Faq

Unfortunately you are unable to accompany your pet to their room.

There are a few reasons as to why. Firstly, we always try to minimise the disruptions to other pets who are staying with us. Other reasons include animal safety, our privacy policy, and OHS.

We also find that pets settle in a lot better when they don’t associate you with their current environment. It is very much ‘out of sight, out of mind’ when it comes to their experience. By saying goodbye to you in the office, they are able to enjoy their holiday without expecting to see you in their immediate area since they have never seen you there before.

Inspections are always welcomed prior to your pet’s arrival date if you would like to see where your pet will be staying and the different accommodation options we have available.

Please refer to Contact Us page for inspection hours.

We provide everything your dog will need for their stay!

All rooms have raised hammock beds with soft, fleece bedding. In The Pavilion, our small dogs also have the option of igloo kennels with warm bedding inside. For hygiene reasons all bedding is laundered and replaced daily therefore we are unable to accept personal bedding.

We also provide a variety of toys that are all non porous and easily sterilised. We have to ensure that all toys are unable to be chewed and destroyed, eliminating the risk of consumption and blockages. We are therefore unable to accept personal toys for both hygiene and safety reasons.

We always recommend social dogs stay in shared accommodation where they are paired with a friend of similar age, size, breed and temperament. We do not pre-assign friends before arrival as we have to assess who will be the best possible match for your dog once they have settled in. Our buddy-system means that your dog will have company and they will spend all of their time, both inside and out, with their friend. The only exception to this is at feeding time as we separate all dogs for feeding.

Code of Practice for Victorian Boarding Kennels states “only two dogs may share a pen or play yard at any given time”, so rest assured your dog will have only one other friend. With written permission from owners, three or more dogs from one family are allowed to stay together.

If shared accommodation has been unsuccessful we may decide that your dog is better suited to single accommodation and require this option to be booked for future stays. This is at the discretion of our animal management team and will always be discussed with you first.

Dogs who stay in single accommodation are not isolated by any means. They have excellent visibility at all times and can always see other dogs and people. As we never mix large groups of dogs together, single accommodation dogs are not missing out on any fun! They have their own room inside, and own yard outside so they can play through the fences and interact indirectly with their neighbouring dogs.

In our experience there are certain breeds that have a much better stay in single accommodation.

Due to their size and strength we require single accommodation for the following breeds: Akitas, Bulldogs (excluding French), Bernese Mountain Dogs, Boxers, Chow Chows, Dobermans, Great Danes, Greyhounds, Heelers, Huskies, Malamutes, Mastiffs, Maremmas, Rottweilers, Ridgebacks, Shiba Inus, Shepherds (excluding Australian), Staffies, etc.

Any dogs that are crossed with one of these breeds will also require single accommodation.

Two dogs of any of these breeds from the same family are certainly able to stay together.

It is a legal requirement that all pets who stay with us have a current annual vaccination (C5 for dogs and F3 for cats). Please ensure your pet is up to date before their stay as we are unable to admit them on site if they are out of date. 

Vaccinations must be renewed yearly. Please speak to your vet to confirm your pet is fully covered. If you are wanting to board you pet but they have not been vaccinated in over 12 months, they will require a booster a month after their initial vaccination in order for them to be fully covered. This additional booster must also be administered in order for them to stay with us so please plan accordingly.

Yes, we never mix cats!

Our rooms are all designed so that your cat won’t be able to see any other cats.

If you have two or more cats they certainly can share a room. Both The Courtyard and The Catwalk rooms are spacious enough for large families to stay together.

We have many types and sizes of cat accommodation rooms ranging from six meters by three meters, scaling down to two meters by two meters.

We will endeavour to contact you, your emergency contact or your vet and act accordingly in your pet’s best interest. All pets are health checked daily and we have an on call vet should the need arise.

We provide a variety of wet and dry foods for dogs and cats. If your pet is on a prescription/special diet or you would prefer they are fed food from home, you are welcome to bring this along. Please send extra food along for your dog, as we find that due to increased activity levels with us, we need to feed them more than what they are fed at home, to avoid weight loss. If you have meat or food that needs to be frozen then defrosted, please package the food into daily portions and we can defrost as we need. Labelling food is very much appreciated.

We have many types and sizes of dog boarding enclosures ranging from eight meters by three meters, scaling down to four meters by three meters.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to collect your pet earlier or later than their original departure date. We bathe all dogs the day before departure therefore we need to plan this accordingly and require a minimum 24 hours notice. In off peak periods, you will only be charged for the days used, however in peak periods, you will be charged for the original days booked.

We are more than happy to provide you with an update on your pet while you are away but please rest assured that we will always contact you or your emergency contact should we have any questions or concerns.

The easiest way to receive an update is to email us at info@cottagekennels.com.au and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

We always provide accurate updates directly from the animal attendants looking after your pet, and this can take time. For this reason, please try and refrain from asking for frequent updates as frequent disruptions do take our attendants away from the pets in their care.

Our staff are trained to administer your pets complex medication regimes.

Please send along your pet’s medication in its original veterinary packaging and ensure there is enough to last for their whole stay if required.

A medication permission form must be completed prior to arrival with instructions on dosage and frequency.

Please note: We are unable to look after diabetic or insulin dependant pets. Pets who have had recent radiotherapy or chemotherapy are unable to board with us until 28 days after their treatment.

Our online portal is an easy, fast and secure way to manage your pet’s holidays. You are able to request reservations online, edit you and your pet’s details, pay invoices and view past and upcoming reservations. 

