Updated September 2026
Boarding is one option when you go away, but it is not automatically the right choice for every dog.
Some dogs settle happily in a good boarding environment. Others cope better with a sitter in their own home, particularly if they are older, nervous, reactive, strongly attached to their routine or uncomfortable around unfamiliar dogs.
The important question is not simply “Where can my dog stay?” It is “Which arrangement is most likely to keep my dog safe, comfortable and settled while I am away?”
Key Takeaways
- Consider your dog’s needs when choosing between dog boarding, home boarding, house sitting, or leaving with friends or family.
- Home boarding can benefit sociable dogs, but some may need the comfort of familiar surroundings.
- Always check the licensing of commercial home boarders and ask about their experience and care practices.
- Allow your dog to meet the carer before booking, and consider a trial stay to ensure compatibility.
- Provide the carer with detailed information about your dog’s routine and needs for a smooth transition.
Table of contents
- What are my options when I go away?
- Would my dog be happy with home boarding?
- Does a home boarder need a licence?
- What should I ask before leaving my dog with somebody?
- Should my dog meet the carer before I book?
- Is a trial stay worth arranging?
- What information should I leave with the carer?
- Is boarding or staying at home better for my dog?
- What does house sitting involve?
- What if my dog is nervous or has never stayed with a sitter?
- How early should I arrange holiday care?
- Frequently asked questions
- Choosing the right holiday care for your dog
What are my options when I go away?
Most owners have several holiday care options to consider.
| Option | What it means | It may suit |
|---|---|---|
| Home boarding | Your dog stays in somebody else’s home | Dogs who are comfortable with new people, homes and any other dogs present |
| Boarding kennels | Your dog stays at a licensed boarding establishment | Dogs who cope well with a structured boarding environment |
| House sitting | A pet sitter stays in your home with your dog | Dogs who benefit from familiar surroundings, routines and walking routes |
| Friends or family | Someone you know looks after your dog | Dogs who already know and trust that person, provided they can meet the dog’s care needs |
No single option is best for every dog.
Think about your own dog rather than choosing simply because a particular type of care is popular or convenient.
Would my dog be happy with home boarding?
Home boarding can work very well for some dogs because they stay in a domestic environment rather than a traditional kennel.
However, it is still a different home, with different people, smells, routines and potentially other dogs.
Before choosing home boarding, consider how your dog normally reacts to unfamiliar places and dogs. A sociable, adaptable dog may settle quickly. A dog who becomes worried around other dogs, guards food or resting places, struggles with changes of routine or finds unfamiliar environments stressful may need a different arrangement.
If you have decided home boarding could suit your dog, read my more detailed guide: Tips for home boarding your dog. It covers meet-and-greets, trial stays and the questions worth asking a prospective home boarder.
Does a home boarder need a licence?
If you use commercial home boarding in England, check the provider’s licensing status as part of your research.
Current GOV.UK guidance says dog home-boarding activities need a licence when they are carried out as a commercial business and fall within the licensing rules. The licence holder’s name and licence number must also be displayed prominently on a website used for the licensable activity.
This is different from a sitter looking after your dog in your own home. The same government guidance specifically excludes businesses caring for a dog within the dog’s normal place of residence from this home-boarding licence category.
If you would like to understand the current requirements in more detail, please ask.
What should I ask before leaving my dog with somebody?
A good professional should expect questions. You are trusting somebody with an animal who depends on you, so you should understand exactly what will happen while you are away.
Before confirming a booking, I would want clear answers to questions such as:
- Is the business appropriately licensed where licensing applies, and can I see the details?
- Do they have suitable pet-care insurance?
- Who will actually be responsible for my dog each day and overnight?
- How many other dogs will be present, and how are unfamiliar dogs introduced and managed?
- What will my dog’s feeding, walking, resting and sleeping arrangements be?
- Will my dog travel by car or van, be walked with other dogs or ever be allowed off lead?
- What happens if my dog becomes unwell, the carer has an emergency, or your return home is delayed?
- How will they contact you, your emergency contact and your veterinary practice if something goes wrong?
The answers do not need to be identical from one provider to another. Different businesses work in different ways.
What matters is that the arrangements are clear, suitable for your individual dog and something you are comfortable agreeing to.
Should my dog meet the carer before I book?
Yes. Whenever possible, your dog should meet the person who will be caring for them before a longer stay.
A meet-and-greet gives you a chance to watch how the person interacts with your dog and gives your dog time to become familiar with them without the added pressure of you immediately disappearing on holiday.
If your dog is going to stay somewhere else, I would also want to see the environment they will actually be living in.
For dogs who need more time to build confidence, several shorter introductions or a trial arrangement can be much more useful than one meeting followed by a week apart.
My guide to getting your dog used to a pet sitter explains how to make those introductions more gradual.
Is a trial stay worth arranging?
For home boarding or kennels, a short trial can reveal things that are difficult to judge during a one-hour visit.
