Home Boarding vs Kennels: How to Choose for Your Dog
Short answer: home boarding means your dog stays in a carer's own home, usually alongside that household's routine; kennel boarding means your dog stays in purpose-built accommodation on a boarding site. In England both are licensable activities under the animal activities licensing regime, with separate statutory guidance for each, and the licence conditions reflect the different settings. Which suits your dog depends on that dog, not on one model being better than the other. Scope: the licensing points below summarise GOV.UK statutory guidance that applies to England. Requirements and how they are applied elsewhere in the UK can differ — check the rules and the relevant local authority for the nation and area where the provider operates.
By PetCompare Editorial Team · Published 2026-02-01 · Updated 2026-08-17 · 8 min read · Editorially prepared by PetCompare — not veterinary advice
What licensing covers in England
In England, boarding dogs in the course of a business is a licensable activity under the animal activities licensing regime, administered by local authorities. Defra publishes statutory guidance that local authorities have regard to when they inspect and license: there is general guidance for the regime as a whole, plus separate documents for home boarding for dogs and dog kennel boarding.
Because the guidance is set out separately for the two activities, the detailed conditions differ — a family home and a kennel site are assessed against expectations suited to each. A licence is therefore a starting point for your questions, not a substitute for them.
Licences are issued locally, so the practical thing to do is ask the provider which licence they hold, which local authority issued it, and when it runs to.
How the two set-ups differ in practice
The clearest difference is the environment. Home boarding takes place in the carer's home, which is why the home boarding guidance deals with things like the household itself and how dogs are kept within it. Kennel boarding takes place in dedicated accommodation, which is why the kennel guidance deals with the construction, layout and management of that accommodation.
- Setting: a domestic home versus purpose-built boarding accommodation.
- Household context: in home boarding, other people, resident pets and other boarded dogs in the same home are relevant considerations.
- Separation and mixing: both models need clear arrangements for whether and when dogs share space; ask specifically rather than assuming.
- Scale: the number of dogs on site at once, and how they are grouped, varies by provider in both models.
Neither guidance document says one model is calmer, safer or better supervised than the other, and we make no such claim here.
Questions to ask any boarding provider
- Which licence do you hold, which council issued it, and can I see it?
- How many dogs will be on site or in the home while mine is staying, and from how many households?
- Will my dog share space with other dogs, and how are dogs separated when needed?
- What does a normal day look like — feeding, exercise, rest, and how much time alone?
- Where will my dog sleep, and what does that space look like?
- How do you handle medication, existing health conditions, and getting to a vet?
- Who is responsible for my dog at each point in the day, and how can I contact you?
- What are your current prices, and what is included?
Ask each provider for current prices directly. We do not publish price ranges for boarding on this page.
Matching the arrangement to your dog
Rather than assuming a type of dog belongs in a type of setting, work from what your own dog copes with: how it behaves around unfamiliar dogs and people, whether it settles in new places, how it handles being alone, and what routine and medication it needs. Then ask which providers can actually deliver that, in either model.
You can browse dog boarding providers on PetCompare Hub to draw up a shortlist to ask.
Trial sessions in England home boarding guidance
Defra's statutory guidance for home boarding in England requires a documented trial session where dogs from different households will be boarded together. Its higher-standards criteria also refer to an overnight trial stay where a dog is to be boarded for longer than three nights.
The kennel boarding guidance is a separate document, and we do not claim it imposes an equivalent trial requirement. Whichever model you are considering, it is reasonable to ask the provider what introduction or pre-stay process it offers.
Before you book
- Check the licence and the issuing local authority, and confirm it is current.
- Confirm what vaccination, insurance and emergency-contact requirements the provider has.
- Put the practical details in writing: dates, drop-off and collection, feeding, medication and vet consent.
- If the provider is outside England, check the rules that apply in that nation and with that local authority.
FAQs
Do home boarders need a licence like kennels do?
In England, home boarding for dogs and dog kennel boarding are both covered by the animal activities licensing regime, and Defra publishes separate statutory guidance for each. Requirements elsewhere in the UK can differ, so check with the relevant local authority.
How can I check a boarding provider is licensed?
Ask which licence they hold and which local authority issued it, and check with that authority. Licences under the England regime are issued and inspected locally.
Which costs more, home boarding or kennels?
We do not publish price comparisons for boarding. Prices are set by each provider and vary, so ask each one for its current prices and what is included.