ASH AND OAK KENNEL BLOCK

Each of our two kennel blocks contains 10 kennels. Two kennels in each block are extra large units which can accommodate giant breeds, pairs of larger dogs (e.g. German Shepherds) or groups of three or four dogs from the same family. All kennels have an individual covered outer run with pleasant rural views for your four-legged friends.

• • SLEEPING AREAS

    

    All sleeping areas are insulated and contain a wall-mounted panel heater for the colder months, whilst being cool and shady in the height of summer. Your dog will be provided with a raised sleeping bench onto which we place sanitary and durable vet bedding, which can be used to line a plastic basket for smaller dogs. You are welcome to bring a few sturdy and non-porous toys, such as Kongs, Nylabones or plastic toys, to go in your dog’s kennel with them.

  • DAILY CARE

    

    Your dog’s day begins early, around 7am-7.30am, when they are let out into their outer run after a restful night. Each dog is walked first thing in the morning, followed by breakfast. The dogs are walked again late morning/early afternoon, and then again in the afternoon. This is followed by their evening meal. An extra 30 minute river walk can be booked at an additional cost, and this will usually take place either in the early afternoon or in the evening, depending on weather, season and staff availability. Around 8.30pm-9pm, the dogs are checked and put to bed ready to rest, although this maybe earlier in cold weather.

    If you would prefer your dog to be fed once or three times, or if you feel your dog needs less walking due to health or age, or more walking and you would like to book a river walk, please speak to a member of staff. We have a supply of complete dried food that we are happy to feed at no extra cost, or we will feed any food that you supply. We are also able to administer any medication that your dog requires, including injections for diabetic dogs. Please remember to bring spare food and medication in case you are delayed in collecting your dog.

     

     

    Exercise:

     

     

    At Sunrise Boarding Kennels, we believe that the quality of your dog’s exercise with us is just as important as the frequency. That’s why you’ll find no concrete or artificial turf exercise areas, no dogs left unattended in fenced paddocks, and no packs of dogs all walked together. Instead, your dog will have three walks one-to-one with a member of our caring team every day, within our green, grassy, natural grounds. Of course, if you own two or more dogs we are more than happy to walk them together, with two members of staff if required.

     

    If this isn’t enough, we now offer the option to book ‘river walks’ for an additional fee to give your dog an extra special leg-stretch. As the name suggests, we walk your dog down to the River Great Ouse, which is approximately half a kilometre from the kennels. You can book anything, from just a single walk in the middle of your dog’s stay up to a walk every day if that is what you require. Each river walk lasts 30 minutes and is led by your dog’s requirements – they can slowly amble along to the river and stop to sniff to their heart’s content, or if preferred, they can have a faster walk and complete several laps to really exercise them (and us!).

     

    By keeping our grounds natural, with grass, shrubs, trees and a nature pond, there are plenty of interesting sights and smells to stimulate your dog, with morning walks a particular highlight after the ground has been full of wildlife overnight. We see lots of different creatures whilst out and about, including rabbits, foxes and deer – Rebecca even once say a couple of weasels while walking a dog! We also see a variety of birds such as vibrant woodpeckers, beautiful pheasants and majestic red kites and buzzards, who occasionally swoop down to the field when we are in between dog walk times. Our little pond also encourages ducks and kingfishers. All this leads to a very exciting experience for your dog!

     

    By actually walking the dogs ourselves, rather than leaving them to exercise themseves in fenced-in paddock areas, we form a stronger bond with the dogs and are also able to ensure their safety as well as keeping an eye on their health and wellbeing. We can very quickly pick up on any subtle changes in behaviour, movement and any signs of illness, as this close contact is part of the daily routine.

     

    As we keep dogs from different households apart at exercise time, we stop any possibility of doggy disagreements. This means we are particularly popular with owners of nervous dogs, but also with those who have sociable dogs but like the extra peace of mind while they are away. We also have a very low risk of germs transferring between dogs due to our no-contact policy. Yes, it can be time-consuming and tiring to exercise them in this way, but we believe it is worth it to endure their health, safety and happiness.

     

     

    We use CSJ dried feeds. The feeds we currently stock are:

     

    CSJ Champ! Adult: Our go-to feed, this is an ideal complete feed for healthy dogs aged 1-6 years old.

     

    CSJ Old Champ!: We feed this to all dogs aged 7 years and older. With less protein than the adult version, it is also an ideal diet feed.

     

    CSJ Complete Tripe!: A higher protein feed that we use occasionally for dogs who are extremely active during their time with us. This feed is also wheat gluten free, so please let us know if your dog has an intolerance to wheat gluten and we will be happy to feed them this.

     

    CSJ Puppy: Smaller, higher protein kibble used for all dogs under 1 year old. We will adjust feed levels to reflect your dog’s breed and development stage.

     

    CSJ Wholemeal Mixer: A lower protein dried food designed to be mixed with meat or fish. Let us know if you’d like us to add this to wet food that you supply.

     

    You can find out more about CSJ’s products at www.csjk9.com

BOOKING WITH US

• If you would like to book with us, the first step is to get in touch. You can reach us via telephone, email, Facebook or the contact form on the ‘Contact Us’ page. You will need to give the dates and times that you would like to drop off and collect, the number of dogs to be boarded and the number of kennels needed – some information on the breed(s) is also helpful, so we know whether or not we will need to book you a large kennel. We will check dates and if we have availablity then you can go ahead and book.

• If you are a new customer, you will be offered the opportunity to come and meet us and view the kennels. All new customers will need to fill out a booking form, which can be done at a viewing, or alternatively we can email or, in exceptional circumstances, post you a copy. Please note that new customers will not be booked in until we have received a booking form. Returning customers do not need to fill the form out again, as we will prepare a copy for you to sign on your dog’s arrival. Please note we do not take provisional bookings and cannot hold spaces unless you confirm you would like to book.

• When booking your dog’s stay, remember to take into account the time you will need to travel to your destination. Please consider this carefully before confirming your booking, as at busy times we may not always be able to accommodate requests to extend bookings nearer the time. At the very least, we will need to know whether you are dropping off/collecting in the morning or afternoon, although we appreciate it if customers can make more specific appointments to drop off and collect.

When you have booked your stay, please make a note in your diary of the dates and times that you have booked. If you are unsure, you are welcome to call us to check. If you arrive earlier than arranged without calling, there is a chance your dog’s kennel will not be ready and you may be asked to return at the time you booked.