The best boarding for your dog is in someone’s home. Not a kennel, a small room or “suite”. I board dogs in my place.

My goal was to find other dog walkers who offer to board in their home. I found 12 other companies in Philadelphia that offer dog boarding (and my business makes 13). Most of them have dog daycare as their primary business, but 4 are solely dog walking and pet sitting businesses.

Four of the 14 companies listed below board dogs at their daycare facility. That’s not ideal and I was hoping for more home boarding. Two companies do not mention where the boarding is: one of them offers daycare, the other is a dog walking company. The last eight all board dogs in their home.

Boarding vs. In-home Sitting vs. Pet Sitting vs. Boarding in a Kennel

I cover the difference of boarding versus sitting on my services and rates page and in a definition of terms article that I wrote. Take a look at either one of those pages, but let me give a brief explanation here.

Boarding a dog or cat takes place in a walker or sitter’s home.

In-House or In-Home sitting is when your walker or sitter stays at your place.

Pet sitting is when your sitter visits your home to take care of your pet and then leaves (one visit per day for cats, three visits for dogs).

And boarding at a kennel is where your pet is in a small room overnight usually with many other pets close by in similar rooms. I wouldn’t want my dog in that situation. I’m sure the dogs and cats get lots of attention during the day, but they are likely stressed out during the night. Even though I have no direct experience with kennels, I would only choose a kennel for my dog if I had no choice.

How much is it to board a dog?

The typical cost given is for a day, but some places are confusing in their wording. It sounds like they only offer 12 hours at their rate but I believe the rate is for a whole day. You’ll have to look at each company on your own. There is also a half day rate for a pickup time that is different from their drop off time.

The dog boarding cost below is for one day or 24 hours. If your drop off and pick up time is approximately the same, then the total cost for boarding your dog would be (# of days of boarding)  X  ($ rate). I charge a half day rate when the pickup time is different from the drop off time.

For example, if you drop your dog off on a Thursday night and pick him up on a Sunday night, then the total cost would be 3 days times the daily rate. It is three days because you count days from drop off time to the same time on the following days. For my company, that would be 3 x $50 = $150 for the total cost.

If however, you pick up your dog from me on Sunday morning, then the total dog boarding cost would be $125 – $50 for the Thursday to Friday night and $50 for the Friday to Saturday night. The last $25 is from Saturday night to Sunday morning.

I assume other companies charge the same way but don’t quote me on that.

Dog Boarding Costs for Each Company (as of 9/4/19)

The boarding locations are in 9 different zip codes. There are 3 companies that service many areas and do not mention a specific boarding location. Here is the dog boarding cost for each company. I added a link to their services page and the zip code where they are located:

Dog School:
Dog boarding cost: $100
Locations: 19103, 19123, 19130, & 19146

The Ruff Life :
Dog boarding cost: $65
Location: 19106 and the dog boarding is at their daycare center.

Andrew’s Pack:
Dog boarding cost: $55
Locations: 19121 and I’m not sure if it’s at a daycare center or at their home.

The Towne Barker:
Dog boarding cost: $40
Location: 19123 and the dog boarding is at their daycare center.

Fairmount Pet Service:
Dog boarding cost: $50
Cat boarding cost: $40
Location: 19130

Groom & Board:
Dog boarding cost: $50
Location: 19146 and the dog boarding is at their daycare center.

For Paws Philly:
Dog boarding cost: $45
Location: 19147

The Pit Stop:
Dog boarding cost: $100
Location: 19147

Phila Paws & Claws:
Dog boarding cost: $35 & up
Cat boarding cost: $25 & up
Location: 19148
* Not sure why the “...& up” phrase is tied to their rates, especially since their rates appear to be the lowest. Every other company just list the rates. – straight-up.

Camp Bow Wow:
Dog boarding cost: $48
Location: 19154 and the dog boarding is at their daycare center.

PHL Pets:
Dog boarding cost: $60
Locations: They service many zip codes and I don’t know where the boarding takes place.

SouthPaw:
Dog boarding cost: $50
Locations: They service many zip codes and I don’t know where the boarding takes place.

Woof n Stuff :
Dog boarding cost: $60
Locations: They service many zip codes and I don’t know where the boarding takes place.

Bark Park:
Dog boarding cost: $90
Location: South & West Philly and the dog boarding is at their daycare center.

Disclaimer: I am not endorsing any of the pet businesses listed on this page other than my own. I do not personally know any of the owners. This is simply a listing of dog and cat boarding costs that I compiled for people needing that service.

Cat Boarding Options

Cat boarding is only offered by my company and Phila Paws & Claws. Cat boarding is rare. I’ve only boarded someone’s cat two times in 10 years.

To be honest, pet sitting is a better option for cats. They prefer staying in your home. And pet sitting for your cat is much cheaper when compared to boarding costs.

Also, consider your vet as a boarding option. It’s pretty common for them to do it and it’s usually a good rate. But boarding your cat at your vet’s location it is like a kennel for dogs, as your cat will be in a crate overnight. You’ll have to check with your vet for details.

Dog Boarding in Homes not Kennels

Only 8. That’s all? I can’t believe I could only find 8 pet service companies that board dogs in their home. But keep in mind that I only looked at companies that have websites. There are other dog walkers and pet sitters that board dogs in their homes, but they are not easy to find.

First, you can try searching on Facebook for their business listing. Most pet service companies that do not have websites will have a Facebook listing.

