What to pack for dog boarding in Bangalore

Food and medicine first

Pack the usual food, measured for every day of the stay plus a little spare. Bangalore traffic is a poor reason for a sudden diet change mid-week because a host could not find your brand. Include treats you actually use, and any medicine in its original packing, with written times.

If food is refrigerated or soaked, write that down. Do not assume a host in Whitefield or Koramangala keeps the same kitchen rhythm you do.

Walking and handling kit

Lead, harness or collar they already wear, a spare if you have one, and waste bags. If they must stay on a lead in the lane, say so. If they slip a collar, say that too. A new harness bought the night before the stay is a risk; use the one they know.

For home dog boarding, this kit is how the ordinary walk continues, not an accessory list.

Sleep and comfort

A bed, mat, or a worn T-shirt that smells like your cupboard. A familiar toy is optional; two new ones are usually unnecessary. If they crate at night, and you want that to continue, send the crate and explain how you use it. Do not start crating for the first time on a boarding stay.

The written brief

Walk times, food amounts, medicine, fears (crackers, motorbikes, other dogs), words they know, and a number where you can be reached. Mention any skin product or tick plan your veterinarian has already set. A sitter or host should not have to invent one.

Our first-stay preparation note explains how to use the meet as well as the bag.

What you can usually leave out

A week of new chews, a full wardrobe of bandanas, and a document you do not actually have. Bring copies of any vaccination record if a host has asked, and be honest if something is missing.

When the bag is ready and the dates are clear, write to Wiggie. We will share a quote for the stay after we know your dog and the neighbourhood, and you will meet the host before you confirm.

• Usual food plus spare, and medicine with times.
• Lead, harness, and bags they already accept.
• A bed or cloth that smells like home.
• A short written routine and your reachable number.

Label the bag, and pack for the return

Put your name and number on the bag and on the medicine pouch. Include a spare cloth or a second towel for a wet Bangalore evening, and a plastic bag for a damp lead at the end of the stay. Pack one outfit of yours only if it already smells like home; a freshly washed shirt is less useful than an old one.

On the return day, bring the same bag back with a little space for leftover food. Check you have the lead and any leftover medicine before you leave the host’s house. It is a small ritual, and it closes the stay as calmly as the handover opened it.

If your dog wears a muzzle on some walks, or needs a specific type of bowl, pack those too, with a one-line explanation. The packing list is really a list of habits. Anything you would miss on the second morning should be in the bag on the first evening.

Check the bag once the night before, not at dawn. Missing medicine is harder to fix from a departing taxi than from your own kitchen. If something is left behind, tell the host immediately so you can decide together whether a friend can drop it, or whether the routine needs a temporary change you are comfortable with.

If this is the kind of care you need in Bangalore, send Wiggie an enquiry or email wiggie.petcare@gmail.com, and we will tell you whether we can help, and share a quote for your brief.

Related: dog boarding, travel checklist, contact.