Leaving my dog

[TIFFANY&CO]

Okay, we leave tomorrow for a week long trip. I'm starting to get really sad about leaving my dog. I know that I probably shouldn't but, I just feel bad leaving him alone for so long. It's not that he'll be alone, we have a friend staying at our house while we are gone, but he's like a member of our family, and I just feel sorry for leaving him. Please help me realize that he will be okay and that he won't hate me when I come back. Oh, it may help for yall to know that I don't have a small dog that I could take with me. I have a weimerainer. Anyway, I know it's going to be okay, I just need some reassurance.

 

[nickeymouse]

I have 2 dogs, 2 basset hounds. I sad too, but I say that they'll be okey! Not to be mean, but dogs are not humans, they can't tell time. So in their doggy mind they think it's like a big work and school day. That helps me. Have fun! Hope that helped.

 

[TheDisneyTraveler06]

I also have a hard time leaving our toy poodle and springer spaniel. Atleast you know that they won't be "alone", since your friend will be staying at your house. Ask your friend to play with your dog some, and possibly walk him. That may make the both of you feel better.

 

[pumba]

we didnt have anyone to babysit for Megara when we went to Disney. SO she had to go to Puppy Play school aka the fat farm aka the kennel. She is okey and she doesnt' lose weight and she is so happy to see us when we pick her up and she sleeps for a few days. She plays with the people who own the kennel and they have a big play area except in the rain.....She goes and we are happy to know that she is being well taken cared for.......Even our vet has this place take care of his pets....

 

[pearlieq]

I hear ya. The hardest part about traveling is leaving the cats behind...

I can't say it's their favorite thing either, but they're getting used to it. At least your dog won't be alone. I'm sure he'll have fun playing with his new friend!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Aaaahhh, dog guilt. There's nothing quite like it, is there?

I have never left Chloe with anyone outside of my family. I've posted on here several times that I almost wish (read: almost) that I didn't love her as much as I do.

Dog guilt keeps me from going to so many places. I just can't make myself put her in a kennel, and I can only ask my mother so many times, to watch her.

It's the one downside to owning a pet and being a neurotic about them as I am.

(How many people have you known who have said the following...

"After (insert pet's name here) is gone, we're not getting another (insert type of pet here). It just makes it too hard to go on trips."

...only to see them petless for about a year before they cave in again?)

 

[cocoswife]

Boy, do I know how you feel!! It breaks my heart when we leave my two spoiled babies behind everytime we go on vacation.I am always afraid that something will happen to them while we are away Our trip at the end of this month is for 10 days!!!!!! Luckily, we found this lady that keeps the dogs inside her home, spoils them rotten and is very strict about the dogs having all their shots and being healthy. It is very expensive, but, it seems to be worth it. A couple of our friends have used her and they say that when they go to pick up their dogs, their dogs don't want to leave her house She even has a waiting list for our week, I'm lucky I reserved their spots over 2 months ago. I have to confess, I am still feeling guilty, but, I know they will be well taken care of...

 

[luvwinnie]

I can relate. We bought an RV so Winnie, our bulldog, can travel with us.

 

[Fredd's Girl]

OH YES! Been there and living that again in 4 months. We left our "boys" for the first time last December to go to Disney. I didn't think anything in the world would ever make me not want to go to Disney, but the thought of leaving my furbabies did it.

Luckily for us, our vet has a kennel right at their office where we board them. We really like everyone there and they like our dogs. I'll admit...I cried after we dropped them off and for awhile on the drive home, but once we left for the airport it was all OK. I knew they were safe and taken care of. I did call the kennel to check on them, and everything was fine. When we picked them up they were very excited and didn't seem mad at all! I agree with the poster that said it probably just feels like a long work day to them.

Go and have fun. The first time will be hard. I'm hoping our next trip in November won't be quite as hard. You'll be fine and they'll be fine. You deserve your vacation.

 

[hiwaygal]

You are very lucky that you have someone who can come and stay with your dog!

We have to take our babies to the kennel when we go on any kind of vacation...and it breaks our hearts. We know it's best for them and we know they will be well taken care of...but we still feel guilty.

He's going to be fine and just keep thinking of that happy face waiting for you when you get home!

 

[Todd&Copper]

