Dog-Friendly Environment

Whether you are travelling for business or going on holiday, knowing that your dog is safe, happy and enjoying themselves will help you to make the most of your time away.

Our residential dog training programme is our flagship offering but we are delighted to be able to share the dog-friendly environment at Royvon on a lodging basis too. You will understand why our slogan is ‘The way to treat your dog’ when looking at the large range of bespoke options we offer for your dog to have a brilliant stay!

Dog-Friendly Environment

Whether you are travelling for business or going on holiday, knowing that your dog is safe, happy and enjoying themselves will help you to make the most of your time away.

Our boarding options started with our residential dog training programme, our flagship offering. Built for training, our environments are stimulating, secure and dog-friendly. You will understand why our slogan is ‘The way to treat your dog’ when looking at the large range of bespoke dog boarding options we offer, ensuring your dog has a brilliant stay with us!

Over 60 Years Experience

At Royvon we have been looking after dogs for over 60 years and care for dogs of all ages, breeds and personalities. With a focus on positive training techniques, we know the importance of a relaxed and enriching environment for dogs. Over the years, many of our customers were looking for reliable lodging for their dog and were keen to return to Royvon where they know their dog is content. That’s when we decided to open a dog hotel at both our Esher and Merthyr Tydfil sites, where we offer dog boarding tailored specifically to your dog’s needs.

Safe and secure dog boarding

The safety and comfort of all of our dogs is paramount, whether they are with us for a training session or for a longer stay. You will notice from the moment you arrive at Royvon that our site security is tight: automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) means that our gates will only open if we are expecting you, CCTV covers our grounds and all visitors are required to show ID. We have a high staff-to-dog ratio and our staff are trained in dog first aid, on-hand for your dog 24/7 and we have excellent relationships with reputable vets should your dog need any unexpected help.

Boarding Options

There are four different ways that your dog can board with us:

Dog Hotel Accommodation

Every dog has their own private, temperature-controlled inside room and an outside area, with caring staff on hand 24 hours a day. What they get up to during their days with us is up to you and your dog’s personality. You can select from a wide range of enrichment activities, from play sessions to expert training lessons, woodland walks to brain puzzles.

Country Retreat

Offering the same private indoor and outdoor accommodation, our country retreat is at the foot of the Brecon Beacons, offering additional options for running and exploring the wide paddocks and local green spaces. You can still build your dog’s schedule to suit their needs, including training with our qualified team.

Playhouse

As well as offering fun, active daycare, our Playhouse centre combines everything we know about the enrichment of dog play and socialising with secure boarding. With focused dog care from our team 24 hours a day, boarding here is like an action-packed holiday where your dog will make plenty of new friends. While the programme for group playtimes is structured, you can add on extra enrichment activities to suit your dog’s needs. Owing to the open play nature of our Playhouse, we can only accept non-reactive dogs for this type of boarding.

Residential Dog Training

Royvon developed the first residential dog training programme of its kind and we are proud to continue to evolve to deliver this intensive training to dogs and families that need it. This option is suitable for dogs with behaviour issues as well as those who need more general obedience training. Residential Training is three weeks, with a committed trainer working directly with your dog and reporting back to you on progress. At the end of their stay, your trainer will continue to work with you through ‘owner training’ to give you all the tools you need to continue training at home.

The Benefits Of Dog Boarding At Royvon

Unlike traditional dog kennels, we offer more than a bed and time in a play paddock. The accommodation we have is dog-hotel style and has won numerous awards. Our reviews on Google are testament to the difference this makes, even to nervous dogs, who happily return to stay with us again and again.

Our friendly staff are around 24 hours which is not always the case at dog facilities. If there is an issue in the night, there will be someone there to notice and help, as well as offering reassurance and affection to dogs that may need an extra cuddle.

Central to our dog lodging offer is the opportunity to create a timetable of activities bespoke to your needs. If your dog has been before and has a favourite trainer, you can book 1-2-1 sessions with them or perhaps your dog has particular treats they love or games to play that will help them to feel comfortable and keep active during their stay. The ability to create the stay that works best for you means dogs love coming to Royvon and we love to offer a reliable service to owners who need dog boarding regularly, occasionally or at last-minute notice.

Tailored Dog Boarding to Your Needs

Our boarding offering has been created for optimum flexibility and suitability to your dog. Every aspect has been considered so that you can create an experience that is both stimulating with the kind of activities your dog enjoys while comforting them with a routine that aligns closely to what they are used to at home.

We can offer enrichment services for up to 18 hours a day – your dog can have an even more action-packed holiday than you if you choose their schedule to do so!

You can choose the agenda to be as busy or relaxed as you wish, after all you know your dog best. From playtime to treats, walks to baths, the options and possible combinations are endless. You can choose which days your dog does what, and when, including the option to have different routines for the day they arrive and departure day when it’s all about being reunited!

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Enrichment Options to Choose from for Boarding and Country Retreat

When you book dog boarding at Royvon, the basic reservation is room only. This includes two connected areas of the same size: a sleeping area for the night and a covered outside area that your dog can access during the day. What they do with their day is up to you, you will be able to add your additional service options as you go through your booking. Each section allows you to add your own personal notes to create a fully customised itinerary.

