Question for dog owners

[Jolie C]

When you go away for a few days (and can't take the dog), is it better to leave the dog with a familiar blanket that belongs to the dog, or a blanket that belongs to you, so that it will smell like you and comfort the dog that way? Which is better and more comforting for the dog?

 

[stinkerbelle]

whenever we left something that smelled like "us"...she shredded it.

whenever we left something that was hers...she shredded it.

We've left our dog in a kennel for 2 days up to almost 2 weeks (I know - so bad...but no one will take her!).

The kennel we leave her at offers "play time" which we pay for (she loves chasing after a frisbie/ball)...and Jazzy (our dog) loves her raw-hide bones...so we always send her off with a big supply of those.

I remember years ago my grandmother was in the hospital and we had her dog at our house....we gave the dog my grandmothers old blanket. She shredded it and still howeled.

but you never know how YOUR dog will react until you try it...you know?

good luck!

 

[stamper]

When we have to leave one of the dogs (or all 3), they stay with relatives and we just leave them some of their toys. They are familiar with them and it is something that is *okay* to chew.

 

[DocRafiki]

I just leave them with their regular beds. My dog is a shredder too, sometimes, so I don't leave any extras.

I have the kennel staff pick up any toys before they leave for the night (and just hope that they do), and I never give my dogs rawhides. I would especially warn against giving rawhides while boarding, since the dogs aren't watched as closely as they are at home. Rawhide is not digestible and can cause GI blockages including getting stuck in the esophagus after attempted vomiting, and that would just break my heart if anyone had to endure that all night (not to mention the permanent damage likely done).

ETA: You can always get the digestible fake rawhide made out of corn starch.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Originally posted by DocRafiki
Rawhide is not digestible and can cause GI blockages including getting stuck in the esophagus after attempted vomiting, and that would just break my heart if anyone had to endure that all night (not to mention the permanent damage likely done).

ETA: You can always get the digestible fake rawhide made out of corn starch.

Our kennel DOES remove all toys from the pens before leaving for the evening...because of what you mentioned - the choking factor.

Is rawhide the right word I want to use here? I'm at Petco every other week buying a bag of these bones - usually in a bone, pretzle or "rod" shape...my dog goes through like one a day! She doesn't seem to chew them when we are not home though...she actually waits until we get home.

 

[HaleyB]

I was just having major guilt pangs over leaving our dog. This will be his longest seperation from us. Any advice on how to make him happy is welcome. He will be taken care of by our neighbors, who are really good about playing with him, but he will still miss us a lot. He is one of those always under foot, follow you around dogs.

 

[Mermaid02]

Another person with a shredder. We left Maddy at a great kennel and paid for her to go to Doggy Daycare while we were gone. Unfortunately she was a "barker" and couldn't partake of Doggy Daycare activities.... and she came home hoarse.

 

[Jolie C]

Thanks for the tips, everyone! If my dog shreds her bedding, is there any type of bedding in particular that doesn't shred into long stringy pieces that could cause a health problem for her? I'm wondering if fleece pulls apart into strings? Any thoughts on that?

 

[eeyore74]

Duncan is not a shredder, but I have a fleece blanket specifically for when he's kenneled. I take it out a few days before and sleep with it.

I don't know if he likes it or not; no matter what I've used, he pees on it when kenneled. Pillows, toys.. anything. The women at the vet's where we prefer to kennel him do play with him and give him hugs and kisses, though, so I know he's well taken care of.

I feel better leaving him with something from home, though. Even if he pees on it.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

My dogs are shredders, but they weigh 4 pounds and 6 1/2 pounds respectively, so they don't do much damage to anything except newspapers.

However, we have MAJOR problems going on vacations without them. They are treated holistically, which means NO vaccines and a raw food diet which means no kennel or regular vet will take them. So we have to find someone who will live in our apartment with them 24/7 so there will be as little disruption in their lives as possible. They are very sweet and affectionate little dogs and everytime we are away from them for longer than a day, we immediately start missing them.

Too bad Disney doesn't have "Dog Days". they make enough money off of animals after all....

 

[Kermit]

My dog is a shredder, too. We leave him with 2 familiar Kong toys and one new one that's exciting and different. We don't have them stuff the toys with peanut butter, though. I think that would send our dog to a mental institution if he couldn't get every last drop out.

He seems to do fine with it. He's anxious to leave us when we get to the kennel and doesn't act like he's dying to get out of there when we pick him up.