Dog Boarding Alternatives: What to Do With Your Dog When You Travel

The dog boarding alternatives at a glance

Before we go through each option, here’s the quick comparison. “Stress for the dog” assumes a typical, reasonably social dog — an anxious or reactive dog skews everything toward the in-home options, while a super-social dog may genuinely enjoy daycare or a good kennel. Costs are typical US day rates; your area will vary.

1. A house-sitting membership (our value pick)

The newest — and for many owners the best — answer to “what do I do with my dog when I travel?” is a house-sitting membership such as TrustedHousesitters. Instead of paying a sitter per night, you pay one annual membership fee and get matched with vetted sitters who house-sit for free — they get a comfortable place to stay, and in return they look after your dog in your own home.

That last part is the whole point. Your dog never leaves its routine: same bed, same back garden, same walks and feeding times, with a real person there day and night. For a homebody, anxious or older dog, that’s far less stressful than a kennel full of barking strangers. And because no one is paid per night, the math flips: a single yearly membership (roughly $129–$299 depending on tier) can cover unlimited trips that year, so the cost per trip plummets the more you travel. One owner reported saving about $900 versus paid-sitter rates on just one three-week trip.

The trust questions answer themselves better than you’d expect: every sitter is ID-verified and carries reviews from previous owners, you arrange a meet-and-greet (video or in person) before you commit, and Standard and Premium memberships add a free 24/7 vet advice line and Home & Contents protection for extra peace of mind. The trade-off is planning: this is not a last-minute drop-off, so it suits people who can list their dates a few weeks out. We cover exactly how it works — and whether it’s safe — further down.

2. An in-home pet sitter (Rover, Wag or a local sitter)

The closest paid alternative to the membership model is a traditional in-home pet sitter — someone who either stays overnight in your home or does scheduled drop-in visits to feed, walk and check on your dog. You can find them through apps like Rover and Wag, through Care.com, or by hiring a trusted local sitter directly.

• The upside. Like a house-sitter, your dog stays in familiar surroundings with one-on-one attention, which is far gentler than a kennel. Apps add a layer of background checks, reviews and (on the platform) some insurance and support.
• The cost. Expect roughly $25–$60 per day for standard drop-ins or sitting, climbing to $89–$278 per day for premium overnight sitting in pricey cities. Because you pay per night, a long trip adds up fast — which is exactly where a yearly membership pulls ahead.
• What to check. Read recent reviews, confirm the sitter has met dogs your size and energy level, and do a meet-and-greet first. For drop-in visits, make sure the visit frequency (usually 1–3 a day) is enough for your dog to not be alone too long.

3. Doggy daycare

Doggy daycare is a daytime-only option: you drop your dog off in the morning and collect them at night, so it solves work days and day trips rather than overnight travel. For a social, high-energy dog, a good daycare is brilliant — supervised play, other dogs, and a tired, happy pup at pickup.

• Cost: usually $20–$45 per day, with multi-day packages cheaper.
• Stress: low for a confident, social dog; higher for a shy, reactive or older dog who finds a busy group overwhelming.
• Catch: it doesn’t cover overnights, so for a real trip you’d combine daycare with another option (a sitter or boarding) — or use a facility that offers both daycare and overnight boarding.

Most daycares require up-to-date vaccinations (including kennel cough/Bordetella and canine flu) and a temperament assessment before the first visit, which is a good sign of a well-run place.

4. A boarding kennel (the option you’re replacing)

The traditional boarding kennel is what most people picture, and for a healthy, social dog on a short trip it’s a perfectly fine choice — staff on site, a set routine, and you can often book at short notice. But it’s worth being honest about why so many owners go looking for alternatives:

• Stress. Many dogs find a kennel environment stressful — unfamiliar space, lots of barking, less one-on-one attention, and a cage or run instead of a sofa. Anxious, senior and very young dogs tend to struggle most.
• Illness risk. Close quarters raise the risk of contagious bugs like kennel cough (Bordetella) and canine influenza, which is why reputable kennels require proof of vaccination. Ask about their vaccination policy and how they isolate sick dogs.
• Cost. Typically $25–$100 per day depending on the facility and your area — so a two-week trip can rival or exceed a whole year’s house-sitting membership.

