How to choose a dog hostel in Kathmandu: 12 questions to ask

What a dog hostel is, and what it costs per day

A dog hostel looks after your dog while you are away: a bed, meals, walks and people who watch over it. It is also called dog boarding. A stay can be a day (day care), a night, a week or a month. Some people board dogs in their own homes instead, which is closer to home sitting. In Nepal, “kennel” can mean a breeder as well as a boarding place, so check which one you are calling.

In October 2022, the president of the Nepal Veterinary Association told the Kathmandu Post that the government had no guidelines for running dog hostels. We found no newer rule as of October 2026. So you do the checking: the 12 questions below do the job a licence would.

Prices from sources we could open and date:

The 2 news figures are 4 years old, and they disagree at the edges. As of October 2026, none of the hostel websites we checked publish a boarding price, so ask each hostel for today’s price and what it covers: food, walks, updates and vet trips. Size matters too. In 2022, one operator told Onlinekhabar that large dogs cost more because they eat more and need more care.

At Supreme Pet Home a night costs Rs 1,200 (S, up to 10 kg), Rs 1,500 (M, 10–25 kg), Rs 1,800 (L, 25–40 kg) or Rs 2,000 (XL, 40 kg and over). A week is 7 nights and a month 30 at the same rate (all prices). See what a stay includes on the Stay page.

12 questions to ask any dog hostel

Ask them on the phone, then again when you visit. A good hostel answers with numbers and names, not “don’t worry”.

Health and safety

1. Which vaccines do you need, and do you check the card? A good answer names them, for example rabies and DHPPi (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza), each dated within a set time, and says staff read the card at drop-off. If a hostel takes any dog without a card, the dog in the next kennel may not be vaccinated either.
2. Will my dog have its own space? A good answer: 1 dog to a kennel or room, unless dogs from the same home share, and play only with dogs it gets on with, with staff watching. In 2022, a hostel operator told Onlinekhabar that keeping all dogs together risks fights, wounds and the spread of disease. The same year, a dog owner told the Kathmandu Post she had not used a hostel because many kept dogs in cages. Ask to see where your dog will sleep, and how long it spends there each day.
3. Who is with the dogs at night? A good answer names a person or a role on site overnight, and says what they do if a dog is unwell at 2 am. If the hostel mentions guards or cameras, ask where the cameras point and who watches them. A weak answer: “We lock up at 7 and come back in the morning.”
4. What happens if my dog stops eating or gets sick? A good answer gives a time (“we call you within 1 hour”), names the vet they use, and says they ask your consent before treatment, except in an emergency. Ask who pays the vet and the fare to get there.
5. How do you give medicine? A good answer: you write the medicine, the dose and the times on a note, and staff give it at those times. Bring the medicine in its packet, with your vet’s instructions.

Daily care

6. How many walks and play sessions a day? A good answer uses numbers: how many walks, how long, and how many play-yard sessions. Ask where your dog spends the rest of the day.
7. How will I see my dog? A good answer: a photo or video on WhatsApp every day, and a video call if you ask. In 2022, one Kathmandu hostel told the Kathmandu Post it gave owners daily updates, so daily is a fair standard.
8. Do I bring food, or do you feed? Either can work. A good answer says how many meals and at what times. Bringing your dog’s usual food avoids a sudden change of diet, which can upset a dog’s stomach.

Booking

9. Can I visit before I book? A good answer is “yes, any day in open hours”, not “only the office”. Look at the bedding, the water bowls, the yard fence and how the place smells. If your dog is nervous, bring it, so it meets the staff first.
10. What is the deposit, and what if I cancel? A good answer is in writing: how much holds a booking, until when you can cancel for free, and when a deposit comes back. In 2022, a hostel operator told Onlinekhabar that owners and hostels should agree terms before a stay.
11. When are drop-off and pick-up, and can you collect my dog? A good answer gives fixed hours, says what happens if you are late, and says the hostel hands your dog only to you or a person you name. If you have no car, ask whether they pick up and how they price it.
12. How early should I book for Dashain and Tihar? A good answer is a number of days, and an honest “we are full” when they are. In October 2022, one Kathmandu hostel told the Kathmandu Post it had requests for 30 dogs over Dashain and room for 20.

How Supreme Pet Home answers these

The full rules are in our booking terms. A night costs Rs 1,200–2,000 by size (all prices); ask on WhatsApp about anything this table leaves out. Better still, visit us at Kapan Ram Mandir, Budhanilkantha-11, any day, 7 am – 7 pm, and ask the 12 questions in person.

What to pack for a dog hostel stay

• Food for each day of the stay, plus 1 or 2 days extra, if the hostel doesn’t feed or your dog eats a special food. (Supreme Pet Home’s food is included.)
• The lead and the collar, with a tag that has your phone number.
• The vaccine card.
• A blanket or toy from home, so the kennel smells familiar.
• A note with feeding times and amounts, each medicine with its dose and times, and an emergency contact.
• The medicine itself, in its packet.

At Supreme Pet Home we supply bowls, bedding and water, so leave those at home.

Dashain and Tihar 2026: when to book

In 2022, a hostel operator told Onlinekhabar that dog hostels fill up over Dashain and Tihar, when many Valley families go to their home villages. Kennels at Supreme Pet Home fill fast in these weeks, so book early.

If your trip is soon, message on WhatsApp today and ask which dates are still free. If your dog stays home for Tihar, our Kukur Tihar 2026 guide has the date and the puja.