A dog who appears relaxed while you are present may respond differently once you leave. Equally, a dog who is slightly unsure during their first visit may settle perfectly well once given some time and space.
A trial gives both the owner and the carer useful information before you commit to a longer holiday booking.
If the carer tells you the arrangement isn’t right for your dog, I would view that as useful information rather than a failure. A responsible carer should be prepared to say when a dog’s needs don’t match the service they provide.
What information should I leave with the carer?
Don’t assume someone will know your dog’s routine just because they are experienced with dogs.
Leave clear information about feeding, walks, toilet habits, sleep, behaviour, medication (where applicable), veterinary details, emergency contacts, and anything your dog finds difficult.
Tell the carer about reactivity, guarding, separation-related behaviour, escape attempts, fears or previous incidents. It is much safer for everybody if they know about these things before you leave.
Keep your dog’s microchip details and identification information current and make sure the carer knows how to reach you or another authorised person in an emergency.
If your dog is staying away from home, ask what food, bedding and equipment the provider would like you to bring rather than assuming.
Is boarding or staying at home better for my dog?
It depends on your dog.
Some confident and adaptable dogs are perfectly comfortable staying elsewhere. Other dogs cope better when the person changes, but their surroundings do not.
Staying at home may be worth considering for a dog who is nervous in unfamiliar places, reactive around other dogs, elderly, settled into a particular routine or part of a multi-pet household.
It can also remove the need to transport several pets to different care arrangements.
The trade-off is that you need to be comfortable giving somebody access to your home, and you need a sitter whose availability and working pattern genuinely meet your pet’s needs.
What does house sitting involve?
With house sitting, your pets remain in their own home while the sitter stays there and follows the agreed routine.
This means your dog’s usual bed, feeding area, neighbourhood, smells and walking routes remain familiar.
I offer house sitting in Finchley and North London rather than home boarding. I look after one house-sitting household at a time and do not bring dogs from other households into your home.
My standard house-sitting service is overnight care, not 24-hour continuous presence. I also offer a separate continuous-care option for suitable pets who cannot comfortably be left for normal daytime periods.
You can read the full service details, current prices, areas covered and booking arrangements on my House Sitting in Finchley and North London page.
What if my dog is nervous or has never stayed with a sitter?
Give yourself more preparation time rather than leaving the first introduction until just before your holiday.
A nervous dog may need the sitter to visit several times, take a familiar walk with you, or spend a short period with the dog before you consider an overnight booking.
The aim is not to force friendship. It is to give your dog enough predictable, positive experience to learn who this person is and what happens when they are around.
Read Leaving your dog with a pet sitter for the first time and Getting your dog used to a pet sitter for more detailed preparation advice.
How early should I arrange holiday care?
Start looking as soon as your holiday dates are reasonably certain.
Good carers can have limited capacity, especially during school holidays, Christmas and other popular travel periods. House sitters who accept one household at a time have particularly limited availability because accepting one booking prevents them from accepting another household for those dates.
Booking early also gives you time for a proper meet-and-greet and any trial visits your dog may need.
Frequently asked questions
Is home boarding the same as house sitting?
No. With home boarding, your dog stays in the boarder’s home. With house sitting, the sitter stays in your home, and your dog remains in their usual surroundings.
The licensing requirements are therefore different. GOV.UK’s home-boarding guidance specifically says that businesses looking after a dog within its normal place of residence, such as a dog sitter, are outside that particular home-boarding licence category.
Should I choose the cheapest dog boarding option?
Price is one factor, but I would not use it as the main way to choose care.
Look at what is included, who will care for your dog, the number of dogs present, the level of supervision, the provider’s experience, and whether the environment suits your individual dog.
Two services described as “boarding” can provide very different experiences.
Should I take my dog’s own food?
Usually it is sensible to keep a dog’s normal diet consistent, but ask the individual boarder or kennel what they require you to supply.
Changing food at the same time as changing your dog’s environment adds another unnecessary change.
Should I leave emergency contact details?
Yes. Your carer should know how to contact you, an alternative trusted person and your veterinary practice.
Discuss emergency arrangements before you travel, rather than after something has happened.
Does Finchley Dog Walker offer home boarding?
No. I do not take dogs into my own home for boarding.
For suitable local households, I offer house sitting in the pet’s own home, allowing dogs, cats and other suitable pets to remain in familiar surroundings while their owners are away.
Choosing the right holiday care for your dog
There is no need to decide that kennels, home boarding or house sitting is automatically better than every other option.
Start with the dog in front of you.
Think about how they cope with unfamiliar places, people and dogs, how important their routine is, whether they have any particular behavioural or medical needs and how much individual care they genuinely require.
Then meet the people you are considering, ask questions and give yourself enough time to make a decision without being rushed by an approaching holiday.
If your dog is likely to be happier remaining at home and you live in Finchley or one of the nearby areas I cover, you can read more about my house-sitting service or contact me to discuss whether it would suit your household.
