Facilities

When it comes to choosing where to send your dog, it seems that there is only a small, but bewildering choice.
Firstly, you should ask, is it licensed? All animal-boarding establishments must be licensed by the local Council (copies of our current Licence are available on request) and inspected by the Environmental Health Officer every year.
One advantage of this is that although many aspects of what they are concerned with do not necessarily apply to us (like minimum staffing hours at commercial kennels etc) they were useful in that they did recommend that we should have a secure area within our garden. Although none of the dogs are inclined to run off, we now have the advantage of being able to leave the back door open so the dogs can wander in and out of the fenced off section, without us having to watch over them continuously. We think it must be gratifying for you to know that they will be safe here.
Secondly, many boarding establishments offer increasingly extravagant additional health and pampering facilities, and this could confuse the issue, because although it may be appropriate occasionally, it is not necessarily something you want while you are away on holiday.
So, be assured that life at the Barking Bedgebury concentrates solely on looking after your dog in order for his holiday to be as much fun as possible. There are absolutely no gimmicks here, all we have is a…

Below the window in the dining room, there is a wooden shelf. Little dogs are immediately drawn to this fantastic vantage point. Looking out of the window may seem banal by comparison, when there does not seem to be that much (to us) going on in our garden, but we will let them be the judge of that, and as long as they do so we will respect their view. They may be protecting us on 'guard duty' for all we know?

Smaller dogs are also drawn to the upholstered dining chairs. We normally take our breakfast in the dining room, so after their morning walk, when they have been fed, they are inclined to see what we are doing and find somewhere to have a snooze for a while.

It seems rather a human facility to want to lie in the sun, but dogs like to do it too! As the sun moves around the house, if they don't get a chance to find somewhere to lie in the dining room, they will definitely get one later in the kitchen.

As the sun only chooses to grace us with its presence occasionally, for the rest of the time the dogs rely on the old formula of me lighting the fire in the dining room first thing in the morning before we go out, so it is nice and warm when we get back!
After a good walk, and a decent meal all the dogs seem to be drawn to the hearth like a magnet. While we tuck into our breakfast, they are happy to just warm up.

After supper, we normally go into the sitting room to watch the telly. All the dogs are normally invited to join us. The little ones invariably look for a comfortable lap, but the bigger dogs are surprised to find how luxurious the feel of a silk rug can be. We only know this because they seems to only want to roll around on their backs, enjoying the silky surface, just as we want to watch the news!

Bedrooms
Dogs normally sleep in either the kitchen or our spacious lobby. They also have a choice of the laundry room or dining room. All have plenty of light, very spacious and warm.

Privacy
Most dogs enjoy the company of others and are happy to muck in together, but if anyone wants to be on their own they can do so here.

Garden
We have a decent sized garden, a south facing patio, and nearly half an acre of lush lawn to play in or just stroll around.
Meals
In the summer most meals are served outside, but at other times they eat together in the kitchen or dining room, overlooking the garden.
Sleeping arrangements
The kitchen with the Aga is warmer than the lobby. Our dogs prefer the cooler lobby, but there are two other alternatives.
Beds
We would like you to bring his/her own (comfy and familiar) bed, and if they sleep in a cage, bring that too. That way they have the sanctuary of their own space-home from home.

The Stream
We have a shallow stream that comes down from the forest and runs through the garden, it is not normally deep enough to swim in, but they like to have a drink, and cool down by paddling after a good walk. It also provides the opportunity to clean up muddy dogs who have an aversion to the hose.

Food
We understand from the experts that most dogs benefit from the same (quality) food, served in the same receptacle, at the same time of the day, and we are happy to go along with that.

So, ideally we would like you to leave a supply of their favourite food, and an indication of how much to give, (bearing in mind the extra exercise) and when. If you like to give your dog a treat from time to time we are able to cater for that too.