Leaving a dog somewhere for a week is a bigger decision than most websites make it feel. These are the questions worth asking, and roughly what a straight answer sounds like.
1. Where will my dog sleep?
The single most useful question, and the one that separates places most sharply. A run, a crate in a shared room, a private room, or loose in a house.
Any of those can be fine. What matters is that you get a specific answer rather than "they're very comfortable."
2. Is anyone on the property overnight?
Plenty of facilities are empty from closing until morning. That is not automatically wrong, and many dogs sleep straight through it. But a lot of people assume someone is there, and you should know which you are buying.
3. How many dogs will be here?
A number. It tells you how much individual attention is realistic and how noisy the night will be.
4. What is included, and what gets added?
Ask explicitly about feeding charges, medication charges, mandatory baths, and holiday surcharges. Around Easton, some places charge per feeding and at least one requires a bath before pickup. A $69 night can land closer to $110 by the time you collect.
5. What happens if my dog will not settle?
Every dog has a first night. You want an answer involving a person noticing and doing something, not a policy.
6. What happens if my dog gets ill?
Which vet do they use, can they get there, and do they have authority to treat before reaching you. Ask what happens if you are unreachable, which on a plane or abroad is quite likely.
7. Can I see where the dogs actually stay?
The answer should be yes, and it should be free. Some places near here charge $25 to walk round. Ours is free, takes half an hour, and your dog is welcome.
If somewhere will not show you the sleeping area, that is the whole answer.
8. Will you tell me if it is not going well?
A place that only ever reports that everything is lovely is either very lucky or not telling you things. Ask directly whether they will call you if your dog is not eating or not settling.
9. What do you need from me?
Vaccination records, medication with a real schedule, feeding amounts, your vet's number, and a contact who can make a decision if you cannot be reached.
If a place does not ask for most of that, they are not being relaxed, they are being careless.
What we would answer
Dogs sleep inside our house on dog beds, in the rooms we are in. We live here, so somebody is always on the property overnight. Numbers are small, and we will tell you the actual number for your dates.
$50 a night covers everything. Food you bring, medication, yard time, no bath fee, no holiday rate. The tour is free.
If your dog is not eating or not settling, you will hear from us, including when it would be easier not to call.
And there are things we cannot do. We do not have separate rooms, we cannot take a dog at short notice over the holidays, and if we think a dog would do better in a facility with more space and more staff, we will say so.
Book a look
Half an hour, free, bring the dog. You will get better answers standing in the yard than you will get over the phone.
(484) 714-6624 or the contact page.