Other options would be Google My Business, Local Yahoo, Merchant Circle, or any other site that has local business listings. I found most of the companies in this article using Yelp. There were many businesses on Yelp which offer boarding but did not list a website. Try looking into those businesses as well.

I mention searching these sites because 8 companies that offer dog boarding in their home can only service 1 client’s dog per weekend. That’s not a lot of options. I’m sure you can find others and I’m sure their dog boarding cost is in line with the costs that I list in this article.

Additional Pet Service Rates

I have an article on the rates and cost for every type of pet service. The article is called Pet Service Rates but it also includes other subjects like Philly dog parks, pet-friendly hotels, 24-hour emergency vets, and adoption locations. Check it out if you are interested in other pet services located in the city.

The post Dog Boarding Cost Philadelphia: How Much To Board A Dog? appeared first on Fairmount Pet Service.

I have noticed that it is the pet sitting definition that is most often misunderstood and is commonly confused with either dog walking or pet boarding. I am sometimes contacted by people looking for dog walking, but what they describe in their email falls under pet sitting. Other times new prospective clients will contact me about pet sitting but what they actually are looking for is pet boarding. So here are definitions for common pet services involving sitting, walking, and boarding.

First, let me cover the services that I will define and explain:

Dog Walking
Pet Sitting
Dog or Pet Boarding
In-Home Pet Sitting

The above services are all when someone else takes care of your pet(s) during times and days you are not able to do so.

Pet service companies may offer other services such as a pet taxi and “pooper scoopers” (yes, that’s a thing), but they are not services that I offer plus they are self-explanatory.

Another pet sitting type service is dog daycare. This is when you drop your dog off at a facility while you are at work. I also do not offer this service.

Dog Walking Definition

Dog walking is my main service. This service involves walks scheduled on the weekdays while you are at work, typically mid-day. Most people schedule walks Monday thru Friday and 11 am to 2 pm being the busiest times.

I do have clients who do not need walks every weekday but mostly it’s every weekday, 52 weeks a year. And the fact that it is every week is the reason why it is the majority of my income.

Of course, there are exceptions to the schedule such as holidays, vacations, sick days, etc. And over the years I have had clients who have needed walks late in the day around 3 pm or even as early as 10 am. I currently have a client who regularly works 12-hours a day so I do 2 walks per day.

And then there are puppies.

Puppies require two walks a day as they can not hold going to the bathroom for more than a few hours. The general rule for puppies is the age in the months plus 1 for the number of hours they can go without an accident (8 weeks old = 2 months, 2 + 1 = 3 hrs).

Keep the added expense in mind if you are thinking of getting a puppy and will need walks while you are at work.

Double walks per day may also apply to elderly dogs for the same reason of needing to be walked regularly. So dog walking specifically refers to one, maybe two, mid-day walk during the typical work week.

Pet Sitting Definition

This is the service people get confused with dog walking if they own a dog. Some people may call this service dog sitting, or cat sitting depending on what type of pet they have.

The terms pet sitting, dog sitting or cat sitting may also be used when pet owners actually need boarding or in-house sitting.

Pet sitting is for when you are away for a day or more. Most often this is when people go away for a vacation, usually over a weekend, but I’ve done pet sitting for clients that have lasted 2 or more weeks.

It involves the pet sitter going to your home to take care of your pets. The basic duties are feeding your pets, giving them fresh water, administering medicine or giving them treats if applicable and play time.

If the pets are cats, then cleaning the litter is a definite requirement.

If the pets are dogs then taking them for walks is necessary, typically three walks per day. And this last point is why some people confuse pet sitting for their dog with dog walking. Daily dog walks are involved but the service is pet sitting.

Other duties may be watering plants and collecting the mail.

Then there is pet sitting for fish, rabbits or any other type of pets people may have. But the basics are always the same: making sure they have water, food and are walked (dogs) or have a clean litter box (cats, rabbits, etc.)

Pet or Dog Boarding Definition

This is a service that also involves when you are away from your home, but your pet stays at your pet sitters home. This is most common with dog owners as cats do not like changes in their environment, although I have boarded cats at my place.

The duties are the same as for pet sitting: feeding, fresh water, walks, etc.

Since I own a dog and 2 cats, I require that new clients test their dog (or cat) with my pets. I often do not get dog boarding clients as a result of this, most likely because their dogs either DO NOT get along with cats or other dogs. I would make more money if I didn’t have pets, but then I wouldn’t have any pets!

I believe that this is the best option for dogs because they have a lot of contact with the pet sitter throughout the day. Pet sitting will only give them human contact three times a day.

Your other option is boarding your dog in a kennel, and I personally would never do that for my dog. I do not like the thought of my dog kept in a little room, where he would have to deal with other dogs barking throughout the night. That just seems too stressful, but I am not familiar with how kennels operate so you would need to do your own research on kennels in your area.

In-Home Pet Sitting Definition

Think of this service as a combination of pet sitting and boarding. In-home sitting is when your pet sitter stays in YOUR home. This is obviously the best for your pets because they are in familiar surroundings and they have a lot of human interaction throughout the day.

The duties are the same as for pet sitting: feeding, fresh water, walks or litter changes, medicine, treats, play time, watering plants, mail collection, etc.

An added benefit is the concern of your home being robbed while you are away as your sitter will be coming and going throughout the day.

Hopefully, I have explained the differences between these pet services. Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve my descriptions! Also, check out my Services and Rates page in you are in the Art Museum area of Philadelphia and need my services.

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