Is it better to use a dog sitter or kennel?

It depends on your dog's temperament and needs. For anxious, reactive, elderly, or medically complex dogs — in-home or home-boarding sitting produces better welfare outcomes than kennels. For confident, sociable dogs with no specific needs and an owner on a budget — a quality kennel is a reasonable choice. The single most important factor is knowing which category your dog falls into.

How much is dog boarding in Australia?

Traditional boarding kennels average $45–$80 per night in Australian capitals. Home-boarding with a TruePath sitter averages $65–$100/night. In-home sitting (sitter stays at your home) averages $75–$125/night. Peak periods (Christmas, Easter) add 25–50% to all types. See our full dog sitter cost guide for city-by-city breakdowns.

Is it okay to leave a dog at a kennel for two weeks?

For a well-adjusted, confident dog in a quality kennel with proper exercise, individual attention, and good facilities — yes. For an anxious, elderly, reactive, or first-time kennel dog — two weeks is a long time to manage an unfamiliar high-stimulus environment. For these dogs, home sitting or home boarding for an extended period is significantly less stressful.

What vaccinations does a dog need for kennels in Australia?

All reputable Australian kennels require a current C5 vaccination (canine distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and bordetella). Some also require the C7, which adds leptospirosis. Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccination is specifically important in the kennel context — the parainfluenza and bordetella components are the ones most relevant to a shared boarding environment. Check with your vet before the first kennel stay.

Dog sitting

In-Home Dog Sitting vs Kennels — Which Is Better for Your Dog?

Kennels are cheaper than in-home sitting but put your dog in an unfamiliar, high-stimulus environment. Here's how to decide which is right for your specific dog — plus the honest cost comparison.

By atticus · 6 min read · Last updated 17 May 2026

Kennels and in-home sitting are not equivalent options. They differ in environment, supervision ratio, cost, and what kind of dog thrives in each setting. Most owners choose based on price; the better choice is based on the dog.

Key takeaways

Traditional boarding kennels average $45–$80 per night in Australian cities; in-home sitting averages $75–$125. In-home is more expensive but produces meaningfully different outcomes for most dogs.
Kennels suit confident, sociable dogs that aren't bothered by noise, new dogs, and unfamiliar environments. Anxious, elderly, medically complex, or reactive dogs typically do poorly in kennels.
In-home sitting keeps the dog in their own environment with individual attention. This matters most for anxious dogs, senior dogs, and dogs on complex medication schedules.
At the sitter's home (home boarding) is a middle option — more affordable than in-home, more personal than a kennel.
For most single-dog households in Australian cities: in-home or sitter's home boarding is the better welfare choice. Kennels make more sense for confident social dogs on tight budgets.

The three options compared

Feature	In-Home Sitting	Sitter's Home Boarding	Traditional Kennel
Avg cost per night (national)	$75–$125	$65–$100	$45–$80
Dog's environment	Your home	Sitter's home	Kennel facility
Familiar surroundings	Yes — full	Partial	No
Supervision type	Individual, personal	Small-group, home setting	Commercial, group kennels
Other dogs present	Usually none	Typically 1–4 sitter's or guest dogs	Multiple, often many
Night-time arrangement	Sitter sleeps at your home	Dog sleeps at sitter's home	Dog sleeps in kennel enclosure
Routine maintained	Highest — same home	Moderate	Lowest
Suited to anxious/reactive dogs	Best option	Good option	Poor option
Suited to senior/medical dogs	Best option	Good if sitter has experience	Depends on facility
Suited to confident social dogs	Fine but pricey	Good	Fine

TruePath data and industry averages, May 2026.

When kennels make sense

Your dog is confident and sociable. A dog that bounces up to strangers, plays enthusiastically with other dogs at the park, and settles quickly in new environments may genuinely not mind a kennel. The environment is novel but not threatening.

You're on a tight budget. At $45–$80/night versus $75–$125 for in-home sitting, the cost difference across a two-week holiday is $420–$630. For a family with a well-suited dog, the kennel option may be the practical choice.

The kennel is specifically excellent. Not all kennels are equal. A facility with individual run areas, high supervision ratios, daily socialisation play sessions, and genuine care for individual dogs produces very different outcomes than a bare-minimum boarding operation. Inspect any kennel before committing — ask for a tour, check cleanliness, ask about the run dimensions and exercise protocol.

You need care for multiple dogs. Multi-dog households often find kennels more logistically practical — most kennels accommodate household groups together at a per-dog rate.

When in-home or sitter's home is the right call

Your dog is anxious. The kennel environment — unfamiliar place, many other dogs barking and moving around, no familiar human — is a significant stress event for anxious dogs. Some recover quickly; many don't and spend the stay in a state of chronic low-grade stress. In-home or home-boarding sitting keeps the environment familiar.

Your dog is reactive. A reactive dog in a kennel environment is genuinely difficult to manage safely. Most quality kennels will decline bookings from reactive dogs, or segregate them — which can mean higher cost and less socialisation, defeating some of the purpose of kennelling.

Your dog is elderly or has medical needs. Kennels are not set up for individual medication management, custom feeding schedules, or the close monitoring that a senior or medically complex dog needs. A sitter at your home — familiar with the routine, administering medication on schedule, watching for subtle signs — is a meaningfully better match.

Your dog hasn't been kennelled before. A dog's first kennel experience at age 7, in a high-stimulus environment, after a lifetime of home routines is not a formula for a good outcome. Dogs adapt to kennelling better when they've been introduced to it young, gradually, and positively. A first-ever kennel stay for an adult dog is a significant change to manage.

Your dog has a complex routine. Multi-medication schedules, specific feeding protocols, regular vet visits, or physical therapy requirements (hydrotherapy, physiotherapy exercises) are all easier to maintain with an in-home sitter who becomes familiar with the routine.

What to check in any facility or sitter

Kennels: Visit in person, unannounced if possible. Smell is a useful indicator — a well-managed kennel smells like dog, not like urine and bleach. Ask about: run dimensions, exercise frequency, what happens if a dog shows illness, the noise level at night, vaccination requirements (all reputable kennels require current C5), and whether household dogs are kept together.

Sitters (TruePath): All TruePath sitters have passed the same three-gate verification as walkers (police check, references called, in-person interview). Ask about the sitter's home setup: are there other pets, do they have a secure yard, where does your dog sleep, what does a typical day look like? A sitter who can answer all of this in specifics has thought about it seriously.

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