Match the option to the dog rather than ranking the options. Confident, sociable dogs often do well in a good kennel. Home-loving or anxious dogs usually settle better with a licensed home boarder or a sitter in your own house. Whatever you choose, see the council licence and visit while dogs are there. Do a trial night first, and book peak weeks early.
Which option actually suits your dog?
There is no winner here, only the best fit for the dog in front of you. Start with how your dog copes with other dogs and with a change of scene. A confident, sociable dog who treats every stranger as a friend often has a genuinely good time in a well run kennel. There is structure to the day, and staff who are used to reading dogs. A home-loving dog who follows you from room to room is a different proposition. If a busy street already tires them out, they will usually be happier in somebody's house with a small number of dogs and a sofa to melt into.
Then think about age and health. An older dog with stiff joints, or any dog on daily medication, needs somewhere calm that is confident about routine. Anything clinical goes to your vet first, so ask them what they would want in place before you commit to dates. It is also worth asking whoever already walks your dog, because a good walker knows your dog in a way no form ever captures and plenty of them board or sit as well. Our guide to picking a walker you trust covers the same ground from the other side.
What should you look for when you visit a kennel?
Ask to visit at a normal working time, and not a quiet slot arranged for your benefit. You want to see the place doing its actual job. Look at the dogs already staying there and notice whether they settle again between bursts of noise, because barking in a kennel is normal and constant frantic barking is not. Check that the runs are dry, warm and secure, with somewhere sheltered to sit outside. In warmer weather ask about shade and water too, because keeping a dog cool matters more for some breeds than others.
Then ask the questions that tell you how the day really runs. How much time does a dog spend out of the run, and who is on site overnight? Who would notice if your dog stopped eating, and what would they do about it? A good kennel answers all of that without hesitating, because they are asked it every week. If the answers are vague, or nobody wants you past the reception desk, that is your answer.
Is home boarding a softer landing?
Home boarding means your dog stays as a guest in somebody else's house, with no kennel block involved. For dogs who find kennels overwhelming it can be a much gentler week. It tends to suit dogs who like human company and who have never slept anywhere but a living room.
The questions change slightly. Ask how many dogs are there at once and whether the boarder's own dog will be part of the mix. Ask where your dog will sleep and whether they are allowed upstairs, because a dog who is used to a bedroom door standing open can find a closed one very long indeed. Ask how many hours the dogs are left alone during the day. Some time alone is perfectly normal, and our guide to leaving your dog home alone is a fair yardstick for what your own dog can handle.
When does a house sitter make the most sense?
A sitter stays in your home, so the walls and the smells and the routine all stay put. That is the strongest option for a dog who unravels away from their own space, or a nervous rescue still learning that the world is predictable. It also keeps a household of several dogs together. If you are still in the early months with a rescue, settling a rescue dog explains why keeping the ground steady matters so much.
Ask what the sitter's own week looks like while they are staying with you. Do they work from your house, or will they be out for long stretches? Will anyone else stay over? Get the arrangement in writing, along with your vet's details and your written permission for treatment. If you have never handed your keys to somebody new, ask for two references and actually ring them.
How do you check they are properly licensed?
Anyone boarding dogs commercially, whether in kennels or in their own home, needs a licence from the local council. Ask to see it. Check that the address on the licence is the address where your dog will actually sleep, which matters for home boarders in particular. The rules vary a little around the UK, so ask what applies where you live. In England the licence carries a star rating. A licence is not a personality test and it will not tell you whether your dog will be happy. The absence of one tells you plenty.
Ask about insurance too, and about what happens in an emergency. Which vet would they use, how would they reach you, and who decides if a decision cannot wait? If your dog has a condition that needs watching, your own vet should know where they are going. Our guide to finding the right vet is worth a read if you have never had to think about out of hours cover.
Why is a trial night worth the trouble?
Book a day visit first, then a single night, well before the real trip. An hour of conversation tells you what somebody believes about dogs. A trial night tells you what your dog makes of them. You find out whether they eat and whether they settle once the lights go out, and you find out how the boarder handles it if they do neither.
It also does something quieter for your dog. One night away that ends with you coming back through the door is a small lesson that being left is temporary. Dogs who have done that once tend to walk into the second stay very differently.
What should you send with your dog?
Send their own bed or a blanket that smells of home, their usual food measured out into daily bags, and their lead and harness. Add any medication with written instructions, their vaccination record, and your contact details along with your vet's.
Food is the part people get wrong. A boarding week is the worst possible time to introduce a new bag. A change of diet and a change of scene arriving together is how you end up with a loose tummy in somebody else's kitchen. Keep the food identical to what your dog eats at home. If you do need to move them onto something else, do it well before or well after the trip using the steps in switching food without upset. For a dog with a delicate gut already, calming a sensitive stomach is the better place to start.
The familiar bed earns its place too. It gives your dog one spot that is unmistakably theirs in a room full of new smells. It is the single piece of kit worth sending even when the boarder has plenty of their own. What we look for in choosing a bed applies just as much to a travelling one.
When should you book, and how should the handover go?
Good boarders fill up early. School holidays and the weeks around Christmas go first, sometimes months ahead. It does not help that the best home boarders are often the smallest operations, with the fewest slots. If your dates are fixed, book as soon as you know them and treat the trial night as part of the plan, not an optional extra.
On the day, keep the handover short. Long emotional goodbyes wind dogs up rather than reassuring them. Walk in, hand over the bag and go, sounding cheerful about it. Arrive calmly as well, because a dog who turns up already frazzled from the journey starts on the back foot. Travelling with your dog by car covers the small things that make the drive easier on both of you.
Frequently asked questions
My dog is anxious. Are kennels out of the question?
Not automatically, but the odds are better in a home. An anxious dog usually copes best where the surroundings are quiet and one person is responsible for them all week, which points to a licensed home boarder or a sitter in your own house. If a kennel is the only realistic option, choose a small one and do a day visit and a trial night first. Tell them exactly what your dog finds difficult.
How far ahead should I book?
As soon as your dates are fixed. School holidays and the weeks around Christmas fill first. Because the smallest home boarders have the fewest slots, they go earliest of all. Book the stay and the trial night in the same conversation. If you are ringing round late and everywhere good is full, a sitter in your own home is often the option with room left.
Should I send my dog's own food?
Yes, and send more than you think you need. Keeping the food identical removes one change from a week that already has plenty of them. Measure it into daily bags so nobody has to guess, and write the feeding times on the outside. If you want to move your dog onto something different, do it at home well before the trip, so a new bag and a new bed never arrive together.
What about medication while I am away?
Get it agreed in writing before you go, and speak to your vet first. Send the medication in its original packaging with clear written instructions on what, when and how much. Ask the boarder to confirm they are happy giving it. Leave written permission for treatment, along with your number and your vet's. Any dog on regular medication should also have their practice told where they are staying.
