Dog sitting
Dog Sitter Prices by Length of Stay — 1 Night to 2 Weeks+
Dog sitting rates vary by stay length. Here's how pricing works across Australian platforms for single nights, long weekends, week-long stays, and extended bookings — plus when a discount kicks in.
By atticus · 5 min read · Last updated 17 May 2026
Most dog sitting platforms display a per-night rate — which is useful for a single overnight booking but less clear when you're trying to budget a two-week holiday or understand whether a 7-night stay is priced differently from two 3-night ones.
Here's how pricing actually works by stay length, what discounts typically apply, and what the total cost looks like across common booking durations.
How per-night pricing works
A sitter's listed rate on TruePath is their standard overnight rate. For a 1–3 night booking, this rate applies directly: 2 nights at $90/night = $180.
The rate covers the sitter's evening arrival, overnight stay, morning routine, and any walks included in the arrangement. It doesn't automatically include extended daytime cover — if you're leaving for a full week and need the sitter to provide daytime care in addition to overnight, that's typically negotiated separately as part of the booking.
| Area | 30 min | 60 min | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 night (in-home sitting)National average. Sydney: $100–$115, Adelaide/Hobart: $70–$85 | — | — | $88 |
| 2–3 nights (long weekend)Standard rate applies. Some sitters offer small weekend discount — ask | — | — | $88/night |
| 5–6 nights (working week)5–7% discount common for week-long bookings | — | — | $82–86/night |
| 7–10 nights (1 week+)Most sitters discount 5–10% for 7+ nights; negotiable | — | — | $78–84/night |
| 14+ nights (2 weeks)10–15% discount common; some sitters offer fixed weekly rate instead | — | — | $75–82/night |
| Public holidays (any stay)Applies to specific gazetted public holiday dates; charged at a per-date surcharge | — | — | +25–50% |
How to calculate total cost for common trips
5-night getaway (no public holidays).
- Sitter rate: $90/night × 5 = $450
- With 5% long-stay discount: ~$427
10-night Christmas trip (December 22 – January 1).
- 7 standard nights at $88: $616
- 3 public holiday nights (Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day) at $88 + 40% surcharge: $369
- Total: ~$985 before platform service fee
14-night international trip (no peak period).
- Sitter rate: $90/night
- With 12% long-stay discount: ~$79/night
- 14 nights: ~$1,106
These are indicative calculations — actual pricing depends on the individual sitter, city, and any negotiated arrangement.
Drop-in visits and full-day sitting rates
Not all sitting is overnight. TruePath pricing for shorter service types:
Drop-in visits (typically 30 minutes): $30–50 depending on city. These cover a check-in, feeding, toilet trip, and a brief play. Not discounted for volume on most platforms.
Full-day sitting (8–10 hours, no overnight): $65–90/day. Some sitters offer this as an alternative to overnight care for owners returning the same evening.
Home-boarding (dog goes to the sitter's home): averages $68/night nationally, around $15–25/night less than in-home sitting. Similar long-stay discount structure applies.
When discounts are and aren't offered
Long-stay discounts are common but not universal. Sitters offering them do so because a single extended booking is lower friction than multiple short ones — less scheduling coordination, a predictable calendar block, and a relationship that deepens over the stay.
Sitters who don't offer discounts typically have high demand — they can fill their calendar with short bookings at full rate and don't need to incentivise longer ones.
The best approach: when messaging a sitter for a 7+ night booking, ask directly. "Do you have a long-stay rate for a 10-night booking?" is a normal question and produces a clear answer either way. Don't assume the listed rate is non-negotiable.
What doesn't change with stay length
The quality of preparation. A 1-night booking and a 14-night booking both need the same core handover: feeding schedule, medication, emergency contacts, access. The 14-night version needs more detail (food resupply, vet authorisation, travel itinerary) — but the foundation is the same.
The public holiday rate. Surcharges apply to specific dates, not to the booking overall. A 14-night discounted booking that includes Christmas Day still has the Christmas Day surcharge.
The meet-and-greet. No booking, short or long, skips it. A 1-night booking can have a brief 15-minute meeting; a 14-night booking warrants the full 45–60 minute walkthrough plus a trial stay.
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