Kennels run on routine, and a good kennel will happily bend that routine for an old dog, but only if the bending is specified. 'He's elderly, take it easy with him' produces goodwill and nothing measurable, while a written brief with concrete requests gives staff something to roster, check and hand over between shifts. Your old dog cannot advocate for himself at the kennel gate, so the brief, a trial stay and an agreed update have to do his advocating for him, in language a busy kennel team can act on.
The Written Senior Profile, Section by Section
Write the profile as a single document the kennel keeps with his record. Exercise: walk length he manages comfortably, his pace, whether stairs, slopes or slippery floors defeat him, and the stiffness signs that mean a walk should be cut short. Rest: the bedding he needs, thick and supportive, insulating him from cold hard flooring, plus whether he sleeps better with his own blanket from home and what settles him at night. Position: a kennel away from young, boisterous neighbours, in a quieter row, with his toilet breaks more frequent than the standard round, because old bladders and old bowels keep their own timetable. Feeding: his food, amounts, times, and how he takes any medication, described as his home routine for the kennel's own qualified staff to follow. Health signals: his normal routine, how an off day shows itself, his vet's contact details, and the threshold at which you want a telephone call rather than a note at pickup.
Agree the Routine Before the Stay, in Writing
Take the profile to the kennel before booking the stay and walk through it with the rota manager, asking how each request fits their operation: can walks be split shorter and slower, is there a quieter block for seniors, can bedding from home be used, and how are night checks handled? A kennel that engages with the detail, asks questions and writes things down is showing you its system; a kennel that waves the document away is also showing you its system. Get the agreed adjustments noted on his booking, including the trial stay, the update schedule and the call thresholds, so the arrangement survives staff changes and busy weekends. Pay for the extras if extras are charged; a solo short walk and a premium quiet kennel are legitimate services, and paying converts a favour into a commitment.
The Trial Stay and the Mid-Stay Update
Book one or two nights first, while you remain nearby and reachable, because the trial tests three things at once: whether he settles, whether the tailored routine happens, and how the kennel reports. Ask at pickup for specifics, not reassurance: how far did he walk, how did he eat, how did he sleep, how stiff was he on the second morning? During the real stay, agree one update at a set point with honest detail on appetite, mobility, toileting and mood, and a photograph if the kennel offers them. Equally, tell the kennel what you will do with bad news: collect him early, authorise a vet visit, or adjust the routine by telephone, so staff never hesitate to report a problem for fear of spoiling your trip.
After Pickup: Close the Loop
Collect him at the agreed time, expect an old dog to be tired for a day or two, and read his homecoming carefully: weight, stiffness, appetite, sleep and any new cough, sore or behavioural change in the following days. Feed back to the kennel what worked and what did not, because a kennel that knows your dog and hears the outcome becomes better at his next stay, and his written profile grows more precise every visit. Update the profile after each stay and after every vet visit that changes his routine, so the document never describes a younger dog than the one you are boarding. Sharing that current profile with the kennel only for the days he is there is exactly the job KinsLe designed its Care Pass sharing for.