Please drive through the first gate that is sign posted with our name at the entance. Close the gate behind you as there may be horses or the kennel owners dogs around. When you reach the second gate please keep your dogs in the vehicle and do not enter this gate without a member of staff letting you through.

Drop off and collection times are by appointment only and will be arranged by managers when booking. Drop offs are between 8:00am to 9:30am or 3:00pm to 3:30pm. Pick Ups are between 8:00am to 9:30am or 3:30pm to 4:30pm We are open 365 days a year inluding bank holidays. the only days the kennels are not open are Christmas Day and Boxing Day for drop-offs and pick-ups.

Your dog must be fully vaccinated for DHPPI and Lepto. Where the intranasal (live kennel cough vaccine) has been given, there must be a time lapse of 14 days before the dog can come on site. This is due to it being a live vaccine that is given in this way. If they are given the injectable vaccine they are not subject to this exclusion period. Their vaccination card will need to be seen during the booking process.

All drop-offs and collections are strictly by appointment only, and appointment times are carefully scheduled throughout the day. Please arrive at your allocated time. If you arrive early, you may be asked to wait until your booked appointment, as we may already be with another customer or carrying out kennel duties. Likewise, if you arrive late, we may not be able to see you immediately if another appointment is scheduled or if we are busy carrying out our daily duties around the kennels.

Yes. All dogs that have not boarded with us before must complete an overnight trial visit before any longer stay. If your dog has never been in kennels before, we strongly recommend booking a daycare session first. This gives them the opportunity to become familiar with the kennel environment, routines, and staff before staying overnight. The overnight trial allows us to assess how well your dog settles and ensures they are comfortable, happy, and relaxed during their time with us. If your dog does not settle well during their first trial, we may recommend additional trial visits before accepting a boarding booking. We will not board dogs that remain highly distressed, unsettled, or bark continuously, as this would not be in their best intrests or fair to the other dogs staying with us. Our priority is to ensure that every dog has a safe, positive, and stress-free experience while in our care.

All dogs staying with us are walked three times a day. From 7:30am: Morning on-lead walks begin, giving dogs the oppurtunity for a toilet break and some fresh air to start the day. From approximately 12:00pm: Afternoon exercise sessions begin. This is the main walk of the day and takes place in one of our secure enclosed meadows. Dogs are free to enjoy off-lead exercise unless you would prefer them to remain on a lead. From 7:00pm: Evening on-lead walks begin, providing a final toilet break before settling down for the night. We have both a 4-acer secure meadow and a smaller enclosed exercise area, allowing us to choose the most suitable space for each dog.

We ask that all owners provide their dogs own food for the duration of their stay. Keeping dogs on their usual diet helps maintain their routine and can reduce the risk of digestive upset while boarding.

Yes, We are happy to administer most medications during your dogs stay, provided they are supplied by the owner with clear instructions on dosage and timing. Please ensure you bring enough medication for the entire stay. We can administer tablets, liquids, creams and other routine medications, but we are unable to give injections. If a dog becomes aggressive or attempts to bite when medication is being given, and it is not safe for our staff to administer it, we may be unable to continue treatment. The saftey of both our team and your dog is always priority.

In the event of injury or illness during the period of their stay with us, the dog will be treated by our Vet at Linkswood Veternary Centre during their daytime opening hours, if they need to see a vet outside of Linkswoods opening hours they will be taken to Vets Now in Witham or Manningtree. All costs will need to be paid upon collection of the dog.

If you have requested photo updates you will recieve these mid afternoon to early evening free of charge once daily, these will be sent via Whatsapp only.

Ideally yes as a dogs likes to have familiar things around them, we do however have spare beds and blankets here if needed. We have an abundance of water and food bowls including slow feeders, ceramic and metal we ask you not to bring any ceramic bowls in yourself as they may be broken. Feel free to bring any favourite toys or balls that your doggie likes.

Yes, Little Horkesley Boarding Kennels are open 365 days a year including Christmas and Boxing Day. But we are not open for drop-offs or pick-ups on those days. Staff work the usual hours so we can keep the dogs routine the same, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are charged at double the normal rate.

No, dogs do not need to be neutered to board with us. However, if you have two dogs of opposite genders wanting to stay together in the same kennel and neither are neutered, they will need to be accommodated in separate kennels for their stay.