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by MoeGo on Nov 13, 2026, 2:06:58 PM
For years, one daycare owner handed every dog a frozen peanut butter Kong for free. Then she started charging $2. Nobody complained. As she put it, it's not a huge increase financially, but at least it's not an expense anymore.
That small change gets at something experienced owners say again and again when the slow season hits: don't discount. Once you lower your price, that becomes the price in clients' heads. So how do you grow revenue without cutting your base rate or raising it?
You sell small extras that clients are happy to pay for. We looked at what daycare and boarding owners actually offer, what they charge, and what their clients say yes to. This year, we analyzed 100+ conversations we had with pet boarding and daycare business owners. Here are 12 add-ons that work, with typical prices and what each one takes to run.
The best add-ons are cheap to deliver, easy to say yes to, and sold as checkboxes
The best dog daycare and boarding add-ons are low-cost, high-delight extras:
-
Frozen enrichment treats ($2 to $5)
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Private walks or play sessions ($10 to $20)
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A departure bath ($15 to $40 by size), late checkout ($15 to $25)
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Photo or video updates, and suite upgrades.
Offer them as optional checkboxes at booking and check-in, so clients choose them instead of you pitching them. Prices vary by market, so treat these as starting ranges.
Enrichment add-ons
1. Frozen Kong or lick mat ($2 to $5). It costs you cents, keeps dogs calm in their run, and is the easiest yes at check-in. If you already give one away, start charging for it and include one free on longer stays so regulars don't feel a sudden change.
2. Bedtime story ($5 to $10). One facility added this, and pet parents love it. At drop-off, the parent picks a children's book from a shelf in the lobby. That night a staff member reads it to the dog and sends a photo. It costs almost nothing, it's exactly the kind of photo clients share, and the owner says her team enjoys it too.
3. Sniff walk or field time ($10 to $20). Fifteen minutes of one-on-one decompression. It's a natural fit for dogs that don't do group play, and for anxious first-time boarders.
4. Puzzle-feeder meals ($3 to $5 per meal). Slower eating, more enrichment, and a reason to feed in the run instead of from a plain bowl.
Comfort add-ons
5. Suite or room upgrade. Set two or three lodging tiers with clear differences, such as size, bedding, a TV, or a webcam, and let clients choose. Tiers work better than a single "luxury" option because they give clients a middle choice.
6. Late checkout ($15 to $25). Many facilities already charge a half or full daycare day when a boarder leaves after checkout time. Offering it upfront as an add-on turns a fee clients grumble about into a perk they choose.
7. Cuddle or brushing session ($8 to $15). Popular with senior dogs and nervous first-timers, and easy to slot into quiet afternoon hours.
Grooming bundles
8. Departure bath ($15 to $40 and up by size). The dog goes home clean, the parent is thrilled, and you've added revenue on the last day of the stay. Giant and double-coated breeds often run higher. If you have a groomer on site, this is the simplest bundle you can offer.
9. Nail trim or grind ($10 to $20). Quick to add at check-in, and dogs that board often are often overdue.
10. Holiday "fresh for family" bath. One groomer offers clients who book in the two weeks before Thanksgiving a reduced-price bath and nail trim before Christmas. That isn't a markdown on the base price. It's a reward for rebooking, and it fills an extra appointment during the busiest stretch of the year. The same idea works for boarders going home right before family gatherings.
Communication add-ons
11. Photo or video report card. Groomers credit post-visit report cards with photos for steady five-star reviews. For boarders, a daily photo is close to expected now, so keep that free. A short video or a "day in the life" update can be a paid tier on top.
Packages
12. Prepaid daycare packs and boarding bundles. Packs of 10 or 20 daycare days bring cash in early and lock in loyalty, which also helps carry you through slow months. Set the terms upfront: when unused days expire, for example one year from purchase, and whether they're refundable.
How to price an add-on
Start with what it actually costs you to deliver: supplies plus staff minutes. Then mark it up.
👉 A sample formula: Add-on price = 3 x (supply cost + staff minutes x hourly wage ÷ 60)
Here's how that works out at an $18/hour wage:
|
Add-on |
Supplies |
Staff time |
Cost to you |
Price at about 3x |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Frozen Kong |
About $0.50 |
2 min ($0.60) |
About $1.10 |
About $3 |
|
Bedtime story |
Almost none |
10 min ($3.00) |
About $3.00 |
About $9 |
|
15-minute sniff walk |
None |
15 min ($4.50) |
About $4.50 |
About $13.50 |
All three land inside the ranges owners already charge. A few more rules of thumb:
- Price staff-heavy add-ons by time. If a session takes 15 minutes, a 30-minute version should cost about twice as much.
- Bundle your bestsellers into tiers, such as a "Comfort Stay" and a "Spa Stay," so clients pick one package instead of scrolling through ten checkboxes.
- Check your local market. A walk that sells for $20 in a big city may top out at $12 in a small town.
How to sell add-ons without being pushy
Most of the selling should happen before anyone has to say a word.
- Make them checkboxes in online booking and on the check-in form. When add-ons are listed where clients are already making choices, they pick them on their own.
- Give staff one line for drop-off, such as: "Want to add a frozen Kong or a bedtime story tonight? Parents love the photo." One line is easy to remember and doesn't sound like a sales pitch.
- Let the photos sell. Every bedtime-story or bath photo you send is an ad for the next booking, especially when clients share it.
- Start with your regulars. Clients who already trust you are the most likely to try something new. Offer a new add-on to them first and use their feedback before you roll it out to everyone.
Track what actually sells
Check your add-on sales every month and look for three things:
- What sells. Promote it more, or build it into a tier.
- What staff forget to offer. If an add-on sells well some weeks and not at all in others, the problem is usually at the front desk, not the product.
- What nobody wants. Drop it, and keep the menu short.
This is much easier when add-ons live in your booking system instead of on a sticky note. With MoeGo, clients can choose add-ons and packages when they book online, your pricing rules apply automatically, photo updates go out through two-way texting, and reports show which add-ons are selling. Add-on revenue no longer depends on someone remembering to ring it up.
Frequently asked questions
What add-on services can a dog daycare or boarding facility offer?
Popular add-ons include frozen enrichment treats, bedtime stories, one-on-one walks, cuddle or brushing sessions, departure baths, nail trims, photo or video updates, late checkout, suite upgrades, and prepaid day packs.
How much should I charge for dog boarding add-ons?
Consumable add-ons like frozen Kongs usually run $2 to $5. Staff-time add-ons like walks or cuddle sessions typically run $8 to $20. Baths are priced by size, often $15 to $40 and up. A simple rule is to charge about three times what the add-on costs you in supplies and staff time.
Should I discount boarding during the slow season?
Most experienced owners advise against it, because a discounted price tends to become the price clients expect. Add-ons, tiered packages, and prepaid day packs raise revenue without resetting your base rate.
How do I sell add-ons without being pushy?
List them as checkboxes in online booking and on your check-in form, give staff one short line to use at drop-off, and let the photos you send clients do the rest.
What is the most profitable add-on for a dog daycare?
Add-ons that cost almost nothing to deliver, like a frozen Kong or a bedtime story, have the highest margins. Departure baths bring in the most revenue per dog if you have a groomer on site.
Just starting or adding to your business?
We have flexible plans meant for all stages.
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