How to Find a Dog Sitter or Boarding Kennel

Finding a dog sitter or boarding kennel is crucial if you’re going out of town – or even if you just have a long day. You can find a dog sitter or boarding kennel online, in newspaper classifieds, by word of mouth, or through fliers on community bulletin boards. Once you’ve located a qualified dog sitter, meet with them and ask for a background check (unless it’s someone you know intimately). If you’re looking at boarding kennels, visit the kennel yourself before committing your dog to staying there. Always get a bonded dog sitter and use a contract with either a sitter or a kennel.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Locating a Dog Sitter or Kennel

1
Check online. The easiest way to find a pet sitter is online. There are a number of professional dogsitting companies that provide searchable databases or maps that can help you locate a dog sitter near you. Take advantage of these online resources to locate a pet sitter near you.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Petsitter.com, for instance, has a database at https://petsitter.com/pet-sitters.
- A similar organization, DogVacay, can help you locate dog sitters through their portal at https://dogvacay.com/.
- You’ll usually pay the pet sitter up front, and the payment is delivered when you return from your trip.
- Ensure the dog sitter you select is responsible. A good dog sitter should be vetted by other site users. They should have a high rating and lots of positive feedback.
2
Ask for a recommendation. If you have friends or family members who have a pet sitter they like, ask them for the phone number or contact information for the pet sitter. Hiring a sitter that a friend or family member trusts will make it easier to leave your pet with a stranger.^{[2]XTrustworthy SourceThe Humane Society of the United StatesNational organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfareGo to source}
- Ask the person what services their pet sitter offers and how much they cost so you know if the sitter is right for you.
- You could also ask your vet for a recommendation. Vets are often in contact with reliable petsitting services or individuals. They may even have a boarding facility built into their clinic.
3
Check community bulletin boards. Many local venues and businesses have bulletin boards where locals can post fliers advertising their wares, services, or request help with a special task. Check these bulletin boards for people advertising their petsitting services. If the flier was well-designed, there should be a small strip at the bottom of the flier with the individual’s name and contact info. Pull one of these strips off and use it to contact the pet sitter later.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Alternately, you could print up a bunch of fliers advertising the fact that you’re looking for a dog sitter. Write “DOG SITTER WANTED” in big bold font at the top. Below, write a few words about your doggie. Include a picture of them if you want. Cut the bottom of the flier into strips and write your name and phone number on each so that people who are interested in replying to your ad can contact you.
- Check for bulletin boards at your local library, cafes, and community centers.
Sometimes dog sitters advertise in the newspaper. Check the “services” section for a dog sitter. Check the classified online, too. If your community has a local forum, start there. Other sites like Craigslist, for instance, offer space for advertising petsitting services of all sorts.^{[4]XResearch source}
5
Check the yellow pages. The yellow pages is a large volume that lists all local businesses. You can use this volume to locate a boarding kennel for your dog. It might be listed under “kennels & pet boarding,” or just “pets.”^{[5]XTrustworthy SourceThe Humane Society of the United StatesNational organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfareGo to source}
- Nowadays, most businesses are listed online. If you don’t have a yellow pages book, you could just use an online version like http://www.yellowpages.com/ to find a boarding kennel in your area.
Finding the right dog sitter or kennel might take time. You might have to endure a process of trial-and-error by contracting with several different kennels and dog sitters over a period of time before discovering one you really like. Just remember, the wait it worth it, so keep looking.^{[6]XResearch source}
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Learning More About Your Pet Sitter or Kennel

Boarding kennels often also feature a cattery, a sort of boarding kennel for cats. However, ensure that the boarding kennel and cattery are kept separate. Cats housed too close to dogs can upset them or even – in cases where the cages are far too close together – take a swipe at your doggie.^{[7]XTrustworthy SourceThe Humane Society of the United StatesNational organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfareGo to source}
2
Ensure kennels require all pets to be vaccinated. The last thing you want is your dog to contract some sort of illness while at the kennel. To protect your dog against illnesses, don’t board it at a kennel which allows unvaccinated pets.^{[8]XTrustworthy SourceThe Humane Society of the United StatesNational organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfareGo to source}
- One of the important things you should ask about specifically is kennel cough, a contagious respiratory disease common – as its name suggest – among pets who are boarded at kennels or who spend time exposed to large numbers of other dogs.
- Also make sure the kennel requires up-to-date rabies shots and fecal tests to test for worms.
- A reputable kennel should ask you for a copy of your dog's vaccination history.
3
Visit the kennel yourself. Before deciding to leave your dog in the care of the kennel, you should visit it in person and verify that it is clean, orderly, comfortable, and well-ventilated. If the place is too hot or too cold, stinks of urine or feces, loud and chaotic, or seems to be run by staff who seem harried and have no real idea of what’s going on, you should look elsewhere for a boarding kennel.^{[9]XTrustworthy SourceThe Humane Society of the United StatesNational organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfareGo to source}
- Ensure that dogs are not kept on concrete floors. Dogs kept in ground-level cages should have resting boards or bedding beneath them. If you see dogs in cages with nothing to protect them from the cold concrete, look elsewhere for a kennel.
- Make sure the kennel will provide a bed and food and water bowls for your dog.
- Don't expect the kennel to offer veterinarian services unless it's connected to a vet clinic.
- Inquire about the opportunities for exercise and play.
- Ask the staff how they handle dogs that don't get along well with other dogs.
4
Ask for a background check. Professional dog sitters usually offer a criminal background check. If they don’t, ask them to provide you with one. Non-professional dog sitters might not have a background check. In this case, you could either ask them to procure one, or ensure that you’re familiar well-acquainted with the dog sitter and their background. Acceptable background checks will include:^{[10]XResearch source}
- Social Security number traces
- a current date (within the last year)
- county-level court record search
- the name of the investigator
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Guaranteeing Your Dog Will Be Happy