I have wonderful friends who adore my collies and volunteered to watch them anytime we travel. DH and I took a trip to San Fran in 2004 and the dogs stayed with these friends. The friends treat our dogs better than their own dogs (our dogs can sit on the couch or sleep in human beds, our dogs get table scraps, extra cookies, etc), but even with all the extra attention, and 2 cute kids and 3 other dogs to pay with, they still mope around every night when they are not with us. And they sigh, quite loudly, when they are moping. DH and I hear them sigh at least once a day, but to have them sigh 4 or 5 times an hour each evening when they are "visiting their buddies" and getting spoiled it just too much. My friends had me laughing when they reported it to me.
I hated leaving the dogs, but I got over my guilt fairly quickly and had a great vacation.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Tiffany&CO:
I know exactly how you feel!! We have to leave our 4 "boys" (4 longhair daschunds) each trip and I always feel guilty, But we have a retired couple come and stay with them in our house, so they really have got it "pretty good".
Leaving them at home (with someone there) is the best you can do. Next best would be to have a sitting service stop by your house a couple or three time a day. Worst is a Kennel. I work at a veterinary kennel (for two years now) and I'd never send my dogs to a kennel unless I absolutely had to. The problem is that the dogs get excited--they see people, hear noises--they want attention!! But they don't get any--except at the regular walking/feeding times. So they are up and barking virtually all day, exausting themselves and often getting sick due to lack of sleep. At night it eventually quiets down--but there is almost always one "screamer" or "howler" who keeps up the action well after dark. Many of the smaller (and obviously pampered) dogs just sit in the cage and shake/shiver the entire time they are there--often not eating.
Don't get me wrong--the animals get food ,water, medication, are walked, have clean blankets, etc etc. But the whole kennel environment is just wrong for many dogs.
OK-kennel observations over. Do go and enjoy your trip and don't worry. Your dog will be glad to see you when you get back!

 

[TheDisneyTraveler06]

I can relate. We bought an RV so Winnie, our bulldog, can travel with us.

Oooohh! Must be nice!!

 

[Disney-Kim]

I SOOOOOOOO understand your feelings. We have lost 2 furbabies in the last 2 years and that has made us so much more attached to our current dog, Tiki. He is a malti-poo and just turned 2.

My Mom always comes to our house and dog sits...so it makes it a lot easier for us to leave...he gets all the pampering we would give him. But this year She can't come to our house so we are driving him to her house (2 hrs away) and he is staying with her all week. I am a big ninny and a worry wort and am worried about him being away from home.
but his bed, toys, food, etc will go with him. So he should be fine.

 

[vatmark]

I feel the guilt but I won't let it run my life. Everytime we go away we have to leave our Basenji Kalvin in the kennel. He crys the whole way there because he knows that the only time he is in a car he is brought to the kennel. When he comes out he crys and screams the whole way home. Not sure if anyone has heard a Basenji cry and howl but it sounds sorta like a child being killed not a normal dog.

He usually has diarreha for a day or two after he's out. He will also wake up at 5am in the morning the next day doing his lonely dog howl. It really sounds pitiful and I feel bad for him. I'll let him out of his crate and then sit with him giving him lots of attention.

We have vowed not to get another dog after he is gone(he's almost 13 now) because the the whole travel situation. I may give in but my DH never will. He'd probably divorce me if I came home with another dog. Funny thing is is that he is the one who surprised me by taking me to a Basenji breeder where i could pick out the dog I wanted. I picked my baby Kalvin. It was a Valentines gift.

Annie

 

[Letsbgoofy]

I hear ya. The hardest part about traveling is leaving the cats behind...

I have to show this to my DH and DS. They make fun of me because it breaks my heart to leave our cats. We just got back from Mexico. I was lucky enough to have several friends checking in on my cats and calling me with reports.

To the OP - I feel your pain. I think (hopefully) that it's worse for us than for our pets.

 

[MartDM]

I feel terribly guilty whenever we leave our boys!

We are extremely lucky in that we have a friend who comes to stay. This friend comes with the added bonus of working at our vet's office so she is probably better able to handle an emergency than we are. Still, no matter how secure my mind knows they are with "Auntie Sue", my heart makes me worry and feel so guilty and sad upon leaving them.

They, on the other hand, lose interest in us the minute she arrives. They swirl around her like an excited furry tornado because they love her so much and know they are going to be spoiled rotten while we're gone. We can barely get their attention long enough to say goodbye. Ingrates!

Even though Sue has several contact numbers enabling her to reach us at any moment, we still call every day (sometimes multiple times) to check in on them & see what they've been up to and what fun they had that day because we miss them so much

 

[Aimeedyan]

Add me to the list! When we vacation, I bawl my head off after saying goodbye to my two boys. They have always been cared for by family and I think this trip they will be cared for by a coworker of DH in her home. I haven't found a kennel that meets my expectations yet Or perhaps I should say, one that does that I can afford! I refuse to do a caged kennel...

I look forward to vacations but then start to regret booking it as it gets closer... I just hate leaving the babies.

I also call sometimes a couple of times a day to check on them. And I bring them LOTS of new stuff - esp from WDW's pet store.

Spoiled brats

 

[Disney-Kim]

I am already worried because our next trip is a cruise...and I won't be able to call....so...have to rely on email.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Add me to the list! When we vacation, I bawl my head off after saying goodbye to my two boys. They have always been cared for by family and I think this trip they will be cared for by a coworker of DH in her home. I haven't found a kennel that meets my expectations yet Or perhaps I should say, one that does that I can afford! I refuse to do a caged kennel...

I can't remember... where are you? I'd happily trade off dog-sitting with someone I trusted!

I'm in a suburb just north of Houston. Just in case.