How Much Does it Cost to Board a Dog? - Pet Kennel Prices

When pet parents can’t be with their dog, they’ll look for the next best thing—a kennel that can balance great quality care with affordability. But, how much does it cost to board a dog?

The average cost to board a pet at a kennel facility falls somewhere between $16 and $25 per hour. This range can fluctuate depending on factors like breed, size, location, and value-added services.

If you’re starting your own dog boarding business, knowing these numbers can give you a good starting point to work from. Keep reading to learn more about how to effectively set your dog boarding prices.

Dog boarding prices: How to price kennel services.

There are 3 accounting elements to consider when calculating your dog boarding prices:

• Fixed costs: Fixed costs don’t fluctuate with the level of goods and services provided by a business. They might include things like employee salaries, the cost of the physical facility itself (rent or mortgage), and utilities. 
• Variable costs: Variable costs will change, such as food, cleaning supplies, and laundry costs, as these will all vary on a week-to-week basis, depending on how many dogs you’re boarding.
• Profit margin: The profit margin has to be kept in mind because the amount of money being brought in needs to exceed the costs of a business—therefore, it’s important to think about this when setting boarding prices.

Understanding these numbers will help you set a price for your product that not only covers all of your costs but keeps you profitable and competitive. Here are 4 things to consider when setting your dog boarding prices.

1. Location.

Location is a key factor for a dog boarding price because the cost of living varies wildly between different states, counties, and even towns. For example, areas with a higher cost of living will have higher prices for services such as dog boarding, because it costs more to maintain a business there.

However, in a state with a lower cost of living, prices will have to be lower for a business to be successful. Setting high prices in a lower cost of living state means people will be unable to afford them or unwilling to pay. 

When starting a dog boarding business, checking the local competition through market research is key. Look up the most popular and highly reviewed pet boarding businesses in the area and examine their price model. In most areas, the businesses will be in a similar range, giving you a clear idea of what pricing will be ideal for you. 

2. Duration.

The duration of service is also a key factor when deciding how to set a dog boarding cost. Duration can either be doggy daycare or overnight stays. Boarding a dog for six hours during the day will cost less than a twelve-hour stay overnight, as it means using fewer resources (for example, the dog may not even need a kennel).

Additionally, pick-up times should also be considered when thinking about prices based on lengths of stay.

For example, some pet care facilities require owners to pick their dogs up the morning after boarding. Others are happy to introduce the dog into the daycare activities on the day of pick-up. Offering your customers a more flexible schedule can allow you to charge more for your services.

3. Value-added services.

Not all dog boarding facilities are created equal, and making sure yours exceeds expectations will allow you to increase your dog boarding cost. So how exactly do you do this? By having value-added services that will make pet parents choose you over the competition, regardless of the cost being slightly higher.

Kennels.

The kennels themselves, in a way, determine the pricing. For example, a facility that offers larger kennels may charge more for a dog to stay there, as the dog is taking up more space to sleep and play.

Some dog boarding facilities also offer special features in the kennel, such as a television with some white noise for the dog to enjoy, special treats like a kong filled with peanut butter at bedtime, or more luxurious bedding. 

A more high-end dog boarding facility will command higher dog boarding costs, but they’ll also command more attention too. 

Playtime and exercise.

The amount of playtime and attention a dog will get can also influence dog boarding costs, as it takes up more staff time. Some boarding facilities offer potty breaks each day and quick walks but not much attention, whereas others offer options of group play or individual attention that can go for hours at a time.

Judging your business’s resources is also important here, as you can’t promise what you can’t deliver. Using a pet care scheduling software like PetExec can help you determine what staff and rooms you have available to provide this type of extra attention.

Some dog owners with higher-energy pets may be willing to pay more if you have the space and capacity to accommodate and tire out their rambunctious pups!

Online video monitoring.

Using a good quality pet camera can allow you to offer your customers online video monitoring which is a huge bonus for many pet parents. 

