Best Dog Daycare & Boarding Franchises 2026: Costs, Profits & Real FDD Data
Important note - please read before using this guide. The financial, fee, and outlet figures in this article are drawn from the most recent Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) available at the time of writing - primarily 2025 and 2026 registration-year filings. FDDs are re-filed by franchisors every year, so newer numbers may be available by the time you read this. This guide is editorial research and industry commentary - it is not financial, legal, tax, or investment advice and should not be treated as a recommendation to invest in any particular franchise. Always pull the current FDD for any brand you are seriously considering, and work with a qualified franchise attorney and an independent financial advisor before signing any franchise agreement.
Quick Summary: The short version, before the details.
FDD: the Franchise Disclosure Document every franchisor must give prospective buyers. Item 19: the section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance (an "FPR"). Item 7: the estimated total cost to open. Royalty fee: the ongoing percentage of revenue you pay the franchisor. Initial franchise fee: the upfront fee to join. Gross revenue: total sales before expenses. Net revenue: sales after certain deductions. EBITDA: a common profitability proxy (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization).
Most "best dog daycare franchise" lists rank brands by buzz or how aggressively they advertise to prospective franchisees. This guide works only from the numbers each franchisor is legally required to disclose in its Franchise Disclosure Document - the initial fee (Item 5), ongoing fees (Item 6), the full cost to open (Item 7), the financial performance figures (Item 19), and the system's location counts (Item 20).
We reviewed every page of each brand's FDD. A few franchisors present their Item 19 financial data in detailed, multi-page tables and exhibits - including, in one case, full profit-and-loss breakdowns best read in their original layout. Where a figure is best understood in its original context, we say so and point you to the relevant part of the document rather than flattening it into a single number that loses its meaning. Every dollar figure below is tied to a specific brand and FDD year.
This guide covers six dog daycare and boarding franchises, drawn from 2025 and 2026 FDD filings. Because these brands measure performance on different bases, we've grouped them into three sets that can be compared fairly: a standard facility group of four directly comparable brands, a premium/luxury brand on its own, and one brand that reports on a net-revenue basis.
| Brand | Type | Initial Fee | Royalty | Total Investment | FPR? | Item 19 Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Bow Wow | Standard facility (daycare/boarding + grooming/training) | $50,000 | 7%* | $954,606-$1,229,536 | Yes | Avg gross sales $1,089,860 / median $1,052,583 across 207 reporting franchised Camps (FY2025) |
| Dogtopia | Standard facility (daycare/boarding/spa) | $49,500 | 7% | $664,355-$1,478,820 | Yes | Median gross sales $921,160 / avg $935,548 across 202 outlets open 24+ months (FY2025) |
| Central Bark | Standard facility (daycare/boarding/grooming/retail) | $55,000 | 6% | $569,200-$1,394,250 | Yes | Avg gross sales $825,756 / median $770,229 per center (FY2024) |
| The Dog Stop | Standard facility (all-inclusive multi-service) | $60,000 | 6% | $493,850-$1,373,500 | Yes | Avg total revenue $971,943 / median $872,955 for locations open 48+ months (FY2025) |
| K-9 Resorts | Premium / luxury pet hotel | $49,500 | 7% | $2,280,530-$3,604,802 | Yes | Mature franchisee units (36+ mo): avg gross revenue $2,106,357 / median $2,111,881 |
| Hounds Town USA | Standard facility - reports on a net-revenue basis | $49,000 | 6% | $667,610-$1,122,153 | Yes | Franchised units open 5+ yrs: avg NET revenue $842,716 / median $840,892 (n=11) |
*Camp Bow Wow's royalty is 7% of Net Revenue (the greater of 7% or a minimum monthly royalty); a reduced 3.5% rate applies only in the first year before stepping up. Marketing/brand-fund contributions (1%-2%) and monthly technology fees ($95-$1,500) are additional to the royalties shown. See Item 6 of each brand's FDD for the full fee schedule.
This is the part of the FDD that tells you what franchisees actually earn. All six brands here make a Financial Performance Representation, but they don't all measure the same thing. Read this section group by group, because comparing across groups will mislead you.
These four brands all report gross sales or total revenue per location, which makes them directly comparable.
Camp Bow Wow's 2026 FDD offers the deepest disclosure. Across 207 franchised Camps that met its reporting criteria, 2025 average gross sales were $1,089,860 and the median $1,052,583, with individual locations ranging from $371,438 to $2,465,224. Camp Bow Wow also publishes a full profit-and-loss breakdown: the average location's Total Franchise Owner's Benefit (its profitability proxy) was $201,269, or 18.5% of sales (median $189,771, 18.0%). The top quartile - 52 Camps - averaged $1,480,842 in gross sales.
Dogtopia's 2026 FDD reports on a similar gross-sales basis. Across 202 outlets open at least 24 months, the median gross sales were $921,160 and the average $935,548 for FY2025 - a little below the typical Camp Bow Wow on median sales ($921,160 across 202 outlets vs $1,052,583 across 207 Camps), though measured slightly differently.
