--- title: Dog Hotel, Pet Resort or Kennel? | Happy Paws Kennels url: https://happypawskennels.com/guides/dog-hotel-vs-kennel/ 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/) - Dog hotel, pet resort or kennel # Dog hotel, pet resort or kennel: what the names really mean The words dog hotel, pet resort, dog suite and kennel are names a business chooses, not categories the state assigns. What matters is the license, the space per dog, and what the nightly price covers. [Book a stay](https://happypawskennels.propetware.com/customerLogin)[Call 707-678-6600](tel:+17076786600) If you are comparing places to board a dog near Sacramento, the vocabulary can make a simple choice feel complicated. This guide sorts the names from the facts you can verify. ## Names are not categories In California the legal category is the pet boarding facility, defined in Health and Safety Code section 122380 as a place where four or more pets are boarded for pay. The same minimum standards apply to a business that calls itself a hotel, a resort, a lodge or a kennel. Those standards cover sound, cleanable structures, enclosures where a pet can turn around, stand and lie down, a check on each pet at least once every 24 hours, fresh water, daily enrichment and written emergency policies. Counties and cities can add their own rules (section 122388). So the practical questions are local: is the business licensed where it operates, and does it give you the written information the state requires about drop-off hours, enclosure size and the daily schedule? ## What Happy Paws is Happy Paws Kennels is a boarding kennel in unincorporated Solano County, at 6677 Midway Road in Dixon, licensed as a business and commercial kennel by Solano County. The name says kennel, and the setup is indoor/outdoor runs: 100 of them, each with a doggie door, a Kuranda raised bed and blankets, heated in winter and air conditioned in summer. The kennel has cared for pets in Dixon since 1971, and the second building opened on October 5, 2022. Billing works like a hotel, by the night, with check-out by 11:30 AM. ## Comparing space and price on equal terms Whatever the label, compare the same three things everywhere: interior square feet, outdoor square feet, and the nightly price for one dog. Happy Paws lists all three. Economy is about 16 square feet inside plus 48 outside at $52 a night. Business Class is about 30 inside plus 60 outside at $59. First Class is about 48 inside plus 72 outside at $72. These are 2026 rates, and military families and stays of 14 or more nights get the reduced rate on the [rates page](https://happypawskennels.com/rates/). A higher-priced place is not automatically roomier, and a plain name is not automatically plain. Put the numbers side by side. ## Questions that cut through the marketing Ask what the license is and who issued it, how big the space is in square feet, what is included in the nightly price (medications, walks and your own food are included at Happy Paws), how late you can check out, and whether you can tour without an appointment. A kennel that is proud of its space will let you see it. ### Sources (checked October 19, 2026) - [California Health and Safety Code sections 122380-122388, pet boarding facilities](https://www.animallaw.info/statute/ca-pet-boarding-facilities-chapter-11-pet-boarding-facilities) - [Happy Paws Kennels 2026 rate sheet (PDF)](https://happypawskennels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2026-Rates-EFFECTIVE-1-1-26.pdf) ### 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 - [Dog boarding](https://happypawskennels.com/dog-boarding/) - [2026 rates](https://happypawskennels.com/rates/) - [Cage-free boarding and indoor/outdoor runs](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/cage-free-and-indoor-outdoor-runs/) - [How to choose a dog kennel](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-dog-kennel/) - [Tour the facility](https://happypawskennels.com/touring-the-facility/) ## Heat and cold near the kennel **NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Vacaville station (about 8 miles from the kennel)** | Month | Avg high | Avg low | Days 90°F+ | Days 100°F+ | Nights 32°F or below | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Jan | 57.6°F | 39.6°F | 0 | 0 | 5.1 | | Feb | 63°F | 42.2°F | 0 | 0 | 1.8 | | Mar | 68.5°F | 44.8°F | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | | Apr | 74.9°F | 48°F | 1.3 | 0 | 0.1 | | May | 82.8°F | 52.9°F | 8.2 | 1 | 0 | | Jun | 90.7°F | 57.7°F | 15.9 | 4.3 | 0 | | Jul | 97.3°F | 60.2°F | 27.1 | 10.1 | 0 | | Aug | 96.5°F | 59.5°F | 25.3 | 9.3 | 0 | | Sep | 91.9°F | 57.5°F | 19.1 | 3.3 | 0 | | Oct | 81.2°F | 51.8°F | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0 | | Nov | 67°F | 44.5°F | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Dec | 57.9°F | 39.5°F | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | A normal year: about 101.5 days at 90°F or hotter, 28.4 at 100°F or hotter, 14.2 freezing nights. Source: [NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/normals-monthly/1991-2020/access/). ## Read next - [What to look for on a kennel tour](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/what-to-look-for-on-a-kennel-tour/) - [California dog vaccine law vs what a boarding kennel requires](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/california-dog-vaccine-laws-vs-kennel-requirements/) - [Can day care help a dog lose weight?](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/can-day-care-help-a-dog-lose-weight/) - [Wildfire smoke and dogs](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/wildfire-smoke-and-dogs/) - [Boarding a dog with arthritis or stiff joints](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/boarding-a-dog-with-arthritis/) - [Boarding a dog with food allergies or a prescription diet](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/boarding-a-dog-with-food-allergies/) - [Puppy socialization before the first boarding stay](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/puppy-socialization-before-the-first-stay/) - [Ticks on dogs in Solano and Yolo counties](https://happypawskennels.com/guides/ticks-on-dogs-in-solano-and-yolo/) 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 a dog hotel different from a kennel under California law? No. State law regulates any pet boarding facility that boards four or more pets for pay, whatever the business calls itself. ### What does Happy Paws call itself? Happy Paws Kennels, a kennel near Dixon with 100 indoor/outdoor runs, licensed as a business and commercial kennel by Solano County. ### Do dog suites cost more than runs? Prices depend on the business. At Happy Paws, 2026 rates are $52, $59 and $72 a night for one pet in Economy, Business Class and First Class. ### Can I tour before I book? Yes. Tours run daily 9 to 11 AM and 2 to 4 PM, no appointment, with a staff member walking with you.