If you do board, the AKC’s guide to boarding your dog is a good non-commercial checklist: tour the facility first, check licensing and staff ratios, ask about exercise and emergency vet protocols, and do a trial overnight before a long trip. A good kennel will welcome all of those questions.

5. A pet hotel or resort

At the premium end, pet hotels and resorts are boarding with the extras dialled up: private suites, plush bedding, supervised playgroups, sometimes TVs tuned to dog-friendly channels, grooming add-ons and webcams so you can check in. For a pampered, social dog whose owner wants reassurance, they’re lovely.

The catch is simply price — resorts are usually the most expensive boarding option (often $75–$150+ per day once you add the extras). The underlying experience for the dog is still away from home in a facility, so the stress profile is similar to a good kennel; you’re mostly paying for comfort and owner peace of mind rather than a fundamentally calmer setup for the dog.

6. Boarding at your vet’s clinic

Many veterinary clinics offer boarding, and for one specific dog it’s the best choice of all: a dog with medical needs — on medication, recovering from surgery, diabetic, very elderly, or otherwise fragile. The huge advantage is immediate access to veterinary care and staff trained to handle medications and emergencies.

The trade-offs are that a clinic is a clinical, often kennel-style environment (not a home), it can be mid-to-high cost, and a healthy dog gets no real benefit from it over a regular kennel. So think of vet boarding as the specialist option: ideal for a dog that needs medical supervision, overkill for a healthy one.

7. Friends, family or a neighbor (and sit-swaps)

The oldest alternative is still a great one: a trusted friend, family member or neighbor. They either come to your home or take your dog into theirs, and your dog is cared for by someone it already knows and loves. It’s usually free or low-cost and very low stress for the dog.

• Best for: short trips, tight budgets, and dogs that adore a particular person already.
• The honest catch: reliability and obligation. People get busy, plans change, and you’re leaning on a favour — so it’s harder to count on for long or frequent travel, and you’ll want to return the favour.
• Sit-swaps. A neat free version is a pet-sitting exchange with another dog-owning friend: you watch their dog on their trips, they watch yours on yours. A house-sitting membership is essentially this idea scaled up and vetted — you’re swapping with strangers, but verified, reviewed ones.

8. Bring your dog with you

Sometimes the best alternative to any form of care is to take your dog along. For a road trip to a dog-friendly destination, a dog that travels well, and a manageable itinerary, bringing your dog is the lowest-stress option of all — they’re with their people.

The key is being properly set up so the journey is safe and the trip is welcome:

• Travel safely in the car. Secure your dog rather than letting them roam — a crash-tested dog car seat for small dogs, a crash-tested car harness and seatbelt for larger ones, a car barrier for the cargo area, and a dog car ramp if your dog is older or struggles to jump in.
• Find dog-friendly stays. Use a dog-friendly hotel finder (sites like BringFido) and confirm the pet policy, size limits and fees before you book.
• Pack the routine. Bring their own bed, bowls, food and a familiar toy so the room feels like home, and plan walk and potty stops on the drive.

For more on planning a trip with your dog, see our guide to traveling with your dog, and if you’re weighing the hassle, this honest look at whether it’s easier to travel with a dog or a cat is worth a read.

How TrustedHousesitters works — and is it safe?

Because the membership model is the part most people haven’t tried, here’s exactly how it works end to end, and the honest answer on safety.

• 1. Join and create a listing. You take out an annual Pet Parent membership (roughly $149–$299 depending on tier) and create a listing describing your home, your dog and your dates.
• 2. Get matched with sitters. Verified sitters apply to your dates, or you browse and invite them. Every profile shows ID verification and reviews from previous owners, so you’re not choosing a stranger blind — you’re choosing someone with a track record.
• 3. Meet and greet. You shortlist and do a video or in-person meet-and-greet before you confirm. This is your veto — if it doesn’t feel right, you don’t book them.
• 4. The sit. The sitter stays in your home and cares for your dog in its own routine. They’re not paid per night — the comfortable free stay is the exchange — so your only cost is the membership.
• 5. Backup and protection. Standard and Premium memberships include a free 24/7 vet advice line and Home & Contents protection (underwritten by a global insurer, covering property damage, theft and public liability up to $1M alongside your existing home policy). Afterwards, you and the sitter leave reviews, which keeps the whole community accountable.

See TrustedHousesitters plans & pricing →