A dog headed into a traditional kennel run and a dog headed into a full day of pack play need different preparation. Crate-style boarding is mostly about getting a dog comfortable with confined rest. Open-play, cage-free boarding asks a different question: can your dog engage safely with a group? That distinction shapes every step before drop-off.
At Camp Bow Wow, every prospective Camper goes through a temperament screening before any overnight stay is confirmed. Our Certified Camp Counselors supervise all-day group play, and getting a dog into that environment involves more than packing a bag. The steps below walk you through what to do and when to do it before the holiday travel season hits full stride.
Book Your Reservation Before Holiday Travel Peaks
Charleston International Airport recorded more than 142,000 passengers in a single six-day stretch over Thanksgiving, and projections for the Christmas and New Year window reached roughly 230,000. The Lowcountry’s holiday travel calendar fills fast, and boarding availability moves on the same timeline. When families book flights, they book boarding. Waiting until the week before a trip to call around is a gamble most years and a losing one during peak season.
Holiday periods at our Daniel Island and West Ashley locations can carry seasonal pricing because these are the highest-demand dates for space and staff. Locking in your reservation early secures your spot and gives you a clear picture of what the stay will cost. Keep in mind that a reservation is only the first step for a new Camper. The Camper Interview also has to be completed and approved before a stay is finalized. That means the booking call and the interview need to happen in sequence, not the day before departure.
Complete the Camper Interview Early
The Camper Interview is a temperament assessment that confirms whether a dog is a genuine fit for Camp Bow Wow’s open-play, group environment. Not every dog thrives in a pack setting right away, and the interview gives our team the chance to see how a dog interacts before approving them for a boarding stay. It’s a low-pressure introduction, not an exam, but it does need to happen ahead of time.
All dogs entering Camp must be spayed or neutered and current on vaccinations. If a dog isn’t yet altered or has a lapsed vaccine, those things need to be resolved before the interview can happen. Scheduling several weeks before a holiday trip avoids the crunch when everyone in Charleston is trying to book the same appointment slot in late November or mid-December.
Confirm Vaccinations With Enough Lead Time
Vaccine records are a firm requirement, not a formality. A stay at Camp Bow Wow won’t be confirmed until a dog’s vaccinations are current, so pulling those records early, before anything else gets scheduled, saves time later. The vaccines most commonly required for group boarding are rabies, DHPP (the distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza combination), and Bordetella.
Bordetella generally needs to be given at least one to two weeks before a boarding stay, with timing varying depending on whether your dog receives the intranasal, oral, or injectable form. Veterinary offices get busier as the holidays approach, and a vet may not be able to squeeze in a last-minute booster requested too close to your travel dates. Calling your vet in October or early November gives you the most flexibility.
Pack Light for a Cozy Cabin Stay
The most common over-packing mistake comes from assuming a boarding facility provides nothing. Every cabin at Camp Bow Wow already includes a nightly treat, a cozy cot, and a fleece blanket. You don’t need to haul bedding from home.
Here’s what we recommend packing for an overnight stay:
- Your dog’s regular food: Keeping the diet consistent during a stay prevents digestive upset from a sudden food change. Portion it into daily servings if that helps the handoff go smoothly.
- A familiar item from home: A favorite toy or a blanket with your scent can help a dog settle in during the first night, especially for first-time boarders.
- Any medications with written instructions: There’s no additional fee for administering medication during a boarding stay at Camp Bow Wow, so pack prescriptions with clear written instructions and we’ll handle the rest.
Leave the full bed setup, the stack of toys, and the extra treats at home. Our Certified Camp Counselors provide plenty of enrichment and attention throughout the day, so your dog won’t be sitting in a cabin waiting for stimulation.
Make Drop-Off Quick & Upbeat
Separation anxiety shows up differently in an open-play environment than in a solo kennel run. In a group setting, most dogs shift their focus to the pack fairly quickly once drop-off is complete. What tends to slow that process down is a long, emotionally charged goodbye at the gate.
Dogs read their owner’s emotional state with surprising accuracy. A prolonged farewell communicates that something worth worrying about is happening. A brief, upbeat goodbye (a pat, a cheerful word, then you walk out) helps a dog settle into the new routine faster. If you’re anxious about how your dog is doing, our live webcams let you check in from wherever your travels take you. Watching your dog romp around the play yard with a new set of friends can go a long way toward easing first-time boarding nerves.
Your Dog Is More Ready Than You Think
Once the reservation is confirmed, the Camper Interview is done, the vaccines are current, and the bag is packed, your dog is genuinely set up for a good stay. The preparation feels like a lot of steps the first time, but most of it front-loads into a few phone calls and one vet visit. After that, the hard part is trusting that your dog is in good hands, and that’s exactly what the whole process is built to earn.
If you’re planning holiday travel from the Charleston area, the best time to get the Camper Interview on the calendar is now, before the seasonal rush makes scheduling tighter for everyone. Reach out to Camp Bow Wow at (877) 700-2275 to get started.