To wonder how much you’d pay for dog home boarding?

Your USP isn’t a USP as you already have your own dogs.

If you advertised that you only have one dog at a time, then I turned up for a meet and greet to find you already have your own dogs, you’d have wasted my time and yours.

We needed someone that truly does have only one dog at a time, our dog minders are a lovely young-retired couple who charge £48 per 24 hours.

@Undrugged yes, that probably wasn't the right example - but if your unlicensed boarder is reported and investigated, any dogs in their care may be seized and taken off to police kennels. While you'd obviously get your dog back eventually, it's not really something you'd want to happen, surely?

While I don't agree with all the restrictions around licensing, I've never understood why anyone would leave their dog with someone unlicensed and openly breaking the law. The risks to the dogs are, IMO, far too great. It's not hard to get a boarding licensed - if they can't even be bothered to do that, what else are they skimping out on?

Realising how lucky we are....
We pay £20 per 24hr period, recently gone up from £17. They can have up to 3 dogs at a time, and also run a doggy day care, so a little different but there's loads of stimulation.
She comes back a little smelly from all the doggies sometimes! but absolutely loves it

I think in Cheshire you can name your price, especially with the service you’re providing. Sounds great, good luck with your business

@biscuitsandbooks on what grounds were the dogs in the Caterham tragedy held? I’ve never been clear on that. If it was because they couldn’t establish which dog killed the poor walker then licensing is neither here nor there.

I stress again I’m generally in favour of regulation, but the costs asociated with dog care are silly. For comparison, I could set myself up as a childminder for around one eighth of the cost of being a dog carer. For actual human beings. That’s not proportionate.

I have left my dog at two different boarders. At one he was the only dog boarded and no resident dogs. He was never left alone as she lived with her elderly father so he was there if she went shopping and also sometimes was feeding cats but she didn't do dog walking. She was flexible to keep to our routine and would walk him for as long and often as we wanted, about an hour in the morning and half hour in the afternoon. I am not sure why you need to stipulate how long walks will be if you are offering a personal service to one dog. I paid £40 a night for this 5 years ago.
Previously I had used a dog boarder with 3 resident dogs all labs and mines a retriever with a very large safe garden probably around an acre. He was young and enjoyed a lot of rough and tumble with her dogs. However when visiting, although I was told he'd be treated as her own I was only ever shown the kitchen and garden and he stayed twice. So I wasn't really convinced he actually had the run of the house which I was expecting. It would be good as a boarder if you show your prospective clients where the dogs will be allowed. Just remembered I used another one once but felt she had too many dogs boarded. I'm not sure how many are allowed but she seemed to have about 6 including one of her own but I did see them in different rooms and the garden.
I did pay more for the boarder that only boarded mine and I am sure she will be a lot more now.

@Undrugged you may find your own insurance doesn't cover you for injuries that occur while in the care of an unlicensed boarder.

They may not destroy your dog but they will take them into a pound and you may not get them back right away - look at what happened to those dogs who were involved when that poor dog walker was killed, for example.

I agree with you that the licensing process is severely flawed in many ways but I would hate people to be unaware of the risks of using an unlicensed boarder.

I know about the insurance situation but I don’t think this would have any practical application for me. I have my own very good insurance for my dog’s medical bills and public liability (which covers us when dog is out of my care) and she is my last dog :( so no ‘replacement costs’ :( . My dog is the very least likely dog ever to attack either another dog or a human.

A dog warden isn’t going to destroy my dog in the wholly unlikely event the boarder is relieved of my dog. She’s chipped and they would contact me.

Honestly, I think licensing (at current costs) is a total swizz.

There is also the legal anomaly that anyone operating as a dog walker or looking after dogs in a client’s home does not need to be licenced.

The one licenced boarder I used in an emergency was absolutely terrible, a craven money-making empathy bypass of a woman with some absolutely outdated beliefs about dog welfare and training (I was in hospital). Being licenced is a guarantee of nothing. See also “licenced dog breeders ”. Normally I’m all in favour of regulation, but in this case all I see is $$$ signs for the council and for insurance companies.

If your dog gets hurt or injured, your unlicensed boarder will not be insured. Your dogs can also be taken off then if they're operating without a license and someone from the council catches them.

people I’ve used from Rover, I mean

as far as I know Rover absolutely doesn’t insist on any kind of licencing! None of the people I have used are licenced, but I have to be honest here - I couldn’t care less as they are excellent and I 100% trust them.

We've used three different home boarders. They charge £30/£35/£40. I didn't like the £30 one (small garden, multiple dogs) but the other two are fabulous and we use them a lot. Both let our boy have free rein of the place with their own dogs, he's treated as one of the family, long walks, sleep on the sofa etc. I wouldn't pay more than £45 a night.

I hope it works out for you OP - I considered doing this, but it’s £800 per year in my council area for a licence, £200 extra for both car and home insurance,£130 for professional indemnity insurance, etc etc. plus I worried what would happen if I had a doggo needing emergency vet treatment in my care … what if the owners just never paid or came back for the dog?!

startup costs for me are too high :(

Not normal to provide food as a sitter. That is for the owner - mine would starve herself if presented with random kibble.

That sounds reasonable.

Re Rover, the usual practice is to do the first sit through Rover and therefore paying Rover’s commission, and then arrange it between yourselves for future sits ;) think of it like a dating service.

I would always provide my own food.
The dog has enough to deal with being in a strange place without the family. Never mind a change of food as well

2 x 20 mins walks wouldn't be enough for most dogs. You should offer 2 x an hour walks.

Also I exoect food to be provided for that.

£35, with a discount if a second dog.
As for walks - 20 minutes x 2 is fine if they also get play time out in those two acres.