Dog Sitting and Boarding Rates in Denver (2026): What Local Sitters Actually Charge
Short answer: in Denver, a pet sitter who comes to your home costs about $19 to $24 an hour. Overnight kennel boarding runs $52 to $83 a night (most charge $60 to $70), boarding in a sitter's own home is $45 to $115 a night, and a sitter who sleeps over at your place is $135 to $175 a night. Daycare is $38 to $51 a day, and a 30-minute drop-in visit or walk is $20 to $54 (most charge $30 to $38). We checked the published price lists of 36 Denver-area businesses, plus Care.com, in October 2026.
Leaving your dog? Hand your sitter one page with everything they need.
$17The price is the easy part. Your dog has 47 little rules. Your sitter probably knows 4. That gap is where trips go wrong, and it's why we built The Paw Brief (more below).
Denver dog care prices at a glance
| Type of care | Typical Denver price | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Pet sitter in your home | $19.48 to $24.33 an hour | Care.com Denver rates, October 2026 |
| Kennel boarding, budget end | $52 a night | Daily Wag! pricing, Happy Dog Day Care |
| Kennel boarding, most places | $60 to $70 a night | Barkly Manor, Playful Pooch, Hounds Town Denver-Baker, The Sniff Shack, Earthdog Denver |
| Boarding, top end and suites | $75 to $83 a night | Dog House Denver ($80), The Bark Club, Lakewood ($83 luxury suite) |
| Boarding, extra dog from the same family | $55 to $75 a night | Hounds Town Denver-Baker, Dog House Denver |
| Boarding in a sitter's home | $45 to $115 a night (1 dog) | CO-Pilot Dog Care, Lowry Paws, Your Denver Sitter |
| Overnight sitter in your home | $135 to $175 a night | House Sitting Denver, Pure In-Home Pet Sitting, Mile High Pet Sitters, Four Dog Paws |
| Doggy daycare, full day | $38 to $51 a day | The Bark Club, Lakewood, Earthdog Denver, Digstown, The Woofhaus and 12 more |
| Doggy daycare, half day | $30 to $37 | The Bark Club, Lakewood, Daily Wag!, Happy Dog Day Care, The Woofhaus |
| Drop-in visit or walk, 30 minutes | $20 to $54 (most $30 to $38) | The Pet Valet, Tails Trails n Treats, Pure In-Home Pet Sitting, Four Dog Paws, Denver Dog |
| Short check-in, 15 minutes | $15 to $30 | Denver Dog, Tails Trails n Treats, Four Dog Paws |
Denver costs more than the rest of the state. Care.com puts the city about 7% above the Colorado average ($18.23 to $23.93 an hour) and 17% above the national average of $16.68 to $22.57.
Rates in the suburbs
Head out of the city and the going rate can drop by a few dollars an hour, or climb:
| Area | Starting rate | Top rate |
|---|---|---|
| Lafayette | $20.63/hr | $29.13/hr |
| Littleton | $19.29/hr | $25.19/hr |
| Louisville | $19.14/hr | $25.07/hr |
| Golden | $19.12/hr | $27.73/hr |
| Arvada | $18.76/hr | $25.38/hr |
| Brighton | $17.31/hr | $21.69/hr |
| Castle Rock | $16.88/hr | $23.94/hr |
| Wheat Ridge | $16.75/hr | $22.13/hr |
| Lone Tree | $16.75/hr | $22.50/hr |
| Henderson | $15.63/hr | $19.38/hr |
Source: Care.com, October 2026.
What pushes the price up in Denver
- More than one dog. A second dog in the same run is $55 a night at Hounds Town and $75 at Dog House Denver. Overnight sitters add up fast too: Pet and People Sitters charges $50 a day for each extra dog. Dog size barely matters at the Denver kennels we checked; it shows up in the bath price instead (Dog Country Day School charges $20 to $75 by size).
- Holidays and spring break. Dog House Denver goes from $80 to $100 a night on holiday and peak dates. Digstown takes a $50 deposit for Spring Break, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, plus a $25 fee on the holiday itself. In-home sitters add $10 to $20 a visit or night (Your Denver Sitter, Tails Trails n Treats, CO-Pilot Dog Care). Book those weeks early.
- Late pick-up. Kennels charge for the extra day: $25 for pick-ups after noon at Hounds Town, $25 late fees at The Sniff Shack and BARK!, and a full $49 daycare day if you collect after 2pm at Dog House Denver.
