A confirmed holiday reservation can still unravel if vaccination records, intake steps, and your dog’s comfort with a new setting aren’t handled before travel week arrives. At Camp Bow Wow Charleston, the Camper Interview is a required early step, and holiday hours run from 7:00 AM to 11:30 AM and 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM, so pickup and drop-off plans deserve attention before your itinerary is locked in.

Preparing your dog for holiday boarding is about more than packing food. A little lead time lets you handle health records, share useful care details, and give your dog a chance to grow familiar with the routine before an overnight stay.

Start Planning Before the Holiday Rush

Begin several weeks before departure, especially if this will be your dog’s first overnight stay. Holiday availability tightens quickly, but booking is only one part of the preparation. You’ll also want time to complete the required pre-stay process, confirm holiday operating windows, and ask about any boarding policies that affect your plans.

Contact our Camp to reserve your dates and schedule the Camper Interview. That conversation helps us get to know your dog before the stay. We’ll ask about temperament, play preferences, routines, and anything else that might help them settle in. Be candid with us: let us know about your dog’s age, prior group play experience, comfort around unfamiliar people or dogs, separation habits, feeding routine, and any medical needs. A dog who needs quieter rest periods or takes time to warm up does better when our care team has that context from day one.

Confirm current health and vaccine requirements directly with our Camp rather than relying on an old checklist or another facility’s policies. Requirements can change, and it’s much easier to resolve a missing record weeks before a holiday than the morning before a flight.

Complete Your Dog’s Health & Records Checklist

Records should be current for the full length of the stay, not just on drop-off day. Ask your veterinarian and our Camp about the timing of any newly administered vaccine, since some need time before they provide full protection.

Vaccination records commonly include the rabies vaccine and may include Bordetella, which helps reduce the risk of kennel cough, a contagious respiratory illness that spreads easily among dogs in group settings. Contact our Camp for the current vaccine requirements for overnight boarding.

Have these details ready:

Current Vaccination Records Copies of the records requested during the intake process.
Medication Instructions Clearly labeled medications, exact dosing directions, and the times they should be given.
Feeding Details Your dog’s food, portion size, feeding schedule, and any treat restrictions.
Emergency Contact A reachable contact who can make decisions if you’re unavailable.
Identification Information Current collar tags and contact details associated with your dog.

A veterinarian should be part of the planning conversation for an older dog, a puppy, a dog recovering from illness, or a dog with ongoing medical concerns. The same applies to any dog showing coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, low energy, or other changes before their stay. Veterinary input can help determine whether boarding and group care are appropriate at that time.

Help Your Dog Get Comfortable Before the Stay

A short introduction before the overnight stay can make a meaningful difference, especially for a first-time visitor. Dog daycare acclimation gives your dog a chance to learn the environment and daily rhythm before you add an overnight separation to the mix. During that visit, your dog begins to understand that arrival leads to staff attention, activity, rest, and a predictable pickup. At Camp, dogs enjoy supervised group play in indoor and outdoor areas and then rest in cozy cabins when it’s time to wind down.

Keep home life steady in the days before departure. Don’t switch foods, introduce a demanding new training routine, or make major schedule changes right before boarding unless your veterinarian recommends it. Familiar meals, normal walks, and calm departures give your dog fewer changes to process at once.

Not every dog approaches boarding the same way. A young, social dog may be ready to engage quickly, while a senior dog may need more rest, and an anxious dog may need extra time to adjust. Share what you know about your dog’s energy, social comfort, sleep habits, and triggers so we can plan accordingly. Spay or neuter requirements may also affect eligibility or play arrangements, so ask about current policies early.

Pack What Your Dog Actually Needs

Holiday packing often gets excessive, but a crowded bag doesn’t make a dog more comfortable. Send the items our Camp requests, pack enough food and medication for the full reservation plus a small contingency, and label everything clearly. Busy holiday drop-offs go more smoothly when our team can quickly identify each item.

One familiar comfort item (an approved blanket or toy) can help some dogs settle. Check with us first about what personal belongings are permitted, and confirm what we provide for an overnight stay so you don’t send unnecessary bowls, bedding, or equipment.

Pack with purpose:

Food Pre-portioned meals or enough clearly labeled food for the full stay, with portion size, meal times, and any dietary sensitivities noted.
Medications Original containers with written dosing instructions that match what you discussed at intake.
Approved Comfort Item One labeled item that smells familiar, if permitted.
Care Notes Feeding, behavior, and emergency contact updates our team needs to know.

Make Drop-Off & Pickup Go Smoothly

On departure day, aim for calm and concise. A long, emotional goodbye can make the handoff harder for some dogs, while a steady routine signals that the separation is safe and temporary. Give our team any last-minute information that affects feeding, medication, behavior, or your emergency contact.

For holiday boarding, confirm the exact pickup and drop-off procedure before you travel. Camp Bow Wow Charleston is located at 1745 Clements Ferry Road, and regular hours are 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily. Holiday operating windows differ, so don’t assume the regular schedule applies to your reservation.

Webcam access lets you check in while you’re away, but it’s best used as reassurance rather than a reason to worry over every nap or burst of play. Dogs often rest at different times than they do at home, especially after active social time, and that adjustment is normal.

After pickup, some dogs are excited, tired, extra thirsty, or ready for a quiet evening. Return to familiar meals, walks, and sleep routines rather than planning a packed day right after boarding. Contact your veterinarian if appetite changes, low energy, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, or unusual behavior persists.

One Final Check Before You Leave

Before your trip, confirm the reservation, Camper Interview, current records, feeding directions, medication instructions, emergency contact, approved comfort item, and holiday pickup timing. Getting those details right is what turns holiday boarding from a last-minute logistics scramble into a routine your dog can handle with confidence.

At Camp Bow Wow Charleston, we’re here to help you confirm requirements and plan your dog’s stay before holiday dates fill. Contact us at (843) 825-1673 to schedule the Camper Interview and talk through what your dog needs.