What to pack for dog boarding: a first-timer’s checklist (and what to leave home)

Most boarding checklists online run to 20 items. The kennel needs far fewer. Staff deal with dozens of dogs a day, and the things that actually protect your dog are the ones that tell them how to feed, medicate and reach you. Everything else is a nice extra.

Before you pack anything, call or check the kennel’s website. Some provide bedding in every run, some ask you to bring food, and a few charge a fee if you supply your own. Their list beats any generic one, including this one.

Pack exactly what your dog eats at home for every meal of the stay, then add one or two extra days in case your flight is delayed. Portioning each meal into its own labeled bag is the single most helpful thing you can do: the AKC’s boarding advice and most kennels ask for individual meals, because it removes any guessing about cups and scoops.

Keep the food the same. VCA lists both changes in diet and stress from boarding as common causes of diarrhea, and a kennel stay can stack the two if you send a new food. If your dog gets toppers, broth or a spoon of pumpkin, pack that too and write the amount on the bag.

Don’t panic if your dog skips a meal or two at first. A Texas A&M veterinarian notes it is common for pets not to eat for the first 12 to 24 hours in a boarding facility. Mention picky eating in your care note so staff know what is normal for your dog.

• Keep every medication in its original labeled container. Pill organizers are handy at home, but a kennel can’t safely give unlabeled tablets.
• Write a schedule with the drug name, dose, time of day, and whether it goes with food. Hand it over in person and walk staff through it.
• Count and pack a few spare doses. Pills get dropped and dogs spit them out.
• Include flea, tick and heartworm prevention if a dose falls during the stay, and check it hasn’t expired.
• Ask how they give meds and whether there is a charge. Some kennels add a fee for giving medication.
• Insulin, injectables and seizure meds: confirm before booking that staff are trained and willing, and ask your vet whether boarding is right for your dog at all.

Paperwork is where first-time boarders most often get turned away at the door. Most kennels ask for proof of rabies, distemper/parvo (DHPP or DAPP), and Bordetella (kennel cough), and some also ask for canine influenza or a recent fecal test. Timing matters as much as the shot itself: a kennel cough vaccine given the day before drop-off does little. Our guide to dog boarding vaccine requirements covers how far ahead to book each one.

• Vaccination records from your vet, with dates and expiry dates visible
• The kennel’s intake forms, filled in and sent ahead if they allow it
• Your vet clinic’s name, address and phone number
• A local emergency contact who can make decisions if you can’t be reached
• Written permission for emergency vet care and a spending limit, if the kennel asks for one
• Microchip number, in case your dog gets out

Sending forms and records a few days early gives the kennel time to flag anything missing while you can still fix it.

Bring one thing that smells like you; skip the rest. A Texas A&M veterinarian recommends an item with your scent, such as a worn T-shirt, or a favorite toy to ease the transition, with an important caveat: dogs that chew destructively may not be able to keep certain items safely. A dog alone in a run with a stuffed toy or a cushion it can shred is a swallowed-object risk.

Things to leave at home unless the kennel specifically asks for them:

• Expensive or sentimental beds and blankets. Items get soiled, washed and occasionally mixed up, and many kennels say they can’t guarantee their return.
• Rawhides, bully sticks and hard chews. Staff can’t supervise every chew, and in group areas they can start fights.
• Lots of toys. One is plenty. Squeaky or stuffed toys are the most likely to be destroyed.
• Food and water bowls, unless your dog needs a slow feeder or a raised bowl. Kennels have their own.
• Retractable leashes and choke or prong collars. Most facilities won’t use them.
• Clothes and coats, unless your dog is a short-coated breed that genuinely needs one and the kennel agrees.

Whatever you send, write your dog’s name on it with a permanent marker or a laundry tag. Unlabeled leashes and blankets are the most common lost property at any kennel.

A one-page note does more than any packed item. Staff read it at drop-off and again when something seems off. Keep it short and specific:

• Your phone number, your travel dates, and a backup local contact
• Your vet’s name and number
• Feeding: amount per meal, times, and whether your dog is a slow or fussy eater
• Medications: name, dose, time, with or without food
• Health history the staff should know: allergies, past surgeries, arthritis, seizures
• Behavior: fears (thunder, men in hats, other dogs at the fence), resource guarding, escape habits
• What normal looks like: how much your dog usually sleeps, drinks and plays

The AKC specifically advises telling the kennel about separation anxiety, resource guarding or illnesses that need close monitoring before drop-off. Being honest here keeps your dog safer and helps staff choose the right play group or a quieter run.

1. Give your dog a good walk or play session before you leave the house, so it arrives a little tired.
2. Feed breakfast as normal unless the kennel asks you not to.
3. Check the bag against the short list above: food, meds, records, comfort item, note.
4. At the desk, hand over medications in person and confirm the schedule out loud.
5. Keep the goodbye short and calm. Long, emotional farewells can wind a dog up.
6. Ask how you will get updates and what time pickup closes on your return day.

If this is your dog’s first stay, a trial night or a day of daycare a week or two before the trip lets both of you learn the routine with lower stakes. Many kennels offer one and some require it. And if your dog seems wiped out when you bring it home, that is common: here is why dogs are tired after boarding and when it is worth calling the vet.