Is pet sitting better than boarding for my dog?

For most dogs, yes. Pet sitting means your dog stays in their own environment. So they can still sleep in their own bed and follow their usual routine. Instead of being around a bunch of dogs they don’t know, they get one-on-one attention. Boarding can work for highly social, kennel-comfortable dogs, but the majority of dogs do better at home.

This is the kind of question that tends to come up when you're planning a trip and trying to decide between dropping your dog at a kennel or having someone come to your house. And what you're really asking is: which option causes less stress for my dog? Because the last thing you want is to come home to a dog who didn't eat for three days, paced the whole time, or picked up kennel cough from the dog in the next run.

Some dogs genuinely enjoy boarding. They're the social butterflies who love playing with other dogs, don't mind crates, and treat the whole experience like summer camp. But they're the minority. Most dogs find boarding stressful. The unfamiliar sounds, smells, and routines trigger anxiety. Dogs who are already nervous, older, or dealing with any kind of health issue often shut down completely. They stop eating, bark themselves hoarse, or come home exhausted and dehydrated because they spent the entire week in fight-or-flight mode.

Illness is also something you always have to contend with when it comes to boarding. Even well-run boarding facilities have illness issues from time to time. Dogs aren’t exactly social distancing in kennels. And this is why kennel cough tends to spread in kennels, as does giardia, canine influenza, and stress-induced diarrhea. Vaccinations can help but don't eliminate the risk.

The difference between boarding and pet sitting often shows up in how your dog acts when you get home. Dogs who've been boarded sometimes need days to decompress—they're clingy, exhausted, or won't leave your side. Dogs who've been pet-sat at home usually greet you the same way they always do, because their week wasn't that different from any other week.

Your dog shouldn't have to survive your vacation. Woofie's pet sitting in Frisco-McKinney keeps dogs in their own homes with scheduled visits for feeding, walks, medication, and attention—so your dog's routine stays intact and they're not spending the week anxious in a kennel wondering when you're coming back.