About Us - Our Story
The Kennels at Home Cottage: A Southwell Story
Long before we were Platinum Boarding Kennels, dogs were holidaying at the cottage on Crew Lane. Here's how a much-loved local kennels became part of the Platinum K9 family — and what has never changed.
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Where the Name Comes From
It all started with a cottage.
On the edge of Southwell, just off Crew Lane, sits a house called Home Cottage. It gave its name to the boarding kennels that grew up around it — Home Cottage Kennels — which cared for Nottinghamshire's dogs for many years.
Generations of local dogs knew the routine here: breakfast after the morning run, playtime in the paddocks, dinner as the light faded over the fields. Long-standing customers may even remember Oscar, the Sussex Spaniel whose "day in the life" starred on the old website.
Over those years the kennels earned something you can't build quickly: the trust of local owners — many of whom have been bringing their dogs here for years, and still do.
Where the Name Comes From
Home Cottage becomes Platinum.
In 2024, the kennels joined the Platinum K9 family — the professional dog training business based on the very same site — and took a new name to match: Platinum Boarding Kennels.
For the dogs, remarkably little changed: same kennels, same fields, same routines, same council licence. What changed was who stands behind it all — because your dog's boarding kennels are now run by people whose day job is understanding dogs.
And if you spot "Home Cottage Kennels" in some of our older Google reviews — that's why. Same site, same phone number, same reviews; just a new name over the gate.
The Platinum K9 Family
Run by one of the UK's leading dog training providers.
Platinum K9 is a residential dog training business trusted by owners across the UK — dogs travel from all over the country to train here in Southwell. That expertise now sits behind every single stay at the boarding kennels.
Training in every discipline
From puppy foundations and obedience to behaviour work with reactive and anxious dogs, Platinum K9's qualified trainers work hands-on with dogs of every breed, age and temperament — every day, on this site.
Why it matters for boarding
A team that reads dogs professionally notices things others miss: the guest who needs a slower introduction, the one who settles better with a routine tweak, the early signs a dog is under the weather. Your dog benefits from that knowledge even on a simple week's holiday.
Train while they stay
Because training and boarding share one site, you can combine them — your dog enjoys their countryside stay and comes home better behaved than when they left. Ask us about boarding-and-training when you book.
The Important Bit
What changed — and what never will
What's stayed the same
- The same site at Home Cottage, Crew Lane, Southwell
- Our Newark & Sherwood District Council licence (22/00051/COMM)
- Dual-run kennels, heated in winter, shaded in summer
Two exercise sessions a day in secure grass paddocks
- Feeding to your dog's own routine, with their own food
The same drop-off and pick-up windows owners have always known
What Platinum brought
- Professional dog trainers and behaviour specialists on the team
- The option to combine boarding with residential training
- 24/7 CCTV across every kennel and paddock
- An online customer portal for managing bookings
The People
Cared for by people who do this every day.
The heart of the kennels has always been its small, dedicated team — that was true in the Home Cottage years and it's true now. Today's team live on site, work hands-on with dogs of every temperament, and are backed by the trainers of Platinum K9.
Meet the Team