What to Do With Your Dog While You're Skiing in Whistler
Doggy Tales covers your dog on ski days with a daytime drop-in visit ($30/hr), a small-pack trail walk ($44) before or after the lifts, or an overnight sleepover ($110/night) for multi-day trips. Here's how to pick the right one.
The three ways to cover a ski day
Whistler's ski season is also our busiest season for bookings, and most of the dogs we look after during it are covered one of three ways.
Daytime drop-in visits
A drop-in is a 30-60 minute visit to your hotel, condo or chalet: feeding, a potty break outside, and some company so your dog isn't alone all day. It's the right call for a dog who's comfortable home alone for stretches but shouldn't go a full 7-8 hours without a break. See dog sitting in Whistler for the full breakdown of visit lengths.
A small-pack trail walk
If your dog needs real exercise, not just a bathroom break, a small-pack trail walk gets them onto a Sea to Sky trail with up to five other dogs and a certified walker, before you head up or after you're back down. It's the better option for dogs who get restless or a little destructive when they're under-exercised.
An overnight sleepover
For a multi-night ski trip, a sleepover keeps your dog on their own schedule in your space, with a certified sitter staying over rather than a kennel run. It's the option most families with seniors, anxious dogs or more than one dog end up choosing. Full details on dog sitting & sleepovers.
Why a dog shouldn't be left alone all day in a hotel room
Most Whistler hotels ask that dogs aren't left alone in the room, not just as a courtesy to housekeeping but because a bored dog in a strange room tends to bark, scratch at the door or get into something it shouldn't. We cover this in more detail, hotel by hotel, in our pet-friendly hotels guide — most of the policies there carry straight over to a full ski day.
Cold and ice on ski days
Whistler Village sits at the base of the mountain, so even on a cold ski day the valley floor is usually milder than the alpine. Paws still need a check for ice balls between the toes and road salt after a Village walk, and short-coated or older dogs feel the cold faster than you'd expect. Our guide to extreme cold and ice safety covers frostbite signs and ice-melt risk in full — worth a read before your first cold-weather visit.
Booking around ski season
Ski season is Whistler's busiest booking period for us, so the sooner you lock in your dates the better your odds of getting your first-choice walker or sitter, especially over Christmas, New Year's and Family Day weeks. If this is your first booking with us, a short meet & greet ($50+GST) happens before your first visit so your dog meets their walker or sitter ahead of time, not on day one of your trip.
Ski-season dog care in Whistler: quick answers
What do ski-season visitors book for their dog in Whistler?
Most ski-season visitors book either a daytime drop-in visit for feeding and a potty break, a small-pack trail walk before or after the lifts, or an overnight sleepover for multi-night trips. Many combine a drop-in with a walk on long ski days.
Can I leave my dog alone in my condo while I ski?
For a few hours, usually fine if your dog is used to it. For a full ski day, most dogs do better with a midday drop-in or walk, and most hotels don't allow a dog to be left alone in the room at all. A sitter or walker covers either case.
How much does dog care cost during ski season in Whistler?
A daytime drop-in visit runs $30/hour, a small-pack trail walk is $44, and an overnight sleepover is $110/night. A meet & greet ($50+GST) happens once, before your first booking.
Planning the rest of your trip? Our visiting dog owner’s guide to Whistler covers patios, vets and wildlife for the whole stay.
