Board and train · Arrival day
What happens on drop off day at board and train?
Most families worry more about the first hour than about the whole stay. Here is what the hour actually contains, what you should bring to it, and what your dog is doing that first evening while you drive home up 290.
Last reviewed September 29, 2026 · by the Best Dog University Team
The short version
It takes about as long as a coffee, and the shorter the goodbye, the better the first night.
Drop-off is a handover, not an event. You arrive at the time our team confirmed, our trainer meets you and your dog outside, and the bag changes hands: portioned food, medications in their containers with written doses, the vaccination records and your dog on a flat collar with an ID tag and a plain six-foot leash. We go through anything unusual together, a raw diet, a medication schedule, a dog that hates having its feet touched, and write it down.
Then you leave. That is the part families find hardest and the part that matters most. A long, emotional goodbye tells a dog something is wrong, and a dog that watched its family cry at the gate takes longer to settle. A calm leash handover, a quick word and a car pulling away is kinder, even when it does not feel kinder.
- A confirmed arrival time, not a drop-in
- The bag: food, medications, records, collar and leash
- Anything unusual written down with our trainer
- A quick, calm goodbye
The paperwork
Four pieces of information and the balance are settled before you drive away.
At drop-off we take your vet's name and number, an emergency contact who can make decisions if you cannot be reached, and your consent for treatment, so that if your dog is ever unwell we can call you first and then act without delay. From June 1 to November 30 we also ask for an evacuation contact, because hurricane season is part of the Houston calendar and every dog in the house has its records ready to travel.
The $250 reservation deposit you paid to hold the dates comes off the program price, and the balance is usually settled at drop-off. Our team confirms the exact timing when you reserve, so nothing about money is a surprise at the door. If anything on the day has changed, a new medication, a limp, a bad night, tell us then; it changes the first day's plan.
- Your vet's details
- An emergency contact
- Consent for treatment
- An evacuation contact in hurricane season
- The balance, less the deposit
Two ways to arrive
Families who drive come to Cypress; families who book transport hand over at their own door.
The training home is off US-290 in Cypress, about 25 to 35 minutes outside rush hour from Katy or Tomball, 35 to 45 from The Woodlands or Spring, and 30 to 45 from central Houston. In summer it is worth asking for a cooler part of the day, and the car ride should never end with a dog sitting in a hot vehicle while bags are unloaded.
With the $250 door-to-door transport, our team collects your dog and the bag from your home instead, which suits a family with a tight morning or a dog that gets wound up in the car. Transport also returns the dog at the end and makes the go-home session a lesson in your own house. It is included in the six-week VIP program.
Your dog's first evening
Day one is deliberately boring, and that is the fastest route to a settled dog.
Nothing is asked of your dog on the first day beyond a walk, a meal and rest. There are no field trips, no big meetings with the other dogs in the house and no training for the camera. Our trainer lets your dog see the rooms, the yard and the routine, and a dog given a predictable evening settles faster than one given a busy one. Most dogs settle into the household within the first day.
The first night is spent in a crate in a quiet room of the house, in the air conditioning, with water. Some dogs eat a little less that first evening and sleep hard; that is a dog taking in a new place, and by the second morning most are waiting at the door for the walk. Your first photos and video arrive with the next Monday, Wednesday or Friday update.
The week before: crate your dog at night and portion the food into daily servings.
The night before: pack the bag and put the records and emergency contact in a zip bag with the food.
The morning: a normal walk and a light breakfast, then a cool car.
At the gate: hand over the leash and the bag, go through the notes, settle the balance.
The goodbye: one calm word, then drive away.
That evening: text our team any question rather than waiting for the first update.
What we do at Best Dog University
Every program starts the same calm way; only the length that follows differs.
Drop-off looks the same for Silver, one week at $1,500, Gold, two weeks at $2,500, and Platinum, three weeks at $3,750. VIP, six weeks at $10,000, starts with our team collecting your dog, because transport is included. What changes after day one is the plan: Gold builds manners and obedience, Platinum adds field trips and behavior work, and VIP builds toward off-leash reliability.
The honest fit matters more than the date. If your dog has a bite history, severe separation panic or a medical condition, tell our team on the free consultation call, not at the gate, because it shapes the first day, the room your dog sleeps in and sometimes the program itself. A drop-off that was planned in detail on the phone is always the easy one.
The programs
Programs that start with a calm drop-off.
Every stay begins at the training home in Cypress or at your door with transport, and ends with a go-home session.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this.
Can I stay for a while at drop-off to help my dog settle?
It rarely helps. A dog settles by getting into the new routine, and a family lingering in the yard keeps the old excitement going. Stay long enough to hand over the bag and go through the notes with our trainer, then leave calmly. The first update will show you a dog that is already walking and eating.
What time of day is drop-off?
Our team sets the time with you when the dates are confirmed, within business hours of 6am to 9pm. In the summer months, ask about a cooler part of the day so your dog does not start the stay overheated from the car and the driveway. Tell us about any constraint in your schedule when you book.
Should I bring my dog's bed and toys?
Leave most of them at home. Beds, crates, toys and treats are provided, and toys are kept as rewards during the day. A washable mat, one or two durable chews or a worn shirt for a nervous dog are fine. The retractable leash and the harness your dog pulls into should stay home.
What if my dog is sick or hurt on the morning of drop-off?
Call our team before you set out. A dog with vomiting, diarrhea, a new limp or any sign of illness should see your vet first, and the dates can be discussed with us. Arriving with a sick dog is hard on your dog and on the other dogs living in the home.
When do I get the first update?
Photo and video updates go out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so the first one arrives on the next of those days after drop-off. If you want reassurance sooner, send our team a text that evening; a quick text gets a quick reply, and we will tell you how the first walk and meal went.
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Plan drop-off day with our team.
Book the free consultation to talk through your dog's first day. Once the program fits, a $250 reservation deposit holds your dates and comes off the price.