Home Dog Boarding Risk Assessment Checklist: A Practical Starting Point

Escape and access

Review external doors, gates, fencing, windows, arrival and departure routines, parcel deliveries and the two-barrier arrangement. Consider different dog sizes and behaviours rather than assessing the property only for your own resident dog.

Dog-to-dog interaction

Assess introductions, resource guarding, feeding, toys, resting places, designated rooms, resident dogs and the ability to separate animals quickly. The control measures should connect to trial records and owner consent rather than exist only on the risk-assessment form.

Food, cleaning and chemicals

Consider food storage, allergies, cross-contamination, hand washing, disinfectant storage, dilution, wet floors, waste and access to cleaning equipment. Record who is competent to use products and where manufacturer instructions are kept.

Medication and health events

Review medication storage, refrigeration, identification, administration errors, missed doses, infectious disease, isolation and veterinary transport. Make sure the control measures point to the active medication and emergency procedures.

Fire, heating and loss of the premises

Assess smoke and carbon-monoxide detection, evacuation routes, keys, dog transport, alternative accommodation, extreme temperatures and failure of essential systems. Include the practical problem of moving several dogs safely rather than simply writing “evacuate.”

Visitors and household members

Deliveries, children, tradespeople and guests can introduce escape and interaction risks. Decide when dogs are separated, who is allowed to handle them and how household members know which boarding dogs have restrictions.

Review after real events

An incident, near miss or significant change to the home should trigger a review. Update the relevant procedure and dog-management plan as well as the risk assessment, so learning changes the operation rather than sitting in a closed incident file.