Dog Kennel Per Night Cost Calculator

Enter the numbers from your kennel quote and the calculator turns them into a per-night price and a stay total you can compare with other kennels. The base rate is the price for one dog for one night in a standard kennel.

1. Enter the nightly base rate from your quote. The default $45 is the typical average for a mid-sized dog.
2. Pick the kennel type. Standard keeps the quoted rate, a deluxe suite multiplies it by 1.5 and a luxury suite doubles it.
3. Enter the number of nights and the number of dogs.
4. Add daily add-ons per dog, such as playtime, extra feeding or medication. Enter 0 if your quote already includes them.
5. Add a one-time grooming fee if you want a bath before pickup, then a long-stay discount and tax if they apply. Enter 0 for any of these to leave them out.
6. Press Calculate or press Enter. The total cost appears first and large, with the step-by-step breakdown below it.

The calculator works in a fixed order so the discount and the tax are never applied to the wrong amount. First the kennel type adjusts the quoted rate, then add-ons are added, then the stay is totalled, then the discount comes off, then grooming is added, and tax is charged last.

Adjusted nightly rate = base nightly rate x kennel type multiplier, where Standard is 1.00, a Deluxe suite is 1.50 and a Luxury suite is 2.00. Nightly cost per dog = adjusted nightly rate + add-ons per night. Subtotal = nightly cost per dog x nights x dogs. Discount amount = subtotal x discount percent. Boarding total before tax = subtotal minus discount amount plus one-time grooming fee. Tax amount = boarding total before tax x tax percent. Total cost = boarding total before tax + tax amount. Cost per night = total cost / nights.

Our sales tax calculator checks the tax line on its own if your kennel quotes tax separately, and our discount calculator checks the saving from any long-stay offer before you enter it here.

One dog boards for 5 nights in a standard kennel at $45 a night, with $10 a night of add-ons, a $35 grooming fee, a 10% long-stay discount and 8% tax.

1. Adjusted nightly rate: $45 x 1.00 = $45.
2. Nightly cost per dog: $45 + $10 = $55.
3. Subtotal: $55 x 5 nights x 1 dog = $275.
4. Discount amount: $275 x 10% = $27.50. Discounted subtotal: $275 - $27.50 = $247.50.
5. Boarding total before tax: $247.50 + $35 grooming = $282.50.
6. Tax amount: $282.50 x 8% = $22.60.
7. Total cost: $282.50 + $22.60 = $305.10.
8. Cost per night: $305.10 / 5 nights = $61.02.

As a second check, take 2 dogs in a deluxe suite for 7 nights at a $50 base rate, with $15 a night of add-ons and no grooming, discount or tax. The adjusted rate is $50 x 1.50 = $75, the nightly cost per dog is $90, and the total is $90 x 7 nights x 2 dogs = $1,260, or $180 a night. The same steps work for any kennel, so try your own numbers in the tool above.

The kennel type moves the total more than any other choice. For the same 5 night stay with 1 dog, $10 a night of add-ons, a $35 grooming fee, a 10% discount and 8% tax, a standard kennel at a $35 base rate costs $256.50 in total, or $51.30 a night. The same stay at a $45 base rate costs $305.10 in total, or $61.02 a night. A deluxe suite at the $45 base rate costs $414.45 in total, or $82.89 a night. A luxury suite at the same $45 base rate costs $523.80 in total, or $104.76 a night.

Length of stay is the next lever, and the discount rewards it. For a 7 night stay at $45 a night with $10 add-ons, a $35 grooming fee and 8% tax, no discount gives $453.60 in total, a 10% discount gives $412.02 and a 15% discount gives $391.23. Add-ons look small but repeat every night, so $10 a night of playtime adds $50 to a 5 night stay before discount and tax, and $15 a night adds $75. Ask what the quoted rate already includes, because feeding and basic care are usually in it while playtime, medication and grooming are usually extra.

A kennel is usually the cheapest supervised option. Typical kennel rates run $25 to $75 a night, with luxury resorts at $75 to $100 or more, while a sitter who boards a dog at home averages about $49 a night on Rover and an in-home sitter averages $50 to $80 a night. A kennel suits a social dog that is happy in a run with other dogs nearby, while a sitter suits an anxious dog or a dog that needs medication on a strict schedule. Our horse boarding cost calculator uses the same stay-times-rate structure for a horse.

Ask how the kennel counts days before you book, because this is the most common surprise on a boarding bill. Most kennels charge per night, so dropping off on Friday afternoon and picking up on Monday morning is 3 nights, but some charge per calendar day or add a late pickup fee after a set checkout time. Confirm the checkout time, the late fee, the holiday surcharge and the vaccination proof the kennel needs before check-in.

Get the quote in writing with every line named, then run it through the calculator before you pay a deposit. Check whether feeding, playtime, medication and grooming are in the nightly rate or charged on top. This calculator discounts the boarding subtotal only and adds grooming after the discount.

Visit the kennel if you can, and ask about staff numbers at night, outdoor time and vet care. Compare at least two kennels on the same nights, dogs and add-ons so the totals are truly comparable. Our budget calculator helps you fit the boarding total into the whole trip budget, and our dog birthday party cost calculator prices the other end of dog ownership, a celebration at home.