Central Bark's 2025 FDD shows an average gross sales of $825,756 and a median of $770,229 per center for FY2024 - the most modest of the standard group, reflecting a smaller-footprint facility. (Central Bark's FDD also lists a system-wide total across all centers; that figure is an aggregate of every location combined, not a per-unit number.)
The Dog Stop's 2026 FDD reports total revenue by location maturity. For locations open 48+ months, the average was $971,943 and the median $872,955 (the all-location average is lower, at $833,084, because newer units drag it down). The Dog Stop also discloses a revenue-per-kennel metric. Its FDD additionally reports system-wide service-line totals across all 35 locations, which are industry-scale aggregates, not per-store figures.
K-9 Resorts is a luxury pet hotel, and its economics aren't comparable to the standard group. Its 2025 FDD reports franchisee gross revenue by location maturity: locations open 12-23 months averaged $1,173,507 (median $1,017,106), 24-35 months $1,478,092 ($1,387,051), and 36+ months a striking $2,106,357 average / $2,111,881 median. A mature K-9 Resorts reports roughly double the revenue of a typical standard facility - but it also costs far more to build ($2.28M-$3.60M, two to seven times the others). K-9's FDD also shows an affiliate-owned flagship with even higher revenue ($3.78M-$4.18M), but that location operates outside a franchise agreement and is an oversized format.
Hounds Town reports net revenue, not gross - so its dollar figures can't be ranked directly against the gross-revenue brands. Its 2026 FDD breaks performance out by tenure: franchised locations open 1-2 years averaged $313,632 in net revenue, 2-3 years $420,811, 3-5 years $609,310, and 5+ years $842,716 (median $840,892, across 11 locations). That steady climb with tenure is one of the clearer ramp-up pictures in the group. Hounds Town also discloses a longer-tenured figure that blends in an affiliate location; we've set that aside in favor of the franchised-only numbers.
Best for: an owner who wants a proven, mid-six-figure-to-low-seven-figure build-out with established systems and the broadest base of comparable franchisee data. A typical established location reports gross sales between $770,000 and just over $1 million (median), and all four make full Financial Performance Representations. The main tradeoff is footprint and capital - Camp Bow Wow's larger format runs to a higher revenue ceiling but a higher floor on investment ($954,606+), while The Dog Stop and Central Bark start lower ($493,850 and $569,200 at the low end).
Best for: a well-capitalized owner targeting an affluent market who can fund a $2.3M-$3.6M build. Mature K-9 Resorts locations average over $2.1 million in gross revenue - roughly double a standard facility, at two to seven times the capital outlay. This is not an entry-level path.
Best for: an owner who values a clear, maturity-based earnings ramp and a lower-capital facility build ($667,610-$1,122,153). Net revenue climbs from about $313,632 in years one to two to $842,716 at five-plus years. Because Hounds Town reports net rather than gross, compare it to itself over time.
Dog daycare and boarding has an unusually tight royalty band. Every brand here charges between 6% and 7% of revenue: Central Bark, The Dog Stop, and Hounds Town sit at 6%, while Camp Bow Wow, Dogtopia, and K-9 Resorts charge 7%. There are no flat-fee or pay-for-performance royalty structures in this group.
The royalty is only part of the ongoing cost. On top of it, each brand levies a brand or marketing fund (1% at Camp Bow Wow and current K-9 Resorts; 2% at Dogtopia, Central Bark, The Dog Stop, and Hounds Town - Central Bark's is the greater of 2% or $500/month) and a monthly technology fee ranging from $95 at Hounds Town and $100 at The Dog Stop up to $495 at Central Bark and $1,500 at Dogtopia. Stack those together and the effective ongoing burden runs roughly 8% to 9% of revenue plus a fixed tech line.
One structural detail worth flagging: Camp Bow Wow's royalty is calculated on net revenue (the greater of 7% or a minimum monthly royalty), and a discounted 3.5% rate applies only in the first year before stepping up to the full 7%. K-9 Resorts caps its brand fund at "up to 2%" but currently charges 1%. These nuances are in Item 6 of each FDD.
Total investment (Item 7) is driven mostly by real estate and build-out, so the ranges are wide. Here are the four tiers in this group:
The practical takeaway: you can enter standard dog daycare and boarding franchising for roughly half a million dollars at the low end, but a fully built large-format or luxury facility can run past $1.5M - or, for K-9 Resorts, past $3.6M.
Across all six brands in this analysis, every single one grew its location count over its three most recent reporting years - a notable signal of momentum in the category.
By absolute growth, Dogtopia leads: its 2026 FDD shows the system expanded from 205 to 266 total outlets between 2023 and 2025, a net gain of 61 locations (franchised units alone grew from 174 to 225). Hounds Town is close behind in absolute terms and the clear leader on a percentage basis: it grew from 38 to 97 total outlets between 2023 and 2025, a net gain of 59 locations - more than doubling, at roughly +155%. Its franchised count nearly tripled, from 37 to 96.
