--- title: Board Your Dog or Take Them Along? | Happy Paws url: https://happypawskennels.com/compare/boarding-vs-taking-your-dog/ business: Happy Paws Kennels address: 6677 Midway Road, Dixon, CA 95620 phone: 707-678-6600 hours: drop-off and pick-up every day 7:30-11:30 AM and 2:00-5:00 PM type: Dog and cat boarding kennel on about 10 country acres; caring for pets in Dixon since 1971 rates: 2026 rates, effective for reservations made on or after Jan 1, 2026 (dogs from $52 a night, cats $35 a night) --- - [Home](https://happypawskennels.com/) - [Guides](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/) - Board or bring your dog on the trip? # Board or bring your dog on the trip? Bring your dog when the trip is dog-friendly from start to finish; board when it involves heat, long days without shade, flights, or places dogs cannot go. Boarding at Happy Paws is $52, $59 or $72 a night for one dog on the 2026 rate sheet. [Book a stay](https://happypawskennels.propetware.com/customerLogin)[Call 707-678-6600](tel:+17076786600) Many dog owners feel guilty leaving a dog behind and equally worried about dragging one along. The choice usually comes down to a few plain questions about the trip. ## A quick test - Will your dog be with you, in a safe place, for nearly all of the trip? - Will every stop allow dogs, including meals and activities? - Will the weather be safe for your dog, including parked time? - Will the travel itself be calm, by car with breaks rather than a long flight? ## The car and the heat California law prohibits leaving an animal in an unattended vehicle under conditions that endanger it from heat, cold or poor ventilation (Penal Code 597.7). On a Dixon summer afternoon a parked car gets dangerously hot quickly, so a trip with lots of stops where your dog must wait in the car is better suited to boarding. See [how hot is too hot for dogs](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/how-hot-is-too-hot-for-dogs/). ## What boarding costs Stays of 14 nights or more and military stays take the reduced rate of $47, $53 or $65. Food, medications and walks are included. Compare that to the hotel pet fees, kennel carriers and time you would spend on the road. | Run | One dog, per night (2026 rates) | Seven nights | | --- | --- | --- | | Economy Class | $52 | $364 | | Business Class | $59 | $413 | | First Class | $72 | $504 | ## Good reasons to bring your dog - A road trip with a dog-friendly destination and plenty of outdoor time - A dog who gets anxious when you leave and travels well - A short weekend where you control the schedule ## Good reasons to board - Flights, cruises or long overseas trips - Weddings, hospital visits or events that cannot include a dog - Summer travel with hot driving days - A dog who is happier at home base than in strange hotels ## More help If you are planning a drive, read [road trips with a dog](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/road-trips-with-dogs/). If you are flying, see [flying with a dog versus boarding](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/flying-with-a-dog/). For a first stay, the [first-stay planner](https://happypawskennels.com/tools/first-stay-planner/) walks through it. ### Sources (checked October 19, 2026) - [California Penal Code section 597.7 (animals left in unattended vehicles)](https://california.public.law/codes/penal_code_section_597.7) - [Happy Paws Kennels 2026 rate sheet (PDF)](https://happypawskennels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2026-Rates-EFFECTIVE-1-1-26.pdf) - [Happy Paws Kennels: hours](https://happypawskennels.com/hours/) ### 2026 nightly rates - First Class kennel $72 - Business Class kennel $59 - Economy Class kennel $52 - Cat condo $35 All-inclusive: food, medications and walks. 2026 rates, effective for reservations made on or after Jan 1, 2026. [All 2026 rates](https://happypawskennels.com/rates/) ### Visit or call 6677 Midway Road, Dixon, CA 95620 [707-678-6600](tel:+17076786600) | Drop-off and pick-up, every day | 7:30 to 11:30 AM and 2:00 to 5:00 PM | | --- | --- | | Tours, every day (no appointment) | 9:00 to 11:00 AM and 2:00 to 4:00 PM | [Book a stay](https://happypawskennels.propetware.com/customerLogin) ### Related - [Road trips with a dog](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/road-trips-with-dogs/) - [Flying with a dog vs boarding](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/flying-with-a-dog/) - [Summer vacation boarding](https://happypawskennels.com/occasions/summer-vacation/) - [Dog boarding](https://happypawskennels.com/dog-boarding/) - [Stay cost estimator](https://happypawskennels.com/tools/stay-cost-estimator/) - [How hot is too hot for dogs? Dixon summer numbers](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/how-hot-is-too-hot-for-dogs/) ## Read next - [Day care vs a dog walker](https://happypawskennels.com/compare/day-care-vs-dog-walker/) - [Cattery vs cat sitter](https://happypawskennels.com/compare/cat-boarding-vs-cat-sitter-compare/) - [Country kennel vs a city pet hotel](https://happypawskennels.com/compare/country-kennel-vs-city-pet-hotel/) - [Kennel boarding vs an in-home sitter](https://happypawskennels.com/compare/boarding-vs-in-home-sitter/) Answers ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [707-678-6600](tel:+17076786600) (every day 7:30-11:30 AM and 2-5 PM) or see the [boarding FAQ](https://happypawskennels.com/faq/). ### Is it better to board a dog or take them on vacation? Take them if the trip is dog-friendly throughout; board them if it involves heat, flights or places dogs cannot go. ### How much does a week of boarding cost? Seven nights is $364 in Economy, $413 in Business Class and $504 in First Class for one dog, on the 2026 rates. ### Can I leave my dog in the car for a short stop? California law bars leaving an animal in a vehicle where heat, cold or poor ventilation endangers it. Plan stops where your dog can come along. ### What if I change my mind during the trip? Call 707-678-6600. Drop-off and pick-up run 7:30 to 11:30 AM and 2 to 5 PM.