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At West Hills Dog Sitter, we offer two primary services for pet owners who are traveling or away from home: in-home boarding at our house and drop-in visits at yours. Both services are professional, fully insured, and come with the same commitment to communication, transparency, and genuine love for your animals. But they are very different experiences, and the right choice depends entirely on your pets, your home, and your specific situation.
This post is designed to walk you through exactly how each service works, who each one is best suited for, and how to think through the decision before your next trip. And if you’re still not sure after reading, our pricing is fully disclosed on our website at westhillsdogsitter.com — or you can always call us and we’ll help you figure out what makes the most sense for you.
What Boarding at West Hills Dog Sitter Actually Looks Like
First, an important distinction: boarding and doggie daycare at West Hills Dog Sitter is not a kennel, a facility, or a commercial operation. It happens in our home, and we keep it that way intentionally. We accept a very limited number of dogs at any one time because the entire point is that your dog becomes part of our family for the duration of their stay — and that only works if we can give every animal the individual attention they deserve.
What Your Dog’s Day Looks Like With Us
When your dog boards with us, their day looks remarkably like their day at home — which is exactly the goal. They sleep wherever they are most comfortable, whether that’s a dog bed, the sofa, or in bed with us at night. We have plenty of toys, clean dog bowls that we wash between every meal, and dog beds throughout the home. We include daily walks at no additional charge, and we feed each dog separately according to their owner’s specific instructions so there is no competition and no confusion.
Drop-off and pick-up are designed to be as easy as possible. We wait outside for you at your scheduled time so you are never left standing at a door or navigating a busy facility.
Not Every Dog Qualifies — and That’s a Good Thing
Because boarding happens in our home with a limited number of dogs, we are selective about which dogs we accept. To board with us, your dog must be friendly with other dogs and people, non-aggressive, potty trained, and not excessively barky. This screening process protects every animal in our care and ensures the environment stays calm, safe, and happy for everyone. If your dog doesn’t meet these qualifications, boarding with us may not be the right fit — but drop-in visits at your home may be a perfect solution.
What Drop-In Visits Look Like
Drop-in visits bring our care directly to your home, which means your pets never have to leave their own environment. This is a significant comfort advantage for many animals, particularly cats, pets with anxiety, older pets, or any animal that simply does better on their own turf.
Flexible Visits Tailored to Your Day
One of the most practical advantages of drop-in visits is the flexibility. Visits are priced per visit based on time, not per pet — so it doesn’t matter if you have one dog, two dogs, a dog and two cats, or any other combination. The price is the same, and we take care of everything and everyone during that visit.
You can also customize the schedule to match your pets’ actual needs. Many of our clients choose a longer morning visit for feeding and a walk, a shorter midday pop-in for a potty break, and a longer evening visit to close out the day. You build the schedule that works for your household, and we show up for every single visit.
Full Accountability With Every Visit
We use a professional pet care app for all drop-in visits. When we arrive, you receive a notification. When we leave, you receive a full visit report that includes the time we arrived and departed, a written summary of the visit, photos of your pets, notes on anything we did around the house, and a GPS map of any dog walk so you can see exactly where we went. You are never left wondering whether we showed up or what happened while you were away.
A Real Example: One Household, Two Pets, Two Services
One of my favorite examples of how these two services can work together involves a client who has both a cat and a dog. The dog’s owner works from home, so the dog is used to having someone around all day. He also sleeps in bed with his owner every night. Boarding was the clear choice for him — he came to stay with us, spent his days as part of the family, and slept in bed with us at night getting his usual snuggles. He barely missed a beat.
The cat, on the other hand, was much happier staying in her own home. We visited her daily, fed her, cleaned her litter box, and gave her plenty of love and attention. She got to stay in her space, on her schedule, without any disruption to her environment.
Same household. Same trip. Two different services, each perfectly matched to the animal receiving it.
Which Service Is Right for Your Situation
Boarding May Be the Better Fit If:
- You have one easy-going dog who loves being around people and thrives in a family environment
- Your dog has separation anxiety and does better when they are never truly alone
- Your dog is used to sleeping in bed or on furniture and would find an empty house lonely
- You want the peace of mind of knowing your pet is with someone around the clock
- Your dog qualifies — friendly, non-aggressive, potty trained, and comfortable around other dogs
Drop-In Visits May Be the Better Fit If:
- You have multiple pets, since drop-ins are priced per visit rather than per animal, which often makes them more cost-effective for larger households
- Your pets — especially cats — do better in their own environment
- You want someone checking on your home multiple times a day while you’re out of town
- Your pet has a specific feeding or medication schedule that requires visits at set times
- You have a dog that does not qualify for boarding due to temperament or behavior
We Do More Than Care for Your Pets
Whether you choose boarding or drop-in visits, West Hills Dog Sitter looks after more than just your animals while you’re away. During drop-in visits, we bring in your mail and packages, manage your trash cans on collection days, water your plants, and handle any other reasonable requests you have before you leave. We also use common sense and keep our eyes open while we’re there.
On one visit, I heard a hissing noise in the house and tracked it down to a water source that had been left on. I turned it off before it could become a serious problem. We took photos, noted it in the visit report, and let the client know immediately. That kind of attentiveness — looking out for the whole household, not just the pet in front of us — is something we take seriously. Communication and the safety of your home and your pets are at the core of everything we do.
How Pricing Works
Our pricing is fully transparent and published on our website so you never have to guess. Boarding is priced as a daily rate per dog. Drop-in visits are priced per visit based on the length of time — not the number of pets. You can visit westhillsdogsitter.com, look at our rates, and add up your visits to get a clear picture of what your trip will cost before you ever pick up the phone.
We do have a holiday surcharge that applies to all services during peak holiday periods. Even with that surcharge, our pricing remains all-inclusive — there are no add-on fees, no charges for medication administration, no extra cost for walks, special feeding, or additional requests. What you see is what you pay.
That said, when our clients call to ask which service is right for them, pricing is almost never the deciding factor. The real question is always what is best for your pets and your specific situation. That is the question we help you answer.
Not Sure Which Option Is Right for You?
We are always happy to talk it through. West Hills Dog Sitter exclusively serves West Hills and Bell Canyon with professional, insured, background-checked, and pet first aid and CPR certified care. Visit us at westhillsdogsitter.com to see our full pricing, or call us at (818) 600-6058 and we will help you find the right fit for your pets and your home.
