Understanding Types of Dog Boarding and Pet Sitters

If you are like me, the thought of leaving your dog in someone else’s care is one of the things in life that can cause your anxiety level to soar. The list of people I trust to care for Jackson and Tinkerbell is extremely short and even some of my closest friends are not on it. So how do you decide your dog care options and whether a pet sitter or dog boarding is right for your dog? In this post I will explain the 5 main types of pet sitter and dog boarding options available to most dog owners.

Types of Dog Boarding

Dog boarding refers to a facility where you take your dog to stay while you are away. The most common boarding options include boarding your dog at your veterinary clinic, at a traditional boarding kennel, at a doggie daycare facility, or with a dog trainer.

Vet Clinic Dog Boarding

Many vet clinics offer boarding for non-medical stays. Depending on their setup, your dog will stay either in a traditional dog run or in a crate in a designated area. Some veterinary clinics only offer boarding for their clients. Others offer boarding to any pet.

Boarding at your vet clinic is popular for dogs with special needs as your pet’s medical team will be on-site while you are away. Some pet owners prefer to board their dog at their veterinary clinic because they know, like, and trust the staff. Additionally, many dogs are familiar with being at their veterinary clinic, which reduces the stress of staying at a strange place.

Traditional Dog Boarding

A traditional boarding kennel offers individual spaces for each dog to stay. If you have multiple dogs in your household, you can opt for them to stay together. Many traditional kennels offer outside access through a doggie door so that your dog can choose to be inside or out at any given time. At a traditional boarding facility, dogs do not interact with other dogs from other families. Instead, each dog gets their own private time in an outdoor play area.

Traditional boarding kennels are popular for dog owners who do not want their dogs to participate in group play sessions. Some dogs do not enjoy large group play sessions or being around strange dogs.

A traditional boarding kennel is a good fit for a pet owner who wants their pet to have a safe, secure place to be until the humans return from travel. Boarding kennels are also a good option for pet owners who are moving locally or having work done in their home. This way you minimize the risk of your dog running out an open door or being around hazardous cleaning or building materials.

Doggie Daycare Dog Boarding

Doggie daycare is a type of dog care facility in which the dogs are allowed to play together in large groups. Dogs can interact with each other for either portions of the day or the entire day. Dogs are typically separated at night when they are not being watched by a staff of humans and sleep either in crates or traditional dog runs depending on the facility. 

Doggie daycare is a popular form of dog boarding for dogs who already attend daycare when their humans are at work. Well-socialized dogs who are accustomed to meeting strange dogs and who love to play may also enjoy a doggie daycare stay.

Train and Stay Dog Boarding

Some dog trainers offer the option of boarding your dog and training them while you are away. Although I am a proponent of all owners taking their dogs through training on their own, train and stay programs can be great for dogs who need some additional help with their confidence or manners.

Types of Pet Sitters

Fortunately I have two different pet sitters who will stay overnight with my dogs. They live in my home while we are away. Although they each run their own business, they know each other, they refer and respect each other, and have even tag-teamed our pet care needs. And most importantly: they accept my many post-it notes throughout the house, frequent check-ins, my dog care binder, and all of my other quirks as a dog owner. If you are blessed to have someone like this in your life to take care of your dogs, then you know what an incredible relief it is. Shower them with thanks and pay them well!

Pet sitter at the sitter’s home

Some pet sitters offer dog care in their own home. Your dog stays at the pet sitter’s house, and lives with the humans and pets at that home while you are away.

Boarding your dog at a pet sitter’s home is a good option for well-socialized dogs. If your dog is confident, well-behaved, and adapts easily to new situations, they may enjoy this type of pet sitter setup.

Pet sitter at your own home

Pet sitters come to your home to care for your dog in his or her own environment. Some pet sitters will live in your home while you are gone and sleep overnight. Others make frequent visits to care for your dog throughout the day and night. These visits typically include potty breaks, playtime, meals and fresh water.

I personally prefer to hire pet sitters to live in my own home 24/7 while we travel. There are several reasons for this:

1. My dogs are crated while we are away. While crates are a useful tool for keeping dogs safe, I do not like to have them in their crates for more than 8 hours a day, or an average work day. While my dogs like their crates and choose to nap in them with the doors open even when I am home, I want them to be able to move around and stretch their legs when they want. Having a pet sitter stay in my home means that the dogs can be free in the house most of the day, including at night.
2. Although my pet sitters have other responsibilities each day, they are here at night and throughout the day in the event of an emergency. My dogs also get to spend more time playing, snuggling, and just relaxing with the pet sitters, both of whom they love. When pet sitters perform drop-in visits, they are only with the dogs for a few hours a day. An in-home pet sitter is with your pet most of the day and night.
3. Until the recent passing of our cat, Nala, our pet sitter was here to care for the dogs, our cat, and our daughter’s fish. She also was here to bring in the mail, water plants, and continue to give our home a lived-in appearance to would-be intruders.

In Conclusion

Even if you rarely travel without your dog, I strongly suggest having at least one trusted dog care option who you can call in the event of an emergency. Ideally, I recommend having at least one trusted pet sitter and at least one boarding option you can trust. You never know when you will have to go out-of-town for a family emergency or have to find a temporary place for your dogs to stay away from your home.

We have had to leave town without notice for funerals and family emergencies. We have also had to board our dogs with little notice when our washing machine caused water damage throughout the house. Having a list of trusted pet care or dog boarding options makes it much easier to navigate these situations. It also makes it easier to relax and have fun when we leave the dogs to go on vacation, without worrying that they are not being cared for properly.

No matter which kind of sitter you choose, having your dog’s information organized ahead of time is a game‑changer. The Dog Care Binder Starter Kit gives you clear templates and crisis‑ready instructions so every caregiver knows exactly what to do.