The other standard brands grew more steadily. Camp Bow Wow's 2026 FDD shows total outlets rising from 207 to 226 between 2023 and 2025 (+19); notably, its franchised units grew from 200 to 225 while company/affiliate-owned Camps fell from 7 to 1 - the franchisor handing operations to franchisees. The Dog Stop grew from 23 to 46 outlets between 2023 and 2025 (a clean doubling, +23), and Central Bark rose from 33 to 41 centers between 2022 and 2024 (+8), the most measured pace in the group.
K-9 Resorts, the luxury brand, grew from 15 to 40 total outlets across its 2021-2023 reporting window - small in absolute terms but a fast clip for a multi-million-dollar build. (K-9's FDD reports an earlier three-year window than the 2026 filings.)
A couple of caveats: net outlet counts include transfers, terminations, and non-renewals, so a number reflects churn as well as openings; and a maturing system that adds locations more slowly isn't necessarily weaker. But in this group, the direction is uniform: up.
Tenure matters enormously. Both Hounds Town and K-9 Resorts break revenue out by how long a location has been open, and both show the same shape: revenue climbs steeply with age. Hounds Town goes from ~$314K (1-2 years) to ~$843K (5+ years); K-9 climbs from ~$1.17M (12-23 months) to ~$2.11M (36+ months). The first two years are a ramp.
Format and capital set the ceiling. The clearest relationship in the data is between build cost and revenue. Camp Bow Wow and K-9 Resorts - the highest-investment formats - also report the highest revenue. Central Bark, the most modest build among the standard brands, reports the most modest revenue.
Profitability disclosure is rare and valuable. Most brands disclose revenue but not costs. Camp Bow Wow is the exception worth singling out - its FDD lays out a full average P&L, showing a Total Franchise Owner's Benefit of about 18.5% of sales.
On reported revenue, K-9 Resorts is highest - mature franchisee locations average over $2.1 million in gross revenue - but it also costs the most to build ($2.28M-$3.60M). Among standard-facility brands, Camp Bow Wow reports the highest median gross sales ($1,052,583) and is the only brand to disclose a full profit picture (about 18.5% Total Franchise Owner's Benefit).
No FDD states a break-even date, but the Item 19 maturity data is the best proxy. Both Hounds Town and K-9 Resorts show revenue climbing sharply from years one through five - Hounds Town from ~$314K to ~$843K in net revenue - which suggests the first two years are a build-up period. Plan working capital around a multi-year ramp.
The FDDs don't promise an absentee model, and the economics suggest hands-on management early. With build-outs running $500K to $3.6M and revenue that ramps over several years, most of these are owner-operator businesses until a location matures. Ask each franchisor about their approved management structure.
All six brands here make an Item 19 Financial Performance Representation. Most disclose gross sales or revenue per location; one (Hounds Town) reports net revenue. Camp Bow Wow goes furthest, publishing a full average and median profit-and-loss. Several break results out by location maturity.
By net locations added, Dogtopia led with +61 (205 to 266 outlets, 2023-2025). By percentage, Hounds Town grew fastest among the standard brands, more than doubling from 38 to 97 outlets (+155%). Every brand in this analysis grew its count.
The category shows healthy signs - uniform location growth and unusually transparent disclosure (all six make an FPR). But it depends on your capital and market. A standard facility can be entered for roughly $500K-$700K and a mature one reports gross sales near or above $1M; a luxury format reports double that at several times the cost.
Dog daycare and boarding is, by the numbers, one of the more transparent and faster-growing corners of pet-care franchising: all six brands disclose financial performance, all six grew their footprint, and a mature standard facility reports gross sales near or above $1 million. The decision comes down to capital and model. If you want a proven mid-market build with the broadest comparable data, the four standard-facility brands are the place to start. If you're well-capitalized and targeting an affluent market, K-9 Resorts offers roughly double the revenue ceiling at several times the cost. And if a clear, tenure-driven ramp appeals to you, Hounds Town's maturity tables lay it out plainly.
Whatever you're leaning toward, the right next step is the same: pull the current FDD, read Item 19 closely, and model your specific market with a qualified franchise attorney and an independent financial advisor before you sign.
Data source: this analysis is based on the Franchise Disclosure Documents on file with state franchise regulators (Wisconsin DFI), primarily 2025 and 2026 registration-year filings. Figures are drawn from Items 5, 6, 7, 19, and 20 of each brand's FDD.
Javier is an experienced franchise industry professional with a focus on development, operations, and performance. With almost a decade of experience in the industry, he has witnessed both the successes and failures of franchise owners. Javier strongly believes that buying a franchise is not just an investment, but a life-changing event that presents a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth. He enjoys helping aspiring franchise owners navigate the decision-making process and increase their chances of success.
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