The gist
4 things cover what to pack for dog boarding: food for the whole stay plus one extra day, medications in their original labeled containers, current vaccination records, and your vet's phone number. Bedding is not one of them. Every suite already includes a raised Kuranda cot.
On this page
Most first-time boarding families overpack, then find out at check-in that half of it is not allowed inside. This is what to pack for a boarding stay in Scottsdale or Cave Creek, in the order it matters: what to bring, what stays home, and how to time drop-off once Arizona heat becomes part of the plan.
Four items travel with your dog, nothing more. Past this list, anything you pack either does no good in a group boarding setting or actively causes a problem, and the sections below explain why.
That is the entire list. Everything past this point is either a detail worth getting right on those four items, or a case for what to leave in the car.
Bring enough of your dog's regular food for the full length of the stay, plus one extra day. Partners Dogs feeds raw, kibble, and prescription diets at no extra cost. Pack the exact food your dog already eats every day at home for the stay.
The scoop matters more than most owners expect. If your dog eats a cup and a half twice a day, send that same scoop, or write the exact measurement on the container. A boarding stay runs across a rotating staff shift, and a loose bag of kibble with no measurement guide forces a staff member to guess at an amount your dog eats on a fixed schedule every day at home. A raw diet needs a bit more planning: portion and freeze individual meals ahead of time. Thawed raw food does not refreeze safely, so arriving with pre-portioned meals means staff can thaw and serve on schedule instead of estimating a cut from a single frozen block.
Label every container with your dog's name and the amount per meal. It sounds unnecessary until two families both bring a bag of the same brand of kibble.
Every medication travels in its original, labeled container, with the dosing schedule written down for staff to follow. Partners Dogs gives oral and topical medications at no extra charge, so getting this step right is mostly about giving staff clarity on what to give and when. A pill bottle with the prescription label intact tells a staff member the drug name, the dose, and the prescribing vet without a phone call. A loose sandwich bag of pills tells them nothing.
"Both dogs have medical conditions and take multiple medications, so finding a place that truly pays attention to detail was important."
Joey S., Cave Creek
Write down the times each medication is given at home, even for something that feels obvious, like a joint supplement with breakfast. A dog on a twice-daily prescription needs that schedule held consistently by a staff member who has never met them before, and a written note removes the guesswork. Bring your veterinarian's name and phone number too, in case a question comes up mid-stay that only your vet can answer.
Every dog needs current Bordetella, Rabies, and Distemper or Parvo (DHPP) vaccinations on file, given at least one week before check-in. The one-week window gives a vaccine time to take effect before your dog is in close contact with other dogs.
Records can go in ahead of drop-off three ways: upload them to the Pet Parent Portal, email them to the front desk, or have the team verify directly with your vet's office. Any of the three works, and getting it done before drop-off day means check-in is a formality instead of a delay. If your dog has never boarded before, build this into your packing timeline the same week you confirm dates.
A worn t-shirt with your scent on it is a legitimate comfort item worth packing. For a dog still working through separation anxiety, something that smells like home can take the edge off the first night away. That is one of the few extras worth the exception.
Rawhides, bully sticks, and other high-value chews are a different story. In a group boarding setting, a chew a dog would defend at home can turn into a resource-guarding flashpoint around other dogs and unfamiliar staff, over an item that was never worth that risk in the first place. The same goes for a favorite squeaky toy: dogs that share nothing at home suddenly share a hallway of runs, and a toy with a strong smell or a strong history of possessiveness is exactly the wrong test case to run for the first time while you are out of town.
Questions before you pack
A quick call can cover your dog's diet, medications, and any behavior questions before drop-off.
Bedding, bowls, and most of the toy box can stay in the closet. Every suite already includes a raised Kuranda cot, and bedding, bowls, and safe-tested toys are provided as part of the stay. Personal bedding does not add comfort so much as it adds laundry: blankets and dog beds get mixed into a busy wash rotation with dozens of other dogs' bedding, and a favorite blanket that goes missing in that rotation is a bad way to end a trip.
If the elevated-cot setup wins your dog over, Partners sells the same style cot in the shop, sized small to large, with current pricing on the shop page. That is a nice-to-have for the living room later; a boarding stay itself does not require you to own one.