When you have compiled your chosen schedule we will give it a check to make sure that all services are available at the times requested and are suitable for your dog’s age and breed.

Dog Bathing: Is there anything better than clean dog cuddles? Maybe the chance to receive them without having to give them a bath beforehand! This option gives you the choice to decide how often they are bathed so that you can mirror their home routine, as well as the very popular option to have a bath on departure day so that they are ready to reunite with you.

Friendly dog group session: for dogs that are happy to play with other dogs, we offer supervised group sessions where they will get the opportunity to meet new friends and have energetic fun in our enrichment areas. With a choice of one or two sessions each day during their stay, if your dog is used to being sociable this will be one of their daily highlights.

Single dog play session: for dogs that find socialising hard but still want to play, they can have individual playtime during the day. You will have the option to book in 15 minute slots and can choose one session or multiple to match the energy and playfulness of your dog.

Train & enrichment session: as well as active play, this option gives your dog a chance to use their brain with puzzles or scent games. You can add a note to let us know what your dog likes best or we can see what they prefer during their stay.

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Daily Training Session

Dog training is our speciality at Royvon and this option gives the opportunity for your dog to work on any specific obedience challenges you may have without booking our full residential dog training option. You will be able to request your preferred trainer if you have stayed with us before or your dog can work with any one of our experienced and knowledgeable team. Our positive training methods are very enriching to any dog and this option is a fantastic way to keep your dog stimulated and stress-free while they are spending time away from their family.

Owner training session: after your dog has been training with us, it is strongly advised that you add a 45 minute owner training session for your departure date so that you can learn the skills that have been used with your dog to continue the great progress they have been making at home.

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Treats and puzzles: Whether you choose to bring your dog’s favourite treat with them or would like us to provide it, these little things can really help your dog to enjoy their stay and feel comfortable at Royvon. We will prepare it at the agreed time of day so that we can keep your dog to your normal routine. We highly recommend Nina Ottosson brand treat puzzles for inquisitive dogs who enjoy learning as much as the final reward! If we are providing the treat, please ensure we are made aware of any food intolerances before your dog boards with us.

Extra woodland walk: For dogs that love nothing more than exploring, our surrounding woodlands make the perfect spot for some additional time. Choose from one, two or three woodland walks each day to give your intrepid explorer the chance to get to know our local area.

Bedtime walk: if your dog is used to a final stretch of their legs before settling for the night, a 15 minute walk onsite before bedtime at around 10pm is a great option to round off each day.

Toilet opportunities: we can offer additional toilet opportunities up to four times a day so that your dog can toilet on its preferred surface or in the right environment. Bookable as ten minute slots, you can add additional notes to help us to help your dog make this part of their stay as normal as possible.

A stepped approach with a Boarding Evaluation

Boarding Evaluation

We offer a two-day evaluation visit to Royvon, including enrichment activities, for £90.

With over 60 years of experience, we know that staying away from home can be a bit of a change for your dog, and that some take to it more easily than others. This is especially true for dogs who have anxiety. Alongside welfare and security, it is part of our role to ensure all dogs staying with us receive the most suitable care for their needs. Our boarding evaluation is a stepped approach to determine what each dog needs and to ensure the environment is suitable for anxious or reactive dogs before they arrive for a longer stay.

This is the second step in the process for new boarders, following a site visit. A visit to Royvon allows you and your dog to view our facilities,and we can see how your dog feels in our environment. If you haven’t already done this, you can book a visit during our normal business hours via our booking system.

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If you have an anxious dog, choosing a boarding option can be even more daunting and it’s very important both you and your dog feel comfortable with your choice. For a small charge, we offer a more in-depth evaluation to check the suitability for boarding with us. One of our training team will spend time with your dog and we will send a report giving our recommendations around their readiness for lodging or if there is a stepped process that could help. This option includes vouchers for future stays that pay for the evaluation itself when redeemed.

For all dogs that may have an issue settling into Royvon, the boarding evaluation is a through assessment, covering the main experiences your dog will have during their stay. This will be a two-day process with a set checklist of activities and a full written report.

Day 1

  • You drop your dog between 8am and 10am with the food they need for their stay. 
  • There will be a 20 minute Meet & Greet with one of our Trainee Trainers who will be assigned to your dog during their stay.
  • After your leave, your dog will have a woodland walk, group play assessment and a bedtime walk to evaluate their reactions to different scenarios.
  • There will be an end of day one report written up.

Day 2

  • A report will be made of how your dog was overnight.
  • There will be a further woodland walk and group play assessment.
  • You will collect your dog between 2pm and 4pm, including an evaluation handover with your Trainee Trainer. 
  • A complete evaluation report will be ready for you.

At the end of this boarding evaluation process, we can advise on the best course of action which may include a stepped approach if your dog continues to need more support to adapt.

Create a completely customisable schedule for your dog’s time at Royvon.

Create a completely customisable schedule for your dog’s time at Royvon.