How Hillcrest Became Nashville's Most Trusted Boarding FacilityIf you're researching pet boarding options and reading through blog after blog of vague promises, here's something concrete: Hillcrest Kennel and Grooming has operated continuously at 3541 Dickerson Pike since the 1950s. That's over 70 years of boarding dogs in the same North Nashville location, serving the same community, doing the same work every single day. Most boarding options you'll find through apps like Rover or Wag connect you with individuals who board pets on the side. That's a stranger's home, their schedule, their spare room. We run a purpose-built facility with 46 kennel runs designed specifically for dogs, capacity for up to 65 dogs at once, and a five-person staff team whose entire job is animal care. This isn't a side gig. It's the only thing we do. Our kennel design reflects that focus. Each run includes both an indoor and outdoor section connected by a doggie door, giving dogs genuine freedom to move between spaces on their own terms. Dogs aren't waiting on a human to let them out. They go when they want. That design detail matters more than most people realize, especially during a week-long stay. We also handle oral and topical medications for dogs who need them during their stay. That's something most app-based sitters aren't equipped or trained to manage consistently. For older dogs or dogs on daily prescriptions, that capability isn't optional. Our location on Dickerson Pike works in your favor practically, too. Bellshire Family Vet is just 0.5 miles north at 4021 Dickerson Pike if your dog needs a health check before or after boarding. Davidson Farmers Co-op sits next door at 3511 Dickerson Pike and carries food and supplies if you need to stock up on the way in. We serve Nashville pet owners across a roughly 10-mile radius, including Madison, Goodlettsville, Hendersonville, East Nashville, Inglewood, Rivergate, Donelson, Old Hickory, Lakewood, and Hermitage. Families from these neighborhoods have been boarding with us for generations, some for decades. That kind of repeat trust isn't built on marketing. It's built on showing up the same way, every day, year after year. For a full breakdown of what to bring and how to prepare, see our guide for extended stays. What a Boarding Day Actually Looks Like at Our Nashville KennelMost first-time boarders want to know one thing: what happens after drop-off? Here's the honest answer. Your dog gets checked in, settled into their kennel run, and folded into a consistent daily routine that starts the same way every morning and ends the same way every night. Drop-off is straightforward. You bring your dog's food if you prefer, or we use our facility food. Either works. Staff notes feeding amounts, meal timing, and any medications on intake. If your dog is nervous or slow to warm up, that gets noted too. We've handled shy dogs from East Nashville and anxious dogs from Hendersonville. A quiet first hour in the kennel is normal and nothing to worry about. The kennel runs themselves solve a problem most owners don't think about until they're comparing Nashville boarding facilities. Each run has 3x5 feet of indoor space and 3x7 feet of outdoor space, connected by a doggie door. Dogs move between the two on their own schedule. They're not locked in a static box waiting for a scheduled break. That freedom matters for a dog spending a week away from home. Outdoor yard time is where our routine differs most from other facilities. Dogs get 10 or more play yard visits per day. Many kennels run two or three. Nashville's climate makes year-round outdoor time genuinely useful, not just a checkbox. Movement, fresh air, and a change of environment keep boarded dogs calmer and better rested overnight. For dogs with health needs, oral and topical medications are administered by staff on the schedule you provide. This makes boarding practical for dogs managing ongoing conditions, not just healthy young dogs. Older dogs get additional consideration. Our dedicated senior dog area uses the same kennel dimensions but adjusts the pace of the day. Fewer high-energy interactions, more rest between yard visits. Owners of senior dogs often hesitate to board because they assume the environment will be too stimulating. The senior section exists specifically to address that. Related: Affordable and Loving Nashville Dog Boarding on a Budget Related: A Day in the Life at Hillcrest Kennel: Nashville Dog Boarding Experts Feeding happens on a consistent schedule using weight-based portions. If your dog eats twice a day at home, they eat twice a day here. Routine is the most underrated part of a comfortable boarding stay, and we keep it intact. By the end of day one, most dogs have settled. By day two or three, they know the routine. That's what 70 years of doing this looks like in practice. How to Prepare Your Dog for Boarding: A Practical ChecklistA week-long boarding stay goes smoothly when you show up prepared. Most issues we see at drop-off, from delayed check-ins to dogs turned away, trace back to a few overlooked details. Work through this checklist before you leave Nashville, and the stay will be straightforward for everyone involved. Vaccination records come first. Current rabies, distemper, and Bordetella vaccines are required before any dog enters the facility. This protects your dog and every other dog staying with us. If your records are overdue, schedule a visit to your vet before you book. Bellshire Family Vet at 4021 Dickerson Pike, about half a mile north of us, handles routine vaccine updates and can get you sorted quickly. Have the paperwork in hand at drop-off, not on your phone in a folder you have to dig for. Pack your dog's regular food if they have dietary sensitivities or a strict feeding routine. Switching food mid-stay causes digestive upset, and that is not how you want your dog spending a week. Bring clearly labeled portions, enough for the full stay plus a day or two extra. If your dog takes oral or topical medications, include written dosing instructions. Our team administers both, but we need the schedule spelled out clearly. A familiar item, a blanket or a worn t-shirt from home, helps dogs settle into a new space. The scent is genuinely calming for dogs adjusting to a kennel environment. Keep it simple and washable. First-time boarders should consider a daycare day before committing to a longer stay. Drop your dog off in the morning and pick them up in the evening. They get a full day in the play yards, meet the staff, and learn the routine. You get a realistic sense of how your dog handles the facility. For families in East Nashville, Inglewood, or Madison who have never boarded before, this is the most practical way to reduce anxiety on both sides of the leash. Booking timing matters more than most Nashville pet owners realize. Summer family trips to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break all hit our 65-dog capacity fast. Healthcare workers at HCA Healthcare and Vanderbilt, along with tech employees across Music City, often book on tight timelines when travel comes up suddenly. Having a facility already vetted and a reservation in place removes one real problem from a stressful week. Multi-dog households especially should book early, since two or three dogs traveling together require multiple kennel runs and availability narrows quickly during peak weeks.
