How much to pay a dog sitter: rates for pros and friends

You have a trip booked and a dog who cannot come. A neighbour has offered to help, and a sitter has quoted a nightly rate. What would be fair to pay either of them?

What you pay a dog sitter depends on the job and on who you hire. In the United States, Rover’s sitters averaged $21.80 a drop-in visit and $55.45 a night staying in your home as of September 2025, and the member businesses in Pet Sitters International’s 2024 survey reported higher averages. Count the visits or nights first, check for extra-dog, puppy and holiday charges, then agree the total, and what it covers, before you leave.

How much do dog sitters charge?

In the US, Rover averages are about $22 for a half-hour visit and $55 for a night in your home; surveyed professional businesses reported higher averages. The table adds Toronto and London, from Rover’s published averages and the 2024 Pet Sitters International survey of its member businesses.

Rover’s US averages are as of September 2025, its Toronto figures as of October 2026, and its London figures as of September 2025. The PSI averages are from its 2024 survey.

Rates also vary by city. On Rover’s US table, a night of house sitting averaged $80.72 in San Francisco and $43.32 in Oklahoma City.

What makes a sitter charge more?

More dogs, younger dogs, holidays and short notice. Sitters on Rover set their own rates, and Rover’s help centre lists what can be added on top: an additional pet rate, an extra rate for dogs under a year old, and a holiday rate that applies to the whole booking if any of its dates fall on a holiday.

Rover says its sitters tend to set holiday rates 10 to 20% above their usual ones, and 67% of the professionals in Pet Sitters International’s 2024 holiday survey said they charge a holiday surcharge, most often $5 to $7 or $8 to $10 a visit. If you are travelling at Christmas, book a holiday sitter early.

Rover’s rate guide adds that sitters may charge more for dogs that need medication and for last-minute requests, and Rover’s own booking fee for owners is 11% in most of the US. For stays of seven nights or more, Rover lets sitters set a separate nightly rate; ask whether it is lower.

What should you check before you pay a professional?

Insurance, bonding and a background check. Pet Sitters International’s interview checklist says a professional should carry liability insurance written for pet sitters and dog walkers, bonding or theft cover, and be able to show a current background check. In the UK, NARPS says professional sitters are expected to have a DBS check and public liability insurance.

A professional’s rate may cover those things; ask what the quote includes and what happens if the sitter falls ill. Remember those costs when you compare a professional’s quote with what a friend would charge.

How much should you pay a friend or neighbour to watch your dog?

We found no published rate for paying a friend, so base it on the job. Price it the way a sitter would: count the visits or nights, check local professional rates for the same job, and agree an amount you are both comfortable with.

A worked example: a week of two drop-ins a day is 14 visits. Fourteen visits at Rover’s US average of $21.80 come to about $305, before extras and booking fees. A friend doing the same visits does the same work but may not carry a business’s costs, such as insurance or a backup sitter, and Pet Sitters International points out that this is why non-professional sitters can offer rates a business cannot. Ask what your friend’s arrangement includes, then write down the agreed amount before the first visit.

The same goes for a teenager from down the street. Agree a price for the visits, then arrange someone to call if they are sick and an adult who can make a decision at the vet. For vet care, the pet sitting contract explains the authorisation and the spending limit.

Should you tip a dog sitter?

In the US it is up to you. Rover’s tipping guide cites etiquette experts suggesting 10 to 20% of the total, or $20 to $100 for a long stay. In the UK, Rover says tipping a pet sitter is not standard or expected. Over the holidays, 82% of professional sitters in the PSI survey said their clients usually leave a gift, most often cash.

What should you agree before the first day?

The amount, when it is paid, what it covers and what happens if something goes wrong. Write down whether the rate is per visit or per night, the number of each, how much the sitter may spend at the vet without calling you, and how you will repay them for food or a replacement lead.

Then give them the routine. The pet sitter handoff checklist covers feeding, walks, medication and the emergency vet, so the sitter knows what care you expect, and the rest of our guides to shared care and pet records cover what comes up while you are away.

Where Dana fits

Add your dog’s sitter in Dana, as a full caregiver or in the limited sitter role. Set the first and last day of the stay, and the dog’s reminders go to them for those days. Every walk and meal they log shows up for you with their name and the time, and you can record what you paid them as a sitting expense in Dana’s pet expense tracker. See how shared care works in Dana and the guide to sharing pet care.