Dog daycare vaccine requirements: what to ask for and how to track it
Every dog in a play group shares air, water bowls and toys with every other dog. A clear vaccine policy protects the dogs, your staff and your business, and it gives you a plain answer when a customer asks why their dog can’t come in today.
The three most daycares require
| Vaccine | Protects against | Why daycares ask |
|---|---|---|
| Rabies | Rabies | Required for dogs by law in most US states and localities. Ask for the certificate, not just the tag. |
| DHPP (or DAPP) | Distemper, hepatitis (adenovirus), parainfluenza, parvovirus | Parvo and distemper spread fast where many dogs gather. |
| Bordetella | A main cause of kennel cough | Kennel cough is the classic group-play illness. |
Ones some daycares add
- Canine influenza (H3N2/H3N8). Many facilities add it when there are cases in their area.
- Leptospirosis. More common in wet climates and where dogs swim or have wildlife contact.
- A negative fecal test. Some daycares ask for one yearly to keep parasites out of the yard.
Talk to a local vet before you set your list. They know what is going around in your area and what intervals their clinic uses.
Puppies and titers
Puppies get their core shots in a series over several weeks, so decide up front when a puppy is “done enough” to join play groups, and write it into your policy. Some owners bring titer test results instead of boosters. Decide whether you accept them, and if so, for which vaccines, so the front desk doesn’t have to make the call at 7am.
Track the expiry date, not the shot date
Shots last different lengths of time (rabies can be one or three years depending on the vaccine and local rules), so record the date the certificate says the shot is good through. Then the only question at drop-off is “is today past that date?”
A simple system that works
- Ask for records from the vet clinic (or a vet portal printout) before the first visit. Don’t accept handwritten notes from owners.
- Record each vaccine’s good-through date on the dog’s file.
- Remind owners about a month before a shot runs out, so they have time to book the vet.
- Flag expired dogs at check-in, before they join a group, not after.
You can do this in a spreadsheet with conditional formatting, or let DogDaycareManager do it: it flags expired and missing shots on the check-in board and emails owners 30 days before a date runs out.
DogDaycareManager keeps dog records and shot dates, flags expired vaccines at drop-off, emails owners before shots run out, and takes booking requests. Free for up to 10 dogs.