Visit BOOK NOW to create a profile or log in to your existing account.

Please note: online reservations are requests only and are not confirmed until reviewed by our admin team. Please check your email or log in to your profile to view the status of your request. Dates on our portal are not indicative of availability.

As early as you can! We book out very quickly for peak periods and long weekends. We recommend booking at least eight months in advance for Christmas/New Year, six months for Easter and three months for all other peak periods. 

No. For dogs, we always ensure that undesexed males and females stay in separate areas regardless of whether females are on heat or not. As we never mix large groups of dogs we can ensure that they are also exercised away from other entire dogs. All rooms and yards are fully secure and are unable to be broken through.

Since all cats are boarded separately, undesexed cats are not an issue for us.

Unfortunately we are unable to fulfil individual photo requests as it does take the animal attendants away from the pets in their care. We have to schedule additional staff to complete these which is why we offer it as an additional service.

We offer a pet photography service that enables you to stay connected with your pet during their stay. We will email you 10-15 photos of your pet half way through their stay, while also providing a written update of how they are enjoying their time with us.

Of course! We conduct inspections Monday to Saturday between 11am-2pm in off peak periods.

Please note: We are unable to conduct inspections on school holidays, long weekends, or busy periods (i.e. the day after a long weekend or holiday period). Please ask our office team if you are unsure.

There is no need to book ahead but please keep in mind that inspection hours can become very busy so there may be a slight wait, particularly on Saturdays.

It is easier if you don’t bring your dog along for the inspection, however if you choose to do so we are required to sight their current C5 vaccination certificate in order to take them through.

We require a $100 deposit per pet to confirm all reservations that fall across peak periods. Outside of school holidays there is no deposit required for standard reservations.

Due to high demand, all reservations in The Deck require a 50% deposit at the time of booking regardless of whether they are peak or off peak.  

Deposits are refundable up until 28 days before the reservation start date (excluding Christmas and New Year).

Reservations cancelled with late notice (within 28 days of the reservation start date) will forfeit the deposit. Forfeited deposits are non-transferable. 

Please note: any refunds issued incur a $10 processing fee. 

For more information please see our Boarding Agreement.

All dogs receive a minimum of 3 to 4 hours outside every single day.

We have a very large number of exercise yards which vary in size and layout. They are comprised of mainly fresh maintained grass, however we also have a variety of yards with astro-turf or concrete for those with grass or pollen allergies. All yards have plenty of fresh drinking water available, shady areas from either tree canopies or shade sails, and excellent visibility throughout the whole area. Some yards also feature rock tunnels or climbing ramps, plus igloo kennels or hammock beds for lounging. 

Dogs who stay in Shared Accommodation get to go outside with their one friend only, and Single Accommodation dogs have a yard to themselves. We don’t have a big group ‘free for all’ which would have to be very carefully monitored at all times and can encourage some negative behaviours and incidents. This means that our guests can spend a lot longer outside playing in a safe, comfortable and controlled environment. 

In extreme weather conditions (i.e. extreme heat, storms or rain) we do bring the dogs back inside earlier for their safety, so on these day they would receive a shorter amount of outdoor exercise than usual. 

Families with three or more pets staying with us at the same time receive a 10% discount on boarding costs. 

Any pet staying with us for 28 days or longer receive a 10% discount on boarding costs. For periods longer than this we are able to provide a separate quote at the discretion of management. Please contact us for a personalised quote.

Please note: discounts do not compound. 

Peak periods refer to any days over the Victorian Public School Holidays.

The following minimum charges apply over peak periods:
Easter: 7 days
Christmas/New Years: 14 days
January 2nd-15th: 7 days
All remaining school holidays: 5 days

Additional daily boarding charges apply for Single Accommodation dogs over these periods.

Please refer to our Boarding Agreement for more information.

Due to their strength, we may require a trial stay depending on age, size, and behaviour for the following breeds: American Akita, American Bulldog, American Staffie, Anatolian Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bull Arab, Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff), Caucasian Shepherd, Doberman, Dogue De Bordeaux (French Mastiff), Dutch Shepherd, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Maremma, Newfoundland, Pitbull Terrier, Pyrenees, Tibetan Mastiff, etc.

Any dog with behavioural issues will also require a trial stay before their first stay.

An introductory day stay or overnight stay can be extremely beneficial in assessing whether an excitable kennel environment is going to be a suitable option for certain dogs. It also gives them a gentle introduction to our staff, our routine, and exposure to all the new sights and smells they are going to experience while with us, which will make their first stay as relaxing and enjoyable as possible.

Trial Stays are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in off-peak periods only. A successful trial must be completed in advance of any future reservations so please plan accordingly.

No! We believe all dogs should be able to board providing it is the right environment for them. Some stronger breeds do require a trial stay before their first holiday with us to ensure they are able to have a safe and comfortable stay.

We are unable to cater for pets who have had major recent surgery due to the high risk of reinjury or infection at the surgical site.

Dogs who have had ACL surgery must wait a minimum of 16 weeks before they can board with us. This is because of the excitable kennel environment. Although we can restrict their exercise, we are unable to prevent them from jumping, twisting, etc. while they are inside and given that it is a such a fun and excitable environment, this is almost impossible to avoid.

Any dog with stitches, bandages or open wounds are also unable to board until the injury has fully healed and no restrictions are enforced.

We recommend boarding at your vet clinic for any pet who has had recent major surgery.