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 honestly tell a friend to look for, and how I stack up against it myself.
TL;DR — key points
- Check for a council licence (Satisfactory to Higher Standard) and proper insurance
- Ask what real qualifications a boarder holds, not just “loving dogs”
- Insist on meeting first, ideally with a proper settling-in session
- Look for a real home environment, not a kennel-run setup
- Fair pricing reflects quality — be wary of prices far below the local range
- Get deposits, cancellation terms and emergency plans in writing
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 small numbers so every dog gets proper attention instead of 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, I'm not trying to undercut everyone else. What that pays for is real quality: a proper home-from-home experience, real qualifications, a settling-in session before you commit, and round-the-clock personal care, not 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, not 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 instead of 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.
Still weighing up home boarding against a traditional kennel? My quick home boarding or kennels quiz gives an honest steer in four questions, and once you've booked, the boarding packing checklist covers everything worth sending with your dog.
Looking for someone to walk your dog, not board them? That's a different set of checks, not least because walking isn't a licensed activity at all. My guide to what to look for in a dog walker covers it.
Related guides