- Puppies, evenings and weekends. Your Denver Sitter adds $20 a night for dogs under 2 and $10 a walk on weekends or after 4pm. Tails Trails n Treats adds $10 outside 9am to 4pm.
- Extras. Exit baths ($15 to $35 at Earthdog), nail trims ($10 to $18) and medication ($5 a day at The Sniff Shack) are add-ons.
Sitter at home, sitter's home, or kennel?
| Option | Denver price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sitter in your home | $19 to $24 an hour, $20 to $54 a visit, or $135 to $175 for an overnight | Dogs who are anxious away from home, older dogs, homes with other pets |
| Boarding in a sitter's home | $45 to $115 a night | Social dogs who like a quiet house and one person |
| Kennel or pet resort | $52 to $83 a night | Dogs who love other dogs and a busy day of play |
Book early if you want a kennel. Several Denver places only board dogs they already know: Dog House Denver asks for a month of weekly daycare first, and Dog Country Day School requires one day of daycare before a boarding reservation. Home boarding is small by law too; Your Denver Sitter notes Colorado allows no more than 3 dogs per home overnight.
Denver weather matters as well. In winter a sitter may be walking your dog on snow and ice; on a hot summer afternoon the walk has to happen early. Whoever you pick needs to know your dog's limits.
The part no price covers
The walk is rarely what goes wrong. It's the text at 9pm.
"How much food again?" "Is the white pill the morning one?" "Who's your vet?"
You're paying $20 to $83 a day for someone to look after your dog. Then you hand them the most important information out loud, at the door, in a rush, and hope it sticks. Or you write a 10-page Word document they skim once.
Whether it's a friend, a $24-an-hour pro or an $83-a-night resort, they all need the same things from you, and most owners forget at least one:
- Exactly how much your dog eats, and when (not "morning-ish")
- Every medication, the dose, and how to give it
- The quirks: the gate that doesn't latch, the bolt at the front door, the toy that can't be left out
- When to call you, and when to skip you and go straight to the emergency vet
- Your vet, the nearest 24-hour clinic, and a backup contact who isn't you
The Paw Brief: one handbook your sitter can scan in seconds
The Paw Brief asks you the questions you'd forget, then turns your answers into one clear care guide. Fill it in once, update it before each trip, and hand it to whoever is watching your dog: a sitter, a boarding kennel, or your neighbor.
What's inside:
- Who is who: photos and markings for each pet, so meds and food never get mixed up
- Precise times: real times for meals, walks and meds, not "evening"
- Little rituals: the bedtime toy, the water-bowl trick, the things only you know
- Behavior, honestly: checkboxes for reactivity, separation anxiety and resource guarding, so your sitter isn't surprised
- Emergency thresholds: exactly when to call you and when to go straight to the vet
- House details: alarm, fuse box, spare key, and neighbor boundaries
What you get: a fillable PDF that works on any device, plus an editable Canva version. Instant download, no subscription.
The math is easy. One night of Denver boarding costs $52 to $83. The Paw Brief costs $17, once, and you reuse it for every trip after this one.
No risk: if it doesn't help, you get your money back within 30 days.
The Paw Brief is made by the team behind this guide. The prices and local listings above are researched separately and nobody paid to be included.
Denver dog sitters, kennels and daycares
Real local options with their Google rating. Where a business publishes its prices, we list them with a link so you can check.
