Afraid to (or refuse to) kennel animals for vacation? UPDATE Post 1

[tuckerkeys]

I use an in home pet sitter that comes as many times during the day/eve as you'd like her. Each visit is $7 and she'll feed, walk, play, anything you'd like to do for your pets! It is cheaper for cats, I believe $5 but dog visits are $7...I do have a doggie door in my backdoor so they can go in and out to the fenced yard whenever they like so I just have her come morning & evening. So far we have never had a problem & the longest I've left them ( 2 goldens ) was 2 weeks!!!! She even takes in your mail / paper and the cutest thing is she'll leave on animal planet for them to watch!! I also can get daily calls on their wellbeing if I'd like but i always say only call if there's a problem..... they aren't stressed, happy to be home and the worst thing is the HAIR cleanup when I get home!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I wouldn't have cancelled my vacation. That being said, I don't kennel. My family has never kenneled. The closest I ever came to kenneling was when I left my aged, sick ferret at the house of a woman who ran a rescue out of her home because I did not think my parents could handle the daily medication regimen and feeding requirements that our old girl had. The ferret got to play for a week with lots of fuzzy new friends, and the nice caretaker got a good donation for her rescue.

We are always willing to watch pets for family members and friends, with the understanding that they should reciprocate. On the incredibly off chance we cannot find someone we're familiar with to watch our pets we would hire a sitting service to come to the house several times a day and watch/feed/walk/play with the animals. Heck, if it's 'only money' you might as well hire a housesitter and then not worry about the poor thing being lonely.

 

[tar heel]

I can't imagine. Never occurred to me that people put their dogs in the beds in hotel rooms either. I think there's a reason I don't have or want a dog.

 

[Pakey]

I would cancel my vacation before I kennel. I have 2 dogs, one has severe emotional issues (a rescue that was mistreated). A kennel would not take him anyway.

I have a pet sitter who comes in twice daily to feed/water them while we are gone. We have a doggie door. I tried having a stay in sitter but my little crazy dog could not handle having someone stay in the house. I use the same sitter every time. She knows to come in, not engage him, just washes the bowls, puts out the food and water. She stays while they eat, way across the room and then she leaves.

I consider my dogs part of my family. I knew when I took on this rescue that it wouldn't be easy or convenient.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I wouldn't cancel a vacation because of our dogs (we have two GSDs) but we did go through a period where we didn't book any vacations, after our first GSD was kicked out of a kennel for trying to "run the place".

It took us a long time to find the right kennel again after that. We finally found the right place, but it was a 90 minute drive away. We happily drove that distance to kennel our dogs, because it meant so much less stress for us while we were on vacation. This kennel is basically an old farm where the pastures have been converted to big dog parks and the dogs are separated into small compatible play groups. I remember calling the kennel after his first day there and being told cheerfully that our GSD had been put in with the "rowdy labs" (where he wouldn't stand a chance of trying to become the alpha) and had played quite happily all day, and was now curled up under the desk taking a nap while the owner did some book keeping.

We boarded the GSDs just last week while we were in WDW and both of them were spot-on with their obedience when we picked them up (even better than they had been at home, with the distraction of a young baby keeping us occupied ). It's important to us to find a kennel where the dogs know their place and behave... our male GSD was kicked out of that one kennel because there was no one in charge as far as he could see, so he decided to take over.

So yeah, I understand. I think you just need to put some effort into finding a place that can handle your dog, before you book your next vacation. It might not be close, and it might not be the obvious choice, but you should be able to find a good fit if you keep looking. We actually bought a house and moved closer to our kennel last year.

 

[rascalmom]

We are major dog lovers in my house. Both of our little guys are a big part of our family. The older one - in the picture in my sig - sleeps in our bed nightly.

No way would I cancel a trip unless one of the dogs was ill. I know the dog is sad when we leave (I don't think the puppy cares yet as long as he gets to play with the other dog), but my human family would be sad if we didn't get to go on vacation. I would feel too guilty disappointing my kids - I would send dh and the girls off on the trip without me before I would do that.

We've kenneled before - but I agree with pp's that you have to find the right one. When we just had one dog, my parents watched him. The puppy is too much for them, which is understandable.

Next time, I'll just hire someone to come to my house. We've done that before & it worked out beautifully. We hired someone we knew (our housekeeper) - she came and went throughout the day, but stayed here overnight.