1
Look for a dog sitter with licensing. Dog sitters have a set of professional standards set by dog sitting organizations. These standards ensure pet sitters are capable of watching and caring for the animals they are responsible for. A highly-qualified dog sitter will ensure your dog is well-cared for while you’re away.^{[11]XTrustworthy SourceThe Humane Society of the United StatesNational organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfareGo to source}
- Pet sitter organizations might offer annual conferences or ongoing professional development for members.
- For dog sitters, Pet Sitters International and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters offer ongoing professional development and certification courses.^{[12]XResearch source}
- It is rare for pet sitters to have certification or membership, but if they do, all the better.
2
Ensure your kennel has appropriate qualifications. Some states require that boarding kennels receive inspections. In states where inspections occur, the boarding kennels are required to meet a high level of care. Contact your state’s animal welfare department for more information.^{[13]XResearch source}
- If your state doesn’t require an inspection, you should contact local business agencies to see what sort of reputation the kennel has. Business agencies like the Department of Consumer Protection and the Better Business Bureau will have a list of grievances filed against the kennel.
- Find a kennel with few or no complaints against it.
3
Ensure your pet gets fed regularly. If contracting with a kennel, ask when feeding time is for the dogs. When contracting with a dog sitter, let your dog sitter know when your dog eats so that it can be fed at its regular mealtime. In either case, let the dog sitter or kennel know how much and how often to feed your dog. If your dog has special mealtime requirements – for instance, perhaps your dog needs to take medication along with its meal, or needs to eat a high-fiber dog food – let the dog sitter or kennel know.^{[14]XResearch source}
- Don't forget to bring a bag of your dog's food to the kennel when you drop your dog off. Having the kennel feed your dog its regular food will help prevent it from having stomach problems while you're away.
4
Always use a contract. Leaving your dog with either a kennel or a dog sitter is a big deal. You’ll need to ensure your pet is cared for adequately, and the best way to do that is to have a contract with whoever is caring for your dog whilst you’re away. Kennels will usually have a care contract ready for you. Professional dog sitters, likewise, should provide you with a contract. When dealing with a nonprofessional dog sitter, however, you might need to draft a dogsitting contract yourself.^{[15]XResearch source}
- Ensure any contract has stipulations for when your dog will go out, when it will eat, how much it will eat, what medications it needs to take and how often, when and how often it will be walked, and what steps should be taken if anything should happen to it.
5
Avoid long goodbyes. If your pet senses you’re upset, or that something’s wrong, your pet could become anxious and worried, too. Keep your goodbyes quick and simple when dropping your dog off at the kennel or leaving your dog with the pet sitter. For instance, give your dog a simple pat on the head and say “Good dog” before heading out.^{[16]XTrustworthy SourceThe Humane Society of the United StatesNational organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfareGo to source}
- If you're dropping your dog off at a kennel, leave it with a couple of its favorite toys so it feels more at home.
- If you're using a pet sitter, let them know which toys are your dog's favorites before you leave.
If your dog sitter is bonded, it means that your dog sitter is covered by a kind of insurance to guarantee that if anything goes wrong, the will be able to cover the costs you have to incur. For instance, if your dog is accidentally injured while in the custody of the dog sitter, you and/or the dog sitter might need to take your dog to the vet. In this case, a bonded dog sitter will be able to cover the costs of those visits.^{[17]XResearch source}
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Tips

Dog sitters are more expensive than kennels, but your dog will be less stressed because it will be allowed to remain at home.
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Leave your emergency contact information on the fridge or counter if you're using a pet sitter.
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Introduce your dog to any potential sitters before you hire them to make sure they're a good fit.
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