I board a maximum of 4 dogs at a time. Whilst my licence allows any dog size, I mainly board small to medium-sized dogs. The largest I take is a Golden Doodle, Flat Coat Retriever-sized dog or maybe a Bernese Mountain, but only if they are well trained and reasonably calm and placid. Consideration is given to small or elderly dogs already booked in.

 Please note that I do not board any guard dog-type bread such as Alsations, Rockvillers, EX L Bullys, or powerful dogs of any breed, including Stafichire or English Bull terriers. I am only 55 klos myself and don't take any dog I don't feel I could control if push came to a shove or any dog over a certain weight if they pull hard on the lead.

I do not board bitches over six months old that have not been spayed/dressed. 

Dogs over 6 months old tend to mark territory in a house that has other dogs in it or has had dogs in the past. No matter how much we clean they can still smell them and will mark even though they do not do this in their own home. Also, they can display unwanted behaviours towards other dogs. For this reason, I do not board un-neutered male dogs.

Yes, please. It is important that your dog sticks to the main diet it is used to to avoid an upset tummy. Providing different toppings such as a fork full of wet food in their usually dry kibble can help reignite a dog's interest in food in a strange place. Most dogs coming into boarding with me look and hope for something new for a change. Just like we do when we travel. Providing a little something new to be mixed in with dry Kibble can be the difference between a difficult dog eating or not on the first couple of days of their holiday with me. Some dogs of course love their scran and will need no encouragement. (labs!) lol

Please make me aware of any such destructive behaviours. If your dog is a habitual digger this would not work for me in my garden. 

All dogs must be well-socialised and non-reactive to other dogs, even if we have established on a trial familiarisation period that your dog gets on well with the dogs he will be sharing his holiday with,  we do walk in the public domain twice a day.  Therefore any such negative behaviour towards a member of the public's dog is unacceptable. Please be honest regarding your dog's nature. A dog having a minor growl or air snap towards another that might be annoying it, is normal dog communication (don't sniff my bum, for example, I want to be left in peace) this is ok. Dogs are allowed normal communication as long as it doesn't go further. 

Not only do I work on sight in an adjoining room approximately 5 yards from the dogs where   I can see hear and talk to them from where I work. I am in and out of the room they are in regularly. I also use volunteers and helpers who keep the dogs company while I work. The dogs are well-walked and tend to just lie and sleep during the time I groom. The dogs I groom do not get to meet the dogs I am boarding. There are gates in place to keep them separated.

individuals are fed in separate areas to their fellow boarders while they are eating. One in the kitchen one in the hall, one in the dining room area etc.( the kitchen and the dining areas are open plan but have gates separating them. .Any uneaten food is lifted out of other dogs' reach after feeding time. Depending on how much was left they may be offered it again a bit later till I am happy they have eaten enough. Dogs that graze at home soon learn to eat at meal times and learn to get excited about meal times.

Yes I love taking videos and photographs. I will send them on Whats App to you. I chat on the videos so make sure you have the sound switched on!

Unless you have given me written permission to let your dog off leash ( most do) I will never let your dog off the lead if you have asked me not to. If however your dog has reasonable recall and you are happy for him/her to run free and play on walks with me I will do so at my discretion when I am sure he/she has a bond with me. I am experienced, I will know when it is reasonably safe to do so. I do not walk near farm livestock however there are deer on the trail in spring so please let me know if your dog is likely to chase them. If I see them all dogs will be put on the lead till it is safe.

I have a particular couch in my large kitchen just for me and the dogs. We all cuddle up on it. I sit with the dogs on it with my laptop, watching TV in my spare time and in the evenings until 10 p.m. After that, we all go to bed, and I rise again each morning at 6.30am to attend to them.

Bring your dog's bed, food and treats. I do not need bowls leads or toys. If you bring your dog's favourite toy you may not see it again if it is destroyed by another dog or lost at the bottom of my garden somewhere in the long grass section. I prefer not to take anything that another dog could chew and swallow bits of.  With a very large garden and other dogs to play with is usually enough for them I find they do not usually have much interest in toys while they are here. There is too much else going on to keep them entertained. However, I do have a few suitable balls and things I we need them.

