vacations

[gwd]

it's that time of year. many of us do our family vacations during august. what dog care arrangements do ya'll make?

most often my choice is to arrange a vacation that is dog friendly. this year we'll be renting a houseboat for a week. this works well for us as i have water loving dogs. they also think it's a lovely vacation!

as i mentioned in another thread, both of my cherubs are intact so boarding is NEVER an option, not that i'd want to do that anyway. i am blessed with wonderful parents that have, on occasion, made the 6 hour drive to my house to dog sit. i don't avail myself of this gift often, (every couple of years or so) but i can always enjoy myself knowing that my dogs are well taken care of.

we've done the houseboat thing a few times, but i'd love to hear some other dog friendly vacation ideas...

[Erica]

We tried having our neighbor housesit for us, including caring for Opal and Onyx (this was pre-Marble). She did all we asked her too and did it well, but when we got back Opal had a hot spot the size of my hand...IMO a combination of the hot weather and the stress of not having her family with her. So if we go on vacation, either someone from our family will stay with the dogs, or we'll bring them with us.

I do dogsit for people, in their homes - Ozzie down the street doesn't need me to sleep over, but I walk him twice a day (mile to a mile and a half each time), do training, etc to keep him happy and occupied.

When I dogsit Ami and Zeus, I spend all but 4-6 hours a day at their house, walking them 3-4 miles each if the weather permits (neither do well in heat), training, playing, keeping them from knocking over all the furniture in the house...

Overall, as far as vacations go, I'd rather stay with the dogs or bring them with us. If Opal were less of a diva, maybe having someone stay at the house would go better, but as is, she can't handle it well.

[Wilkie]

What's the verdict on boarding? I have never tried it and I'm concerned about strangers watching my dog and following MY guidelines. Having a dogsitter takes a lot of trust, just like a babysitter for kids. Does anyone have written contracts with people?

[JudyN]

Jasper is a clingy, sensitive dog who can get his teeth out if he can't cope with a situation, so leaving him wouldn't be an option - I dread to think what he'd be like after a week in kennels! So our holidays are all in dog-friendly self-catering cottages in this country (OH hates travelling anyway). When choosing where to go, easy access to good safe off-lead walk areas and dog-friendly pubs takes highest priority - our needs are secondary!

What's the verdict on boarding? I have never tried it and I'm concerned about strangers watching my dog and following MY guidelines. Having a dogsitter takes a lot of trust, just like a babysitter for kids. Does anyone have written contracts with people?

If is was in a position where I had to do this I would want to build up a relationship with the dog sitter first. I've used a dog sitter for an evening out a couple of times which gives both me and Jasper the chance to get to know the sitter, and for her to get to know him. Unfortunately she's not that near, or I would work up to her walking him, then him going to hers just for the day, and so on.

[bendog]

When I only had one dog if the whole family were going away then Ben went to my Nans and she looked after him (and she lets him sleep on the bed there too).


Up until early this year I lived with boyfriends parents, so going away for a weekend was ok (although the dogs wouldn't be walked). But if I went away for a week Ben still went to my Nans.

Now, I'm not sure my Nan would cope with all three and to be honest in the last 5 years I've only been abroad twice, once with boyfriend when my Nan looked after Ben, and once with friends so dogs stayed with boyfriend. I go to Kilimanjaro next month for 10 days and thats the longest I'll have ever left the dogs, and the first time I've left Pop more than 1 night. But boyfriend will walk them and look after them and boyfriends friend will be staying so they'll have company all day too.

Usually we just take the dogs with us and holiday in this country - Wales or the Lake District usually. Like Judy, being able to take the dogs is the main priority, so good walking opportunities, etc are essential. Pubs less important since we usually self cater.

I wouldn't leave them in kennels, too stressful for them. I have dog sat when friends and family go away and usually I just live at their house with the dogs whilst they are away and that's been fine, so I would leave our dogs with a trusted friend or family member, but I'd ask them not to let them off lead, and cross my fingers they didn't teach them bad habits.

[rachel540]

Vacation - what's that?? haha I'm afraid going abroad for us is no longer an option for the forseeable future which means the joy of British Summers and good bye to a golden tan.

My OH and I had one night away last February that didn't go very well, we had the in-laws dog-sit for us and Pepper didn't settle at all, we spent the whole time worrying between the many phonecalls from home and despite our strict instructions they were not followed.

