How to choose dog boarding software

1. What should dog boarding software do for bookings and kennels?

It should show today's arrivals, departures and free kennels on one screen, and stop you booking a run that's already taken.

Double-booked runs and surprise arrivals are the fastest way to a bad morning. You want one place that shows who's arriving, who's leaving and which kennels are free.

In PackRunHQ: PackRunHQ has a check-in screen for today's arrivals and departures, a kennel board showing occupancy, and a warning when a kennel is already booked for those dates. One booking can include several dogs.

2. How should it handle vaccine records?

It should know which vaccines your facility requires and stop a dog with an expired or missing shot at check-in, not just store the dates.

Storing vaccine dates isn't enough. The software should warn you before a dog with an expired shot walks into group play. Which vaccines to require is your call, made with your vet.

• AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines sorts dog vaccines into core (every dog) and noncore (based on lifestyle and risk). Since 2024 it also lists leptospirosis as core.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Rabies rabies is a reportable disease in Canada, which is why most facilities require proof of a current shot.

In PackRunHQ: In PackRunHQ you choose your required vaccines (Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella by default) and how many days ahead to warn. Each pet shows a status: current, expiring soon, expired or missing. Check-in asks for a staff override with a reason when a required vaccine is missing or expired, and that override is logged. Pet parents can upload a photo or PDF of a new certificate.

3. Can it price stays, discounts and deposits for you?

Good software prices every booking from your own price list, including multi-dog discounts, holiday surcharges and deposits.

If staff are working out prices by hand, mistakes creep in, especially for multi-dog stays and holidays.

In PackRunHQ: PackRunHQ prices bookings from your own price list: services, add-ons, a multi-dog discount, holiday surcharges and prepaid daycare passes. Boarding can require a percent or flat deposit, and bookings stay pending until it's paid. Staff can override a total with a reason.

4. Does check-out create the invoice?

It should: the final invoice should come from the booking at check-out, with any deposit already taken off.

A booking system that can't produce a clean invoice means a second tool, and a second place for mistakes.

In PackRunHQ: PackRunHQ creates the final invoice at check-out, applies any deposit paid, and lets you record cash, e-Transfer and cheque payments, email invoices and download PDFs. Online card payments are coming soon, so ask any vendor exactly which payment methods work today.

5. Can pet parents book online?

They should be able to request stays from a booking page with your name and prices, while you still approve each request.

Pet parents expect to request stays online without phoning. You still want to approve each request.

In PackRunHQ: Each PackRunHQ facility gets its own booking page. Pet parents sign up, add their pets and vaccines, request stays with a price estimate, cancel within your rules, and see their invoices. You approve or decline, and they get an email either way. You can also require approval before a new client's first booking.

6. Are daily report cards quick enough for staff to send?

Only if staff can fill one in on a phone in under a minute, with photos, and have it emailed for them.

A quick note and a photo is what turns a first-time daycare client into a regular. It has to be fast enough that staff actually do it.

In PackRunHQ: PackRunHQ report cards are built for phones: mood, meals, potty notes, activities, a note and up to six photos. They're emailed to the family and saved to the pet's timeline.

7. How do I know my clients' data is safe?

Ask whether each facility's data is kept separate, whether two-step sign-in is required, and where the data is hosted.

You're holding clients' home addresses, phone numbers and their pets' medical details.

• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: PIPEDA the federal law on how private businesses handle personal information, including your clients' details.

In PackRunHQ: PackRunHQ keeps each facility's records separate and requires two-step verification on every account, staff and pet parents alike. Data is hosted in the United States.

8. How is it priced, and how hard is it to switch?

Look for pricing that grows with what you care about (dogs, staff or locations) and a vendor that imports your records for you.

Check how the price grows as you do, and how much work it takes to move your existing records over.

In PackRunHQ: PackRunHQ plans are priced by the number of active dogs, in Canadian dollars, starting with a free plan for up to 5 dogs. Send us a spreadsheet of your clients, pets and vaccine records and we'll import it, free for founding facilities.