Houndtrust field guide
Guides for solo dog-care pros
Free business forms
The contract, waiver, and invoice do different jobs
Start with three records: a contract for rates and policies, a waiver for consent and emergency-vet authorization, and an invoice for charges, payments, and the balance due. Each template is free to copy or download.
Free form
Dog boarding client intake form template
A free editable form for contacts, veterinarian, food, medication, routine, bite history, guarding, escape, triggers, stay dates, and owner confirmation.
Local rules
Do you need a license to board dogs at home?
How to check zoning, business registration, animal permits, inspections, your lease or HOA, and insurance for one exact address before taking a booking.
Insurance
Dog boarding insurance cost for home boarders
Current published price references, the coverage names to ask about, exclusions worth reading twice, and a quote checklist for an in-home boarding business.
Free form
Emergency vet authorization form for pet sitters
A free, editable form with owner and backup contacts, clinic details, treatment permission, a spending limit, payment instructions, and an expiration date.
Startup costs
Dog boarding startup costs and calculator
Build a first-month budget with your own numbers for permits, home safety, insurance, software, marketing, reserve cash, and monthly break-even.
Start here
How to start a dog boarding business from home
A working boarder's 10-step setup: local rules, insurance, capacity, rates, paperwork, emergency plans, first clients, and the systems to put in place before the first stay.
Operator report
Is Rover worth it for sitters? Our 33-stay record
A six-year home boarder's answer using 33 completed Rover stays, $2,277.10 in recorded sitter fees, and a clear look at what the marketplace fee bought.
Free calculator
Dog boarding income calculator
Enter your nightly rate and booked dog-nights to estimate monthly revenue, fees, costs, profit, and the difference between marketplace and direct clients.
Operator case study
Dog boarding business income: real records
A Rover-only 33-stay export showing $11,385.50 in service charges and $2,277.10 in fees, with private clients clearly excluded.
Money
Dog boarding invoice template (free download)
A free invoice template with stay dates, night or 24-hour rates, extra dogs, add-ons, deposits, payments, and a balance clients can check at a glance.
Rover fees
Rover's tiered fees, explained by a real boarder
Rover calls it “earn more with repeat clients.” Here's what a new client actually costs you now: the 30/15/10 tiers, the pilot metros, and the math on a real home-boarding house.
Rover
How to leave Rover without losing your clients
A 6-year boarder's step-by-step playbook for running your own book: keep the clients who are legitimately yours, stay inside Rover's terms, and stop paying a cut on people you already know.
Getting clients
How to get your first 10 dog boarding clients
The channels that actually produce clients for a solo home boarder, in the order they pay off: word of mouth, vet and groomer referrals, local groups, and the referral ask, with no marketplace cut.
Pricing
How much to charge for dog boarding: a real rate card
An operator's pricing framework, not a consumer cost page: anchor a base night rate to your market, build in holiday and puppy premiums, and choose per-night vs 24-hour billing.
Paperwork
Dog sitting waiver template (free download)
A free, editable waiver template from a working boarder, with the three lines owners always skip: the emergency-vet spend cap, honest behavior disclosure, and photo consent.
Paperwork
Dog boarding contract template (free, editable)
A free, editable contract template for the business terms a waiver leaves out: rates and per-night vs 24-hour billing, pickup windows, cancellation, holiday premiums, and multi-dog terms.
Getting set up
The 5 things every dog sitter should get in writing
A liability waiver, emergency-vet authorization, intake details, cancellation terms, and photo consent - what belongs in writing before the first stay, and why each one matters.
Run your own book without a booking cut
Houndtrust is the tool the guides are written from: Trust Link intake, separate e-signed waivers, both calendars, and your month's money in one place. No marketplace booking commission. Free to start.