our guests like to have a treat during the day, whether this be an apple, organic carrot, Dentastix or a Bonio, We can accommodate most reasonable requests!
Q: My Dog or Puppy will be due their routine fleas and worming treatments whilst we are away. Can you do this and what would it cost? A: Yes we can administer any treatments or prescribed drugs to your Dog or Puppy whilst you are away. Providing you supply the required medication there is no further charge for this.
Q: It would be more convenient for us if you could collect and return our Dog or Puppy can you do this?
A: Yes we can, we often collect and deliver clients pets. Although we would have to have met you and your Dog or Puppy previously for assessment, and you have had the opportunity to check us out too! We are insured to transport your Dog or Puppy along with all small domestic pets, Birds, Fish etc. We also collect and deliver pets for Bucks County Council. This service must be pre booked and a handling fee is payable along with a mileage charge and any waiting time involved. Mileage is for round trips and is calculated via Microsoft Auto route. Collection and Delivery, transportation of Dogs and Puppies, Small Mammal, Birds, Fish etc is available nationwide.
Q: Although I know my dog or puppy is being well looked after I am simply going to miss them! Any suggestions? A: We all miss our pets terribly when we are away whether it’s a few days or for many weeks or months, this is quite natural and nothing to be embarrassed about! We can offer various options for clients. For those working away within the UK we can arrange a ‘Personal Visit’ by bringing the dog or puppy to your location anywhere within the UK Mainland for you to spend some time together. There are charges for this service. Alternatively we can send you an e-mail update with some photos every few days, we will also post some video of your Dog or Puppy on You Tube for you to drool over, these services are offered FREE of charge. Finally you are always welcome to telephone from anywhere in the World for a chat and update as many of our clients do, simply remember the time difference!
Q: Will my Dog or Puppy be groomed when staying with you? A: Yes. Dogs and Puppies are brushed at least once daily, in addition a coat conditioner is applied every few days unless the dog has an underlying skin condition that would prevent the conditioner being added. Grooming a dog or puppy regularly is very important as this allows us to check for things like grass seeds during summer for example, or any appearance of lumps or bumps etc. We can also offer a lovely pampering warm bath/shower, shampoo and coat conditioner* for you Dog or Puppy for a small fee. *Applies to Dogs or Puppies staying for boarding and not day/half day care.
Q: I am extremely disappointed you cannot fulfil the dates I require as you are already fully booked, is it still worth us visiting you for an assessment with our dog/puppy? A: Yes, you would be very welcome. Once we have met and you have checked us out we are happy to take any future bookings by phone or e-mail. We can also advise you should we get a cancellation and a space suddenly becomes available.
Q: I have a query or question not covered here such as availability, regular day care, walking etc? A: Simply give us a ring. We will try and help.
