What we do...and why we do it

How to Choose Dog Daycare for your Dog

Your dog deserves the best care when you’re not around, and you need the care to be stress and hassle-free. Here at Country Hounds, we treat your dogs like our own and make things easy for you too.

The structure here has been developed with your dog’s wellbeing as the main focus. But don’t just take our word for it, feel free to get in touch to book a time when Carrie can show you around and answer your questions.

Why choose Country Hounds?

You may be drawn to a certain dog daycare centre because it’s nearby, or you might decide to send your beloved pet to one just because a friend’s dog goes there. But are these reasons good enough? In a word, no.

You need to do your research to make sure it’s a good fit, and remember, what’s right for one dog, may not be right for another.

Country Hounds is small, safe, and social. We really are a close family here and the dogs are very much a part of it. What’s huge about it is the size of the playing area, the amount of fun to be had here, and the amount of love we have for dogs!

To help you decide if we’re the right fit for you and for your dog, this is what we do and why we do it:

We operate on ‘school day’ opening times

You might think that we should be open to cover the usual 9 to 5 working day, but in our experience, this doesn’t suit the dogs at all. We pick up between 8:00 & 9:30 and drop the dogs home between 15:00 & 16:30.

By taking them home mid-late afternoon your dog gets to rest in their own bed after a lot of playing. There’s nothing like getting comfy in your own home where it’s lovely and quiet is there? This peaceful sleep:

helps your dog to process the experiences of the day.
it boosts their brain development.
promotes better mental and physical health.
is more relaxing as there’s no distraction from other dogs!

We take care of the transport – and the planet

Carrie, our pack leader, will pick your dog up from your home and drop them off too in the ultra-quiet Country Hounds electric van. And if you’re not going to be in, that’s not a problem, simply arrange for a secure way for Carrie to access your property and she’ll make sure your dog is settled.

We keep the pack small with unparalleled supervision

We welcome up to 9 sociable dogs at any one time. This is the perfect number as we’re only a small, yet highly experienced, team of 2 here at Country Hounds. By keeping the numbers low:

the dogs get to know each other well enabling them to fine-tune their social skills.
we get to know your dog’s quirks, loves, as well as their dislikes which allows us to tailor our care just for them.
they get to know Carrie and Rosie well to promote a trusting bond.
And they don’t have to wait in turn too long for that tickle behind the ears!

We promote good behaviours with structure

We ask that your dog comes for a minimum of one day every week. And no, it’s not because we’d miss them – although that is true – it’s because dogs thrive on structure as it helps to reduce their stress levels which is a common cause for problem behaviour. This routine also benefits your dog as they:

maintain their contact, and friendship, with the other dogs.
help us to identify their unique characteristics and behaviours resulting in the ultimate care and attention.

We get the balance of play and rest spot on

There’s a lot to do at Country Hounds, there’s a secure field to sniff and run around in, equipment to stimulate play and coordination, and on warmer days the paddling pool makes an appearance for splash-time!

And just as importantly, there’s a cosy stable area with beds and blankets for that much-needed rest. This is a hit with the puppies and the younger dogs who need to recharge their batteries a bit more than their older buddies.

It’s not all running and jumping here, although we know how tempting that can be for the dogs with all the space around them. We keep a close eye on the pack and make sure they take the necessary rest, after all, you’ll want your dog to have some energy left so you can enjoy spending time with them after you’ve finished your work for the day.

We introduce dogs slowly and carefully

When a new pack member joins us we do everything we can to ensure their first day or two goes smoothly. This is an exciting time for your dog, their new pals and for us too but there’s a lot of learning to be done.

Your dog will meet the other dogs on a one-to-one basis. We always start this process with the calmer dogs.
With every introduction, we keep a very close eye on their behaviours. If at any time we see that a dog is uncomfortable we’ll slow things down and try again.
Even after all the introductions have been made, the new recruit will be under constant supervision.
If a dog doesn’t settle and continues to look like they’re overwhelmed, we’ll be completely honest and discuss alternative options with you.

We aim to be carbon neutral

Country Hounds is as eco-friendly as it can be and we’re always looking for new innovative ways of doing things to continue to lower our carbon footprint. Our blog, ‘Caring For Your Dogs & The Planet’ reveals more about our love for dogs and the environment.

Have you any questions?

We bet you have, and that’s fine with us. Feel free to ask us anything. In the meantime, you can head over to our Main Country Hounds Page where you’ll discover more about us, what a typical day consists of, and a list of our frequently asked questions.

It’s always nice to put a name to a face, so Carrie and Rosie have popped their photos onto the Get To Know Us Page where you can learn more about them too.

Get in touch, we’d love to hear from you

Don’t hesitate to ask any question you like or to arrange a visit. Simply click here to contact us.

Carrie & Rosie