Time the drive for the coolest part of the day, and never leave your dog in a parked car while you check in. Arizona pavement and parked-car interiors climb fast once the sun is up, and a dog waiting in the car while you carry bags inside faces a serious risk on any day above roughly 80 degrees. Bring what you need in one trip, or make two trips with the engine running and the dog with you each time.
Drop-off and pickup both happen during office hours at either campus, Scottsdale or Cave Creek: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both locations are closed to the public on Sunday, so plan for a Saturday or Monday drop-off if your travel dates fall on a weekend. If your dog already gets anxious in the car, that stress compounds with a hot parking lot and an unfamiliar building on the same morning. Working on car anxiety before a first boarding stay, even a few short practice drives, makes drop-off day easier on both of you.
None of these are required. All three are add-ons you book at check-in. Boarding itself is priced per night for a private luxury suite with a three-night minimum, and current rates for boarding and each optional extra below are published on the pricing page so there is no guessing at checkout.
| Add-on | What it includes | Price | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath and brush | A wash and brush-out before pickup | $50 | Any dog, especially after a longer stay |
| DaySchool day | A full day of structured training and enrichment, at the boarding-guest rate | $50 a day ($65 for a drop-in visit outside a boarding stay) | Dogs already in a training program who should not lose ground while you travel |
| Private session | One-on-one time with a trainer on one specific skill | $50 | A single behavior you want reinforced during the stay |
Prices shown reflect 2026 rates and can change; see the current pricing page for today's numbers.
The exit bath is the most common add-on, and it is worth booking if you would rather pick up a freshly washed dog than a trip to the tub the same night you get home. For anything beyond a bath and brush, like a nail trim or a full de-shed, a separate grooming appointment covers that ground for any size dog, with current rates on the grooming page.
"We decided to add basic training each day to our 7 days of boarding for both dogs; plus we added the refresher for rattle snake avoidance. (Our dogs had been with partners for previous snake training.) The daily “report cards” we received for each dog kept us up to date on their daily activities and we were thrilled to see those arrive in our email each day. We were able to relax and enjoy our trip. The dogs were freshly bathed and happy to see us when we picked them up!"
Ramona V., Cave Creek
That flexibility, a day of training added in or a rattlesnake refresher booked alongside a stay, is why the add-ons above get used as often as they do.
Pack enough of your dog's regular food for the full length of the stay plus one extra day, in case pickup runs later than planned. Partners Dogs feeds raw, kibble, and prescription diets at no extra cost, so there is no need to switch your dog to a different food for boarding. Label the container with your dog's name and the amount per meal.
No. Every suite includes a raised Kuranda cot and clean bedding is provided, so a dog bed or blankets from home are not needed. Personal bedding also tends to get mixed into a busy laundry rotation with other dogs' bedding and can go missing, which is one more reason to leave it home.
Partners Dogs gives oral and topical medications at no extra charge. Bring medications in their original, labeled containers and write down the dosing schedule, including times, so staff can follow it exactly. Include your veterinarian's name and phone number in case a question comes up during the stay.
Current Bordetella, Rabies, and Distemper or Parvo (DHPP) vaccinations, given at least one week before check-in. Records can be uploaded to the Pet Parent Portal, emailed to the front desk, or verified directly with your veterinarian's office ahead of drop-off.
A single scent item, like a worn t-shirt, is fine and can genuinely help a dog settle in. High-value chews like rawhides and bully sticks, and toys with any history of possessiveness, are better left home, since a chew or toy a dog would defend at home can spark a resource-guarding problem in a group boarding setting. Safe-tested toys are already provided.
Drop-off and pickup happen during office hours at both campuses: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed Sunday. Time the drive for the coolest part of the day and never leave your dog in a parked car while you carry bags inside, since Arizona heat makes a parked car dangerous fast.
Weighing your options
Boarding rates are on the pricing page for a private luxury suite, with a three-night minimum at both campuses. For a shorter trip away, DayCamp may be the better fit, and a PD360 assessment is the fastest way to map out what your dog needs before you book anything.