Dog Sitting and Boarding Rates in San Diego (2026): What Local Sitters Actually Charge
Short answer: in San Diego, a pet sitter who comes to your home costs about $20 to $25 an hour. Overnight kennel boarding runs $68 to $129 a night (most charge $75 to $98), and boarding in a sitter's own home is about $60 to $90 a night for one dog. Daycare is $39 to $60 a day, and a 30-minute walk is $25 to $40 (drop-in visits run up to $50). We checked the published price lists of 24 San Diego 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).
San Diego dog care prices at a glance
| Type of care | Typical San Diego price | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Pet sitter in your home | $19.63 to $25.06 an hour | Care.com San Diego rates, October 2026 |
| Kennel boarding, standard night | $68 to $78 a night | Canines Unleashed, Dogtopia of Miramar (includes daycare) |
| Pet resort boarding, three care levels | $75, $89 or $98 a night | Paw Commons Bay Park (same rates at Hillcrest) |
| Boarding with daycare play, central San Diego | $90 to $98 a night | Camp Run-A-Mutt Point Loma, Wags & Ruffs, Pupper Club |
| Private suite boarding | $100 to $129 a night | Wags & Ruffs ($100 to $110), San Diego Pet Boarding ($119), Canines Unleashed suites ($129) |
| Boarding, extra dog | $50 to $70 more a night | Wags & Ruffs, Canines Unleashed, Raquel's Senior Dog B&B |
| Boarding in a sitter's home | $60 to $90 a night | Durkee's Dogs, Bri's Happy Tails, Paradise Pet Care, Raquel's, Sunny Paws SD |
| Sitter stays overnight at your home | $70 to $185 a night | Durkee's, Little Buddies, Paradise, Tex's Fetch and Stay, The Paw Society |
| Doggy daycare, full day | $39 to $60 a day | Canines Unleashed, Dogtopia of Miramar, Camp Run-A-Mutt, Wags & Ruffs, Paw Commons, Pupper Club, Dogtopia East Village |
| Dog walk, 30 minutes | $25 to $40 | Durkee's, Lucky Dog, Paradise, The Huntress And The Hound, Balboa to the Bay, Sunny Paws |
| Drop-in visit, 30 minutes | $25 to $50 | Pawsome Care, Paradise, The Paw Society, Sunny Paws |
| Short check-in, 15 minutes | $18 to $25 | Durkee's Dogs potty break, Paradise, Sunny Paws |
San Diego sits just under the California average ($20.01 to $25.32 an hour) and about 18% above the national average of $16.68 to $22.57, according to Care.com.
Rates in the suburbs
Care.com tracks the towns around San Diego too. The coast and the backcountry cost a little more; South Bay and the inland towns a little less:
| Area | Starting rate | Top rate |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeside | $21.00/hr | $31.29/hr |
| Encinitas | $20.77/hr | $26.70/hr |
| Cardiff by the Sea | $20.17/hr | $29.67/hr |
| La Jolla | $19.97/hr | $22.97/hr |
| Del Mar | $18.20/hr | $24.60/hr |
| Poway | $18.00/hr | $24.71/hr |
| Chula Vista | $17.91/hr | $21.55/hr |
| Rancho Santa Fe | $17.00/hr | $25.80/hr |
Source: Care.com, October 2026.
What pushes the price up in San Diego
- Big dogs and private rooms. At Wags & Ruffs a Deluxe Suite for a medium dog is $100 a night and the Posh Suite for large dogs is $110. Shared group boarding there is $90.
- More than one dog. Expect $50 to $70 a night for a second dog in boarding (Wags & Ruffs, Raquel's), $61 at Canines Unleashed. Walkers usually add $5 to $10 a dog (Balboa to the Bay, The Huntress And The Hound).
- Holidays. Camp Run-A-Mutt goes from $90 to $100 a night, Canines Unleashed from $68 to $75, and its private suites from $129 to $159. Raquel's charges 1.5x its normal rate and Sunny Paws doubles its rates on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Paradise Pet Care adds $15 per overnight on holiday weekends, including the Fourth of July, and Durkee's Dogs adds 20% over Thanksgiving and the winter holidays.
- Check-in and pick-up times. Wags & Ruffs charges $40 to check in after noon; Paw Commons charges $25 for a late check-in and the cost of the next night if you pick up after 1pm.
- Required extras. Paw Commons adds a Pet Care Warranty of $5 or $6 a day to every boarding stay.
- Parking and odd hours. This one is very San Diego: Paradise Pet Care charges $3 to $15 for parking where street parking is limited or paid. BeLoved Pet Sitting adds $17 for walks outside 9am to 2pm, and same-day bookings cost $10 extra at The Huntress And The Hound.
