Who's going to watch the pooch?

If you're anything like me, the first thing on your vacation planning checklist isn't buying plane tickets or renewing your passport. It's making sure you can find someone to watch your four-legged bundle of joy while you're away.

Fortunately, the Seattle area has become a breeding ground for pet lodging facilities and overnight services. And no matter what type of pooch lives under your roof -- city slicker, free-ranger, Energizer Bunny, couch potato -- somewhere in the Puget Sound region, there's a slumber party with his name on it.

At Camp Happy Paws in Bothell ($35/day; $20/day for day care only), outdoor fun is the name of the game. Rain or shine, campers attending this kennel-free boarding facility can join their human counselors for supervised trots and frolics through the property's five fenced acres.

"Rather than desperately trying to tire them out with tennis balls and sticks, we take walks and bike rides with them," says Becky Buchanan, a former dog walker who opened the camp with her husband Scott in 2000. A newly built, 1,700-square-foot lodge offers a warm, dry spot for relaxing and napping on wet, gray days. At night, campers bunk together on the five-room lodge's many couches and dog beds. A nightly cap of 30 dogs ensures that no one has to fight over the covers.

Downtown Dog Lounge, which bills itself as an "urban dog retreat," offers one-stop shopping for citified hounds and their humans. Dogs who check in for overnight stays ($42/day; $28/day for day care only) cavort in warehouse-sized digs, with three locations to choose from -- Elliott Avenue (14,000 square feet), Capitol Hill (11,000 square feet) and Belltown (3,500 square feet).

Thanks to the free webcams, owners are never more than a mouse-click away from the dog-on-dog action. At night, dogs bunk solo in crates or cozy little lofts. Among the many add-on services and events offered are on-site vet visits (at the Elliott location), Brazilians (a fancy way of saying "shaved underside to keep puppy dirt-free") and Muttini Mixers for social Rovers and their people (catch the next one Feb. 22 on Capitol Hill).

At first glance, Doggy Haven Resort in Bothell looks like a 48-room luxury hotel for pampered lapdogs. Guests sleep in their own suite ($35/day), complete with human beds and linens, radiant-heated floors and soft music. Deluxe suites ($38/day) include an outdoor-facing window and a TV with VCR so you can tuck Sadie's favorite Lassie episode (or perhaps a video of yourself) into her overnight bag.

But this isn't just a hangout for doggy debutantes afraid of breaking a nail. For nine hours a day, visitors ($28/day) -- a majority of them large dogs, says owner David Boyd -- have the chance to romp, chase and wrestle in the resort's multiple play rooms and dog park‑style fenced yards, complete with jungle gyms and toys.

If you have a chubby, arthritic or post-op pup, you might want to book him a room at SpawZ Doggie Daycare & Fitness Center in North Seattle, which opened last May. The center features an underwater treadmill (great for gentle conditioning) and an 11-by-18-foot indoor heated pool with an adjustable current (excellent for laps and water tag). Swimmers are always supervised, and the water-shy wear harnesses or life vests.

The $38/day boarding rate includes a pool swim, a treadmill session or a walk in neighboring Licton Springs Park. (The $30 day-care rate does not.) For an additional $40 to $55, a pooch masseuse will massage and stretch Rex while he works out or relaxes in a private room (complete with soothing music). Before he can stay overnight, SpawZ requires a couple of "getting to know you" day-care visits.

Celia's Five-Star Canine Resort is like the Hyatt Regency of dog boarding. Celia Heathcote welcomes up to three guests at a time in her waterfront Medina home, where they have free reign of the spacious interior and enclosed yard. For $100 to $110 per day, visiting critters become one of the family, sleeping in the bedroom with Heathcote and her husband (big dogs on the sofa; little dogs on the people bed). Daily snuggles and walks to nearby Fairweather Nature Preserve are all part of the package.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, I have a dog here," says Heathcote, who began the business 12 years ago. "I'm sort of like the grandma. You love them and then when it's time for them to leave, you wave goodbye."

With so many pet lodges clawing for your business, you would think the pet sitter who makes house calls is a dying breed. But I had no trouble tracking down a number of them through Pet Sitters of Puget Sound.

Take Maggie Phillips of Maggie's House and Pet Sitting in Ravenna (206-522-5090). For $55 a night, you get round-the-clock companionship for your fuzzy pal and someone to bring in the mail, water the plants and keep an eye on your home. And your dog gets to sleep on her own couch and do her business in her own yard while you're away.

No matter which pet lodge or sitter you choose, be sure to make your reservations several weeks in advance, longer for holidays. Most offer discounts for multiple guests and extended stays; check their Web sites for details. Most facilities don't accept adult dogs who are not neutered or spayed, and some don't accept certain breeds for insurance reasons. Proof of current vaccinations is almost always required, plus an initial meet-and-greet to make sure your pooch is community-playground material (not in need of a muzzle).

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