AUSTRALIA'S MOST-LOVED PET CARE COMMUNITY
Your dog sleeps over. In a real home.
With someone who adores them.
agly Home Boarding places your dog in the home of a verified Pet Professional overnight — not a kennel, not a cage, not a commercial facility. A real home, a real bed, and a real person who is genuinely happy to have them.
If you would prefer to chat to someone about what services and staff will best suit you or find out about becoming a WagLy pet professional, click below to book a chat.
Wag ly, Boarding
Whether you need one night while you go out for dinner, a week while you're on holiday, or extended care while life gets complicated — Wagly Home Boarding gives your dog a place to stay that feels like a second home rather than somewhere they are simply being managed until you return.
Your dog sleeps inside. They are part of the household. They go on walks, enjoy the garden, make a new friend, and spend the evening on the couch exactly as they would at home. You get a photo goodnight message and the kind of peace of mind that is genuinely hard to put a price on.
In a real home — not a kennel · Overnight from 6pm · Collection by 9am · Short and long stays welcome · Matched by size and energy · Photo updates morning and night · Verified and background checked
IN A REAL HOME!
WHAT IS WAGLY HOME BOARDING?
A home away from home. Not a facility with a fancy name.
The difference between home boarding and a kennel is not just marketing language. It is a fundamentally different experience for your dog and the difference shows.
In a kennel your dog has a run, a concrete floor, and the company of dozens of other dogs they did not choose to be around. There are staff shifts, there is noise, and there is an environment designed for throughput rather than comfort. For many dogs — particularly those who are anxious, elderly, sensitive, or simply used to being part of a family — a kennel stay is genuinely stressful.
In a Wagly boarding home your dog sleeps inside, has access to a garden, shares space with at most one other dog unless they are from the same family, eats at their normal time from their own bowl, and goes to bed in a comfortable, quiet home. The person caring for them chose to do this work because they love having dogs around. That is not a small thing.
Most dogs who board with Wagly do not come home traumatised and exhausted. They come home well rested, well walked, and occasionally a little bit disappointed to be leaving.
HOW OVERNIGHT BOARDING WORKS
Simple, clear, and designed to work for everyone.
Drop off — any time from 2pm
Home boarding begins in the evening. You drop your dog at your carer's home any time from 2pm. Your carer is ready for them — dinner is planned, the sleeping space is set up, and there is no rush. For dogs who have been before this is a relaxed, familiar handover. For first-time boarders a meet and greet beforehand makes this moment far less stressful for everyone.
The evening
Your dog settles into the household routine. Dinner at their usual time. A garden wander or a short evening walk. Whatever your dog normally does in the evening, your carer will follow as closely as possible. Gradually the evening winds down, the household quietens, and your dog finds their spot — whether that is their own bed, a carer-provided dog bed, or — let's be honest — the couch.
Overnight
Your dog sleeps in your carer's home. Inside. Safe. Your carer is there throughout the night. For dogs who are used to sleeping near their people this is enormously reassuring. They are not alone. They are not in a kennel. They are in a home.
Morning
Morning starts at a sensible hour. A garden visit, breakfast at the usual time, and a proper morning walk. Your dog gets a full morning routine before you arrive to collect them.
Collection — by 10am
Dogs must be collected by 10am the following morning. This boundary matters. Your carer has a day ahead of them and a home to run. A 10am collection gives your dog a full morning routine and gives your carer their day back. If you are going to be later than 10am, please arrange in advance — if your dog needs to stay through the day, add a day care booking and collect by 6pm that evening.
More than one night stay
Of course if you want more than just an overnight stay your bring your dog in anytime after 2pm the first day, arrange that with the Wagly professional and arrange a pick up time the morning of their last day (overnight) stays are calculated on the overnight like a hotel, unless arranged otherwise with a 2pm check in and 10am check out.
THE 6PM RULE — AND WHY IT EXISTS
If your dog is still there at 6pm, it is an overnight stay. Full stop.
This is one of the most important things to understand about how Wagly Home Boarding works — and it exists to protect your dog, your carer, and the quality of the service.
There is no such thing as a late day care pickup at Wagly. If you are going out for dinner, a show, a work event, or a night out and you will not be collecting your dog before 6pm — that is an overnight boarding booking. Not a long day. Not a late pickup. A boarding stay.
Here is why this matters.
A dog sitting in someone's home waiting to be collected at 10pm or 11pm at night is not a comfortable situation for the dog, for the carer, or for the carer's household. Your carer should not be sitting up waiting for a pickup message. Their family should not be on hold. And your dog should not be in a state of uncertain waiting all evening, unsettled and confused about why the routine has dissolved.
