Frequently Asked Questions

We understand how worrying it can be leaving your dog for the first time and we want to make sure that your dog feels at home with us as much as possible. Therefore, we always invite you to bring your dog to view the kennels and encourage your dog to stay for a 24 hour trial-sleepover before a longer stay (this is compulsory before booking a first stay in peak periods such as school holidays).

We find that a short stay is extremely beneficial for your dog/s as it gives them a chance to get used to our routine, a new environment, new people and realise that they go home happy at the end of their stay! It is also essential for us to get to know your dog and their individual requirements.

Opening times are between 8.15-9.15am and 4.30-5.15pm every day except Sunday afternoons. We recommend that new dogs are dropped off in the morning so they have all day to settle in before bedtime.

These opening times allow us to develop a good routine for all our boarding dogs – the better the routine, the happier the dog! However our regular daycare customers can arrive from 7.30am and be collected until 6.30pm by arrangement.

We are closed for arrivals and collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day and Easter Sunday.

We advise you to bring your dog’s own bedding and lead so that they have something familiar to make them feel at home. Whether that is a soft or hard bed, blankets or an old t-shirt of yours, we find that dogs take real comfort in the familiarity! Same goes with toys/favourite teddies. Some dogs are used to a crate at home so we recommend bringing that as they may like being in their usual den.

Please also bring an up-to-date vaccination card to show that your dog/s has had all of all the necessary vaccinations including kennel cough.

Please note that we do not accept responsibility for any lost or damaged items. Sometimes bedding will need to be washed or toys will get taken out to the run at playtime and may not return!

We do provide a complete, balanced, dry kibble in-house for the dogs staying with us which is included in the cost for boarding. It is a high quality biscuit and suitable for dogs with sensitive stomachs so we find there are rarely issues with transitioning to this.

However, we completely understand that you may want to bring what your dog is used to at home, particularly if they are on sensitive diets. You are welcome to bring their own food with a scoop/measure. We have plenty of fridge and freezer space so can cater for raw diets too.

There is no reduction in cost if you decide to bring your own food.

If we believe that a dog needs medical attention whilst with us then we always endeavour to take them to their own vets so that they have all their medical history available. If this is not possible then we will use one of our local vets.

Any vet visits and costs are charged additionally to kennel fees. See our Terms & Conditions.

We do still take bitches in season and are always extremely vigilant when it comes to mix-socialising. We will ensure that she is only exercised with neutered males and bitches and is not hassled by other dogs.  Having to exercise them in this special way incurs a small additional charge per day.

Once a male dog has matured, at 8-12 months, we find that they can start to display more dominant behaviour, such as humping and dominance/aggression. Since mix-socialising is such an integral part of Waterloo, it is vital to ensure that all our boarding dogs get on and we often find that entire males can present more risks. Even if your entire male is very submissive, other neutered dogs may take a dislike to him due to the fact that he is intact.

It is for this reason that we do not accept entire males.

We recommend that your dog should be neutered at a young age so that these dominant traits and challenging attitudes do not develop.

As a licensed boarding kennels we insist that all dogs must be up to date with their annual vaccinations (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis), including kennel cough (Para-influenza), and an up-to-date certificate must be produced on arrival. We have the right to refuse a dog to stay with us if they have not been vaccinated.

We also accept titre testing as proof of a healthy dog.

We do insist on all boarding dogs to have an up-to-date kennel cough vaccination. Kennel cough is a live vaccine so has to be given at least a week before boarding. It is also not a fail-safe preventative – a dog can still contract KC even though they have been vaccinated against it.

We can administer medication, vitamins and supplements during your dogs stay at no extra cost.  We have catered for a variety of needs from tablets and eyedrops to diabetic injections and limited exercise for dogs recovering from operations such as cruciate ligament damage.

We ask you to bring all medications labelled with the pet’s name, dosage and reason for the medication.

Since we operate differently from other kennels and strive to offer as close to a home-from-home experience, we have had quite a number of dogs stay with us for long stays from 6 weeks up to a year. These dogs really become part of the family. Whether you may need care for your dog due to health reasons, you’re emigrating or taking an extended holiday then we would like to help.

It’s a great idea to book a wash before pick up, particularly in the winter months. All the walks round the farm are great fun however our dogs can soon become grubbier from playing in the puddles and walking on the fields in all weather. We do brush, swill off and towel-dry dogs throughout their stays for comfort but for a proper spruce-up please ask for a wash before collection. Prices start at £15 for Jack Russell size dogs,  and £25 for Labradors. X-large dogs prices on request.

It’s always nice for your dog to have a great time on the farm and for you to still collect a clean dog!

We take puppies from 12 weeks old. Every dog is different and some may want to wait until they are a bit older before they stay with us but for some dogs 4-7 months is a perfect age to start socialising with other dogs. Many of our daycare customers have come from a young age and grown up together. It is the ideal environment for puppies to learn to play with other dogs and learn to walk off the lead and be independent giving you free time with no worry about leaving your dog.

We have had some real success stories and cases in which dogs have built up confidence and overcome their fear aggression. It is often easier for us to work with nervous dogs because they sometimes act differently on neutral ground and away from their owners with no one to protect.

This extra care/training does require additional time so there is a small additional cost for more challenging dogs/dogs with behavioural issues.

Due to the fact that mix-socialising is at the core of what we do here at Waterloo, we may not be able to accept any antisocial dogs during our peak times such as Christmas and (Summer) school holidays.