Two dogs from one home can need opposite handling in the same kennel run. The confident dog will likely greet staff, eat in front of anyone and sleep through corridor noise. Her nervous housemate will take her cues from routine, from quiet handling, and from her companion, in that order. Extra instructions matter because a facility's natural habit is to report on the dog who is easy to read, while the nervous dog's stay is decided by small arrangements made before she arrives.
Put the Nervous Dog at the Centre of the Notes
Describe the dynamic in plain terms: who leads on a walk, who follows, where the nervous dog takes courage from her housemate, and where she instead needs patient staff help. Ask for the pair to be walked together where possible, because the confident dog's relaxed body language is often a clear signal for the nervous dog that a new corridor, yard or handler is safe. Ask that they sleep together at night only if that is how they settle at home; where the nervous dog sleeps apart, or where the confident dog crowds, paws or guards a bed, request separate sleeping arrangements that still keep the pair within sight or sound of each other if that is what settles her.
Feeding deserves its own line. Request separate feeding arrangements, in divided spaces or at staggered moments, so staff can see exactly what each dog ate. A nervous dog who leaves her food while her housemate finishes both bowls looks like a dog who ate, and nobody notices until she has missed several meals. Note the nervous dog's known settling routine in order: the order of toilet break, walk, food and rest she expects, the bedding or worn item from home that helps her, and the handling she finds hard, such as being reached for quickly or being lifted.
Stop the Confident Dog Teaching the Wrong Lesson
Companionship helps only while the confident dog stays calm. Ask staff to interrupt the pattern where the confident dog rehearses the nervous one's fears: if she barks at people passing the run, plays roughly at the fence, or charges about during group time, the nervous dog learns that the new place is exactly as alarming as she suspected. Request that staff separate them briefly for boisterous group activity rather than expecting the nervous dog to join in because her housemate enjoys it, and that greetings with strangers happen at the nervous dog's pace, with retreat always allowed.
Ask for honest updates on the nervous dog specifically: how she ate, whether she toileted normally, how long she took to settle each night, and whether she chose to approach anyone. A report that the pair are fine usually means the confident dog is fine. Before any long booking, arrange a short joint trial stay so the facility sees how the pair actually copes, and confirm the provider's agreed terms in writing: the trial arrangements, the overnight sleeping and checking arrangements, and the rates, all settled before the main stay depends on them.
Hand Over Access That Matches the Booking
Put the pair's instructions where the people on shift can reach them, and update them after the trial stay with anything staff learned, such as which run position settled her or which handler she accepted food from. Through KinsLe, Care Pass lets you hand one particular facility scoped, time-limited access to those instructions, open only for the booking itself, so the nervous dog's routine is followed by whoever is on duty without her details staying shared afterwards.