When you arrive for your very first meet and greet with me, I shall give you two forms to take home and fill in. One will be my terms of business the other will collect all the information I need from you regarding your vet, emergency contacts, your dog's food requirements, medication requirements and much more. The terms of business you only need fill once. The booking form is filled in every time your dog comes into boarding with me and gives me any updates I need to be aware of and more.

Absolutely. I have a six-foot fence around the entire grounds surrounding my property. It is tight to the ground and checked regularly. In addition, there are two doors of defence before a dog can reach the outside front and back. Compared to the kennels, there is always going to be more of an element of risk in Home Boarding, especially if your dog is allowed off-leash on walks. You are aware of that and it is your choice if you are happy to take the risk and give your dog a brilliant holiday with an element of freedom or if you prefer to cage them up in kennels where exercise is very limited and the chance of escape is nill. My property is as safe as it can be. See image below of my garden.

My outdoor space is large and secured by a six-foot fence which completely surrounds the entire property. It is double-panelled and tight to the ground, so there will be no escapees. All gates into the garden are padlocked. At the front door, there is a smaller fence just outside which prevents any dog from getting out the door and being able to escape, just as a precaution.

Most dogs have a bark if they hear someone at the door this is normal. However out with that, I would not board a dog if it barks excessively and for little reason. This would be stressful to other dogs boarding at the same time and potentially set them all off. 

This would be a problem. whilst my grooming customers do not come into the house they hand over their dogs at the door, a habit since lockdown, however, I do have people like yourself who come for meet and greets before booking their dog into home boarding for the first time. I also have a lodger. It is important that your dog will welcome these people into the house and not bark or growl at them.

. If I book your dog in on the weekend and that then renders me fully booked for that weekend, I then have to turn away people who are trying to book a week or a fortnight or more if it overlaps that weekend. I hope you understand that during high season, weekend stays are harder for me to accommodate unless I have a little gap to fill and it is short notice, I will then do my best to accomodate. I can do short stays in January, February and early March, late Oct, November and early December subject to availability.

Certain periods of the year book up almost a year in advance sometimes more. An example of this would be the first two weeks in July, festive periods and school holidays. Since I only have space for 4 dogs it is important to book as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment. This is especially true for those dogs who are hoping to return here to a place they are familiar with and love for a second visit or more if they want to return to the same boarder time after time. 

Your dog should be vaccinated against disease as a puppy and then receive a booster every year after that. Your dog will have to be vaccinated in full in order to board at any licensed Home Boarding facility or kennel. If you have not had your dog vaccinated in a few years, make an appointment with your vet and he will arrange for your dog's vaccine and a follow-up booster a couple of weeks later. I will require a copy of your vaccine record card to be kept here on file during your dog's stay with me.

Before departing on your travels you will have given me your vet details and written confirmation on my form to allow me to transport your dog to your vet or my own if need be in an emergency as my own in Murieston is the nearest and you will have signed to agree to pay the vet bill on your return. I will transport your dog to the vet free of charge and administer any medicines as per the vet's instructions. Every effort will be made to contact you before any action is taken unless it is an emergency. I keep a  record of any meds given to a dog and when it was given. If your dog or any dog resident is diagnosed with a contagious disease or condition they will be separated from the other dogs in residence and kept in a secure quiet place by themselves till they recover or till your return, in accordance with the  Licensing conditions. My isolation room has a lovely view through the French doors to the garden.

After the initial meet-and-greet, if we are both happy that this is the right place for your dog, I can proceed with your booking.

I charge £45 per calendar day. My cut-off time for collecting your dog on any given day is

5 pm. If you arrive home too late to be at my property before 5 pm, you will book an extra day. A %50 non-refundable deposit is required to book your dog into boarding, and the balance is due a minimum of one month before your dog's drop-off date; at this point, the entire balance is NON-refundable and NON-transferable.