Vaccination proof and vet details come before any trial
A daycare hall mixes dozens of dogs in shared air and shared water bowls, so centres ask for vaccination records before they will even book a first visit. Expect to provide proof that core vaccinations are current and rabies vaccination is up to date, and many centres also ask about kennel cough cover and regular flea and worm control, because one coughing or itchy dog affects the whole group. They will want your vet's name and number on file so they can call the practice directly if your dog is injured or taken ill during the day. Photocopies or clear scans are usually accepted at enrolment, but bring dates exactly as the vet recorded them; a centre cannot accept a booster that your memory says is current if the record shows it lapsed last month.
The enrolment form: health, behaviour, and the honest bits
The enrolment form is the centre's working picture of your dog, and it goes well beyond paperwork. It typically asks about ongoing health issues, recent operations, allergies, food sensitivities, and any daily care your dog needs during the day, plus what and when he should be fed if he stays over a mealtime. The behaviour section asks whether he is sociable with unfamiliar dogs, how he reacts to puppies, entire males, or dogs who play roughly, whether he guards toys or food bowls, and whether he has ever been in a fight. Answer as the owner of the dog you actually have, not the dog you hope daycare will produce. Staff plan groups, rest breaks, and introductions from these answers, and a dog whose guarding was never mentioned is the dog most likely to have a bad first week.
Contacts, permissions, and the assessment day
Centres also record who may collect your dog, an emergency contact who can decide quickly if you are unreachable, and your permission for staff to take him to a vet in an emergency and for how you will cover that cost. Many ask whether he may appear in the photos and updates they send owners, and whether he can have the treats they use. Most reputable centres then run a trial or assessment session, often a few hours, and keep their own notes on how he entered the group, whether he rested, ate, and played appropriately, and which dogs he suited. Those notes become part of his daycare record and shape his groupings afterwards, so ask what they observed; an honest assessment that suggests shorter days or a quieter group is a centre doing its job, not failing your dog.
Keeping your copy as his daycare life develops
Keep copies of everything you submitted, and update the centre whenever something changes: a new vet, a new emergency contact, a recent illness, a change in food, or a behaviour that has emerged since enrolment. Centres re-ask for vaccination proof as boosters fall due, so set your own reminder rather than arriving one morning to find his place paused over an expired record. If he moves to a different centre, your file gives the new one a running start, including the previous centre's assessment notes if you ask for a copy. Filing the enrolment forms, vaccination dates, and assessment notes in KinsLe's Pet Passport keeps the version the centre holds and the version you hold the same, which is what makes updates painless.