 

[Anna_Marie]

Aw, I know where your coming from. We had a 13 year old cat and I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had my mom, and then after she passed away, my friend come over and take care of him. He would not have liked being in the kennel at our vets. However, there is a place in town called the something Pet Resort, which I have heard is very expensive but nice. I guess I would have checked that out. Or just begged any other friends to come feed and play and pet him. I don't see us cancelling a vacation over him, but then again, I would want him to be happy and comfortable.

 

[rascalmom]

By the way - what is a "GSD"? I have been racking my brain and all I can come up with is German Shepherd - but the "D" throws that off.

 

[Swalphin]

I can't imagine. Never occurred to me that people put their dogs in the beds in hotel rooms either. I think there's a reason I don't have or want a dog.

I have taken my dogs to lots of hotel room, and these are not lap dogs. If it really bothers you, allergies for example make sure you check before booking. There are many, many chains, Loews for one, who happily accept pets.

 

[AndyLL]

We canceled a trip when our dog was in cancer treatment.

We almost canceled another trip when our regular caretaker couldn't do it. We toured the doggy day care centers in our area that took overnighters but neither of them had people there overnight. Luckily we didn't have to make that choice.

We might be in the same situation this March but we will have several options in place.

The one thing we won't do is put them in a kennel where they are in a cage most of the day and where there is no one onsite overnight.

Our dogs are not accessories that we dump ( even temporary ) when they've become inconvenient to us.

 

[TanyaLovesPooh]

I think it is awesome that you love your dog so much!

In 2004 we took our dog with us to Orlando and we rented a house so he could be with us. We found someone there locally that would keep him in the daytime at her house and we would pick him up at night.

The last time we went in 2008 we also did a cruise too, so we were fortunate enough that my mother kept him for us. I will not kennel him. Period.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

By the way - what is a "GSD"? I have been racking my brain and all I can come up with is German Shepherd - but the "D" throws that off.

German Shepherd Dog. The word dog is part of the official breed name. I guess to distinguish from actual German shepherds.

 

[Robostorm]

We have Rotties and they are show dogs. I would prob be like you and cancel my trip if I had no other options. We always try to have a few backup plans though. We have used Kennels, pet-sitters and family. There are generally alternatives. contact your local training school, they generally will have some good ideas.

 

[rascalmom]

German Shepherd Dog. The word dog is part of the official breed name. I guess to distinguish from actual German shepherds.

Thanks - I thought it might be that, but didn't know that "dog" was an official part of the name.

 

[npmommie]

Years ago I cancelled a trip across country for a wedding because one of our dogs had just been diagnosed with cancer and was starting treatment. they gave her only a couple months to live, and I felt like I would never forgive myself if she passed while we were away and she was in the kennel.

before kids we had 2 dogs that travelled everywhere with us ( the one that ended up with cancer was one of them), I would never kennel them, then we ended up with 3 other dogs ( strays we took in ) so we had 5 dogs at that time. I HAD to find a good kennel or we would never have gone anywhere!

I found a wonderful woman who has a kennel and pet grooming business. She is great.
but I remember the first time I kenneled 3 of them, I called her every day to check on them!

we still use the same woman to kennel and it has been about 12 years, so the 2 dogs we have now have been going to her for quite awhile.
you just have to find a situation where you are comfortable
but I understand where you are coming from

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We've had a lot of different experiences going on vacation and what to do with the Shepherd(s).

Our dogs have known we're going on vacation the minute we start our routine of putting out things on the table, on the beds, etc, to take with us. We've learned to not take out the suitcases until the last possible minute as that downtrodden look is just pathetic.

No matter where you leave your Shepherd, he's going to be staring out the door until you come back. That's just the way they are. Even if he's in the best possible hands, at the best possible kennel, etc. It bothers us, too. But you have to accept it if you're ever going to go and enjoy your vacations. As others have said, it's going to have to be enough to know he's safe and sound, albeit a bit stressed and missing his family. If you've made the best decision you can then you need to trust that he's in good hands. (I'd probably just forget the webcam, too.)

The great part is, that he learns you'll come back and that you'll all be thrilled when you see eachother again.

Look at all of your options for care. Is there anyone you know who could take care of him safely at their house while you're gone? Is there anyone who could stay at your house while you're gone? These might be the best two options. If not, then kennels are ok, too, and it would be a good thing - and a relief to you - to find a regular one to use who gets to know him and vice versa, that way you'll feel comfortable putting him there while you're away.

Good luck.

 

[ols386]

We have put our yellow lab in the kennel before, but we really don't like to. When we did, after we got him home after the trip, he pouted for a short time. He just acted very aloof and didn't pay much attention to us once we were home.

One time we hired a pet sitter to come in while we were gone. I think she took good care of the dog, as far as we could tell, but she stole from us, so that left a bad taste in our mouth about hiring a pet sitter in the future.