Preparation takes about 20 minutes. Showing up without vaccination records or running short on food mid-week takes considerably longer to sort out. Get the checklist done before your trip, and your dog's stay will be one less thing on your mind while you are away. Extended Boarding in Nashville: What Families Need to Know for Week-Long StaysMost boarding facilities are built around the overnight stay. Week-long boarding is a different situation, and it requires a facility that can maintain consistent care without cutting corners on day five the way it did on day one. That's what extended stays at Hillcrest Kennel and Grooming are designed to handle. Nashville families use extended boarding for a few common reasons: summer vacations, out-of-state travel, home renovations, and job relocations. The last two categories often surprise people. A kitchen gut-renovation or a move from Hendersonville to a new city can stretch into several weeks, and app-based pet sitters simply aren't built for that kind of duration. A rotating cast of sitters, inconsistent schedules, and no backup plan if someone cancels are real risks when you're talking about a three-week stay. See also: Dog Grooming Secrets: 17 Powerful Tips Every Pet Owner Must Know Here's how extended stays actually work at our Dickerson Pike facility. Each dog gets a consistent kennel assignment for the full duration of the stay. Same run, same location, same daily routine. Dogs are creatures of habit, and stability matters more the longer they're away from home. Our team interacts with the same animals every day, which means staff get to know each dog's personality, quirks, and preferences over the course of a week or more. See also: When to Call the Pros: Signs Your Dog Needs Professional Grooming The daily routine doesn't change based on stay length. Every dog gets 10+ outdoor yard visits per day, regardless of whether it's night one or night ten. Feeding stays consistent too. Families can bring their dog's regular food from home, or we can provide food from the facility. For dogs on medication, our staff administers oral and topical medications on schedule throughout the stay. Multi-pet households get a practical advantage here. With 46 kennel runs and capacity for up to 65 dogs, we can keep dogs from the same household in adjacent or nearby runs. That's not always possible at smaller operations. For a Nashville family in Madison or East Nashville boarding two or three dogs at once, this matters. The dogs stay close to each other, which reduces stress for both animals. Pricing is structured by weight, not by a single flat rate. Smaller dogs are not charged the same as large breeds. For a household with a 20-pound terrier and a 70-pound Lab, that distinction adds up over a week-long stay. For families leaving the Nashville area on a week-long trip, the core question is simple: will my dog be cared for the same way on day seven as on day one? At a facility that has been operating since the 1950s, the answer is yes because the structure that makes day one work is the same structure that carries every day after it. Common Questions About Boarding Your Dog in NashvilleThese are the questions we hear most often from Nashville pet owners planning a week-long stay. Straight answers below. How far in advance should I book a boarding stay?For standard weeks, 2 weeks ahead is usually enough. For Nashville's peak travel windows, plan for at least 2 to 3 weeks out. Summer runs June through August, Thanksgiving week fills fast, and the stretch from Christmas through New Year's is our busiest period of the year. Spring break creates another crunch. With 46 kennel runs and capacity for 65 dogs, we do fill up. Gatlinburg trips, family reunions, and holiday travel all tend to cluster around the same dates, which means Nashville pet owners are often booking at the same time. Can Hillcrest Kennel and Grooming handle my dog's medications?Yes. Our staff administer oral and topical medications as part of the regular boarding routine. Bring medications clearly labeled with your dog's name, the dosage, and the schedule at drop-off. Note that injectable medications are not something we handle at the facility, so if your dog requires injections, talk to your vet about alternatives or in-clinic boarding options before your trip. My dog has never been boarded before. What should I do?Book a daycare day first. Drop your dog off in the morning, pick them up in the evening. They get a full day with our staff, experience the kennel runs, and go through the yard rotation, which runs 10 or more times daily. No overnight stay, no added pressure. Owners in East Nashville, Inglewood, Madison, and surrounding Nashville neighborhoods are also welcome to stop by our Dickerson Pike location in person, see the runs, and meet the staff before committing to a full stay. That walkthrough answers most first-timer concerns faster than any FAQ. Can I bring my dog's own food?Absolutely. Bringing your dog's regular food is a good idea, especially for dogs with dietary sensitivities, specific portion requirements, or feeding schedules that differ from a standard twice-daily routine. Pack it in a labeled container with feeding instructions. If you prefer to travel light, facility-provided food is available as an alternative. Either way, your dog gets fed on a consistent schedule throughout the stay. Preparing for a week-long stay takes more than packing a bag, it takes knowing your pet is in capable, experienced hands. Hillcrest Kennel and Grooming has been the trusted choice for Nashville pet owners since the 1950s, offering full-service boarding and grooming that prioritizes your animal's comfort, safety, and routine. This blog exists to help you feel confident every step of the way, from drop-off to pickup. Nashville Dog Boarding Indoor/outdoor kennel runs with climate control and 10+ outdoor play yard visits per day. Nashville's most experienced boarding facility since the 1950s. When you're ready to book or have questions about what to bring, our team is here to help. Call Hillcrest Kennel and Grooming at 615-865-4413 to reserve your pet's stay or speak with a staff member about your specific needs. Nashville families have trusted us for generations, and we're ready to earn that trust from you too. Comments are closed.
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