Tell Me It's Going To Be Okay

[stitchlover]

You are going to shake your head and laugh at me but I'm totally stressing out about this.

When I lived close to my parents home my dad always helped us with our dogs when we were out of town. But 2-1/2 years ago we moved 50 miles away. I feel it is just too much to ask for him to come and basically move into our home while we are gone. It puts him away from my mother for days on end and after 44 years of marriage they just don't do that well apart from each other for long periods of time. He has done it the last two trips but I just feel more and more like I am asking too much of them both.

So I have booked a kennel for them (the dogs, not my parents) during our trip to the World in March. AND I'm sorta wigging out about it. Since we brought our dogs home in June 2001 they have spent one night away from home...the night they were spayed.

I did find a nice doggie kennel that gives them their own 8x10 room with a cement run and a grassy area at the end of their run. Plus they will be let, several times a day, into a larger grass area, alone without other dogs.

I know it's stupid with all that is going on with everyone's life to be worried about this. But I am! They are our babies and I just worry that they will be stressed out the entire time they are there.

Sooooo...tell me it's going to be okay!

 

[daneenm]

We kenneled our dog for most of our vacations. She LOVED it and the people who worked with her loved her! Not to worry they will be fine.

 

[dansyr2514]

Don't feel silly, I am the same way. Our dog is not social with other dogs. She's not aggressive, just doesn't really care about them. I think she thinks she is a person. So we are lucky enough to have a good friend stay at our house and take care of her and our cat. We did kennel her once but it was the same kind of place...big rooms, even cameras where we could log in and see her and we were ok with that. But for her, I think she is happier at home with all the attention...lol.

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

I totally understand how you feel. We took our kids with us on vacation 2 years ago so we had to board our dogs for the 1st time. I was very nervous about it but they handled it very well, better than I did. We will probably have to do it again next December since 1 son is going with us and the other one has an 18 month old now and will have another one next week so I don't think he'll be able to spend time at our house.

Everything will be okay!

 

[Friendly Frog]

I completely understand. My dogs are 2 & 3 and they have never stayed overnight away from home. To make matters worse they both have a tendency to eat things they are not suppose to, so they get watched constantly. Mom is getting up there in years ( over 70) so not sure what I will do when she can no longer come and dog sit.

I wish I lived closer to WDW so that I could drive and kennel the dogs during the day only, and at least pick them up at night.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

We ended up kenneling our dogs for several trips we took and it turns out that kenneling is what was needed to turn our younger dog into a sociable critter! He was skiddish with new people until we put him in the kennel and when we picked him up after a week, even they said he was noticible different. He even began to like it!

Trust in your heart that it will be okay.

 

[chirurgeon]

Maybe you should do a test run. Kennel them for a night or two before you go. See how they handle it. If they have never been kenneled before this might ease your mind.

Kim

 

[stitchlover]

Thanks for all your kind words.

One of our dogs, they are beagles that are litter mates, is very friendly with all people and other dogs. One is not aggressive but never quite settles down around other dogs. When I was touring the kennel the young lady said "the only problem with the suites is that your dogs are isolated and can't see the other dogs unless they are in the big grass area." I said "SOLD! That is perfect for my skittish dog."

As I said I know it is silly with all that is going on in the world and with everyone's life to be concerned about this. I guess I should consider myself lucky that this is all I have to be concerned about at this time.

 

[Jotash]

Are they being put into the same run? I know with our three, they do fine as long as they are not separated. Even the oldest one, who hates the other two at home, will cry if they get separated. If one goes for grooming or to the vet, the other two will pine until that one gets home. When we have to board, we always make sure that the three of them can stay together. We've never had a problem.

 

[robinb]

Can you bring your dogs to your parents house?

 

[MomofKatie]

Can you bring your dogs to your parents house?

That's what I was going to suggest, since you live so close (I live 300 miles away from my parents, so 50 miles seems close to me). Or, couldn't both your parents come to your house and stay with the dogs? You could sell them on a "mini-vacation" at your place...

 

[stitchlover]

The dogs will be kenneled together. They would be very sad if they were separated.
I have suggested both of those options to my parents and neither one works for them. My mother works 50 miles from home in the other direction so it would be a 100 mile drive one way to the office each day. For some reason they just don't want to take our dogs to their house. Not sure why. They are very well behaved and housebroken.
I think even though I am nervous about this it is probably the best option for everyone involved.

 

[parrotheadlois]

Just another suggestion, my daughter put her greyhound (this dog is like her child), in a kennel, once. Since then, she has used the services of a dog walking service. She's so much happier with them! They had the dog walker come a couple of times before they went on vacation to see how she was with their dog and to acclimate her to his environment. Now they just love her! She sends them pictures from her cell phone so they can see that Murphy is happy. It's worked out very well for all! (her husband had a little adjustment period because a stranger was coming to their house, he got over it.)

 

[SamSam]

Our beloved dog loved the kennel we used. She has been gone 3 years now, but I have wonderful memories of taking her to the kennel...she would literally pull her leash out of my hand to get inside. Of course picking her up she was just as excited/anxious to be with us again.
For me, the key is to know your kennel. If your dog 'hates' to go, then don't use it. If your dog seems fine with going, then they are probably getting good care, and it's fine to leave them.

The kennel we used, loved our Sasha to the point that staff would actually take her home with them for overnights, so if you find a kennel like that...use it!

 

[jakeandkayleighsmama]

Another option is to call your vet and see if any of their techs dog sit....We have 2 dogs and one has no use of her rear legs....so no kennel will take her and it's too much to have either set of "Grandparents" help her out several times a day. We found a WONDERFUL lady who comes and stays at our house while we are gone. Since she is a vet-tech I know my babies are in great hands, she babies them and in case of emergency she knows what to do medically speaking. It's not cheap, but I can't imagine kennels are either. I always come home to her having cleaned their ears and trimmed their nails - an added bonus!