We had our first family "vacation" last month which was a weekend away in a dog friendly guest house which actually went very well, Pepper was extremely well behaved. When back at home she was a little out of sync and we had to build up leaving her alone again but settled back into routine after a week. We have booked a week away next year in a dog friendly cottage in the Yorkshire Dales, it is in the same village as the guest house so I think Pepper will get used to it quite quickly and all the pubs are dog friendly and of course the walking is ideal.

A totally uneducated option as i have never been to a Kennel so will be interested to see what people say but as it stands ow Kennels will never be an option for us Pepper is used to the freedom to do her own thing and the safety of her crate should she feel anxious or scared. Kennels would stress her out way too much and I would worry she wouldn't come back the same dog (proably an over-reaction).

[Sarah83]

I've used kennels several times now and neither dog has suffered as a result. Pet sitters weren't an option with Rupert as most of them have more than one dog at a time and often have their own pets and often children too, would have likely ended up in a blood bath sending Rupe somewhere like that. Found an excellent kennels out here because of Ruperts issues and decided to use them with Spen as well. Glad I did as everyone I know of who's used the local pet sitter has said their dog has come back completely different.

[Suzette]

I'm not opposed to kennels in general, but they're not all created equal and not all dogs will do well even in the best of them. I had one dog who thrived in a great doggy daycare/kennel that I found near my house. (We used it only when we went on vacations.) But my current dog would be miserable at a kennel, so we now plan dog-friendly vacations so she can come along with us.

[Erica]

We used to board Mica and Onyx at kennels and they did well, never noticed anything "off" about them afterwards. We did go on vacation for a week and left Opal and Onyx at a kennel once - they put them together in their biggest run, since they got along well, and nothing terrible happened, but Opal forgot all of her manners and we basically had to start from scratch once we got back...I think she was just extremely stressed out, and while younger Onyx could have done fine in a kennel, I wouldn't put Opal in one if I could avoid it. It depends on the dog and the kennel, basically!

[Wilkie]

I have heard that if you don't pick up your dog when you say you are, they euthanize them. What if an emergency came up and you weren't able to contact them right away? I'm not sure if this is true or not, but if it is, I am confused.

[bendog]

I doubt it. They'd just charge you for the extra night or two. If you didn't contact them then after a few days I guess theyd hand the dog over to an animal sheltrr

[JudyN]

I have heard that if you don't pick up your dog when you say you are, they euthanize them. What if an emergency came up and you weren't able to contact them right away? I'm not sure if this is true or not, but if it is, I am confused.

Either that is rubbish, or it only applies to a very few boarding establishments and quite frankly, if an establishment would consider doing that, you wouldn't be using them anyway. The situation is easily avoided anyway by giving them details of someone to contact in case of emergency.

[Wilkie]

I have heard that if you don't pick up your dog when you say you are, they euthanize them. What if an emergency came up and you weren't able to contact them right away? I'm not sure if this is true or not, but if it is, I am confused.

Either that is rubbish, or it only applies to a very few boarding establishments and quite frankly, if an establishment would consider doing that, you wouldn't be using them anyway. The situation is easily avoided anyway by giving them details of someone to contact in case of emergency.

That's why I had to get info from people who actually used boarding. I was told there was a week limit after pickup date if you haven't returned to get the dog. I am thinking that this person might have confused boarding with a kill shelter?

[chay]

i had a horrific experience with a pet sitter the one (ONE!) time i ever left gremlin to go away for three days - every other holiday we've taken her with us, but this one was organised by my parents in law so i had no say over the accommodation so they wouldnt take the dog. i know there are probably wonderful pet sitters out there but i'll certainly never take the chance again. i doubt she was let out at all, pee and poop ALL over the house, water bowl empty i was so livid i actually couldnt' even speak.

gypsy dog has only been with us a couple of years and we've not been on holiday with her yet, but she's still neurotic enough that i wouldnt risk leaving her, even with a friend. in my opinion holidays are best with the whole family anyway!

[Nettle]

I used to house-sit and looked after some very badly-behaved dogs which were a lot better-behaved when the owners came back I also used to look after a gamekeeper's dogs while he was away, which was great as they were all well-trained (included a pack of ten Patterdales each of which had to be exercised on its own). So I'd recommend a GOOD house-sitter (not the dreadful one chay had) or a very good kennels, and in each case prepare the dog by a day at the kennels or a day with the sitter first.

Us - we don't go on holiday at all.