Leaving your dog somewhere new is stressful. A lot of the boarding industry is built around volume, which is fine for some dogs and awful for others. Here's the short list of questions we tell friends to ask any boarder before booking — including us.
1. Can I see where my dog will actually sleep?
Not the lobby. Not the play yard. The actual room, kennel, or suite where your dog will spend the night. If the answer is no, that's the answer.
2. What's the staff-to-dog ratio overnight?
"Someone lives on-site" is not the same as "someone is awake and checking on dogs." Ask specifically: from 10pm to 6am, is there a person actively monitoring dogs, or are they alone in a room?
3. What happens if my dog stops eating?
Refusing food for a meal or two is normal in a new environment. Refusing food for two full days is not. A good boarder will call you before it becomes a problem, not after.
4. How do you handle a dog that doesn't fit in?
Some dogs love group play. Some don't. If a boarder only offers one experience — usually group play — dogs that need quiet time end up stressed. Ask how they separate energy levels.
5. Do you require proof of vaccinations, and which ones?
Rabies, distemper/parvo, and bordetella at minimum. Some boarders also require canine influenza. If they don't ask for records, other clients probably aren't providing them either.
6. Can I get a written report at pickup?
How your dog ate, slept, played, and pottied. Two-sentence summaries are fine. What you're really testing is whether staff are paying enough attention to answer the question at all.
If you're in the Fort Worth or Aledo area and want to see how we answer these ourselves, book a meet-and-greet — no obligation, and no charge for the first visit.