A dog boarding intake form is only as useful as the questions it asks. Most kennels get the basics right — emergency contact, vaccination records, vet information. Where the form often falls short is the feeding section.
A vague feeding field (“any dietary notes?”) puts your staff in the position of interpreting incomplete information, making judgment calls under time pressure, and hoping they got it right. A well-designed dog boarding intake form feeding section eliminates that ambiguity. It captures exactly what each dog needs, in language that’s specific enough to act on — without calling the owner mid-stay to clarify.
This guide walks through each element your intake form’s feeding section should include, why it matters operationally, and what good and bad responses look like in practice.
1. Food Brand and Product Name
What to ask: What brand and specific product does your dog eat? (e.g., Hill’s Science Diet Adult Chicken & Barley, Royal Canin German Shepherd Adult)
This is the foundational field — and the one most intake forms get wrong by being too vague. “Dry food” or “kibble” tells you almost nothing. Dogs with sensitive stomachs, food allergies, or prescription diets can react to even small deviations in their regular food. An owner who packs their dog’s usual food expects that food to be used.
What a usable answer looks like: “Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice, 30 lb bag — owner will bring.”
What creates problems: “Dry kibble, the blue bag” — this is unverifiable and unactionable.
Operational note: Your intake form should include a follow-up field for whether the owner is bringing food or expects the kennel to supply it. If the kennel supplies food, know in advance what brand you stock, and flag any stays where the owner’s usual food differs significantly from what you carry. Some facilities charge a fee for owner-supplied food handling; if yours does, the intake form is the place to document it.
2. Wet Food, Toppers, and Food Mixing
What to ask: Does your dog eat wet food, dry food, or a combination? If mixed, what is the ratio? Do you use any toppers, broths, or supplements?
Many dogs eat mixed diets, and the ratio matters for portion accuracy. A dog that eats half a cup of kibble with two tablespoons of wet food has different caloric needs and different palatability expectations than one that eats dry food only. Staff who receive “dry food with a little wet mixed in” as an instruction are left to interpret “a little” — which can mean anything.
Toppers and food supplements (bone broth, freeze-dried raw, digestive enzymes, fish oil) are increasingly common and shouldn’t be overlooked. An owner who uses a probiotic powder to manage their dog’s GI sensitivity will notice — and may complain — if it’s not used during boarding.
What a usable answer looks like: “1 cup dry kibble mixed with 2 tablespoons Purina Pro Plan Chicken Entrée wet food, morning and evening. No toppers.”
What creates problems: “A mix of wet and dry — she likes it a certain way.” This requires a follow-up call to be actionable.
3. Portion Size
What to ask: How much does your dog eat per meal? Please specify in cups, ounces, or grams.
Portion size is one of the most critical fields in the dog boarding intake form feeding section — and one of the most frequently underspecified. Without a clear portion size, staff default to eyeballing it, checking the bag’s general recommendations (which are based on body weight ranges, not the specific dog), or asking a colleague. None of these approaches is reliable.
A large, sedentary dog and an active dog of the same weight may have meaningfully different caloric requirements. A dog on a weight management program eats less than a healthy-weight dog of comparable size. A puppy eats more frequently in smaller portions. The intake form should capture exactly what the owner measures at home.
What a usable answer looks like: “1.5 cups per meal, twice daily. We measure with a standard dry measuring cup.”
What creates problems: “A big bowl in the morning, a little less at night.” Without a unit, this instruction cannot be executed consistently across shifts or staff members.
Design tip: Consider adding a note on your intake form encouraging owners to bring a measuring cup or scoop that lives with their food bag during the stay. This reduces the chance that “1.5 cups” is measured inconsistently by different staff using different cups.
4. Meal Frequency and Timing
What to ask: How many times per day does your dog eat? At what times? Does your dog have a sensitive stomach that requires consistent meal timing?
Meal frequency is straightforward — once daily, twice daily, three times (common for puppies), or free-fed (less common in boarding settings). Timing is where it gets operationally important. A dog accustomed to eating at 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. placed in a kennel that feeds at 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. may be fine. A dog with diabetes, a history of hypoglycemia, or a sensitive GI tract may not be.
