What do you do with your dog?

[GreatLakes]

I wasn't sure where to put this, so feel free to move it to it's proper place admins.

But, for those of you who have a dog, what do you do with them while you're gone?

We are toying with the idea of getting a family dog (large breed), but the one thing that has held us back is knowing that in another 18 months we plan on going back to Disney, and well be gone 2-3 weeks.

What do you do with a dog for that long? I really don't know if we have any family/friends that would be willing/able to care for a dog for that long.

My brother comes over and stays at our house with our dogs when we travel. If that wasn't an option we would board them which is what my wife used to do before we met. The key is to socialize the dog while it is young and I'd also suggest putting them into a doggy daycare for a few days a month to get them used to the boarding idea.

 

[Baklava]

The dog is spending two weeks with a friend who dog sits. The cat has to go to the vet for boarding because I couldn't find a sitter for her.

 

[mshanson3121]

I would just have the dog boarded (although 3 weeks seems like a long time).

Personally, I think it's too much to ask someone take your dog for any length vacation. In the past we watched my parents dogs (in our home) a few times, but it did annoy me a bit that they were too cheap to have them boarded.

We took care of our neighbor's dog for a week over Thanksgiving. We didn't mind taking him for walks/feeding/etc, but my kids were pretty upset about how depressed the dog seemed in their house alone. (We would have brought him to our home for a few visits, but we adopted a dog aggressive dog a few months ago.) I think he would have been happier at a kennel than wandering around the house wondering where everyone was for a week.

^^This is why we were kind of debating maybe waiting until after Disney to get a dog, because it is a long time to a) board a dog and b) ask someone to look after it. And since we drive there, that right there is 5-6 days we're away, so we'll never have less than 2 weeks away, and I know DH really wants to spend longer next time.

That said, my DH's family owns a farm. It's just a hobby farm now, but his father, aunt and uncle all live on the property which is 200 acres, and they have a couple farm dogs, so to me, that seems like it would be ideal, because there'd be other dogs to play with (lol), and tonnes of room to roam, instead of being cooped up. But, still, that is still asking them to be responsible for boarding at night, feeding, watering etc...

 

[SunnyKYLake]

^^This is why we were kind of debating maybe waiting until after Disney to get a dog, because it is a long time to a) board a dog and b) ask someone to look after it. And since we drive there, that right there is 5-6 days we're away, so we'll never have less than 2 weeks away, and I know DH really wants to spend longer next time.

That said, my DH's family owns a farm. It's just a hobby farm now, but his father, aunt and uncle all live on the property which is 200 acres, and they have a couple farm dogs, so to me, that seems like it would be ideal, because there'd be other dogs to play with (lol), and tonnes of room to roam, instead of being cooped up. But, still, that is still asking them to be responsible for boarding at night, feeding, watering etc...

It's good that you are putting a lot of thought into adopting a dog. You say you're driving, so you do have some more options if you are staying off property - if you have dog friendly place to stay. But, the farm sounds wonderful. You could compensate them for their trouble. When we've asked friends to look after any of our pets, we've always either given them money, or found some other way to show our appreciation if they wouldn't accept money.

In response to a PP, not everyone who asks a someone to dog sit is just to cheap to board. We found out that our dog has anxiety (like a PP) and gets really upset when she is boarded. She's not very happy when we take her out of the house for any length of time. But, if she's with us, eventually she is ok. We had to board her one night and we when picked her up - she was like a different dog and took her a couple of days to get back to normal. Made me sick at heart to know we caused that.

So, when we went to Disney, we knew we couldn't board. We stayed off property in a dog-friendly house and took her to the Best Friends Pet Care just during the day. We picked her up every evening. It was expensive!! And I even paid for extra walks and cuddle time. But it didn't help. She had anxiety every day, made herself hoarse from yelping and panting. She was way overstimulated in that environment. We had a large group, so we worked it out so that she didn't have to stay long each day. Whoever came to the parks the latest, dropped her off. Whoever left the parks first, picked her up. It was still upsetting to all of us that she was so unhappy.

