Dog Sitting and Boarding Rates in Knoxville (2026): What Local Sitters Actually Charge
Short answer: in Knoxville, a pet sitter who comes to your home costs about $14 to $21 an hour. Overnight kennel boarding runs $35 to $100 a night (most charge $40 to $65), and a sitter who sleeps over at your house is $80 to $150 a night. Daycare is $25 to $45 a day, and a 30-minute drop-in visit or walk is $18 to $38. We checked the published price lists of 20 Knoxville-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).
Knoxville dog care prices at a glance
| Type of care | Typical Knoxville price | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Pet sitter in your home | $14.12 to $20.71 an hour | Care.com Knoxville rates, October 2026 |
| Kennel boarding, budget | $35 to $44 a night | Sara's Waggy Tails, Pawsitive Home Stay Resort, Meadowbrooke Kennels, Hilltop Dog Hotel, Dog Days Canine Playschool |
| Kennel boarding, standard run or suite | $55 to $65 a night | Dogtopia of Bearden pricing, Hounds Town Knoxville North |
| Boarding, private suite or luxury room | $59 to $100 a night | Holiday House Boarding, Royal Bark Social Club, The Bark |
| Boarding, extra dog in the same kennel | $21 to $50 a night | Hilltop Dog Hotel, Sara's Waggy Tails, Holiday House, The Bark, Hounds Town |
| Overnight sitter in your home | $80 to $150 a night | Superpet Services, Bark At Home, Waggy Tails of Knoxville |
| Doggy daycare, full day | $25 to $45 a day | Sara's Waggy Tails, All Kreatures, Dog Days, The Bark, Hounds Town, Royal Bark, Dogtopia |
| Drop-in visit or walk, 30 minutes | $18 to $38 | Greer's Dog Walking, Sara's Waggy Tails, Superpet, Professional Pet Friends, Waggy Tails, Bark At Home |
| Short check-in, 15 to 20 minutes | $15 to $28 | Greer's, Critter Care and Cab, Professional Pet Friends, Bark At Home |
Knoxville sits right at the Tennessee average ($14.18 to $21.30 an hour) and a little under the national average of $16.68 to $22.55, according to Care.com.
Rates in the suburbs
Care.com's numbers for nearby towns swing more than the city itself:
| Area | Starting rate | Top rate |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge | $12.20/hr | $21.80/hr |
| Maryville | $11.88/hr | $17.50/hr |
| Dandridge | $9.60/hr | $25.60/hr |
Source: Care.com, October 2026.
What pushes the price up in Knoxville
- Bigger rooms for bigger dogs. At Hilltop Dog Hotel a single run is $40 a night and a double run is $55. Hounds Town goes from $55 for a Townhome to $75 for a Double Suite, and Dogtopia adds $15 a night for a suite.
- More than one dog. A second dog in the same kennel adds $21 a night at Hilltop, $25 at Sara's Waggy Tails, $30 at Holiday House and The Bark, and $50 at Hounds Town. In-home sitters charge less for extras: Waggy Tails includes up to 3 pets in a visit, and Superpet adds $5 for each extra pet.
- Holidays, school breaks and last-minute bookings. Smoky Dog Lodge adds a $5 a night peak season charge over major holidays and local school breaks. Professional Pet Friends adds $20 a visit on major holidays; Superpet adds $10 for holidays and $10 for booking within 72 hours. Royal Bark and The Bark both warn that holiday or peak season charges may apply.
- Not being a regular. Dogtopia charges $55 a night for enrolled daycare dogs and $65 for everyone else. Hilltop charges a $30 Sunday pick-up fee.
- Extras. Hilltop lists a webcam ($8.50 a day), nature walks ($6.50) and house food ($4 a day). Smoky Dog Lodge adds $5 a day for intact males and $45 a day for females in heat.
Sitter at home, sitter's home, or kennel?
| Option | Knoxville price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sitter in your home | $14 to $21 an hour, $18 to $38 a visit, or $80 to $150 for an overnight | Dogs who are anxious away from home, older dogs, homes with other pets |
| Boarding in a sitter's home | No Knoxville sitter we checked publishes a nightly home-boarding rate, so ask for a quote | Social dogs who like a quiet house and one person |
| Kennel or pet resort | $35 to $100 a night | Dogs who love other dogs and a busy day of play |
Knoxville weather matters too. Summers in the Tennessee Valley are hot and sticky, so midday walks need to move to early morning or evening, and in winter the occasional ice storm makes sidewalks slick. 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 $18 to $100 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 $21-an-hour pro or a $100-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 Knoxville boarding costs $35 to $100. 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.