An overnight booking resolves all of this cleanly. Your dog has dinner. Your dog settles. Your dog sleeps. Your carer's evening proceeds normally. And you can actually enjoy your night out knowing your dog is genuinely comfortable rather than waiting at the door.
The 6pm rule is not a cashgrab. It is a welfare decision, a fairness decision, and a quality decision. It makes the entire experience better for everyone involved — most of all your dog.
HOW LONG CAN MY DOG STAY?
One night or three months. We have you covered.
One night — spontaneous overnight
Going out for dinner and a show and know you will not be home before 6pm?
A single night booking gives your dog a comfortable overnight stay and you collect them the following morning by 10am.
Perfect for date nights, work functions, celebrations, and any evening where picking up a dog at an unreasonable hour is not something anyone needs.
Weekend stays — two to three nights
A long weekend away, a wedding out of town, a spontaneous trip. Two or three night stays are one of the most common Wagly boarding bookings.
Your dog has enough time to fully settle, enjoy a couple of proper walks, and get genuinely comfortable with their carer before you return.
Holiday stays — one to two weeks
The classic holiday boarding situation. You are going away for a week or two and your dog needs proper, consistent, loving care while you are gone.
Wagly holiday boarding is everything a kennel is not — your dog is in a home, with a consistent carer, on a consistent routine, for the entire duration.
You get daily updates. They get a holiday of their own, essentially.
Extended stays — weeks or months
Life is not always predictable. Renovations, medical situations, work postings, family emergencies, temporary relocations — sometimes a dog needs care for an extended period and a kennel is simply not an appropriate answer for a stay of that length.
Wagly extended boarding places your dog with a carer who genuinely makes them part of their household for as long as needed. Extended stays are arranged with additional meet and greets, detailed care plans, and regular owner updates throughout. Pricing for extended stays is discussed at the time of booking.
WHERE DOES MY DOG SLEEP?
Inside. Always inside.
All Wagly boarding dogs sleep inside the carer's home. This is non-negotiable. We do not place dogs with carers who keep boarding dogs outside overnight. Ever.
Your carer will have a designated sleeping space for your dog. This might be a dog bed in the bedroom, a crate if your dog is crate trained and comfortable with this, or a comfortable spot in the living area.
You can discuss sleeping arrangements with your carer before the first booking — most carers are flexible and will adapt to what your dog is used to.
For dogs who normally sleep in their owner's bed — we leave this one to you and your carer to discuss. Some carers are very happy with this arrangement.
Others prefer dogs sleep in their own bed. It is a conversation worth having before booking.
Full care. Not just supervision.
WHAT YOUR CARER WILL DO
Every overnight boarding stay includes:
Drop-off welcome and settling in — calm, warm, no rushing · Evening meal at your dog's normal time following your instructions exactly · An evening garden visit or short walk to help them wind down · A comfortable sleeping space inside the home · Monitoring through the night — your carer is there · Morning garden visit and fresh water immediately upon waking · Breakfast at your dog's normal time · A proper morning walk before collection · At least one photo or video update during the evening and morning · A brief handover note at collection — how they slept, how they ate, anything worth knowing
For extended stays:
A detailed care plan agreed before the stay begins · Regular photo and video updates — daily for the first week, then as agreed · Any medications administered as instructed · Vet contact maintained throughout · A proper farewell and handover summary when the stay ends
PREPARING FOR YOUR DOG'S FIRST STAY
A little preparation makes a big difference.
Do a meet and greet first.
For any boarding stay — but especially the first one — a meet and greet before the actual booking is one of the most valuable things you can do.
Your dog visits the home, meets the carer, and potentially meets any other resident dogs or animals in a relaxed, no-pressure way. When drop-off day comes the home is familiar, the carer is not a stranger, and your dog settles far faster.
Pack what they know.
Bring your dog's own food for the full duration of the stay plus a little extra. Sudden food changes during the stress of a new environment can cause digestive upset. Bring their regular bowl if it helps.
Pack a toy or blanket that smells like home — familiar scents are enormously reassuring for dogs in new environments. For puppies and young dogs this is particularly important.
Tell your carer everything.
Your carer needs to know your dog's full routine — wake time, meal times, how much they eat, how they like to be walked, their favourite games, the things that make them anxious, the things that calm them down, their known medical history, and their vet's contact details.
The more your carer knows, the better your dog's stay will be. Do not undersell quirks or known issues. Your carer is a professional — they can handle the reality of your dog far better than a surprise on night one.
