Dog Care While You Are Away: How to Choose Between Daycare, Boarding Kennels and Dog Sitters
What you need to know about dog care: behavioural differences, health authorisations, safety and a checklist for your visit.
In Brief
- Dog care covers every kind of temporary stay, with no artificial line between daytime and overnight.
- Daycare is ideal for well-socialised dogs that need to burn off energy while their owner is at work.
- A traditional or family-run boarding kennel suits longer absences, holidays or commitments that cannot be moved.
- A dog sitter at home is the best option for older, shy or recovering dogs, or dogs not socialised with other dogs.
- Before leaving your dog, always check the health requirements (mandatory vaccines, Bordetella bronchiseptica, parasite treatment).
Daycare, Kennel or Sitter: Behavioural Criteria
Not every dog experiences being looked after in the same way. Leaving an insecure dog, or one reactive towards other dogs, at a daycare with 20 dogs running free can cause deep trauma; shutting an active dog in a room for 8 hours with nothing to do breeds frustration.
The choice rests on three pillars:
- Socialisation with other dogs: does your dog tolerate and enjoy other dogs?
- Attachment to home: does being away from home put your dog under heavy stress?
- Health and age: puppies not yet fully vaccinated and senior dogs with joint pain need individual attention.
The Checklist: What to Ask the Facility
Before booking a holiday stay or a monthly pass, always visit first without your dog and look around:
- Dog-to-staff ratio: are there enough handlers to manage play and moments of tension?
- Quiet rest areas: does every dog have a calm space to sleep without constant visual disturbance?
- Veterinary emergencies: does the facility have an arrangement with a clinic for 24h emergency care?
- Required vaccinations: a serious facility insists on the kennel cough vaccine (Bordetella bronchiseptica) and active parasite prevention.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does dog daycare cost per day on average?
In Italy a day at daycare usually costs between €18 and €30, with sizeable discounts on monthly passes of 10 or 20 days.
What happens if my dog gets into a fight at the kennel?
Professional facilities first split dogs into compatible groups by size, sex and energy after an entry assessment. They also have separate secure pens to isolate any conflict immediately.