Knoxville 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
- Ridgeside K9 Knoxville, Alcoa · 4.9★ (300 Google reviews) · Website
- PAWZ Dog Services, South Knoxville · 4.9★ (296 Google reviews) · Website
- All Kreatures Pet Care, West Knoxville · 4.6★ (388 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Daycare, Single Day, first pet: $30 per day; Daycare, Single Day, second pet: $25 per day
- Pet Resorts, West Knoxville · 4.5★ (602 Google reviews) · Website
- Misty's Pet Depot, North Knoxville · 4.3★ (450 Google reviews) · Website
- The Dog Stop - Knoxville, Bearden · 4.8★ (231 Google reviews) · Website
- Pawsitive Home Stay Resort, Powell · 4.8★ (218 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Pet Boarding (1st dog): $38 per night; Pet Boarding (2nd dog): $33 per night; Doggie Day Care: Starts at $35 per day
- Pets R People 2 - Doggie Daycare & Boarding, West Knoxville · 4.9★ (144 Google reviews) · Website
- Meadowbrooke Kennels, East Knoxville · 4.8★ (115 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Boarding, single dog: $40 per night; Boarding, two or more dogs sharing a run: $36 per night per dog; Dayboarding: $28 per day
- Royal Bark Social Club, North Knoxville · 4.7★ (115 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Luxury Boarding: $85 per 24 hours or overnight; Daycare Full Day: $37 per day; Daycare Half Day: $27 4 hours or less
- Linsmoor Boarding and Grooming, Maryville · 4.7★ (106 Google reviews) · Website
- Knoxville K9 Academy, North Knoxville · 5★ (83 Google reviews) · Website
Daycare
- Smoky Dog Lodge, Sevierville · 4.7★ (778 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Peak Season Pricing: $5 per night added to boarding; Intact males: +$5 per day; Females in heat: +$45 per day
- The Bark, North Knoxville · 4.7★ (165 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Dog Boarding: Starts At $100 per day for one dog; Daycare Full Day: $34 per day (more than 4 hours); Daycare Half Day: $27 up to 4 hours
- Happy Yap, South Knoxville · 4.9★ (45 Google reviews) · Website
- Ultimutt Knoxville Inc, West Knoxville · 5★ (38 Google reviews) · Website
- Hounds Town Knoxville North, North Knoxville · 4.8★ (32 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Boarding, Townhome: $55 per night; Boarding, Luxury Suite: $65 per night; Daycare Daily Rate: $35 per day
- Dog Days Canine Playschool, Farragut · 5★ (25 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Boarding (includes full day of daycare): $44 per night; Full Day of Daycare (5+ hours): $30 per day; Half Day (5 hours or less): $23 per half day
- The Doyle Lane Dog Den, West Knoxville · 5★ (2 Google reviews) · Website
Sitters and walkers (they come to you)
- Professional Pet Friends, Knoxville · 4.9★ (124 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: 30 Minute Visit: $32 per visit; 30 Minute Walk: $34 per walk; 15 Minute Visit: $24 per visit
- Waggy Tails Pet Sitting & Dog Walking, Knoxville · 4.8★ (72 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Standard Pet Sit Visit (about 30 minutes): $33 per visit; Pet Sitting By The Hour: $38 for the 1st hour; Overnight Stays: $150 per night
- Critter Care and Cab Pet Sitter in Knoxville, Knoxville · 5★ (67 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Standard Visit (up to 20 minutes): starting at $24 per visit; Extended Visit (up to 40 minutes): starting at $34 per visit
- Bark At Home, West Knoxville · 4.9★ (32 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Pet Sit Visit, 30 minutes: $38 per visit; Dog Walking, 20 minutes: $30 per walk; Overnight Visits: $105 per night
- Furry Friends Pet Sitting LLC, North Knoxville · 4.9★ (29 Google reviews) · Website
- Pet Nanny Pet Care, Knoxville · 4.2★ (30 Google reviews) · Website
- Kelly's Pet Care Services, LLC, Knoxville · 5★ (24 Google reviews) · Website
- KT Walking Paws, LLC, Knoxville · 5★ (23 Google reviews) · Website
- Lavish Dog Life, West Knoxville · 5★ (18 Google reviews) · Website
- Dog Food Boy Pet Care LLC, Knoxville · 5★ (17 Google reviews) · Website
- Luv UR Pet Sitters, Sevierville · 4.6★ (17 Google reviews) · Website
- Blue Sky Pet Services LLC, West and Northwest Knox County · 5★ (14 Google reviews) · Website
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 Knoxville?
Most Knoxville pet sitters charge about $14 to $21 an hour, and pro sitting companies charge $18 to $38 for a 30-minute visit. For a friend or neighbor, many owners pay close to the same hourly rate or a flat amount per day, plus a thank-you.
How much is dog boarding in Knoxville per night?
Kennel boarding is $35 to $100 a night; most Knoxville kennels charge $40 to $65. Budget kennels such as Hilltop Dog Hotel and Meadowbrooke start at $40, and luxury suites run $80 to $100.
Is it cheaper to board my dog or have a sitter come over?
For a full day, a kennel night ($35 to $100) is often cheaper than paying a sitter by the hour, and much cheaper than an overnight sitter ($80 to $150). For a few short visits a day, an in-home sitter can cost less and keeps your dog in its own routine.
Do Knoxville sitters charge more on holidays?
Often, yes. Expect a holiday fee of $10 to $20 a visit from in-home sitters, or a peak season charge of about $5 a night at kennels, and book early for holidays and school breaks.
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.