Boarding or daycare: which one to choose in each case

When you start looking for a place to leave your pet, two options come up that sound similar but are different: boarding (also called lodging, pet hotel or canine residence) and daycare. Here is when to choose each one.

The main difference in one line

• Boarding: your pet stays at least one night. Charged per night.
• Daycare: your pet stays during the day and you pick them up before nightfall. Charged per hour.

If your pet is going to sleep away from home (even just one night), it is boarding. If they come and go the same day, it is daycare.

When to choose boarding

Boarding is the right option when:

You are going on a trip

Vacations, a long weekend, a work getaway. Your pet needs a place to sleep while you are away. It is booked by number of nights: 2 nights, 5 nights, 2 weeks, whatever you need.

Moving, renovations or something unexpected at home

If there is construction at home or some unexpected situation that makes it uncomfortable for your pet for a couple of days, boarding solves the full stay with a sitter.

Your pet does not handle being alone well

If leaving them for 12 hours at home is not an option (due to anxiety, age, or because they destroy everything), a stay with a sitter can be healthier than leaving them alone for that many hours.

When to choose daycare

Daycare makes sense when:

You work all day away from home

If you spend 8-10 hours at the office and your pet stays alone, daytime daycare is an option so they have company, walks and play during the day. You go home, pick them up, and they sleep with you.

You have a long commitment one specific day

A wedding, a move, an errand that takes you the whole day. You drop off the pet for a few hours and pick them up afterward.

Your pet is very young or needs to socialize

For puppies or shy pets, spending a few hours with a sitter and sometimes other pets can be positive for their social development, without the commitment of a full stay.

You are not on vacation but your pet is having a rough day

It is raining, they are nervous, there is a storm or fireworks in the neighborhood. Taking them to daycare for a few hours with an experienced sitter can be a better alternative than leaving them alone.

How each one is charged

Boarding - per night

Each calendar day change between drop-off and pick-up counts as one night, regardless of the exact time.

• Friday 8pm → Saturday 2pm = 1 night
• Friday 8pm → Sunday 2pm = 2 nights
• Monday 10am → Monday 10pm (same day) = not boarding, it is daycare

Daycare - per hour

You pay for the hours the pet is being cared for. You pick the drop-off and pick-up time, and the system automatically calculates the total.

• 9am → 6pm = 9 hours
• 1pm → 5pm = 4 hours

Typical prices

Each sitter sets their own rate and prices vary based on area, pet size and experience.

• Boarding (per night): approximate range in Woof! of ARS $15,000 to $44,000 per night, with a typical minimum around ARS $20,000 in CABA.
• Daycare (per hour): highly variable. There are sitters charging around ARS $12,000-$15,000 per hour in central CABA areas, and others less. A 9-hour workday in that range comes out between ARS $108,000 and $135,000.

Prices include Woof!'s 12% commission (it is what you see on each profile). For more detail:

• How much a dog sitter costs in Buenos Aires (focus on boarding).
• How much hourly dog daycare costs in Buenos Aires.

Practical cases

"I am going to Mar del Plata for 4 days"

→ Boarding, 4 nights.

"I work Monday to Friday 9am-6pm and do not want to leave my dog alone"

→ Daycare, every day.

"I am going to a wedding Saturday night, I get back Sunday morning"

→ Boarding, 1 night.

"I have a move on Monday and I need the dog out of the house between 9am and 7pm"

→ Daycare, 10 hours that Monday.

"I have several short trips during the year but I also need occasional daycare"

→ You book what fits each time. Some sitters offer both services; on their profile you will see both rates.

How to choose on the platform

On Woof! each sitter defines which services they offer. There are three types of profiles:

• Boarding only
• Daycare only
• Both

When you enter a sitter's profile, you will clearly see the rates for each service. If you are only interested in one, you can filter by service from boarding or daycare.

In summary

• Boarding = they sleep over, charged per night.
• Daycare = they stay during the day, charged per hour.
• For vacations and trips: boarding.
• For work or long commitments: daycare.
• Some sitters offer both services - you can see it on each profile.

Find sitters in your area.