For our next trip, mom and dad won't be going to the parks everyday and not staying long when they are there. We are going to leaver her at the vacation house. We have friends that would be glad to keep her, but they all work and she has to go potty about every 3-4 hours or she will go in the house. Besides, we know she's happier with us.

So, when you are looking for your new doggie friend, you might consider their personality and temperament. We love our Missy and don't regret for a minute adopting her, but I do wish she was a better traveler.

 

[mshanson3121]

It's good that you are putting a lot of thought into adopting a dog. You say you're driving, so you do have some more options if you are staying off property - if you have dog friendly place to stay. But, the farm sounds wonderful. You could compensate them for their trouble. When we've asked friends to look after any of our pets, we've always either given them money, or found some other way to show our appreciation if they wouldn't accept money.

Oh yes, we'd definitely compensate. When we went this summer, we had my parents come up every couple days to take care of our cat and garden, and we compensated them for that. They tried to argue it, so in the end, I wrote them thank you cards and then snuck a gift card in. I've thought about taking the dog with us, but, I think I would be too nervous about the dog doing damage to the property. Also, since we do stay off-site, it would be a lot of extra back and forth to be running back there to let them out for their business etc... and I just can't bring myself to stick a large dog in a crate all day.

I think I would prefer to wait until after Disney, but in a way, that's kind of like putting off having a kid because you want to do something first, lol. Will there ever be a "perfect" time? Because there'll always be another trip somewhere.

Also, our main reason for getting a dog (well, we do enjoy animals) but is basically as a therapy dog for DD who has ASD (Aspergers). So, I'm not sure that's something I want to put off.

 

[bjscheel]

I'd definitely talk to the farm family members and see if that would be a possibility!

 

[W.E.D.]

My parents always watch our dogs for us. If you don't have that option, I've heard good things about the kennel on WDW property, just outside POR resort.

 

[Sytrace]

We found a fantastic boarding kennel for Loki when we travel. Our longest time away has only been 7 days so far, but I have no doubt that if we boarded him at this kennel for longer than that he would be fine.
It is a wonderful place out in the country and they only take a certain number of dogs at a visit, which is really nice in that all dogs get lots of attention and space to roam. The owners have horses and their own dogs who the boarding dogs get to play with if you want them to.
We pay $25.00 a day and really love that he gets so much outdoor time as opposed to brief walks and spending most of the time in a crate.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

Someone on the dis answered my question on the same topic awhile ago and I am still so grateful to that person! S/he recommended dogvacay.com, and I have since found a similar site called rover.com. Both websites act as intermediaries between local (to you) dog sitters. We have used both sites several times and have always been happy. People who are willing to take dogs into their own homes sign up and list their credentials and the amount they charge per day. You pay dogvacay.com or rover.com, and they pay the dog sitter.

You are able (it's actually expected) to meet the person who will care for your dog in their home before either of you commit to the arrangement. We have found great dog sitters this way. Some take big dogs, some take small ones. Some take care of several, some only one at a time, etc. So far the only common denominator has been that all of the dog sitters we've met have their own dogs and love dogs!

Personally, we vastly prefer leaving our dog in someone's home versus a kennel.

The only suggestion I would make beyond the above is that, when you get your dog, you make absolutely sure to socialize him/her to other dogs, children, adults, (and if possible even cats) while it is still a puppy (after it's had its shots, of course). It's pretty hard to leave a dog with someone if it can't be trusted.

 

[bumbershoot]

But, still, that is still asking them to be responsible for boarding at night, feeding, watering etc...

That's where compensating them comes into play. First, see IF they want to do it. If they do, then you compensate them for their troubles.

And since we drive there, that right there is 5-6 days we're away, so we'll never have less than 2 weeks away, and I know DH really wants to spend longer next time.

With that, I'd take the dog with you. Kennel them while you're there for the day, stay in a pet-friendly place.

I just can't bring myself to stick a large dog in a crate all day.

Dogs don't see it as being "stuck", though. It's their den. It's their sanctuary, if you've done it correctly. Or you could find a trusted kennel in Florida for each day.

I think I would prefer to wait until after Disney, but in a way, that's kind of like putting off having a kid because you want to do something first, lol. Will there ever be a "perfect" time? Because there'll always be another trip somewhere.