Boarding and kennels
- The Bark Club, Lakewood · 4.8★ (364 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: full day of daycare: $38.00 per day; dog boarding, regular play and stay: $65.00 per night; dog boarding, luxury suites: $83.00 per night
- BARK! Doggie Daycare + Hotel + Spa, Central Denver · 4.7★ (504 Google reviews) · Website
- Club ULD - U Lucky Dog Daycare, North Denver · 4.7★ (855 Google reviews) · Website
- Canine Fitness & Fun Center, Southeast Denver · 4.7★ (600 Google reviews) · Website
- Beds-N-Biscuits, Wheat Ridge · 4.7★ (769 Google reviews) · Website
- Wag Hotels - Denver, Near the airport · 4.6★ (993 Google reviews) · Website
- Colorado Canine Club, Lincoln Park · 4.5★ (304 Google reviews) · Website
- City Bark Denver, West Denver · 4.4★ (376 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: unlimited daycare (new clients): $99 per 30 days
- Camp Bow Wow Denver Central, South Denver · 4.7★ (278 Google reviews) · Website
- Skiptown Denver, Northeast Denver · 4.3★ (543 Google reviews) · Website
- The Sniff Shack, Northwest Denver · 4.7★ (260 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: daycare, daily rate without package: $42 per day; boarding, nightly rate without package: $68 per night; late pick-up fee: $25 per late pick-up
- Digstown Doggie Day Care, Lodge, and Spaw, Central Park · 4.6★ (265 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: daycare, daily rate: $46 per day; holiday fee (on the actual holiday): $25 per stay; bath: $20 per bath
Daycare
- The Woofhaus, South Broadway · 4.8★ (441 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: daycare, full day: $51 per day; daycare, half day (up to 5 hours): $37 per half day
- Dogdrop Dog Daycare Denver, Hale · 4.7★ (63 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Recreational plan, 20 hours a month: $200 per month; member rate: $8 to 10 per hour
- Top Paw K9 Denver Dog Day Camp, Five Points · 5★ (6 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: day camp, full day: $41 per day
Sitters and walkers (they come to you)
- Leashes & Litters Denver, Denver · 5★ (215 Google reviews) · Website
- Denver Dog, Denver · 5★ (152 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: 30 minute slow walk (as-needed): $54 per session; 30 minute slow walk (weekly recurring): $44 per session; 15 minute budget friendly pop in (as-needed): $20 per session
- Mile High Pet Sitters LLC, Central Denver · 4.9★ (108 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: canine overnight care (7 pm to 7 am): $150 per night; canine drop-in visit (35 minutes), up to 2 dogs: $40 per visit; canine full day care (7am to 7pm): $150 per day
- Updog Dog Walking, Denver · 5★ (92 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: 30 minute walk, 3 a week: $35 per walk; 30 minute walk, 5 a week: $30 per walk; additional dog: $5 per walk
- Denver Pro Pet Sitting, Denver · 4.8★ (72 Google reviews) · Website
- Pet and People Sitters, Inc, Cherry Creek · 4.9★ (49 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: in-home pet sitting visit: Starting at $50 per visit; 12-hour overnight stay: $150 per stay; additional dog: +$50 per day
- Tails Trails n Treats LLC, Sunnyside · 5★ (48 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: 15 minute potty break: $24 per visit; 30 minute walk: $33 per walk; federal holiday surcharge: $20 per visit
- City Kitty Sitter, Capitol Hill · 4.5★ (51 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: kitty visit, 30 minutes: $31.50 per visit; kitty visit, 60 minutes: $45.00 per visit
- Denver Dog Hikers, Denver · 5★ (44 Google reviews) · Website
- House Sitting Denver, South Denver · 5★ (32 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: dog walking: $30 per 30 minutes; overnight house sitting: $135 per night; cat visits: $25 per 30 minutes
- Pure In-Home Pet Sitting, Glendale · 4.9★ (29 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: dog walking or check-in visit, 30 minutes, 1 pet: $36 per visit; overnight only pet care (about 8pm to 8am), 1 pet: $135 per night; after hours care (before 9am or after 5pm): $7 extra per visit
- Four Dog Paws, Southeast Denver · 5★ (25 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: standard visit, 30-minute walk: $38 per visit; express visit, 15 minutes: $30 per visit; overnight stay: $175 per night
Listings come from Google Maps and each business's own website, checked October 2026. Nobody paid to be listed. Prices change, so confirm before you book. Own one of these businesses? Ask us about a featured spot.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I pay a dog sitter in Denver?
Most Denver pet sitters charge about $19 to $24 an hour, a little above the Colorado average. Per visit, a 30-minute walk or drop-in is usually $30 to $38. For a friend or neighbor, many owners pay close to the same rate or a flat amount per day, plus a thank-you.
How much is dog boarding in Denver per night?
Kennel boarding is $52 to $83 a night; most Denver kennels charge $60 to $70. Boarding in a sitter's own home is $45 to $115 a night for one dog, and an overnight sitter at your place is $135 to $175.
Is it cheaper to board my dog or have a sitter come over?
For a full day, a kennel night ($52 to $83) is usually cheaper than an overnight sitter ($135 to $175). For one or two short visits a day ($20 to $54 each), an in-home sitter can cost about the same as a kennel and keeps your dog in its own routine.
Do Denver sitters charge more on holidays?
Often, yes. Expect $10 to $25 extra a visit or night, or a full peak rate (Dog House Denver charges $100 instead of $80). Book early for spring break, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
What should I leave for my dog sitter?
Feeding amounts and times, medications with doses, your vet and the nearest emergency clinic, a backup contact, and house rules. The Paw Brief walks you through all of it and turns it into one guide your sitter can scan in seconds.