What to do with Dog while on Vac.?

[GJM]

We just got our dog about a year ago. This is the first time we will be going on an extended vacation. We have left her for a night or two, with our neighbors coming to let her out and feed her.

We will be gone for 10 days to Disney in May, I was hoping my mother would watch the dog at her house but she doesn't want too.

So should I leave her at home and have my neighbords come feed her and let her out or should I board her. I feel so bad leaving her home alone, but I also feel bad boarding her.

What does everyone do?

 

[DawnCt1]

I used to leave my two dogs (14 y.o toy poodle, 9 y.o standard poodle) with my groomer. Last Dec. my groomer severely injured the toy poodle and so leaving them there is no longer an option. I considered having a pet sitter come twice a day but that isn't enough human activity for either of my two dogs so I have decided to board them both while we are in Hawaii for 18 days. I inquired as to which kennel has a good reputation, (vet recommendations) and then talked to the owners of the kennel. One kennel, highly recommended has an "additional play time for $6 per day". Who knows if they will actually get that attention and why would one have to pay for what should be expected; human contact. The other issue is that they open at 8 am and leave at 6 pm. What happens if there is an emergency during the night? At another kennel, the owners live on the premises. Good idea. She sounds like a nice lady but when I told her that Annie has to eat 2 times a day and Chelsea always has to eat 4 times a day (small amounts) she went into a long explanation of why it is best to feed once a day. I don't care!!! My dogs eat the way I describe. How will I know that she will do it when they are in her care. The last one I called feeds twice a day unless there is a special request. She requires all to be on flea and tick protection because they have "play time" in a fenced in area besides the run. That's where my dogs will go!

 

[RonnieJo66]

Ah, the joys and expenses that come with our loved pets!

We have 2 dogs that we have to board at a kennel while we are gone. Last year our bill was $500

We just add the cost into our planning... What are ya gonna do!

I look at it this way...I know that they are well fed, taken care of and comfortable. One less thing to worry about.

 

[disneyaggie]

My dogs have a nanny. Actually, she works at their vet and anytime I am out of town she comes over in the morning and after work to feed, water and play with the little fur babies. Since she only works about 2 miles away, it is easy for her to do. Plus, she came recommended from the vet a few years ago and I have loved her taking care of my babies ever since.

They get to stay at home in their own surroundings and smells. I even leave my pajamas laid out for them to snuggle in with the bed turned down so they can smell my scent and feel more comfy. As you can tell, they are spoiled rotten, and they deserve every bit of it!

 

[5wdwfans]

We found a good boarding place for our dogs. I to felt bad at first leaving them at the boarding place but I knew they were being taken care of and walked each day. We had checked this place out a few times before we left the dogs there and always checked out. It's a veterinary/boarding/grooming place. It was a better choice than leaving them at home and troubleing someone to check on them several times a day. Your dog will need a shot before you can board them. Good luck!!

 

[lclark0621]

We board our dogs. I feel they are safer. They may not be happier, but they are safer.

The place we board then has half indoor, half ourdoor kennels. So they can go in or out as they please day & night. They are also given several playtimes throughout the day in the dog run area.

The people who own our kennel also live on the property, so someone is always close by.

If the weather is bad, I know they are checked on multiple times a night. If they get sick or whatever, I know the kennel people will know what to do & have a vet on call that they can take to 24 hours a day.

I am much more comfortable knowing they are well cared for & in a safe enviroment.

Plus this way I dont have to worry about any accidents that may occur at my house. While my dogs never have accidents in the house, they are also let out at will. So if they go out at 6:00pm, they may want to go back out at 11:00pm. And on rare occasions one of them may need to go out in the middle of the night. At the kennel they can go out in the outdoor part of their kennel & go to the bathroom if they have to. The kennels are washed out daily & if they go in it multiple times, they are washing multiple times.

 

[GJM]

My neighbors live right next door, I'm just worried if I leave her at home she won't have human contact. I would feel so bad.

I didn't think of the food issue. We just leave a bowl of food down all the time, when he is hungry he goes and eats a little. She doesn't have set times to eat.

 

[lclark0621]

Our kennel leaves a full food & water dish in the pen with the dogs all day & night....Well if they eat/drink it overnight they get it refilled in the morning.

Call around & do some research. You will find a good one. I know the area you are from, I used to live near your County. There are a lot of good ones there. Call a few vets & get their reccomendations.

Find one that thinks of your dog as real animals, not just income to be stuffed in a cage. And your dog will be safer for it.

 

[minkydog]

Ah, the joys and expenses that come with our loved pets!

We have 2 dogs that we have to board at a kennel while we are gone. Last year our bill was $500

We just add the cost into our planning... What are ya gonna do!

I look at it this way...I know that they are well fed, taken care of and comfortable. One less thing to worry about.

We do, too. Minky goes to the kennel, where they adore him and make over him.He has seizures so they watch him closely and get the vet when he has them. Minky is way to much of a people-dog to leave him alone for several days, even with a sitter coming in. He'd be very territorial, too. So we add a couple $100 to the vacation budget for Minky.