47% of dog owners feel separation anxiety just leaving their dogs at home, let alone somewhere unfamiliar. Therefore, pet parents will be willing to pay more for dog boarding that gives them the option to monitor their dog, whether while in group play, in their kennel, or both.

Training.

Having dog trainers on staff means being able to set a much higher price for boarding or dog daycare that involves this service. While not every owner wants or requires dog training, many would love some help teaching their dogs basic obedience. 

Dog training is typically expensive, as qualified dog trainers come with experience and credentials. Offering this service could make the price of boarding much higher.

Grooming.

Grooming is another additional service that can come with a higher price tag. It might sound daunting to add this to your schedule, but using convenient pet business software like PetExec can manage this for you.

While some basic grooming options such as a bath at the end of a dog’s stay or quick nail trim could add some dollars to the final price of a booking, some services could go even further.

A full haircut for a dog, for example, or de-matting, could be a big win for both your business and clients if you hire a groomer. If you do have one on staff, make sure you charge what this is worth, as having an experienced groomer take care of a dog is a different ballpark than having staff give them a quick bath at the end of their stay.

4. Dog age and breed.

As you begin your pet care business, you should also consider charging different dogs different prices. One size does not usually fit all when it comes to dog care, as many of them have different needs.

Senior dogs with low energy drives are going to demand fewer resources and less attention than an eight-month-old Border Collie, or a large breed dog who needs a lot of room. While many boarding facilities choose to mostly have blanket prices for dogs, most of them will at least have a different price for puppies.

How much does it cost to board a puppy?

Boarding a puppy, whether overnight or for doggy daycare, is typically more expensive than boarding an adult dog because whether you offer dog training or not, puppies require some of it!

Boarding a puppy is more maintenance for multiple reasons:

• Attention: Puppies require lots of attention and can be vocal and destructive if they don’t get it.
• Biting: Puppies often haven’t learned any bite control yet and can be mouthy. This comes with an increased risk to staff, especially if the puppies are large and under-socialized, and can also put the burden of redirection on employees.
• Potty Breaks: Even puppies who are fully potty-trained at an early age need far more potty breaks than an adult dog, which means more staff time taking them in and out. Puppies don’t gain bladder control until they’re a few months old (depending on size and breed), which also means more accidents, more clean-up, and more cleaning supplies being used.
• Vaccinations: If the puppy is young enough that they haven’t received all of their vaccines yet, it could also mean the dog needs to be kept completely separate. This takes more staff time because of the individual attention required, as they can’t socialize with other dogs to expend some energy.

How much does it cost to board a cat?

Some pet care facilities will also choose to board cats! Cats are generally less expensive than dogs as they require less space and less maintenance. Cats are independent creatures and, while some can be social with humans, even the most social won’t have the energy level a dog does.

There are also some cats who won’t demand any human attention at all and would prefer to be left alone. While some level of care is still required for these cats (feeding, scooping litter, etc.), the resources needed are a lot lower, which means these cats are less expensive to board. 

How much does it cost to board a dog? 

The average cost to board a dog varies between areas. For the United States overall, it’s $15.52 per hour, but can go as high as $25.17 per hour. 

Knowing the average cost a customer roughly expects to pay in your area can be a good baseline for you to work from. Though you can go higher than this cost with additional services and care, going too far outside this range may price you out of the market. 

Additionally, some facilities offer discounts for owners boarding more than one dog at a time, so you may find that your customers expect a lower price for multiple dogs.

Use PetExec to help set and manage your prices.

The decision on how to price boarding services for a dog is dependent on many factors, and it’s important to take each of them into consideration when setting prices for your business. 

PetExec’s software can keep track of prices and services, take deposits and payments from customers, and more. Help elevate your business to a kennel people feel confident paying for by booking a free demo today!

Commonly asked questions.

How much does it cost to kennel a dog for a week?

For the most part, it will cost the kennel’s nightly rate, as most don’t offer a discount for a week’s stay. However, for your business, you can choose to offer a discount for a set number of days or more if this makes sense for your finances.