The proof a Yorkshire Terrier needs at check-in
A Yorkshire Terrier needs current rabies cover, the distemper and parvovirus combination vaccine, and Bordetella documented on a record from the veterinary practice, with dates given and dates of expiry both visible. Facilities that board many small dogs together frequently add canine influenza to the required list, and most ask for up-to-date flea and worm prevention as well. A collar tag or a verbal summary is not accepted as proof, so request a printed or emailed treatment summary from your vet before the stay.
Why the written care notes matter so much for a Yorkie
A Yorkshire Terrier's paperwork carries more weight than the vaccine page alone, because this is a very small dog with a delicate windpipe and a fast metabolism. Your intake notes should state clearly that the dog is walked on a harness rather than a collar, how often meals are offered across the day, and what a normal appetite looks like, since a tiny dog who skips meals needs flagging sooner than a large breed would. Add handling guidance too: a Yorkie should be lifted supporting the chest and hindquarters, never grabbed around the middle, and staff who know that in advance handle the dog confidently from the first hour.
Assembling the full boarding packet
Put the vaccine record together with a boarding form listing your number, a local emergency contact, and your vet's details with consent for emergency treatment. Write down the exact food you are sending, portion by portion, and pack familiar items the facility allows, such as a worn item of your clothing for scent comfort, because small terriers often feel the strangeness of a kennel more keenly than their size suggests. Note grooming needs as well: a Yorkie's long, fine coat tangles quickly, and a topknot that falls over the eyes needs redoing, so a line about daily brushing saves the staff guesswork. If the facility runs a short trial visit for new dogs, take it, and watch how your terrier settles in the small-dog area before committing to a long stay.
Timing and expiry checks for small dogs
Check that no vaccine expires mid-stay, since facilities apply the rule to the whole booking, and leave enough time before travel for any first-time vaccine course to count as valid cover. Puppies and recently rehomed Yorkies are the usual paperwork problem: records may sit with a breeder, a rescue, and a new vet in three places, with the Bordetella date missing entirely. Rebuilding that single clean record is a job for a quiet afternoon at home, not the morning of drop-off.
Choosing a facility that suits a tiny terrier
Ask whether small dogs are housed and exercised separately from large breeds, how many dogs share the Yorkie's play group, and whether staff are present overnight. Confirm the kennel will follow your feeding frequency exactly and call you if the dog has not eaten by an agreed point. Gathering a Yorkshire Terrier's vaccine record, feeding rhythm, and handling notes into KinsLe's Pet Passport gives the kennel everything about this small dog in one clear, complete set of pages.