 

[ilovepcot]

We're willing to pay *ridiculous* amounts to have people we know well and trust to come in and stay with Spider. Absolutley do not trust *any* boarding facility with our dog. If a trusted friend or family member is unavailable when we want to vacation, we remain home. I don't think there are many people who feel this way.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

When we got our first dog I looked at all the kennels in the area to see which one(s) I liked. I drove to all of them within 45 minutes of our house and there was one that I was the most comfortable with. They are a family run operation, have indoor/outdoor runs, seem to pay attention to the dogs, normally feed once a day, but will feed twice a day, will mix in canned food or even meat if the dog is not eating, will give medicine, and for an extra fee will bring the dogs in a big fenced yard.

There was another place that I liked well enough, but the other places I didn't like.

We have a second dog now, however, who does not do well in kennels.

We had our petsitter who would come to our house for our cats come more often for the dogs, but now she has moved too far away to come as often as we would need her to come for the dogs.

For our summer trip we plan to have the vet tech from our vet's office come stay in our house. That's assuming that our college DD is going on vacation with us. Otherwise she'll stay with the animals.

 

[Lisa L from MI]

We're willing to pay *ridiculous* amounts to have people we know well and trust to come in and stay with Spider. Absolutley do not trust *any* boarding facility with our dog. If a trusted friend or family member is unavailable when we want to vacation, we remain home. I don't think there are many people who feel this way.

Our "seperate" vacation days are over....thats what we decided since "Mabel".......so yes, I feel the same way!!!!!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We board our dogs. They are active 1yo's and no way would I want them at home without us.
We don't have anyone to come and stay with them.

Heck we couldn't get our family to watch our kids much less our dogs...

 

[ilovepcot]

Our "seperate" vacation days are over....thats what we decided since "Mabel".......so yes, I feel the same way!!!!!!

Mean this this "sweetest" way possible....glad there are other "nuts" out there besides just DH and me! Besides, who could lock this sweet little thing in a *cage*????!!!!

 

[canwegosoon]

For the past 2 years we have boarded ours at our vet's, since it is a really small office, and everyone is very caring...they take the dogs out side for play time, they let them through the office etc. And my dog loves to go there...he gets so excited to see everyone-BUT each time he has gotten sick-he is older 10yo Eskie, so he is not young. Next trip we are flying out of NYC, and I am driving to LI and giving my Dad my dog. He loves him(both ways).

 

[Pugdog007]

I have a pet sitter that's awesome. She comes by twice a day to feed them and give them meds, and she plays with them and even brings in our mail and turns different lights on to make it look like someone's here. My pugs are so much happier with this than they were when we've boarded them. They seem relaxed and happy instead of anxious & "different" when we return. And bonus... for 5 dogs it is MUCH cheaper to pay the pet sitter than to board all 5.

We have a doggie door and fenced backyard so they go in and out as they please.

 

[LK03]

My parents just always boarded our one dog. They started taking him to a "doggy hotel," where he had his own bed, TV to watch and lots of pampering. I know on the weekends the dog was given a "brunch" of assorted freshly baked doggie items and when he left he was given a doggie bag as well.

However, when DH and I leave for Disney in July our friend who has a puppy a few weeks older than ours has graiciously offered to keep our pup for the week as well. So, if the friend falls through I will start asking other people in the area for a reputable place for the lil guy.

 

[A4Disney]

We just got our dog about a year ago. This is the first time we will be going on an extended vacation. We have left her for a night or two, with our neighbors coming to let her out and feed her.

We will be gone for 10 days to Disney in May, I was hoping my mother would watch the dog at her house but she doesn't want too.

So should I leave her at home and have my neighbords come feed her and let her out or should I board her. I feel so bad leaving her home alone, but I also feel bad boarding her.

What does everyone do?

I think leaving her home alone with someone coming in to feed her may be worse than a boarding place.I haven't left my dog in a kennel but there are several near me that are "doggie resorts" 30-40 dollars a day for a doggie suite,several play times in an outdoor play yard etc...maybe this could be an option..

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I haven't left our dogs in a "doggie resort", but with 2 dogs, that would get awfully expensive, plus I would still need someone to come over once a day for the cats. Could easily end up spending $100/day for pet care. And I'm still pretty sure that one of our dogs wouldn't be happy (one of them would be very happy ).

They are happy here as long as they are checked on often. At least they seem that way.

Sheena (our unhappy boarder) actually seems depressed after boarding. Her tail literally does not wag for a few days--like it's broken. When she sees us she's excited, but after a few hours she starts sulking and the tail goes down. She doesn't want to eat and the tail looks broken. It's so sad. When we've left her at home she doesn't act this way at all.

But our other dog is fine. Sheena is just not a good kennel dog.

 

[NoodlesTheRabbit]

We're willing to pay *ridiculous* amounts to have people we know well and trust to come in and stay with Spider. Absolutley do not trust *any* boarding facility with our dog. If a trusted friend or family member is unavailable when we want to vacation, we remain home. I don't think there are many people who feel this way.

I agree. Our Bichon Frise is staying home and being cared for by a trusted family friend. She's a very nervous animal and I don't feel comfortable leaving her around all those other dogs in an unfamiliar place. She was once dogsat at my friend's house and cried all night to go home. Once she got home, she curled up in her bed and went to sleep. She will stay in the evening and Sophie (the dog) will be gated in our kitchen.