Your Pups First Visit

Your dog starting at daycare or boarding away from home for the first time can bring lots of anxiety for owners. Many dog parents even say it’s worse than a child starting at nursery for the first time because your pup can’t tell you how their day went. At Bonnyton we are committed to making sure that every dog has a comfortable experience and looks forward to their time with us. Below are some of our tried and true tips and tricks for helping ease those first day nerves (for you and your four legged friend!)

Do: 

• Bring your dog to your viewing: we will always ask you to bring your pup to your viewing, this allows us to meet you, your dog and most importantly to allow them to meet us and have a good explore and sniff in your company.
• Be honest about your dogs attitude and behaviour. We can and have worked with all behaviours but it helps if we know up front what we’re working with. Some dogs jump straight in and don’t look back, others need some time to build their confidence. Talking to us about your dog’s experiences and reactions will help us to find the right group for them.
• Bring a comfort item(s). Although our kennels are heated and decorated to be as homely as possible, bringing an item such as a blanket or an item of yours that smells like home can really help your dog to settle at nap and bed time.

Don’t:

• Stand at the fence : this may seem harsh but if your dog is whining when you leave, the best thing to do is leave. We will stay in contact while you are away and send lots of updates and photos/videos. Dogs often don’t understand why they can see you but can’t interact with you and we promise they settle almost as soon as you’re out of sight!
• Overpack: we have plenty of dog bowls, tennis balls and blankets. Your dog only needs them self, their food and a few essential comfort items (a blanket for daycare and a bed/blanket and few non cherished toys for boarding) we have limited storage space so the less the better.
• Bring a sick dog in to the kennels: stomach bugs and coughs can be highly contagious in kennels so you should never bring a dog who has unexplained sickness without seeing a vet. If you’re dog is unwell during their stay we will either ask you/your emergency contact to collect them to prevent any outbreaks.

Whilst their first day can be hard on you, know that your dog is in good hands and we will always do everything we can to make sure your individual dog has the most enjoyable experience possible, wether it’s finding them the perfect couch to laze away on or throwing the same tennis ball 40x in a row! Check out our Instagram to see how some of our dogs get on from their first days and stays to becoming regulars with us.