How Much Do Most Dog Sitters Charge?

Most dog sitters charge about $15 to $25 per hour for their services, however, nightly rates for overnight stays may vary from $50 to $100 or more per night.

Is Wag or Rover Better?

Wag and Rover both offer the same main services, so the best option depends on your needs and the specific caretakers available in your area. For example, you may find that one service has more top-rated caretakers in the region, or it may have caretakers with more availability than the other for the specific care and dates you need.

How Much Is Pet Sitting in NYC?

Pet sitting in NYC can vary based on the service or individual pet sitter you choose. Overall, pet sitting for overnight stays tends to cost between $40 and $120 per night.

Is it Customary to Tip a Dog Sitter?

While it is not required, it can be a nice gesture to tip a dog sitter, primarily if they work for a larger company. A dog sitter provides a professional service similar to a stylist, handyman, or groomer, so a 10 to 20% tip is appreciated. Whether you decide to tip or not should depend on your comfort level, the service you received, and whether you want to reward your dog sitter with a little extra. You should not feel obligated to tip a dog sitter, and many sitters may refuse bonuses.

Best Dog-Sitting Services of 2023

Person hugging dog — Spruce Pets / Design Amelia Manley

Whether you're going out of town or searching for the perfect dog walker to keep your best furry friend happy and well-exercised during the day, dog-sitting services can help. In years past, hiring a sitter often involved asking your neighbor for a favor or posting a local ad. Today, it’s far more high-tech, with dozens of online platforms dedicated to the sole task of connecting you with the perfect caregiver for your four-legged family members.

Of course, the main priority is finding someone you can trust to ensure your pup doesn't miss you too much. The best dog-sitting services allow clients to book overnight care, scheduled walks, in-home boarding, and more in addition to important perks like background checks and training for sitters.

Not sure where to start? We’ve rounded up our favorite dog-sitting services, each of which makes it easy to find the perfect sitter in a couple of clicks.

Best Dog-Sitting Services of 2023

Best Overall: Rover
Best Budget: Petsitter
Best Customer Experience: Fetch
Best Membership Plan: Care.com
Best for Travel: PetsHotel Pet Boarding
Best Regional: D Pet Hotels
Best for House-Sitting: HouseCarers
Best Nonprofit: Pet Sitters International

Membership: No
Services Offered: Boarding, house-sitting, drop-ins, daycare, dog walking, and training
Sitter Background Check: Optional

Rover has dog sitters nationwide that offer all of the most popular services. The site allows users to find sitters with options like dog first-aid certifications, background checks, and more.

Pros

Available in most areas
User-friendly design
Variety of services

Cons

Sitters lose 20 percent of earnings to fees
Grooming is no longer available

Rover is one of the best-known names in pet-sitting, and for good reason. The site is easy to use—think of it as Uber for pet sitters—making it simple to find someone to look after your best friend, whether you’re heading out on vacation or just need a dog walker for the afternoon.

Services available through rover include boarding, house-sitting, dog walking, daycare, and drop-in visits. Each sitter has approval from Rover’s team of specialists, and the site shows whether they've had a background check, adding extra layers of trust to the booking experience.

Rover’s site also makes it simple to filter sitters in your area by rate, services offered, and membership to organizations like APSE or PetSitUSA. You can even check a requirement that your sitter is certified in dog first aid. Whatever your need, we suggest Rover as a go-to resource for dog-sitting on demand.

Membership: No
Services Offered: Boarding, drop-ins, dog walking, training, overnight stays, and grooming
Sitter Background Check: Optional

Petsitter allows users to filter their search for the best sitter based on their desired rates. This site also offers services for exotic pets and larger animals like horses.

Pros

Affordable options
Offers services for many types of pets
Filters to find individual sitters

Cons

Users can't browse sitters in many areas without signing up

Petsitter.com is a great way to find experienced, qualified pet sitters with just a couple of clicks. Like our other options, this site helps you find a sitter in your area who meets your requirements, allowing you to “shortlist” your favorites to find the best match.

As an added bonus, Petsitter lets you set a filter for sitters with negotiable rates, making it our top choice for anyone who needs to keep an eye on their budget as they find someone to watch Fido. You also have the ability to separate individual sitters from larger agencies in your area.

Aside from sitting, services offered through Petsitter.com include dog walking, feeding, grooming, boarding, overnight care, and training—a wider variety than many other platforms on our list. That quality also extends to the types of pets the site covers, which includes reptiles, horses, and exotic animals, aside from the expected dogs and cats.

So if you need a sitter to watch your python as well as your Great Pyrenees, Petsitter.com should be your first stop.

