Dog boarding over Christmas and New Year: how to plan the holidays with your dog

Book earlier than you think

In Chile, Google searches for a dog hotel or daycare more than double with the summer: in the data we reviewed there were about 10,400 in January 2026 and about 9,400 in December 2025, against about 4,600 in August 2026. The Spanish search «hotel para perros» alone runs at around 1,300 a month and reaches about 2,400 in December.

That demand lands right on the dates when most people travel: Christmas, New Year and the January and February summer holidays. If you know you're going away, contact the hotel as soon as you have dates, even before you buy flights. It's easier to adjust a booking than to find a free place on December 20.

If it's your dog's first stay, plan the meet-and-greet

A hotel that wants to meet your dog before the first stay is a good sign. RSPCA Australia recommends visiting in person, asking other owners for referrals and, if possible, booking a short trial stay so your dog can get used to the place. It also notes that most facilities require up-to-date vaccinations, worming and flea and tick control.

At The Place's the meet-and-greet is mandatory for new dogs, who also need up-to-date vaccines and to be spayed or neutered. If your dog has never stayed with us, we can't take it without meeting first, so it's best to arrange that in November or early December.

What to ask any hotel before you book:

• Where does my dog spend the day, and where does it sleep?
• Who looks after it, and how will I hear how it's doing?
• Which vet sees it if something happens?
• Which days and hours do you take in and hand back dogs over the holidays?

What to pack

Every hotel has its own rules, so check first. In general, it helps to bring:

• Your dog's usual food, enough for the whole stay and a little extra: the holidays are not the time to change its diet.
• Its medication, with written instructions.
• Its vaccination record.
• Your phone number, a backup number and your vet's number.
• A collar with an ID tag with your details.
• If you like, a blanket or toy that smells of home.

Also write down what makes your dog nervous: loud noises, other dogs, being touched in certain places. And if it's afraid of fireworks, say so when you book.

If your dog spends the holidays at home: what it shouldn't eat

Christmas and New Year dinners bring several foods that can poison a dog. According to the ASPCA and the RSPCA, two of the leading animal welfare organisations in the United States and the United Kingdom, keep these out of reach:

• Chocolate: the darker it is, the more dangerous.
• Grapes and raisins, which also come in pan de pascua (Chile's Christmas fruit bread) and fruit cakes: they can damage a dog's kidneys.
• Macadamia nuts, which are toxic, and other nuts, which are very high in fat.
• Onion, garlic, chives and leeks, raw or cooked.
• Xylitol, a sweetener found in some chewing gum, sweets and sugar-free products.
• Alcohol and coffee: cola de mono, Chile's traditional Christmas drink, has both. Watch glasses left at nose height.
• Cooked turkey or chicken bones, which splinter, and fatty leftovers, which can cause pancreatitis.

The simplest rule is to keep its usual food: the University of Chile recommends not giving pets leftovers from holiday dinners. If you think your dog ate something on this list, call your vet straight away, even if there are no symptoms yet: the RSPCA warns that not all poisons cause symptoms right away and that you shouldn't try to make your dog vomit yourself.

Decorations, visitors and open doors

• Secure the tree so it can't tip over and, if it's a real one, cover the water in the stand.
• Skip tinsel and hang breakable ornaments high up: if swallowed, they can cause a blockage.
• Hide light cables and batteries: a chewed wire can give an electric shock and a punctured battery can burn the mouth.
• Never leave candles burning unattended: a wagging tail can knock them over.
• Watch the plants: poinsettias can cause stomach upset and lilies are highly toxic to dogs.
• Ask guests to keep their medication in a closed cupboard, not in a handbag or suitcase.
• Give your dog a quiet place to retreat to when the house is full, and let it meet guests at its own pace.
• With guests coming and going, doors get left open: tell everyone the dog can't go out and keep its ID tag on.

In Chile the holidays fall in midsummer: fresh water, shade and no walks in the hottest hours. And skip the costume: the University of Chile warns that a badly fitted one can make it hard for a dog to breathe or move.

New Year's Eve and fireworks

For many dogs, the hardest part of the holidays is midnight on December 31. Start preparing weeks ahead, walk your dog early that day and keep it indoors that night in a quiet, safe place: the University of Chile recommends staying with your pets in the most isolated room of the house. Check gates and fences too, because a frightened dog can bolt.

If you think your dog needs something to calm it down, talk to your vet in November, not on December 31. Any medication or supplement should be decided by a vet who knows your dog.

If your dog spends the holidays at The Place's

By day your dog plays freely with the pack on natural grass with shaded areas, and at night it sleeps indoors, in a safe gallery with beds and blankets. The same person, Joshua or Cristina, looks after the dogs, there's a vet on site and we send photos and videos during the stay. Joshua is from Denver, so you can talk everything through in English.

Boarding starts at CLP 17,000 + VAT a day (CLP 20,230 with VAT) and varies with your dog's needs, behaviour and medication. If your dog has stayed with us before, we can take it at the last minute, subject to availability; if it's new, we need the meet-and-greet first. We're in Chicureo, about 25 minutes from Santiago airport without traffic.

We're open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 18:00. Message us to confirm dates and drop-off and pick-up times over the holidays.