Dog sitting
Dog Sitter Prices by Length of Stay, 1 Night to 2 Weeks+
Dog sitting rates vary by stay length. Here's how pricing works across Australian platforms for single nights, long weekends, week-long stays, and extended bookings, plus when a discount kicks in.
By atticus · 5 min read · Last updated 17 May 2026
Most dog sitting platforms display a per-night rate, which is useful for a single overnight booking but less clear when you're trying to budget a two-week holiday or understand whether a 7-night stay is priced differently from two 3-night ones.
Here's how pricing actually works by stay length, what discounts typically apply, and what the total cost looks like across common booking durations.
How per-night pricing works
A sitter's listed rate on TruePath is their standard overnight rate. For a 1–3 night booking, this rate applies directly: 2 nights at $90/night = $180.
The rate covers the sitter's evening arrival, overnight stay, morning routine, and any walks included in the arrangement. It doesn't automatically include extended daytime cover, if you're leaving for a full week and need the sitter to provide daytime care in addition to overnight, that's typically negotiated separately as part of the booking.
| Area | 30 min | 60 min | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 night (in-home sitting)National average. Sydney: $100–$115, Adelaide/Hobart: $70–$85 | , | , | $88 |
| 2–3 nights (long weekend)Standard rate applies. Some sitters offer small weekend discount, ask | , | , | $88/night |
| 5–6 nights (working week)5–7% discount common for week-long bookings | , | , | $82–86/night |
| 7–10 nights (1 week+)Most sitters discount 5–10% for 7+ nights; negotiable | , | , | $78–84/night |
| 14+ nights (2 weeks)10–15% discount common; some sitters offer fixed weekly rate instead | , | , | $75–82/night |
| Public holidays (any stay)Applies to specific gazetted public holiday dates; charged at a per-date surcharge | , | , | +25–50% |
How to calculate total cost for common trips
5-night getaway (no public holidays).
- Sitter rate: $90/night × 5 = $450
- With 5% long-stay discount: ~$427
10-night Christmas trip (December 22 – January 1).
- 7 standard nights at $88: $616
- 3 public holiday nights (Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day) at $88 + 40% surcharge: $369
- Total: ~$985 before platform service fee
14-night international trip (no peak period).
- Sitter rate: $90/night
- With 12% long-stay discount: ~$79/night
- 14 nights: ~$1,106
These are indicative calculations, actual pricing depends on the individual sitter, city, and any negotiated arrangement.
Drop-in visits and full-day sitting rates
Not all sitting is overnight. TruePath pricing for shorter service types:
Drop-in visits (typically 30 minutes): $30–50 depending on city. These cover a check-in, feeding, toilet trip, and a brief play. Not discounted for volume on most platforms.
Full-day sitting (8–10 hours, no overnight): $65–90/day. Some sitters offer this as an alternative to overnight care for owners returning the same evening.
Home-boarding (dog goes to the sitter's home): averages $68/night nationally, around $15–25/night less than in-home sitting. Similar long-stay discount structure applies.
When discounts are and aren't offered
Long-stay discounts are common but not universal. Sitters offering them do so because a single extended booking is lower friction than multiple short ones, less scheduling coordination, a predictable calendar block, and a relationship that deepens over the stay.
Sitters who don't offer discounts typically have high demand, they can fill their calendar with short bookings at full rate and don't need to incentivise longer ones.
The best approach: when messaging a sitter for a 7+ night booking, ask directly. "Do you have a long-stay rate for a 10-night booking?" is a normal question and produces a clear answer either way. Don't assume the listed rate is non-negotiable.
What doesn't change with stay length
The quality of preparation. A 1-night booking and a 14-night booking both need the same core handover: feeding schedule, medication, emergency contacts, access. The 14-night version needs more detail (food resupply, vet authorisation, travel itinerary), but the foundation is the same.
The public holiday rate. Surcharges apply to specific dates, not to the booking overall. A 14-night discounted booking that includes Christmas Day still has the Christmas Day surcharge.
The meet-and-greet. No booking, short or long, skips it. A 1-night booking can have a brief 15-minute meeting; a 14-night booking warrants the full 45–60 minute walkthrough plus a trial stay.
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