Dog daycare requirements: the paperwork to have ready

What do dog daycares usually require?

Expect a form with your contact details, your vet's details and an emergency contact, plus proof of the vaccines the daycare requires. Many also ask about spay or neuter status, age limits and a trial day. The exact list is the daycare's choice, not a national standard.

Ask for the requirements by email so you have them in writing. Compare them with what you hold today. Gaps found now cost a phone call, and gaps found on the first morning cost a day.

Daycares are private businesses, and their rules often reflect their insurance and local regulations. If a rule seems strict, it is fair to ask why, politely.

What happens at an evaluation or trial day?

Many daycares meet your dog for a short assessment before accepting them. Staff watch how the dog greets people, handles other dogs and responds to handling. The goal is a fit between your dog and the group, and a dog that is not accepted on one day may do better later or elsewhere.

Bring the paperwork to that visit so staff can enroll you on the spot. Ask how they handle breaks, nap time and play groups, and how they report on the day.

Mention anything that matters for the staff, such as noise sensitivity or a favorite game, in a sentence or two.

How do I keep the paperwork where I can find it?

Put everything in a single place you can open in under a minute. A folder of scans on your phone works. So does the records wallet in Okaypup, which files a photo by type, such as rabies, DHPP, Bordetella, Lepto, Lyme, microchip or insurance, with the date given and the valid-until date.

Each record shows Valid, Expires soon or Expired from the date you entered, so you see at a glance whether a daycare will accept it next month. Photos stay on your iPhone.

Keep the paper originals at home. The phone copy is for sending, and the paper is for the day a form asks for the real thing.

What if the daycare wants a record I do not have?

Ask your clinic first. Clinics often print or email a record within a day or two. If a record is missing a date or the clinic name, ask them to reissue it rather than editing it yourself.

If the daycare asks for something your vet has not recommended or does not offer, talk to your veterinarian about what applies to your dog. Only a vet can say what your dog needs.

Do not send an altered or reconstructed document. A daycare that finds a problem may refuse future bookings.

How do I send records and notes to the daycare?

Use the format they ask for. Some want an email attachment, others an upload to a portal. A flat, readable PDF beats a photo taken at an angle.

With Okaypup, open a record and tap Share to send that one document through the iOS share sheet with your dog's name and the document type as the message. The passport screen sends several items at once as a PDF. In both cases you choose the recipient.

Send what the place asked for and nothing more.

How do I keep track of expiry dates?

Look at the valid-until date on each record and set a reminder for a few weeks before it. That gives you time to book an appointment and get a new page. Daycares that check at the door will not wait.

Create the reminder in Okaypup's Care tab with the type set to vaccine or vet visit, then choose the date. You get a notification on your phone, and Done writes an entry to your care log.

If your dog goes to daycare often, review the folder every few months even without a reminder.

How often do daycares recheck records?

Most daycares keep your file and check expiry dates when a vaccine is due to lapse, often by flagging the account until you send an update. Some check at every drop-off. Ask which one your daycare does, so an expired date does not surprise you at the door.

When you renew a vaccine, send the new page right away, not on the next booking. A daycare that holds an old record may turn you away even though your dog is covered. That is a paperwork problem, and it is easy to fix.

Keep a note of the date you last sent records. If you ever dispute a flag, the date helps.

What policies should I ask about besides paperwork?

Ask about the daily ratio of staff to dogs, how play groups are formed, what happens if a dog is not coping, how they handle a minor scuffle and how they contact you. These answers describe the day your dog will actually have.

Ask how they report. Some send a photo and a note, others only a verbal update at pickup. If you want a written note for your own records, say so, and save it in your dog's log with the date.

Ask about pickup times, late fees and holiday closures too. A policy you read in advance is one you will not argue about later.

How do I hand over notes for the day?

Give the staff one short note with anything that affects the day: a skipped breakfast, a new medication time, a rough night. They cannot guess it from your dog's face. Keep the note to a few lines.

If you share care with a partner, make sure both of you see the same record of what happened that morning. Okaypup's care log shows who logged what and warns before a double entry, so nobody feeds breakfast twice before drop-off.

At pickup, ask for the same level of detail back and add it to the log.

A simple daycare readiness list

Run through this before your first day, and keep it handy for the next daycare you try.

• Written requirements from the daycare
• Vaccine record that will stay valid for the next month
• Photo and microchip number
• Two contacts, including one local
• Vet clinic details
• Feeding and medication notes
• Reminder set for the next expiry date