Become a Dog Boarder UK | Self-Employed Dog Boarding Opportunities
17th July 2026
Turn your love of dogs into a rewarding self-employed role with the UK’s longest-established pet care provider.
Are you passionate about dogs and looking for a flexible way to earn extra income from home? Becoming a dog boarder in the UK could be the perfect opportunity to combine your love of animals with a rewarding self-employed role.
Petpals is recruiting caring, reliable dog lovers across the UK to become self-employed dog boarding hosts, providing dogs with a safe, comfortable and loving home-from-home experience while their owners are away.
Unlike traditional kennels, home dog boarding allows dogs to stay in a relaxed family environment where they receive individual care, familiar routines and plenty of companionship.
Whether you’re retired, work from home, looking for a flexible income or simply love spending time with dogs, becoming a Petpals dog boarder could be the perfect fit.
Why become a Petpals Dog Boarder?
- Work around your own lifestyle
- Earn extra self-employed income
- Care for dogs in your own home
- Receive training and ongoing support
- Join one of the UK’s most trusted pet care brands
What is Dog Boarding?
Dog boarding provides temporary care for dogs when their owners are away on holiday, travelling for work or otherwise unable to care for them.
Rather than staying in kennels, dogs enjoy a welcoming home environment where they receive plenty of attention, exercise and affection.
As a Petpals dog boarding host, you’ll welcome dogs into your own home and provide everything they need during their stay, including:
Many owners now prefer home dog boarding because it provides a quieter, more personal alternative to kennels. Dogs can relax in a family home with one-to-one care, helping them feel settled and happy while their owners are away.
How Do I Become a Dog Boarder in the UK?
Becoming a dog boarder is a fantastic opportunity for people who love animals, but it also comes with responsibility. Professional dog boarding hosts need to provide a safe home environment, understand canine care and meet the relevant legal and insurance requirements.
At Petpals, we guide you through every step, giving you the confidence and knowledge needed to deliver an exceptional service.
1. Register Your Interest
Complete our application form so we can learn more about you, your home and your love of dogs.
2. Complete Your Checks & Training
- Dog boarding training
- Canine first aid
- DBS checks
- Pet business insurance
- Your local authority licence
We provide all of the above for you!
3. Start Welcoming Dogs
Once approved, you can begin accepting bookings that fit around your availability and lifestyle while providing exceptional care for local dogs.
What Does a Petpals Dog Boarder Do?
A Petpals dog boarding host provides dogs with a loving, safe and welcoming home while their owners are away. Every dog is treated as part of the family, enjoying plenty of care, companionship and attention throughout their stay.
Your role may include:
Every dog has their own personality, habits and needs. Getting to know them and helping them feel relaxed in your home is one of the most rewarding parts of being a Petpals dog boarder.
Flexible Around Your Lifestyle
As a self-employed Petpals dog boarder, you choose when you’re available and how often you accept bookings, allowing you to fit work around your family, hobbies or existing commitments.
Can I Earn Money as a Dog Boarder?
Yes. Becoming a dog boarder is a fantastic way to generate additional self-employed income while doing something you genuinely enjoy.
Many Petpals boarders fit dog boarding around their existing lifestyle, making it ideal for:
- People who work from home
- Retired dog lovers
- Families
- Existing pet owners
- Anyone looking for flexible self-employed work
Because you choose your own availability, dog boarding can provide a healthy work-life balance while allowing you to spend more time with wonderful dogs.
Please note that dogs can not be left alone for any longer than 3 hours at any one time.
Do I Need Experience?
You don’t need to have worked professionally with animals to become a Petpals dog boarder.
The qualities we’re looking for include:
Previous experience owning or caring for dogs is helpful, but your passion for animal welfare and willingness to learn are equally important.
Do I Need My Own Dog?
No. You don’t need to own a dog or have been a dog owner previously to become a Petpals dog boarder, as full training will be provided.
Many people enjoy caring for dogs without wanting the full-time commitment of pet ownership. Dog boarding allows you to enjoy the companionship of dogs while providing an invaluable service for local pet owners.
If you already have dogs, suitable introductions and compatibility are carefully considered before any boarding takes place.
Why Become a Petpals Dog Boarder?
Benefits of Joining Petpals
- ✔ Flexible self-employed working
- ✔ Be part of one of the UK’s longest-established pet care providers
- ✔ Professional training and ongoing support
- ✔ Canine first aid training
- ✔ Business insurance & licensing covered
- ✔ Spend your days caring for dogs
- ✔ Make a real difference to pets and their owners
Petpals is Recruiting Across the UK
We’re currently recruiting self-employed dog boarders in selected areas across the UK, including:
• Crawley
• Darlington
• Fleet
• Halesowen
• Lichfield
• Mansfield
• Poynton & Stockport East
• Sefton
• Sidcup
• South Durham
• Stockport
• Stockton-on-Tees
If your area isn’t listed, we’d still love to hear from you as new opportunities become available throughout the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a dog boarder earn?
Income varies depending on your location, availability and the number of bookings you accept, making it a flexible way to earn additional self-employed income.
Is dog boarding self-employed?
Yes. Petpals dog boarders work on a self-employed basis, giving them complete flexibility over their availability.
*Please note that as this is a self-employed role you will be responsible for managing your own tax and National Insurance arrangements, including submitting any required returns to HMRC.
Can I have another job?
Absolutely! You will be on a self-employed basis and are therefore free to have other jobs. We will work around your schedule. However, dogs can not be left alone for any longer than 3 hours at any one time.
How many dogs will I be boarding at any one time?
Due to regulations, we are only permitted to board dogs from the same household at any one time. This means you will not be asked to board multiple dogs from different households.
Do I get to choose which types of dogs I board?
Yes! We understand people have different breed or size preferences. Therefore if you would like to board specific breeds or small or medium breeds only this can be arranged and we’ll match you with the right dog(s).
Do I need a licence?
Yes it is a legal requirement to hold a dog boarding licence to board dogs on your premises. This is something we will arrange for you.
We have a Primary Authority partnership via our membership with the Pet Care Franchise Association (PCFA) whereby we can obtain a Host Family Boarding Licence on your behalf.
We’ll also arrange for you to be fully insured, undergo a DBS check, complete a dog home boarding training course and a canine first aid course.
All costs involved in obtaining boarding licences, inspection fees, DBS checks, training etc. are covered by Petpals.