Membership: No
Services Offered: Dog and puppy sitting, dog walking, overnight care, pet taxi, and pet medical administration
Sitter Background Check: Yes

In addition to the company's high customer service ratings, Fetch makes sure that all sitters and dog walkers pass a mandatory background check and have in-depth interviews for pet safety purposes.

Pros

Trains every sitter registered with the site
Also offers medical administration and transport services
Puppy sitting for training and teaching routines

Cons

Not available in all areas
Last-minute cancellations may cost 50 percent of the service fee

At first glance, Fetch is largely similar to Rover (one of its main competitors): You set your requirements, scroll through a list of sitters in your area, and connect with the ones that suit your needs.

But where some pet-sitting sites offer a platform for finding services and not much more, Fetch uses experienced, locally based owners who recruit and train sitters registered with the site—a potentially important differentiator for anyone hesitant to leave their best friend with a stranger.

Fetch offers dog walking, pet-sitting, and overnight visits, along with specialty options like transportation and medication management. The site also prides itself on its high level of service, asking clients to rate their experience and provide feedback.

Additionally, Fetch wins points for automatically employing a backup plan if your chosen sitter is sick or needs to cancel an appointment.

Membership: Yes
Services Offered: Boarding, house-sitting, dog walking, grooming, and training
Sitter Background Check: Yes

Care.com offers membership plans that include more than just pet services—but even if you just need an occasional dog sitter, a membership lets you schedule interviews and perform background checks on any sitter you'd like.

Pros

Well-known brand
All sitters have background checks
Additional services offered like house cleaning, childcare, and more

Cons

Premium membership can be expensive
Must register to view sitters in your area

Rather than a pet-specific site, Care.com is a broader service that allows users to search for caregivers of all kinds (such as senior care and childcare). However, it has the pet-sitting aspect covered in spades, with a simple search function that makes it easy to find and connect with sitters in your area.

The key difference is that Care.com is a membership-based site. While you’ll be able to post jobs and have sitters message you with a free account, you’ll need to set up a plan to use most features. With a Care.com premium membership, you’ll be able to schedule interviews, request background checks, and reply to applications from potential pet sitters.

Since Care.com has a wider focus than pet-specific sites, its sitter profiles will also let you know if they’re willing to assist with other tasks, like grocery shopping, laundry, and light cleaning.

Membership: No
Services Offered: Boarding, grooming, medical administration, dog walks, and personalized play schedules
Sitter Background Check: N/A

PetsHotel by PetSmart offers boarding solutions for traveling owners with an on-site veterinarian, different options for private suites and playtime, and grooming.

Pros

On-site veterinarian
Grooming services available with boarding
Private pet suites available for larger, quieter space

Cons

More expensive than many small boarding options

PetsHotel Pet Boarding is owned and operated by PetSmart and has locations all over the country. This is a great option for leaving your pet behind in your hometown or if you are hunting for a dog boarding and sitting option while you are out of town.

The service offers various packages for your dog or cat with add-ons such as all-day play with other pups, a bath before your dog returns, and his or her own pet suite. There’s 24/7 on-site staffing and a veterinarian on call, so you can feel confident that your pooch is being well taken care of.

Daily rates for PetsHotel Pet Boarding vary by location, but they do offer discounts for students, seniors, first responders, and those in the military. Your first night is free so you can always test their services out before you go away for a vacation. Some locations even offer training services you can add on while your pet is away.

Your pup will likely feel more pampered than you after you return.

Membership: No
Services Offered: Boarding, daycare, and grooming
Sitter Background Check: N/A

D Pet Hotels may only be available at certain locations in Texas, Arizona, and California, but this luxury boarding facility takes care seriously with high-quality pet rooms and on-call veterinarians.

Pros

Luxury experience
All dogs get daycare services during the day
Grooming is available with boarding

Cons

Expensive
Only a few locations

D Pet Hotels is a unique, modern boarding experience with locations around the country. If you’re close to Texas, Arizona, or California, you should definitely check out this dog boarding company.

D Pet Hotels offers three levels of luxury suite boarding for your dog with private rooms, flat-screen TVs, and either a Kuranda dog bed, twin, or queen-sized bed. This luxury boarding experience is a great option for nervous dogs who may not do as well when you are away. Every dog who stays at D Pet Hotels spends the day in daycare, which allows your pup to burn off energy and snooze through the night.

D Pet Hotels is a great choice if you are local to one of its five locations. Though they do not offer in-home pet-sitting, you should consider this luxury boarding experience if your dog suffers from anxiety and would do better in a close-to-home environment.