If your kennel runs set feeding windows rather than individualized times, your intake form should surface whether the owner’s timing is flexible or medically important. This lets you flag dogs that need tighter scheduling before they arrive.
What a usable answer looks like: “Twice daily, around 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Timing isn’t critical — she adjusts well. No sensitive stomach issues.”
What creates problems: “Whenever she seems hungry” — this is not a workable instruction in a boarding facility with multiple dogs and scheduled staff rounds.
Operational note: Free-feeding (leaving food available at all times) is not standard practice in most boarding kennels for legitimate reasons: it makes portion tracking impossible, attracts insects, can cause stress-related overeating, and is difficult to manage across a facility. Your intake form should note whether the owner free-feeds at home and explain your kennel’s policy so expectations are set before check-in.
5. Food Allergies and Intolerances
What to ask: Does your dog have any known food allergies or intolerances? If yes, what ingredients must be avoided? Has your dog been diagnosed by a veterinarian, or is this based on observation?
Food allergies in dogs are more common than many kennel operators realize, and the consequences of exposing an allergic dog to a trigger ingredient during a boarding stay can range from minor (itching, loose stool) to serious (vomiting, hives, anaphylaxis in rare cases). This makes the allergy field one of the highest-stakes sections of the dog boarding intake form.
The follow-up question — diagnosed versus observed — matters operationally. A veterinarian-diagnosed chicken allergy means no chicken in any form: not in treats, not in the kibble you use as a supplement, not in the flavored chews you offer as enrichment. An owner who says “we think she might be sensitive to beef” warrants a different level of precaution than one who produces a dermatology report confirming a single-protein allergy.
Common allergens to ask about specifically: chicken, beef, dairy, wheat/gluten, eggs, soy, corn, and lamb. These account for the majority of documented food sensitivities in dogs.
What a usable answer looks like: “Diagnosed chicken allergy — vet-confirmed via elimination diet. No chicken in food, treats, or supplements. Eats salmon-based diet only.”
What creates problems: “Sensitive stomach, avoid rich food.” This instruction cannot be consistently applied across your treat inventory, your supplemental food supply, or your standard kennel snacks without more specificity.
Design tip: Include a separate checkbox list of common allergens so owners can flag them quickly, with a free-text field for specifics. Checkboxes are faster to complete and easier to scan during feeding rounds than free-text responses.
6. Medications Mixed with Food
What to ask: Does your dog take any medications or supplements that are administered with food? If yes, please list each medication, the dose, the timing, and how it should be given (e.g., hidden in food, in a pill pocket, mixed with wet food).
This is the highest-risk field in the feeding section of any dog boarding intake form. Medication errors — wrong dose, missed dose, medication given to the wrong dog — are the source of the most serious incidents that occur in boarding facilities. A medication question buried at the bottom of a general notes field is not sufficient.
The medication field should be its own clearly labeled section, with structured sub-fields:
- Medication name (generic and brand name if possible)
- Dose (exact amount: 25mg, 0.5ml, one tablet)
- Frequency (once daily, twice daily, every 8 hours)
- Timing relative to meals (with food, 30 minutes before food, only with a full meal)
- Administration method (mixed into food, wrapped in cheese, in a pill pocket, dissolved in water)
- What to do if the dog refuses (the owner’s preference — skip and log, try again in 30 minutes, call the owner)
Why administration method matters: Some medications have reduced efficacy or increased side effects when administered with food. Others must be given with food to prevent GI upset. An owner who always hides a capsule in a small ball of wet food has tested this method — it works for their dog. A staff member who uses a different method may encounter refusal, partial ingestion, or stress in a dog that doesn’t cooperate with an unfamiliar approach.
What a usable answer looks like: “Simparica Trio — given monthly, not needed during this stay. Carprofen 25mg — one tablet twice daily with food, hidden in a small piece of cream cheese. If she refuses, try a different soft treat. Do not skip without calling us.”
What creates problems: “She takes a couple of pills in the morning.” This is not sufficient information to safely administer any medication.
