'Home from home' dog boarding and day care alongside our rescue dog, Ada.
Braintree Canine Retreat is a council-licensed, home-from-home boarding and day care service welcoming a maximum of 1–3 guest dogs at a time — giving every dog calm surroundings, individual attention, and a routine that suits their personality. With our higher standards licence (AAL/115) capped at 4 dogs including our own resident dog, you can be confident your dog is never lost in a crowd.
If your dog is dog friendly and vaccinated and you would like to arrange a free meet and greet followed by a familiarisation trail, feel free to make contact (email/Whatsapp preferred contact).
All guests must be up to date with vaccinations (within 12 months) and flea and worming treatments. We are fully insured and canine first aid trained and a clear enhanced DBS is available.
Ellie and Nick are lifelong dog lovers based in Bocking. Ellie works from home 3 days a week— as a nurse, counsellor and coach — meaning your dog always has a calm, attentive presence in the house. Nick brings warmth, long walks and a love of the outdoors to the retreat too.
Our setup grew naturally from years of dog sitting for family and friends, and the arrival of Ada — our Croatian rescue — who now acts as our wonderful resident dog.
Every dog that stays with us is treated as part of the family — spoiled, safe and settled from the moment they arrive whether that is for up to 12 hour day care, over night or for longer boarding opportunities.
When the opportunity arises, our dogs enjoy country walks, beach trips, dog-friendly cafés and days out together. Your dog travels safely with us too — we have a dog hammock, boot guard and divider, seat belts and a full kit of essentials including spare bowls, water and a canine first aid kit for every trip.
We also collaborate with a local groomer, so your dog can go home smelling wonderful if you'd like to arrange it.
Our home has been fully inspected and approved by Braintree District Council. Safety measures in place include:
These aren't just tick-box requirements — they reflect our commitment to providing genuinely safe, supervised care in a true home environment.
Make your special day complete by having your dog by your side — without any stress.
I provide calm, professional, fully insured dog care throughout your wedding day.
1 Walk, Meet & greet, transport, ceremony support, photos, calm handling.
As above + extra walks, extended care, enrichment, quiet breaks.
As above + evening care, dinner, late‑night support.
Full wedding day + overnight boarding + morning walk
Our doggy was very well looked after at Ellie’s. She sent pictures so we could see he was enjoying himself and has made himself right at home at her house! Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Ellie and will be using her again to look after him. Five stars!
by C
Ellie was fantastic with our dog from start to finish. She kept us updated with regular messages and photos, which really gave us peace of mind while we were away. Our dog was clearly happy, well carded for, and treated like part of the family. She had walks, playtime, and lots of attention. Communication was excellent and very friendly. We could not have asked for a better experience and will definitely book with Ellie again. Highly recommended!
by R
Murphy has an absolutely wonderful time at Braintree Canine retreat. Ellie has been so flexible and helpful. Murphy is always so excited to go and his tail will not stop wagging when I drop him off in the mornings. Ellie sends daily updates and photos and videos too which are lovely to see. Due to being a home with a small number of dogs allows lots of fun and games and attention too. Highly recommended
by M
Ellen made the whole experience easy and stress-free. Good communication and updates when Penny stayed with her. Penny enjoyed her stay.
by J
My pups stayed with Ellen recently after our sitter had cancelled. Ellen was really responsive and took them in last minute. Both my dogs are rescues and it was clear Ellen and her partner knew how to make them feel comfortable. Would definitely book again!
by L
Ziggy had an overnight stay with Ellen recently. Ellen was great from start to finish. We had a meet and greet with her dog to see how they would respond to each other and we filled in a form so she knew any necessary information about Ziggy like feeding and exercise habits.
It was clear Ellen is knowledgeable about dogs and she understood Ziggy's needs. During the stay, Ellen kept us updated with how Ziggy was doing and sent pictures. Ziggy sometimes gets a sensitive stomach, so Ellen also kindly gave us something to take away to help with that. Overall Ziggy had a great time and we would definitely recommend Ellen!
by S
Murphy had a great time at Ellen's. It certainly looked like he made himself completely at home in her house, judging by the pictures I was sent! It's nice to not have to worry about him when he is with Ellen! I wouldn't hesitate to have her look after him again.
by E
Ellen and her partner are always great with Nova. Long walks, lots of love and always keeps us informed which the kids love as Nova is there furry sibling. 100% recommend.
by N
This was the first time we had left our Cavapoochon Monty. Ellen was wonderful with updates and photos to set our minds at rest. On his first night he was a bit restless and Ellen stayed with him on the sofa till he fell asleep. We are so grateful and highly recommend Ellen. Thankyou xxx
by H
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