Membership: Optional for customers
Services Offered: House- and pet-sitting
Sitter Background Check: Optional

HouseCarers is a great option for pet owners who also want general housesitting services, like watering plants, checking the mail, lawn and pool care, cleaning, and more.

Pros

Includes house-sitting services with pet-sitting
Rewards for members
Free service for homeowners

Cons

Not all sitters have background checks
Sitters not available in all locations

HouseCarers is a nationwide database of house-sitters near you who can not only watch your beloved furry friend but also keep your house safe while you are gone.

You can use its search engine to find dedicated house-sitters near you, read profiles, and even see reviews from past jobs. The company features sitters who specialize in all types of dog care and some of them even offer a background check, so you can feel safe with who you let into your home. Although they are based in Australia, they have sitters all around the world who can watch your pet and your home.

Pricing depends on the individual, length of stay, and the number and type of pets. You can also register as a sitter if you are interested in watching other dogs in your spare time. This is a great option if you want someone trustworthy to stay in your home while you enjoy your time away.

Membership: Yes
Services Offered: Pet-sitting
Sitter Background Check: Optional

Pet Sitters International is a nonprofit that allows pet sitters to complete training classes for first aid and more, along with offering tips for owners about how to prepare for pet-sitting and what to do while they're away from the home.

Pros

Offers classes and certifications for pet sitters
Members get welcome kits, informative articles, emergency preparedness documents, and more
Customers can work directly with sitters rather than using a third party

Cons

Not available in all locations
Membership can be expensive

Pet Sitters International is the world’s leading organization dedicated to pet-sitting. Its website is aimed toward both pet sitters and parents looking to find a qualified sitter in their hometown.

It offers certification classes so pet sitters can learn everything from the basics of pet-sitting to first aid. The nonprofit's site also offers helpful tips for pet parents about how to hire a sitter and what to do while you are away.

Use the Pet Sitters International database to find qualified sitters in your region. Once you locate a professional you want to hire, you would work directly with them to discuss rates, timing, and more. This option is great if you don’t want to go through a third party and instead would rather find a qualified sitter on your own.

Rover is our pick for the best overall dog-sitting service thanks to its user-friendly interface, advanced filtering options, and credibility. This site lets users choose sitters with background checks, certifications in dog first aid, and more. With a variety of services offered, Rover can help you find a pet sitter for just about every dog-sitting need you may have.

Company	Membership	Services Offered	Sitter Background Check
Rover Best Overall	No	Boarding, house-sitting, drop-ins, daycare, dog walking, and training	Optional
Petsitter Best Budget	No	Boarding, drop-ins, dog walking, training, overnight stays, and grooming	Optional
Fetch Best Customer Experience	No	Dog- and puppy-sitting, dog walking, overnight care, pet taxi, and pet medical administration	Yes
Care.com Best Membership Plan	Yes	Boarding, house-sitting, dog walking, grooming, and training	Yes
PetsHotel Pet Boarding Best for Travel	No	Boarding, grooming, medical administration, dog walks, and personalized play schedules	N/A
D Pet Hotels Best Regional	No	Boarding, daycare, and grooming	N/A
HouseCarers Best for House Sitting	Optional for customers	House- and pet-sitting	Optional
Pet Sitters International Best Nonprofit	Yes	Pet-sitting	Optional

FAQ

How Much Do Most Dog Sitters Charge?

Most dog sitters charge about $15 to $25 per hour for their services, however, nightly rates for overnight stays may vary from $50 to $100 or more per night.
Is Wag or Rover Better?

Wag and Rover both offer the same main services, so the best option depends on your needs and the specific caretakers available in your area. For example, you may find that one service has more top-rated caretakers in the region, or it may have caretakers with more availability than the other for the specific care and dates you need.
How Much Is Pet Sitting in NYC?

Pet sitting in NYC can vary based on the service or individual pet sitter you choose. Overall, pet sitting for overnight stays tends to cost between $40 and $120 per night.
Is it Customary to Tip a Dog Sitter?

While it is not required, it can be a nice gesture to tip a dog sitter, primarily if they work for a larger company. A dog sitter provides a professional service similar to a stylist, handyman, or groomer, so a 10 to 20% tip is appreciated. Whether you decide to tip or not should depend on your comfort level, the service you received, and whether you want to reward your dog sitter with a little extra. You should not feel obligated to tip a dog sitter, and many sitters may refuse bonuses.

To find the best dog-sitting services, we compared the top options based on their available services, qualifications of their pet sitters, membership options, and locations. All services on this list feature either pet sitting or boarding for overnight stays. Several also include extra perks like medical care, grooming, daily walks, daycare, and more.