Operational note: If your facility charges for medication administration, the intake form should note your fee and require the owner to initial that they understand it. This prevents disputes at checkout and ensures medication administration is never treated as an unofficial favor that gets inconsistently applied.
7. Treats: Permissions, Restrictions, and Preferences
What to ask: May staff give your dog treats during the stay? Are there any treat ingredients or types that must be avoided? Do you have a preference for treat frequency?
Treats are often an afterthought in boarding intake forms, but they introduce real allergy and dietary risk. A facility that routinely gives chicken-flavored training treats has just inadvertently exposed a chicken-allergic dog — even if the dog’s food was correctly managed throughout the stay.
This field also sets appropriate expectations for enrichment-oriented kennels that use treats during playtime, training reinforcement, or Kong stuffing. An owner who feeds only limited-ingredient treats at home may not want their dog receiving standard commercial treats for a week-long stay.
What a usable answer looks like: “Yes to treats — please avoid anything chicken or beef based. Salmon or duck flavored is fine. Max receives 2-3 treats per day at home; please keep it similar.”
What creates problems: No treats field at all — staff give treats based on their own judgment, and the owner has no visibility into what their dog ate during the stay.
8. Owner Preferences and Special Instructions
What to ask: Is there anything else about your dog’s feeding routine that we should know? Are there specific rituals, sensitivities, or preferences that affect how your dog eats?
This open-ended field catches what structured questions miss. Some dogs are slow eaters who need a quiet space away from kennel noise. Some are food-aggressive and should not be fed near other dogs. Some dogs eat better when their bowl is elevated, when they hear a specific verbal cue, or when food is served at room temperature rather than refrigerator-cold.
While you cannot accommodate every preference, knowing them lets your staff provide better care and lets you be transparent with owners about what your facility can realistically offer. An owner who knows in advance that their dog will be fed in a shared run, not a private suite, can adjust their expectations — or choose a different facility.
What a usable answer looks like: “Needs to eat in a quiet space — gets anxious with other dogs nearby and won’t finish her meal. Takes about 15-20 minutes to eat. Please remove the bowl after 30 minutes whether finished or not.”
What creates problems: “She’s picky.” Noted, but not actionable.
Putting It Together: What a Complete Feeding Section Looks Like
A well-designed dog boarding intake form feeding section moves from vague to verifiable. Here’s what a complete, actionable entry looks like when the form is done right:
Food: Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d Digestive Care, Chicken Flavor (dry). Owner will bring — 5 lb bag. No wet food, no toppers.
Portion: 3/4 cup per meal, using the red measuring cup in the bag.
Frequency: Twice daily — 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Timing is important; GI-sensitive.
Allergies: Beef and grain — vet-confirmed. No beef-based treats or supplements.
Medications: Metronidazole 250mg — one tablet twice daily, mixed into food. Already crushed; owner will pre-portion into the labeled bags in the food container.
Treats: Yes — owner provided limited-ingredient salmon treats in the food bag. Facility treats OK only if salmon-based.
Notes: Eats slowly; needs 20 minutes minimum. Do not remove bowl early. Anxious around large dogs at feeding time — feed in her run, not the common area.
That’s a complete feeding profile. Every staff member who touches this dog during the stay has exactly what they need — without calling the owner, without interpreting vague instructions, and without making assumptions that could cause harm.
How KennelFeed Manager Handles This Automatically
Capturing this information on paper or in a PDF form gets you halfway there. The other half is making sure it’s actually visible at feeding time — not buried in an intake packet at the front desk.
KennelFeed Manager brings feeding profiles directly into your daily feeding workflow. When a staff member goes to log a feeding, they see the dog’s food, portion, medication instructions, and allergy flags without having to retrieve a separate document. Every confirmed feeding is logged with a timestamp and staff attribution. Owners can be updated in real time. And if something changes mid-stay — the dog isn’t eating, a medication needs to be adjusted — your record is already there.
A well-designed intake form is the foundation. Software that connects that information to the moment it’s needed is what makes it reliable at scale.
KennelFeed Manager is built for kennels that take feeding seriously. See how it handles intake data, feeding rounds, and medication tracking in a single connected workflow.