What to look for when choosing a boarding carer

Cage-free isn't the only thing that matters. Six questions worth asking before you leave your dog with anyone.

Leaving your dog with someone else for the first time is genuinely hard, and the listings all start to look the same after a while.

Start with the assessment. Any carer worth booking will want to meet your dog before the stay — to see how they settle, how they are with other dogs, and whether the home actually suits them. A carer who skips that step is telling you something.

Ask how many dogs are in the house at once. Ask what happens if your dog doesn't settle. Ask for the daily routine, and whether you'll get updates. The answers tell you more than any photo gallery.