What should I look for when choosing a dog boarding service?

Start with a valid council home boarding licence and proper insurance, then look for genuine, relevant qualifications rather than just enthusiasm, a boarder who wants to meet your dog before an overnight stay, a real home environment rather than an institutional kennel run, and clear, written terms with no surprises.

Is Sandra's Place licensed and insured?

Yes. Sandra's Place holds a council home boarding licence rated to the Higher Standard (Licence No. 132982), the top rating available, and is fully insured, alongside a Level 3 Diploma in Dog Grooming, Walking & Training and diplomas in Animal Care and Dog First Aid.

Do you offer a meet and greet before a boarding stay?

Yes. Every new boarder starts with a friendly one-hour Stay & Play session (£15), so your dog can settle into the house and garden and I can get to know their temperament, before committing to a full overnight stay.

How does your pricing compare to other dog boarders in Peterborough?

I set my rates to stay broadly in line with other home boarders and kennels in the area, rather than aiming to be the cheapest. What that price buys is a genuinely premium, home-from-home experience: real qualifications, low numbers, a proper settling-in session, and round-the-clock personal care, not a stripped-back service competing on cost alone.

Guides

How to Choose the Right Dog Boarding Service

Handing your dog over to someone else for a few days, or a couple of weeks, is a big decision, and it should be. Price is part of it, but it's far from the whole story. Here's what I'd genuinely tell a friend to look for, and how I stack up against it myself.

Start with licensing and insurance

In England, anyone boarding dogs in their home for payment must hold a council licence, the same regulations that licence traditional kennels, rated on a scale from Satisfactory up to Higher Standard (I cover this in more detail in my home boarding vs kennels guide). Always ask to see it, and check the boarder is properly insured too. Sandra's Place holds a council home boarding licence rated to the Higher Standard, the top rating available (Licence No. 132982), and is fully insured.

Look for real qualifications

Loving dogs is a start, but it isn't a qualification. Ask what training or certification a boarder actually holds. I hold a Level 3 Diploma in Dog Grooming, Walking & Training, along with diplomas in Animal Care and Dog First Aid, so if anything ever needed attention, I'd know exactly what to do.

Insist on meeting first

A boarder who's happy to take a booking without ever meeting your dog first is a red flag. Every new boarder at Sandra's Place starts with a friendly one-hour "Stay & Play" session (£15), so your dog can get used to the house and garden, and I can get to know their temperament, before anyone commits to a full overnight stay. It's a low-pressure way for both sides to be confident it's the right fit.

A genuine home, not a kennel run

Think about where your dog will actually spend their time. A real home environment, sofas, a garden, household routine, tends to suit most dogs far better than an institutional pen, and it's exactly what I offer: no closed cages, garden play, and genuinely small numbers so every dog gets proper attention rather than being one of many. My home boarding vs kennels guide goes into the detail if you're still weighing up which suits your dog.

Fair pricing, not necessarily the cheapest

Home boarding rates across Peterborough tend to sit in a fairly similar range, and I price my own service to stay broadly in line with that, rather than trying to undercut everyone else. What that pays for is genuinely premium: a real home-from-home experience, proper qualifications, a settling-in session before you commit, and round-the-clock personal care rather than a stripped-back service built to compete on cost alone. If a price looks dramatically lower than everything else you've seen, it's worth asking exactly what's included.

Clear terms, no surprises

A trustworthy boarder should be able to set out their terms plainly, before you book: deposits, cancellation policy, what happens in an emergency. Everything at Sandra's Place is written into a straightforward Service Agreement, so you know exactly where you stand from the start.

Trust your dog's reaction, too. At the Stay & Play session, watch how your dog responds to the environment and to the boarder, relaxed and curious is a good sign, and any boarder worth choosing will want you to see that for yourself rather than just take their word for it.

That's what I'd look for in a boarder: licensed to the Higher Standard, properly qualified, a genuine home-from-home rather than a kennel run, a real settling-in session before you commit, and fair pricing for a premium, personal service. It's exactly what's on offer here. If you'd like to see it for yourself, message me to arrange a Stay & Play, or get an instant price estimate to see how it compares.