Where do you leave your dog when going on vacation?

casuallady · ‎03-09-2010

Our daughter and family live across country from PA to California. We usually take our 2 yr old Labradoodle with us on short vacations, but it won't work to fly him.

His last visit to a Kennel wasn't great. They said they couldn't walk him, since he growled and they were afraid. He is very pleasant with us, but being in the large cage and kennel atmosphere made him upset.

We took him to obedience class and one of the kennel workers was a trainer. She said her aunt owned the kennel, and I could take him there to get him used to it. I don't know if that will help.

When he was little, a friend watched him in their home, but their schedule won't work.

What do you do?

Thanks !

luvmyteddy4 · ‎09-04-2010

I would find a friend or neighbor to watch him at home. I could never leave mine but I watched all the neighbors dogs and cats. I personally don't like kennels.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

I have a woman who belongs to a national pet sitter's organization, come in once a day and feed my three dogs, give them fresh water and play with them a bit. I have put them in a kennel but they are much happier with this arrangement. I get cell phone photos and a detailed daily log of her visits. My dogs are older, well-adjusted and none suffer from separation anxiety. I noticed my sitter and a couple others are listed on Angie's List.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

Unless we're visiting family for just a night or two, and they've already invited him to come long, we always board our boy at a kennel. I feel it's the safest place for him. The kennel area is set up so the dogs can be inside or out, as they choose and weather permitting, but they are always in their own run, separated from the neighboring dogs by cyclone fencing. Most of the time he's only there for a couple of days. The longest we've left him was maybe 7 days or so. They love him there, will take him out to play, and he gets lots of people interaction. Our groomer works there, too, so it's convenient to get his bath and everything done during his stay.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

Choosing a place to board a dog is really hard in some areas, because there isn't much to choose from. The only time we have had to do it, we chose our vet's offices because he is familiar with them and the surroundings.

My brother always has the neighbors tend to their dog when away, but you have the chance that the dog will bolt and run off looking for you when they let him out or take him for a walk.

The one thing I would want to be sure of, besides the security of the place (them not getting away) is that they have plenty of "toilet times", as I think many places let them go way too many hours without letting the go out.

lilypadfrog · ‎03-25-2010

If you have a pet sitter, how do you manage a security alarm system? Do you leave it off or give them the codes or? I have tried a kennel but my dog tends to be afraid of other dogs. I would like to go on a short trip next year but don't know how to manage it.

kibbi · ‎03-10-2010

I know a woman who boards dogs in her home for people who travel. She is someone who I went to school with. She has a nice big fenced in yard and the dogs are only crated when she has to leave the house. My dog is a little bichon and he even sleeps on her bed.

It is $30 a day.

AnikaBrodie · ‎03-10-2010

The last time we left our dogs at a kennel we ended up with one very sick dog. It wasn't the kennel experience; however, it was the kennel cough vaccine they required before she was allowed admission. She still suffers from the results of the vaccine four years later.

"Faith, Hope, Love; the greatest of these is Love." ~The Silver Fox~

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

We don't have dogs; we have cats......and if we're gone for more than a day or so, we board them at our vet's office. No, they aren't happy about it, but I trust the excellent staff there to take good care of them, love on them, let them out of the cages daily, etc. We've done it several times, and they've been fine when we picked them up -- and glad to come back home.

They are indoor/outdoor cats, and if someone isn't here to let them in and out on demand, our frisky male would literally tear the house apart. Therefore, a pet-sitter who drops by daily wouldn't work for our situation.

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

On 9/2/2014 GoodStuff said:
We don't have dogs; we have cats......and if we're gone for more than a day or so, we board them at our vet's office. No, they aren't happy about it, but I trust the excellent staff there to take good care of them, love on them, let them out of the cages daily, etc. We've done it several times, and they've been fine when we picked them up -- and glad to come back home.

They are indoor/outdoor cats, and if someone isn't here to let them in and out on demand, our frisky male would literally tear the house apart. Therefore, a pet-sitter who drops by daily wouldn't work for our situation.

I was a cat mother for 10 years. I could enjoy going away when I took my fur baby to the vet for boarding. You may need to take your dog there overnight, and see how the stay goes before your trip.