I’m Teddi, I run Happy Hound out of my house in Boulder, and I get some version of this question almost every week: “how do I know this person won’t just stick my dog in a crate all day?” Fair question. I’ve been on both sides of it, hiring sitters for my own dogs and being the sitter myself for hundreds of others. So here’s the honest version, not the pamphlet version.
Leaving your dog behind for a trip messes with your head a little, even a short one. Will he actually eat? Will someone remember his walk? Is this person going to notice if he seems off? If you’ve been typing “dog sitter Boulder” into Google at 11pm trying to sort through options, you already know how many there are, and how different they all are from each other. Kennels, apps, a neighbor’s kid, part-time sitters. None of them work the same way. The part that actually helps is knowing what to ask and what to watch for before you hand over the leash, not just picking whoever responds first.
Figure Out What Your Dog Actually Needs First
This sounds obvious but people skip it. A border collie who needs to run for two hours has nothing in common with a senior dog on three medications, or a rescue who panics the second a stranger walks through the door. Before you look at a single sitter, be honest about your dog. Is she jumpy around new people? Does he need a yard or he’ll bounce off the walls? Is she easy, food will win her over in five minutes, or does trust take her weeks?
I say this because the sitter who’s perfect for an easygoing lab could be the wrong call entirely for a dog who needs quiet and one person’s full attention instead of a house full of other dogs. Know the dog first. Then go looking.
Walker, Sitter, or Overnight Boarding? They’re Not the Same Thing
People lump these together a lot, but they solve different problems. A walker covers you when you’re stuck at work late. Overnight care, whether that’s someone staying at your place or your dog staying at theirs, is really what you want for actual travel, especially if your dog gets rattled by change. If routine matters to your dog, ask if the sitter will come to your house so the bed and the smells stay the same. If your dog’s more of a social butterfly, staying somewhere with a yard and other dogs around can honestly be a fun change of scenery instead of something to dread.
Ask Questions That Actually Tell You Something
Anyone can put “dog lover” in their bio. What tells you they actually know what they’re doing is how they answer real questions:
- What would you do if my dog didn’t eat for a day?
- How do you handle it when a dog’s anxious the first hour or two?
- Have you dealt with [whatever your dog’s thing is, reactivity, resource guarding, storm anxiety]?
- If there’s an emergency and you can’t reach me, what’s your plan?
- How will you check in, texts, photos, actual phone calls?
Someone who’s done this for a while answers fast, usually with a real story attached. If the answers feel rehearsed or vague, that’s usually because they haven’t actually hit the hard moments yet.
Don’t Skip the Meet-and-Greet, Even If You’re Busy
Everyone says this and everyone still skips it when they’re crunched for time. Ten minutes of watching a sitter with your dog tells you more than a week of texting back and forth. Does your dog loosen up around them or stay stiff and avoidant? Do they let your dog come to them instead of crowding in for pets right away? That instinct matters as much as any resume.
If you’re comparing pet sitting Boulder options and boarding’s on the table, use this same visit to actually look at the setup. How big’s the yard? Will other dogs be there too? How many hours, worst case, would your dog be alone? Where does he actually sleep? A calm home with a fenced yard beats a facility juggling a dozen dogs at once, most of the time, for most dogs.
Do a Short Trial Before the Real Trip
If your schedule allows it at all, book something small first, an overnight or even just a few hours, before you commit your dog to a full week away. It’s low stakes. You’ll see if he eats normally, sleeps fine, seems like himself when you pick him up. And the sitter gets a real read on your dog’s quirks before it actually matters.
Put the Basics in Writing
Before drop-off, make sure you and the sitter agree on the boring stuff: how much and when he eats, medication times and doses, your vet’s number, someone to call if the sitter can’t reach you, how often you want an update. Feels like overkill until it’s the thing that goes wrong. Takes five minutes to sort out ahead of time.
Working with someone who’s been doing this a while makes this part easy, because they’ve already got a system for it. If you’re looking at a dog sitter Boulder families have used for years, just ask how they usually handle this stuff. A good one has an answer ready, not a shrug.
At Happy Hound, this conversation happens before every single stay, and dogs get a real home with a big backyard instead of a kennel run while their people are away.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much does dog sitting or dog walking cost in Boulder?
At Happy Hound, walking runs $30 an hour. Overnight care at my place is $75 a night, overnight at your home is $85 a night, and if you’ve got two dogs and want overnight care at your home, that’s $100 a night.
2. Should I board my dog or have someone stay at my house?
Depends on the dog. If change stresses him out, having someone come to your house usually goes smoother. If he’s social and adaptable, staying somewhere else with a yard and some company can be a nice break in routine instead of a hard one.
3. How far ahead should I book?
As early as you can manage, especially around holidays or summer when good sitters get booked up fast. A few weeks out is ideal. A few days’ notice can still work if it’s last minute, just don’t count on your first choice being open.
4. What if my dog’s never been away from me, or gets anxious?
Say so upfront. A slower introduction, a short trial stay, or more frequent check-ins usually smooths this out. The meet-and-greet matters even more in these cases, don’t skip it.
5. What should I actually pack?
His regular food, any meds with clear dosing written down, something that smells like home (a blanket or toy works), and his leash and collar. Familiar stuff helps dogs settle faster wherever they end up.
If you want to talk through what your dog actually needs before booking, reach out to Happy Hound and we’ll figure it out together.