There will never be a perfect time. You will always be counting down to the next trip. Vacations are one of our reasons for delaying pets, and there is ALWAYS another reason in the future that feels too soon to think about bringing an animal into the home.

Also, our main reason for getting a dog (well, we do enjoy animals) but is basically as a therapy dog for DD who has ASD (Aspergers). So, I'm not sure that's something I want to put off.

So then you're looking into a different situation, because in a way the dog won't just be a pet. I recognize that you're not saying it would be a service dog (therapy dogs being different in definition and "job" than service dogs) but I might maybe ask on the DISabilities thread about therapy dogs and how people deal with them when on vacation etc.

 

[PrncessA]

My mom house/pet sit this year for our 10 night trip. Before that our neighbor would watch her or bring her over to her house.

 

[tzolkin]

If you are so against taking care of dogs then just stop doing it. We only ask people who are more than happy to have the dog and most of them stay at our place during that time as we are more centrally located in NYC than their apartments.

This is a fairly snarky response to what I said.

The OP was asking for advise and I gave mine. I am not "so against taking care of dogs". The neighbor's dog I wrote about was very enjoyable to care for. My kids were excited to help out and we were glad to take some stress out of our friends' trip. I just thought it was worth mentioning that the dog seemed rather depressed to be home alone and just having someone check in on him a few times a day and walk him, so that would be something worth the OP considering if they were to do the same with their dog for 3 weeks.

The other instance was specifically some annoyance with my parents for their lack of consideration, not really with caring for the dogs. However, they have a farm and their dogs roam free, so they have no concept of caring for a dog in a home where the dog must be leashed to go to the bathroom and walked for exercise. Again, in this particular situation, their dogs would have been happier if they had been boarded somewhere that they could have some access to the outdoors or some playtime with other dogs for exercise instead of me trying to leash train them. They knew this, but admitted that they simply didn't want the extra expense. I think mild irritation was justified.

In response to a PP, not everyone who asks a someone to dog sit is just to cheap to board.

I never said that. I was commenting specifically about my parents who complained about the added expense of boarding dogs and then asked me to watch them whenever they went away instead.

I understand why some dogs may be more comfortable in their own home and therefore require a sitter, but the OP doesn't even have a dog yet so issues like anxiety, etc are not part of the equation (at this point).

That said, my DH's family owns a farm. It's just a hobby farm now, but his father, aunt and uncle all live on the property which is 200 acres, and they have a couple farm dogs, so to me, that seems like it would be ideal, because there'd be other dogs to play with (lol), and tonnes of room to roam, instead of being cooped up. But, still, that is still asking them to be responsible for boarding at night, feeding, watering etc...

This sounds like a more ideal situation as long as you have trained the dog well enough to be reliable off-leash and also socialized to get along with the other dogs by that point.

 

[wilkeliza]

This is a fairly snarky response to what I said.

The OP was asking for advise and I gave mine. I am not "so against taking care of dogs". The neighbor's dog I wrote about was very enjoyable to care for. My kids were excited to help out and we were glad to take some stress out of our friends' trip. I just thought it was worth mentioning that the dog seemed rather depressed to be home alone and just having someone check in on him a few times a day and walk him, so that would be something worth the OP considering if they were to do the same with their dog for 3 weeks.

The other instance was specifically some annoyance with my parents for their lack of consideration, not really with caring for the dogs. However, they have a farm and their dogs roam free, so they have no concept of caring for a dog in a home where the dog must be leashed to go to the bathroom and walked for exercise. Again, in this particular situation, their dogs would have been happier if they had been boarded somewhere that they could have some access to the outdoors or some playtime with other dogs for exercise instead of me trying to leash train them. They knew this, but admitted that they simply didn't want the extra expense. I think mild irritation was justified.

You told the OP that you personally think asking someone else to take care of a dog is too much, the provided two personal experiences where in one you found the people (your parents none the less) to cheap to board and then another where you thought the dog was lonely. The rest of us have provided experiences that as dog owners we have found family friends or young neighbors who come and stay at our home to take care of our pets. It is like hiring a house sitter. I was snarky because you said it is too much to ask someone to watch a pet and that came off as very judgmental of all the pet owners on the thread that said they do just that.

