Your main options are someone you know, a sitter who visits, someone who stays in your home, boarding in a carer's home, or a boarding kennel. Start with the care your dog needs during a normal day, then find an arrangement that covers it for your entire trip. The cheapest advertised option is only useful if it provides that coverage.
If friends and family cannot help, you still have choices. You do not have to decide between cancelling your holiday and sending your dog somewhere you feel unsure about. Write down your dates, your dog's routine and your non-negotiable needs before contacting carers. That makes the first conversation much more useful than simply asking whether someone likes dogs.
Start with an ordinary day at your house
Describe when your dog eats, walks, toilets, rests and usually has company. Include the longest absence your dog currently manages comfortably and any arrangements your vet or qualified behaviour professional has recommended. A holiday is a poor time to test an untried routine.
Then add the less obvious details: whether your dog can be walked alongside another dog, how visitors enter safely, whether it settles with unfamiliar people, and what happens if your flight lands late. These determine who can reasonably take the job. A friendly profile does not tell you whether someone can manage your actual routine.
Compare the five arrangements
| Arrangement | What to establish before choosing |
|---|---|
| Friend, relative or neighbour | Have they clearly agreed to the whole routine, including difficult days and emergencies? |
| Visits to your home | What happens between visits, and does that gap fit your dog's needs? |
| Live-in sitter | When will the sitter be home, and when will they be out? |
| Boarding in a carer's home | Which other animals and people will be present, and how will introductions and separation work? |
| Boarding kennel | What are the daily routine, exercise, staffing and overnight arrangements? |
Someone who drops in to feed your dog is providing a different service from someone staying overnight. Likewise, an overnight stay does not automatically mean all-day company. Ask about hours and activities rather than relying on the service label.
If your dog stays home, the RSPCA says someone should stay with it
RSPCA Australia's guidance on planning for your pets if you are going away over the holidays, published 22 December 2020, says that if your pets are staying at home, it is best to have someone stay with them in their familiar environment. Its Knowledgebase page on finding a good boarding facility names the alternative for an animal likely to find the boarding environment stressful, suggesting a trusted and reputable pet sitter who will come and stay at your home with your animal.
That sets the bar for whoever you pick. The RSPCA's advice on caring for a dog is that adult dogs are fed at least twice a day and most dogs need exercise at least once a day, on walks that let them explore rather than a backyard alone. Someone has to be there for both, every day you are gone.
When staying at home is worth considering
A live-in arrangement lets you keep your dog at your address and agree a familiar care routine. It also means inviting someone to live in your home, so you need to be comfortable with both the person and the arrangement.
There are paid live-in sitters and accommodation exchanges. Sitterly's model is an exchange: a sitter stays in your home for agreed pet and home care, with no payment for the sit itself. You still organise pet supplies and agree practical responsibilities. That is a potential option when you can offer a suitable place to stay. It is not a promise that someone will be available or able to provide every level of care.
When another option may suit you better
If you want a visitor rather than a house guest, look for a local visiting service. If you cannot accommodate a sitter, investigate boarding. If your dog needs close monitoring, complex care or a particular handling skill, ask your vet what level of care to seek before choosing a carer. Do not assume an ordinary sitter or kennel offers clinical supervision.
Some dogs should not stay home, and it is better to know that now
Three situations are worth settling before you book a live-in sit. A dog needing overnight monitoring, such as post-surgical recovery, a seizure disorder or timed insulin, is a conversation to have with your vet before you decide where it stays. A household that would rather nobody was in the house has its answer already. And a dog with separation-related distress needs your vet's view first: the RSPCA's page on dogs that are anxious when nobody is home describes toileting inside, destructiveness, excessive barking, digging, pacing and attempts to escape, and advises talking to your vet, who can help or refer you to a suitably qualified behaviour specialist.
Leaving an anxious dog with a sitter covers that handover, and house sitting compared with boarding, catteries and drop-in visits goes through the trade-offs, including when boarding is the better choice.
Have one proper conversation before committing
Ask your preferred carer to explain how a day with your dog would work. Give them a difficult but realistic scenario: your dog refuses a walk, your return is delayed, or the regular food runs out. You are checking whether expectations line up, not looking for a perfect rehearsed answer.
Meet where practical, discuss relevant experience and references, and confirm the dates and responsibilities in writing. Keep an alternative plan until the arrangement is settled. For a direct comparison, read house sitter or boarding kennel, and for the budget, use the pet care cost guide.
Common questions
- Who can look after my dog while I am away?
- Someone you know, a paid sitter who stays overnight in your home, a paid visitor who drops in once or twice a day, a non-monetary house sitter who lives in for your dates in exchange for the accommodation, or a boarding facility. The first four keep your dog at home.
- Does Sitterly offer dog walking or drop-in visits?
- No. Sitterly covers one arrangement only, a sitter staying in your home for your dates. Standalone dog walking, drop-in visits, daycare and boarding at a sitter's home are outside what we do.
List your home if a live-in exchange fits
If a sitter staying in your home suits your dog, list your home on Sitterly. Listing is free for homeowners. Describe the care you need clearly so you can discuss the right fit before agreeing a sit.
