Records before drop-off
Does my dog need vaccines for board and train?
This is one of the first questions our team answers on the free phone consultation, and it is a fair one. A board and train is a shared home, a shared yard and a shared car, so what protects your dog also protects the dog sleeping in the next crate.
Last reviewed September 11, 2026 · by the Best Dog University Team
The short version
Bring current records, and make sure rabies is on them.
We ask every family to bring or send their dog's vaccination records before drop-off, the same way you bring his usual food and any medication. Records go in the folder we keep for each dog, next to your vet's phone number, so if anything comes up during the stay our team can answer a clinic's questions in seconds rather than hunting for a card.
Rabies is the non-negotiable. It is legally required for dogs across Harris County, and the City of Houston ties its dog license to the rabies certificate through BARC. For a dog that will ride in our vehicle and walk the pet stores off US-290, that certificate is the one document we will not start a program without. Check the current rules at the county and city sources below, since details change.
- Current vaccination record from your vet
- Rabies certificate, the one legal must
- Your veterinarian's name and phone number
- Any medication with written instructions
Why we ask
A home with several dogs and daily field trips is a shared environment.
Your dog does not train in a sealed run. He sleeps in a crate in a house, shares a yard, rides in a vehicle with other client dogs and works in real places: the hardware store on Fry Road, the sidewalks of Bridgeland, the boardwalk at Towne Lake. Those are exactly the environments where an unprotected dog meets whatever another dog left behind.
The reason is not paperwork for its own sake. A small group of dogs living together only works when each one arrives healthy, and the records are how we know. It also protects you: if a dog shows a cough or an upset stomach mid-stay, our team and your vet can rule things out quickly when the vaccine history is already in hand.
Ask your vet
Which vaccines matter depends on the dog, so the list comes from your veterinarian.
We are trainers, not veterinarians, and we do not publish a vaccine menu of our own. What we can tell you is what the program involves so your vet can advise properly: contact with a handful of other adult dogs, public sidewalks and store floors, park grass, and in warmer months some lake and pond work on a long line. Most vets will want the core distemper and parvovirus series current for that picture, and many recommend bordetella because of the close quarters.
Bring the conversation to your vet a few weeks before the start date, not the day before. Some vaccines need time to take effect, and a booster given the morning of drop-off can leave a dog sore and off his food on day one, which is a poor way to start. Two weeks of lead time is usually enough.
- Core series (distemper, parvo) current
- Bordetella if your vet advises it for group settings
- Boosters done a couple of weeks ahead, not the morning of
- Ask about anything due to expire mid-stay
Houston specifics
In this climate, prevention is as important as the vaccine card.
Houston mosquitoes fly nearly every month of the year, which is why heartworm prevention here is a year-round habit rather than a summer one. The American Heartworm Society recommends continuous prevention, and we ask that dogs arrive on whatever their vet prescribes. Fleas and ticks are the same story on Gulf Coast grass, and a dog who trains at Bill Archer Bark Park or on the Josey Lake trails will meet both.
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. If a storm forces a change of plan during a stay, a dog with a complete record in a waterproof folder is a dog who can be moved, boarded or evacuated without delay. That folder is one more reason we ask for the paperwork up front. Ready Harris and the National Weather Service are the places to watch as a storm develops.
Puppies and hard cases
Puppies mid-series and rescue dogs with thin records need a slightly different plan.
A puppy under four months is usually still finishing his shots, which is one reason our Puppy Development Bundle is built as four private lessons rather than a stay. Sit, place, recall, crate and potty work all happen in your home or at our Cypress location with no shared dogs, at $550 in Cypress or $750 at your house. Once the series is complete and your vet clears him, a board and train becomes an option.
Rescue dogs sometimes arrive with a shelter record that is a single page. That is fine: ask your vet to review it, fill in what is missing and give you a fresh printout. Adult dogs adopted from BARC or Harris County Pets generally leave with rabies done, and the rest can be caught up before the start date. Tell our team on the call and we will build the timing around it.
Book the free phone consultation and pick a tentative start date.
Call your vet with that date and describe the program: group home, public places, park grass.
Get any boosters done at least two weeks before drop-off.
Confirm heartworm, flea and tick prevention is current.
Send a photo of the record to our team, and bring the paper copy on the day.
The programs
Programs that start with a clean record.
Every stay below begins with the same paperwork, and the puppy bundle is the route for dogs still finishing their shots.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this.
Do you require bordetella (kennel cough) for board and train?
We ask for current records and leave the specific list to your veterinarian, who knows your dog. Because the program involves a small group of dogs living in one house and visiting stores and parks, most vets recommend bordetella for that setting. Get it done a couple of weeks before the start date so it has time to work.
What if my dog's rabies vaccine expires during the stay?
Get it renewed before drop-off. Rabies is the one vaccine the law requires, and the City of Houston ties its dog license to the certificate. A dog whose certificate lapses mid-program puts you and us in an awkward position with any clinic we might need. Your vet can usually schedule it early.
Can a puppy who is not fully vaccinated do board and train?
We steer puppies under four months toward the Puppy Development Bundle instead, four private lessons that build sit, place, recall and crate skills without exposure to other dogs. When the series is finished and your vet signs off, a stay in the Gold or Platinum program becomes a sensible next step.
Do you need proof of heartworm prevention?
We ask that every dog arrives on prevention, because Houston mosquitoes are active almost all year. A note from your vet or the product box is enough. Heartworm disease is expensive to treat and easy to prevent, and a dog on a monthly dose can train at the lake and on the trails without our team worrying.
What paperwork do I actually hand over on drop-off day?
The vaccination record with the rabies certificate, your vet's contact details, and any medication with written dosing. Photograph it all and text it to our team ahead of time so the folder is ready. The rest of the checklist, food, a collar with ID and the crate question, is on our packing page.
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Not sure your dog's records are ready?
Tell our team on the free phone consultation what your vet has on file. We will confirm what to bring, and a $250 deposit reserves the start date.