Board and train · Packing list
What should i send with my dog to board and train?
Packing for a dog is simpler than packing for a child, but the few things that matter really matter. Here is the list, the reasons behind each item, and the Houston details that belong in the bag.
Last reviewed September 11, 2026 · by the Best Dog University Team
The short version
Five things are essential, and everything else is optional.
Food, medications, records, a collar with a tag and a plain leash. That is the whole essential list. The food should be what he eats now, portioned so we know his normal serving, with enough for the full program and three or four spare days. Medications come in their original containers with the dose and timing written down. Records are a copy of the vaccinations your vet keeps, plus the vet's name and number.
The optional list is short on purpose. A washable crate mat or thin bed is welcome. One or two durable chew toys are useful. A worn T-shirt with your scent is fine for a nervous dog. Skip the plush bed he has already chewed, the basket of squeaky toys, the retractable leash and the harness he pulls into; the tools he goes home with are the ones he trains on.
- Regular food, portioned, with three or four days spare
- Medications in original containers with written instructions
- Vaccination records and your vet's contact details
- Flat collar with an ID tag and a standard leash
- Optional: a washable mat, one or two tough chews, a scented shirt
The reasoning
Each item on the list prevents a specific problem in the first week.
Own food prevents the most common day-two issue, which is loose stool from a new diet on top of a new house. Written medication instructions prevent a missed dose when a trainer is handling several dogs' routines. Records let a vet treat your dog without a phone chase if something comes up. A flat collar with a tag is what he wears at rest, and it is the identification that matters if a gate is ever left open by a delivery driver.
The things we ask you to leave home have reasons too. Toys are put away during training hours so they stay valuable as rewards, and a house full of toys from several families is a resource-guarding argument waiting to happen. Retractable leashes teach pulling and are not used here at all. Training equipment, place beds and crates are already at the house and set up for how we work.
- Own food: fewer stomach upsets during adjustment
- Written doses: nothing missed across a busy day
- Records with the dog: faster care if a vet is needed
- Toys stay rewards, not clutter, when there are only a couple
For your dog
Age and temperament add a line or two to the list.
A four-to-six-month-old puppy on his first stay is teething, so pack a couple of durable chews and the food your vet has him on for growth, in the number of meals he is used to. Adults with no medical needs are the simplest case; food, records, collar, leash, done. Seniors often come with joint supplements and a thinner bed for the crate, both welcome with the same written instructions as any medication.
For hard cases, tell our team before drop-off. A dog with a bite history who is already comfortable in a basket muzzle should bring it. A dog on behavior medication brings it with the prescribing vet's notes. A resource guarder brings food and nothing else that is his, because the point of the stay is to build a dog who does not need to guard. None of this is a reason not to come; it is a reason to talk first.
Houston reality
Two Houston details belong in the bag: parasite prevention and a storm copy of the records.
Mosquitoes carry heartworm in every month of the Houston year, and fleas and ticks do not take winter off, so make sure heartworm, flea and tick prevention is current and tell us the date the next dose is due. If a dose falls during the stay, send it. Fire ants are in every Cypress yard and every park from Bill Archer to Josey Lake, and a dog on prevention with a healthy coat handles a stray sting far better than one without.
From June 1 to November 30 hurricane season is in play, and a copy of the records in a zip bag inside the food container is exactly what an evacuation needs. Add an out-of-town contact who could take the dog if we ever had to move him and you could not be reached. Families in Katy, The Woodlands and the Heights are all 25 to 45 minutes away, which is close on a normal day and far on an evacuation day.
A week out: confirm parasite prevention dates and refill any medication.
Print or photograph the vaccination records and your vet's details.
Portion the food into daily servings; note how many meals a day he eats.
Write each medication's dose and time on the container.
Choose one washable mat and one or two durable chews.
Put records and an emergency contact in a zip bag with the food.
Fit a flat collar with a tag and bring a standard leash on drop-off day.
The programs
The list is the same for every stay; only the amount of food changes.
Gold is two weeks at $2,500, Platinum three weeks at $3,750, and VIP six weeks at $10,000 with the Mini-Educator e-collar and transport included. For Gold and Platinum, transport is $250 door-to-door and includes the first lesson in your home, and our team collects the food, records and gear when they pick up the dog. Whatever the program, the go-home session sends you home with the equipment your dog trained on and the instructions to use it.
The programs
Stays at Best Dog University, and what to pack for each.
Two, three or six weeks in our trainer's home in Cypress. Pack for the length; the essentials never change.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this.
Should I send my dog's crate?
Only if our team asks you to, which is rare. The training home has crates sized for the dogs in residence, set up in the rooms where they sleep and rest. The crate your dog goes home to matters more, so use the stay to set one up in your house exactly as it will be used after the go-home session.
What if my dog eats a raw or prescription diet?
Send it, with storage and preparation instructions, and mention it on the phone consultation so we plan freezer space and thawing. We do not switch diets during a stay. A prescription diet comes with the vet's notes in case a clinic needs them, and a raw diet is handled and fed separately from the other dogs' food.
Can I send treats?
Yes, if they are the small, soft kind that work as training rewards, and if your dog has any allergies, send the only treats he can have. Most of the reward food during the day is the dog's own kibble, so a bag of his usual treats is plenty. Rawhide and large dental chews are better left at home.
Do I need to send a harness, prong collar or e-collar?
No. Training equipment is chosen for the dog by our trainer during the stay, taught properly and then explained at the go-home session. The VIP program includes a Mini-Educator e-collar; for Gold and Platinum, if a tool is used, our team tells you what it is and how to get one. Bring only the flat collar and a standard leash.
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Book the free phone consultation, tell our team about diet and medications, and you will have the exact packing list before drop-off. A $250 deposit reserves the dates.