 

[Lillian Gracey]

My parents take care of our dog. Their dog absolutely adores our dog so they have lots of fun together.

 

[tzolkin]

You told the OP that you personally think asking someone else to take care of a dog is too much, the provided two personal experiences where in one you found the people (your parents none the less) to cheap to board and then another where you thought the dog was lonely. The rest of us have provided experiences that as dog owners we have found family friends or young neighbors who come and stay at our home to take care of our pets. It is like hiring a house sitter. I was snarky because you said it is too much to ask someone to watch a pet and that came off as very judgmental of all the pet owners on the thread that said they do just that.

I apologize. I re-read my post and saw that I typed it was too much to ask someone to watch the dog for "any length vacation", but I meant to type "that length vacation". Specifically that three weeks was a lot to ask.

My examples were meant to be things for the OP to consider.

Having a sitter stay in your home with your dog would be ideal. (Comfortable for the dog and nice for the person you hire.) Sending your untrained dog to stay at a relative's home because you don't want to pay someone to house/pet sit or board is not. Neither is leaving the dog home alone for three weeks. I just wanted to make that clear to the OP.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Depending on how we are traveling, my pup either stays with my parents (and it works both ways - their dog visits me from time to time, too) or I board him. Either way, he gets a nice vacation, too - he loves getting to play with other dogs. For boarding, I found a place I really like. They only kennel for meals and when other dogs are being picked up/dropped off. The rest of the time, the dogs get to play in a safe environment with a doggy door to a nice area to run and play. Small dogs are kept separate from the big dogs, too, so it is all dogs his own size.

 

[wilkeliza]

I apologize. I re-read my post and saw that I typed it was too much to ask someone to watch the dog for "any length vacation", but I meant to type "that length vacation". Specifically that three weeks was a lot to ask.

My examples were meant to be things for the OP to consider.

Having a sitter stay in your home with your dog would be ideal. (Comfortable for the dog and nice for the person you hire.) Sending your untrained dog to stay at a relative's home because you don't want to pay someone to house/pet sit or board is not. I just wanted to make that clear to the OP.

With that clarification I do agree to your point. For 3 weeks having someone just stop in a few times a day is too long. They dog would be best served by going to someone else's home, having someone come house/pet sit, or going to boarding. We do pay our house/pet sitters but I'll admit not as much as we would pay a boarder since they are able to do their day to day, have people over, and go to the regular jobs as well. I think we pay our house/pet sitters 100 a week plus some extra for food.

 

[Jennasis]

We board our dog...and we are adopting another tomorrow (a retired greyhound!)

 

[GreatLakes]

Dogs don't see it as being "stuck", though. It's their den. It's their sanctuary, if you've done it correctly. Or you could find a trusted kennel in Florida for each day.

Yes, if dogs are properly crate trained as puppies they don't see the crate as punishment. I think everyone should crate train their puppy even if they don't plan on it being a long term solution. My wife and I foster from time to time and it is much easier to foster dogs that have been crate trained at a young age. It was also a good thing one of our dogs had been crate trained as a puppy because we had to crate him for a month or so after a surgery he had for his own safety.

Also, never ever ever use the crate as punishment. You don't want your dog to have a negative association with it.

 

[SunnyKYLake]

I never said that. I was commenting specifically about my parents who complained about the added expense of boarding dogs and then asked me to watch them whenever they went away instead.

I understand why some dogs may be more comfortable in their own home and therefore require a sitter, but the OP doesn't even have a dog yet so issues like anxiety, etc are not part of the equation (at this point).

oh, oops! Sorry about that! Some how I ran the 2 sentences together. Yes, that would irk me too. And I also see you clarified about "that length". It's cool.

That is true that the OP doesn't have a dog yet. I was just giving the OP something to consider.

So, when you are looking for your new doggie friend, you might consider their personality and temperament. We love our Missy and don't regret for a minute adopting her, but I do wish she was a better traveler.