Vaccinations or Titre Test must be current.
All Wagly boarding dogs must be up to date with their C5 vaccination including kennel cough protection. Have had their three sets of puppy vaccinations and the yearly booster. After that if you chose to 'Titre Test' to check immunity levels instead of vaccinating each year, just bring in your Titre Test results.
Your carer will ask for proof of vaccination or Titre Test at or before the first stay. This protects your dog, any other dogs in the home, and the carer's own pets if any.
PRICING
Honest pricing. No surprises.
Overnight boarding — $100 per night
One flat nightly rate covering drop-off from 2pm through to collection at 10am the following morning.
This includes the full evening care, overnight stay, and morning routine.
Regular booking rate — $80 per night
Book three or more nights per week consistently with the same carer and ask about our regular client rate. Regular boarding dogs settle faster, are better understood by their carer, and generally have a noticeably better experience than infrequent visitors.
Extended stay pricing
For stays of more than two weeks, pricing is discussed individually at the time of booking and takes into account the duration, the dog's care needs, and the carer's situation.
Extended stays always include a detailed care plan and regular updates.
Adding day care to a boarding stay
If your dog boards overnight and you also need them cared for during the following day before you collect, add a day care session to your booking.
Day care rates apply from 10am and your dog can be collected any time before 6pm that evening.
If it was a big night, you might need a sleep in.
Public holidays A public holiday surcharge may apply for stays that include public holidays. Your carer will advise this at the time of booking.
Two ways to book your Day Care
FOR PET OWNERS
Your dog deserves somewhere they actually want to be.
Tell us your suburb, your dates, and a bit about your dog. We will find a verified local carer who is genuinely right for them and arrange a meet and greet before the first booking.
Every boarding host is verified, background checked, and personally reviewed by our team. Your dog is going somewhere wonderful.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BOOK
FOR DOG LOVERS
FOR BOARDING HOSTS
Love having dogs in your home? Earn money while you sleep.
If you love dogs, have a suitable home, and enjoy the company of a four-legged guest overnight — Wagly Home Boarding could be perfect for you. Set your own availability, choose the dogs you accept, and build a regular client base of dogs who genuinely look forward to staying with you.
STILL NOT SURE?
Frequently Asked Questions
We understand this is a big decision! Hope we can answer some questions here for you.
Why does it become overnight if I pick up after 6pm?
Because a dog sitting in someone's home waiting for a late pickup is not good for the dog, not fair to the carer, and not the experience we want either party to have. The 6pm boundary makes the whole system work cleanly. Your dog settles properly for the evening, your carer's household runs normally, and you can enjoy your evening without worrying about racing home to collect a dog. It is genuinely better for everyone — especially your dog.
Can I call or message my carer during the stay?
Yes. Your carer's contact details are part of your booking. You can message them at reasonable hours and they will keep you updated throughout the stay. For longer stays most carers establish a regular update rhythm — daily photos, morning check-ins, whatever works for both parties.
What if my dog does not settle?
Some dogs — particularly those who have never been away from home before — take a night or two to fully settle. Your carer is experienced with this and will handle it patiently. In rare cases where a dog is genuinely distressed and cannot settle, your carer will contact you. This is why the meet and greet beforehand is so valuable — dogs who have visited the home before boarding settle dramatically faster.
Can my dog bring their own bed or crate?
Yes, absolutely. Familiar items from home are encouraged. If your dog has a crate they sleep in bring it — the familiar smell and structure of their own crate can make a significant difference to how quickly they settle in a new environment.
What if my dog has medical needs?
Tell us when you enquire. Many Wagly carers are comfortable administering medications, following specialist feeding plans, or caring for dogs with medical conditions. Some conditions require a carer with specific experience and we will match accordingly. We will always be honest with you if a dog's medical needs are beyond what our standard boarding carers can provide.
What if I need to extend the stay unexpectedly?
Contact your carer as soon as possible. Most carers can accommodate extensions with reasonable notice. If your regular carer is not available for the extended period, our team will work to find a suitable alternative so your dog's care is not interrupted.
Is boarding available for cats and other pets?
Wagly boarding is primarily designed for dogs. Some of our carers also accept cats — check the individual profile at the time of booking. For other animals please enquire directly and we will do our best to find the right arrangement.
My dog is not good with other dogs. Can they still board?
Tell us about your dog's history when you book. Some carers do solo-only boarding — they accept one dog at a time with no other dogs in the home. This is often the perfect solution for dogs who prefer their own company. We will find the right match.
Real pet lovers, right in your neighbourhood.
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