What 2 weeks of dog boarding really costs in LA
Typical published rates, mid-2026
$1,190$0
14 nights × typical LA sitter rates
If you've priced out two weeks of dog boarding in Los Angeles lately, the total adds up faster than the nightly rate suggests. Every figure below is a range, not a quote: individual businesses set their own pricing, and rates vary by neighborhood and season. Treat this as a planning tool, not a guarantee from any specific business.
How we got that number
Three common options, and what a 14-night stay typically runs at each, using typical published rates as of mid-2026 (ranges vary by neighborhood and season):
| Option | Typical nightly rate | 14-night total |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional kennel | $45–$75 | $630–$1,050 |
| Cage-free / daycare-boarding | $65–$95 | $910–$1,330 |
| Sitter-app in-home | $70–$107+fees | $980–$1,500 |
Typical published rates, mid-2026; ranges vary by neighborhood and season.
What that money buys (and doesn't)
None of this is a knock on any facility or app-based sitter. Kennels and boutique boarding operations are legitimate businesses doing real work: feeding schedules, cleaning runs, supervising playgroups, handling the occasional emergency. That work has a real cost, and it's fair that it's priced accordingly.
The gap for a Cavalier specifically is usually breed familiarity and 1:1 attention, not facility quality. A companion breed that's used to a person's lap, not a kennel run, tends to do better with one consistent household than a rotating shift of staff, and a dog on a daily medication benefits from someone who already knows the routine rather than reading it off a chart for the first time.
The swap alternative
A dog-sitting swap works differently: instead of paying a facility or a sitter, you host another member's dog when they travel, and they host yours when you travel. Nights are tracked in credits (one credit generally equals one night hosted), so a two-week trip costs the credits you've already earned, not a card charge. There's no facility fee, no medication-administration surcharge, and no holiday surcharge, because the model runs on reciprocity between members rather than a paid transaction.
Every match starts with an in-person meet-and-greet before any overnight stay, every member is personally approved by our team before joining, and every stay closes with a double-blind review. Core swap features are free forever.
Frequently asked questions
- Do boarding rates really go up around holidays?
- Yes, expect a $5–$15+ per night surcharge at most LA facilities during major holidays and peak travel weeks, when everyone is traveling at once and space is tight. Book early if a trip overlaps one of those windows, since the higher-demand nights are also the first to sell out.
- Does boarding two dogs cost twice as much?
- Usually a bit less than double, but not a real discount: most facilities price a second dog at roughly 1.5–1.8x the single-dog rate rather than a flat per-dog multiple, since they still need a second run, a second set of walks, and separate handling.
- Why do some facilities charge extra just to give medication?
- A meaningful share of Cavaliers take a daily medication by middle age, and most facilities charge a per-dose administration fee for staff time, often $5–$15+ per day on top of the base rate. It's a real cost for them, but it's also one of the biggest reasons a Cavalier's stay lands toward the top of the published range.
- How does a free dog-sitting swap protect my Cavalier?
- The trust process is the point: every member is personally approved by our team before joining, every new match goes through an in-person meet-and-greet before any overnight stay, hosts receive a printed Cav Card with medication timing and routine from the visiting dog's owner, and every stay closes with a double-blind review so neither side can see the other's rating until both are in. Those are the safeguards we run, and because both families are Cavalier owners trading care, your dog stays with someone who knows the breed, not a rotating shift of staff.