What to Stock: A Treat Checklist for Boarding and Daycare

You go through a startling volume of treats and most of it is decided by whoever last did the ordering. A short list, from an operator's point of view.

One ingredient, because you don't know the dogs. You're feeding treats to animals whose diets, allergies and sensitivities you don't fully control. Every extra ingredient is another thing that could turn into a phone call with an owner. A single-protein, single-ingredient treat is the lowest-risk thing you can hand out.

Small pieces for the floor. Rewarding thirty dogs a day means volume of pieces, not weight. Freeze-dried cubes and torn strips go a long way.

One high-value item, locked away. For the dog that won't come in from the yard, the nervous new arrival, the one that hates the crate. Liver. Keep it out of general circulation so it stays special.

Supervised chews, separately. Feet and necks are excellent for a dog that needs settling in a crate — and they contain bone, so they're supervision-only and should never go out in a group setting.

Something to send home. The pickup moment is the one interaction the owner actually has with you. A small bag handed over at the door does more for retention than a newsletter ever will.

Buy in bulk, decant at the front desk. Five pounds of freeze-dried breast is an enormous number of rewards, and it doesn't need refrigeration.