The Kennels

• Please note the kennels are on holiday during January, although we will be answering emails, so please email if you need anything.

Croft Farm is set within 40 acres between Harpenden and Wheathampstead. It's an oasis of quiet beside the River Lea.
We offer kind and individual care; your pets will enjoy their holiday so you can enjoy yours.

About Us / Choosing a Kennels / Medication / Beds / Staff / Vaccinations / Kennel Cough / Dogs in Season / Castration / Payment / Opening Times / Contact

The kennels has been established for over 35 years. We are inspected and licensed by our local authority, and have received the highest possible rating of 5 stars. Our license number is LN/201900005, St Albans City and District Council.

All the dogs are exercised in secure grass paddocks and have the opportunity for supervised social play. They go out in the same group each time and make real friends with the other dogs.

Bouncy dogs are paired up with someone else who's keen to play, and OAP's can potter with a like-minded friend. Despite our best efforts some of our customers don't play nicely, and so they go out to play by themselves.

On an average day all the dogs get about two and a half hours of outdoor play on the grass.

Our kennels are all indoors and heated.

Because dogs' requirements vary, so do our kennels - from small cosy ones to suit toy dogs, to extra large family kennels for two or more big dogs.

Small dogs are kennelled in separate units with 6 secure sleeping pens. They are secure in their own kennel but can see each other, and they go out to play with the other small dogs. We find this gives even shy dogs lots of confidence, and they really enjoy the social side of their stay!

All the dogs are fed twice a day, and have treats at intervals throughout the day (we work by shameless bribery!)

We keep a wide variety of proprietary dog foods (some 15 at the last count) including Hills, Eukanuba, Burns, James Wellbeloved, Bakers, Naturediet and Chappie. We aim to change your dog's diet as little as possible, but if we don't have a suitable food we are happy to feed food supplied by you.

If you are new to the area, or haven’t used kennels before we really recommend coming and having a look. We can’t offer your dog all the comforts of home (sofas and telly), however our canine visitors do enjoy socialising with the other dogs, and feel very safe with a regular routine and caring staff.

If your dog is new to kennels we recommend a short introductory stay. Drop off in the morning and let us feed them breakfast, then collect at tea time. When they come in the next time, they know they are going home and will feel quite safe here.

You are welcome to come and visit to inspect the kennels any morning from 10am - 12pm

Please note: We currently have a gender imbalance, and can’t take on any new large male dogs. As we socialise the dogs, it’s important that everyone in the group is happy, and we find it works best with a 50:50 split. Thank you for your understanding.

If your dog is on any medication we will continue to administer it according to your directions.

We provide a plastic bed and vetbed blanket for your dog, however, you may wish to bring your own blanket and toys as we find this helps newcomers settle more quickly - it’s comforting to have the smells of home!

Our staff are all pet owners themselves, and we give our boarders the same standard of care we would expect for our own animals.

Vaccinations can be controversial, with conflicting advice, however to protect your dog we have a firm rule: All dogs must be up to date with their regular booster vaccinations according to your vet's recommendation. We need to see the certificate at each visit.

We recommend a kennel cough vaccination. If you decide to vaccinate, this must be done at least four weeks prior to your dog’s stay. We cannot accept dogs without this quarantine period. This is because the live vaccine used can result in kennel cough symptoms, and can infect other dogs. For more information you may find this link useful: http://www.kennelcoughindogs.com

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate bitches in season. (It drives the other dogs crazy!)

Please note we cannot accept uncastrated dogs over one year of age.

At busy times we take a 50% non-refundable deposit.
Payment is on collection of your pet. We accept cheques, cash or debit card.

We are open for drop-off and collection during these hours:

Monday - Friday
Morning 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Evening 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday
Morning 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Closed for arrivals and departures on Bank Holidays, Easter and Christmas Day

Please note we charge for the days of arrival and departure.

For bookings or enquiries please call 01582 832 071 or email croftfarm.dogs@gmail.com
For more details on how to get to Croft Farm, see our Contact Page