Sitter at home, sitter's home, or kennel?
| Option | San Diego price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sitter in your home | $20 to $25 an hour, or $70 to $185 for an overnight | Dogs who are anxious away from home, older dogs, homes with other pets |
| Boarding in a sitter's home | About $60 to $90 a night | Social dogs who like a quiet house and one person |
| Kennel or pet resort | $68 to $129 a night | Dogs who love other dogs and a busy day of play |
San Diego's mild weather fools people. Inland neighborhoods get hot in late summer, and pavement and sand can burn paws by midday, so walks need to happen early or late. And if your dog goes to the beach, your sitter needs to know which beaches allow dogs, whether your dog comes back when called, and how to rinse off salt and sand. 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 $25 to $129 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 $25-an-hour pro or a $129-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 San Diego boarding costs $68 to $129. 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.
San Diego 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
- Dog Days San Diego, Pacific Beach · 4.9★ (461 Google reviews) · Website
- 24 Hour Dog Daycare, Miramar · 4.8★ (830 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Boarding holiday surcharge: $10 per night, per dog; Daycare holiday surcharge: $5 per day, per dog
- Paw Commons Pet Resort & Training Center - Hillcrest, Hillcrest · 4.7★ (370 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Boarding SILVER: $75 per night; Boarding GOLD: $89 per night; Boarding PLATINUM: $98 per night
- Wag Hotels - San Diego, Mission Valley · 4.6★ (909 Google reviews) · Website
- Doozydog! Club, East Village · 4.6★ (236 Google reviews) · Website
- Camp Run-A-Mutt Point Loma, Midway District · 4.8★ (186 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Boarding Standard Nightly (includes daycare): $90 per night; Daycare Single Day, full / half: $52 / $39 per day; Boarding Holiday: $100 per night
- Pupper Club, East Village · 4.8★ (147 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Overnight Stay: $98 per night; Full Day (13 hours) daycare: $56 per day; Half Day (6 hours) daycare: $40 per half day
- Camp Bow Wow San Diego Airport, Midway District · 4.7★ (135 Google reviews) · Website
- Wags & Ruffs, Midway District · 4.9★ (115 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Social Boarding Overnight Stay: $90 per night; Social Daycare Full Day: $54 per day; Social Daycare Half Day (up to 6 hours): $40 per half day
- Precious Pet Care San Diego, Encanto · 5★ (104 Google reviews) · Website
- Raquel's Senior Dog Bed & Breakfast, University Heights · 5★ (96 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Doggie Boarding: $80 per night; Doggie Day Care: $50 per day; Additional pet, boarding: +$70 per night
- Pacific Beach Pet Care, Pacific Beach · 4.9★ (79 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Doggie Daycare: $35 (unit not stated); Overnight Care: $50 (unit not stated)
Daycare
- PoshPaws, Coronado · 5★ (53 Google reviews) · Website
- Pawsitive Vibes San Diego, San Diego · 5★ (30 Google reviews) · Website
- San Diego Dog House, City Heights · 5★ (26 Google reviews) · Website
- Canine Coast, Clairemont · 5★ (17 Google reviews)
- North Park Dog Care, Normal Heights · 5★ (2 Google reviews)
- Drum's Dog Daycare, North Park · New on Google · Website
Sitters and walkers (they come to you)
- Sunny Pets, San Diego · 4.9★ (85 Google reviews) · Website
- See Spot Sit, San Diego · 5★ (66 Google reviews) · Website
- Rainbow Pack Pet Care, San Diego · 5★ (65 Google reviews) · Website
- San Diego Dog Walker, San Diego · 4.9★ (57 Google reviews) · Website
- Waggy Tails Pet Care, Kearny Mesa · 5★ (53 Google reviews)
- Maid For Your Pet, Hillcrest · 4.9★ (46 Google reviews) · Website
- SunnySide Petcare, San Diego · 5★ (37 Google reviews) · Website
- Wildwood Petcare, Point Loma · 5★ (32 Google reviews) · Website
- Crown City Pet Sitter, San Diego · 5★ (31 Google reviews) · Website
- Murphy and Me Pet Sitting, San Diego · 4.9★ (26 Google reviews) · Website
- Have A Ball Pet Sitting & Dog Walking, Normal Heights · 4.8★ (26 Google reviews) · Website
- Lucky Dog Walking Services San Diego, Logan Heights · 4.9★ (25 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: 30 minute standard walk: $28 per walk; 45 minute extended walk: $35 per walk; 60 minute power walk: $45 per walk
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 San Diego?
Most San Diego pet sitters charge about $20 to $25 an hour. Walks and drop-in visits are usually priced per visit, $25 to $50 for 30 minutes. 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 San Diego per night?
Kennel boarding is $68 to $129 a night; most San Diego kennels and pet resorts charge $75 to $98. Boarding in a sitter's own home is about $60 to $90 a night for one dog.
Is it cheaper to board my dog or have a sitter come over?
For a full day, a kennel night ($68 to $129) is often cheaper than paying a sitter by the hour or for an overnight at your home ($70 to $185). For a few short visits a day, an in-home sitter can cost less and keeps your dog in its own routine.
Do San Diego sitters charge more on holidays?
Often, yes. Expect $7 to $10 more a night at kennels ($30 more for a private suite), a flat $10 to $25 holiday fee from many sitters, and some who charge 1.5x or double. Book early for Thanksgiving, the winter holidays and Fourth of July weekend.
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.