What to Pack When Boarding Your Dog — Kennel and Home Boarding Checklist

The single most important item for any boarding stay in Australia is the vaccination certificate — without it, most kennels and many home boarders will not accept your dog at check-in.

The mandatory items

Vaccination certificate

Without a current C5 certificate showing administration at least 7 days before (intranasal Bordetella) or 14 days before (injectable), a reputable kennel will not accept your dog. Many home boarders through TruePath have the same requirement. Bring the original document or a vet-issued digital copy — a photo on your phone may not be accepted at all facilities.

Check the dates before departure, not at the gate.

Food: pre-measured by day

Hand over the exact quantities your dog is fed, divided into individual meal portions in labelled bags or containers. If your dog eats twice daily and the stay is four nights, pack eight measured portions plus one or two spare meals in case of travel delays.

Why this matters: switching food abruptly or feeding incorrect quantities causes digestive upset, which is already more likely in a new environment. A dog that arrives at a boarding facility already experiencing stomach upset is a dog that will be miserable for the first 24–48 hours.

Label each portion with the meal time (e.g., "MORNING — 150g") and include feeding notes if anything is non-obvious (mixing wet and dry, adding warm water, waiting 30 minutes before exercise).

Lead and harness or collar

Bring your dog's regular lead and whatever walking equipment they're used to — collar with current ID tag, harness if applicable. Don't assume the facility has spares that fit, and don't send a dog to a new environment without ID in case of an escape.

Comfort items

Familiar bedding

Your dog's regular sleeping blanket or bed carries their scent, which is calming in unfamiliar surroundings. It doesn't need to be washed immediately before the stay — a blanket that smells like home is doing its job. If the item is irreplaceable, consider sending an older blanket rather than the best one.

A worn T-shirt

An unwashed item of your clothing provides olfactory reassurance that genuinely helps some dogs settle faster in a new environment. This is particularly effective for anxious dogs and for puppies in their first boarding stay. A single worn T-shirt costs you nothing and takes up minimal space.

A comfort toy

One familiar toy from home — not a new one — can provide settling comfort. Avoid toys with small parts that could be chewed off and swallowed if the dog is in a new environment and self-soothing by chewing more than usual. A stuffable Kong (left empty for the carer to fill) is ideal.

Medications and medical items

If your dog takes any medication — prescription or over-the-counter — it must arrive with a written instruction sheet, not just the bottle.

Your medication instruction sheet should include:

• Medication name (generic and brand if applicable)
• Dose and form (e.g., "1.5 tablets, whole — do not crush")
• Timing (e.g., "7am with food, 7pm with food — must be given with food or causes vomiting")
• Storage requirements (e.g., "refrigerate" or "keep below 25°C")
• What to do if a dose is missed
• Signs that warrant contacting a vet

For dogs with complex medication regimens (multiple drugs, injection protocols, or timed dosing windows), discuss your dog's needs with the carer before booking. Not all carers are equipped for every medical scenario — a TruePath sitter profile typically indicates whether they can administer medications.

The handover sheet

This is the item most owners skip and most carers wish they had. A one-page handover sheet covering:

• Daily routine: wake time, feeding times, walk times, usual nap spots
• Toilet habits: how often, any signals the dog gives (circling, sniffing, going to the door), whether they will toilet in the yard or need a walk
• Quirks: scared of thunderstorms, barks at bins, doesn't like strangers touching their paws, crate trained or not
• Diet notes: anything beyond the pre-measured food (treats allowed? anything they must not eat?)
• Your contact details: mobile, plus a secondary number (partner, family member) in case you're unreachable
• Your vet's name, clinic, and phone number
• Emergency vet: the nearest 24-hour vet clinic to the boarding location

Print this. Or email it ahead, but also bring a printed copy. A carer managing multiple animals will not have time to scroll through a phone conversation to find your vet's number at 11pm.

What to leave at home

The entire 15kg bag of food. Pre-portion it. Carers should not be measuring your dog's food — they're caring for the dog, not operating a kitchen.

High-value items you'd be upset to lose. Kennels are not responsible for lost belongings, and even well-intentioned home boarders can lose a favourite toy or misplace a collar in the normal course of managing multiple animals.

Anything that requires assembly, specialised storage, or elaborate setup without prior discussion with the carer.

Kennel vs home boarding: packing differences

There are small practical differences depending on where your dog is staying.

For a kennel:

• Bedding and comfort items are more important — the kennel run environment offers less sensory comfort than a home
• Label everything with your dog's name and your contact number, as items can be mixed up between runs
• Confirm what the kennel provides (bedding? bowls?) and what they prohibit (some don't allow outside bedding for hygiene reasons)

For a home boarder (TruePath):

• The worn T-shirt and familiar bedding are still valuable but the environment is inherently more calming
• Bring whatever the dog uses in their own home — the sitter's home is a home environment, and familiar items integrate naturally
• You may be able to provide more detailed personalisation (specific sleeping spot, preferred walk route, favourite park) that a kennel simply can't accommodate

Frequently asked questions

Should I send my dog's crate for boarding?

Can I send dog food that needs refrigeration?

Should I pack poo bags and a specific lead for a kennel?

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