If we go on a trip during the summer, we try to pick a location where we can take him with us, but if it's a trip to Disney World or something like that, then he has to be boarded in a kennel.

 

[Pugsley]

I totally understand OP, and I don't think you're crazy - I think you're very kind. That's why I don't have a dog - I know I wouldn't be able to handle leaving it. I have a hard time even leaving my cats (we have a sitter check in on them every couple of days). We're going on vacation in a few weeks and I feel terrible because we have a kitten now (7 mos. old) and this will be the first time we leave her. The other two are probably used to it by now and know we'll be back eventually, but I can just picture the kitten looking for us every day and wondering if we'll ever be back. Who knows what goes on in their sweet little heads! I'll probably cry when we leave, but once we pull out of the driveway I'll put it out of my mind and have a great time.

 

[disney_mommy]

Saw this and thought of you, OP. Maybe it will help you find a suitable alternative for next time?

How to find a good place to board your pet



I asked a friend to keep my dog, Lulu, while I took a business trip to Florida a few years ago.

"How's she doing?" I asked during a phone call.

"She ran away," he answered through clenched teeth.

"Did she come back?" I asked.

"Eventually."

From that point on, I trekked about 50 miles north to a veterinary clinic that offered pet boarding, and a serene Japanese garden where Lulu could romp freely in the backyard. Depending on your pet's health and temperament -- along with your budget -- there are plenty of great options that won't compromise your friendships.

Veterinary clinics

In addition to food and potty breaks, boarding at a veterinary clinic guarantees that your dog is in good hands. Your vet may not have a Japanese garden in the back, but it's still a safe and low-cost option for your pooch. Unless your dog is a regular patient, expect the clinic to request a copy of up-to-date shot records. Upper respiratory infections can be passed from dog to dog, so the clinic also may require a bordetella vaccine. Some will provide food while others ask that you bring your own kibble and bedding for the pet. Administering medication may cost extra.

Doggie daycare

If your pet is super sociable, so-called doggie daycares provide plenty of stimulation to ensure that your pooch has as much fun on vacation as you do. In addition to wide-open play spaces, treats and nap time, some facilities even feature doggie cams so you can check in via the Internet when you get homesick. (Caution: Doggie cams are addictive.) At night, dogs sleep in a crate or among the crowd. Obviously this option can be a bit more expensive than a traditional boarding facility or a veterinarian, but it allows your pet to run with a pack of friends.

When shopping around for a doggie daycare, it's important to find a place with plenty of humans around to monitor unruly pups. Ask dog-loving friends for referrals or check sites like Citysearch.com. Size also can be a factor, so look for places that prevent mastiffs from romping all over Chihuahuas.

To show that your pet plays well with others, reputable doggie daycares often require a temperament test or trial visit, so plan ahead. Confirmation that your pet is up-to-date on shots, including the bordetella vaccine, should be required as well.

Pet sitters

Daisy, my sister's pooch, has a pint-sized panic attack at the vet. As for doggie daycare, forget about it. She can't identify with the canine set, so I serve as the unofficial pet sitter.

If your pet is not suited to the first two options, it may be time to hire a professional sitter. This option definitely makes sense for households with multiple animals, elderly dogs or pets with chronic health conditions. It also works best for dogs like Daisy who have a few "issues." It's typically the priciest option of the three because sitters do more than just walk the dog.

Professional dog sitter Rachel Ezzo of Frogs to Dogs has been watching pets for more than a decade. In addition to feeding and cleaning up after pets, she also will water houseplants and ensure that everything is exactly where you left it. If there is an emergency, reputable professional sitters are trained in CPR as well as the finer points of watching pets with health issues.

"Being in their own environment really tends to help them," said Ezzo, who has watched up to seven dogs at a time, and even has experience with pet chickens.

"I had a cat that was in the last stages of kidney failure and I had to give subcutaneous fluids," she said. "There's something about being able to help a pet and owner in a time of crisis; we do a lot of that."

Finding a reputable pet sitter can take time. Start by collecting references from your vet and fellow pet lovers. Rather than focus on certifications from pet-sitting associations, find a company that is bonded and insured. Don't be afraid to ask for references and an initial visit to make sure you feel comfortable with the person who will be checking on your pet and your home. Experience plays a big role.

"There's an unspoken rule among pet sitters: If walking a dog, you don't take them off leash," Ezzo said. "Even if you have a good relationship, you are not their owner and it's never a risk you want to take. An animal that escapes is always bad news."

Lesson learned.


And just because I think it's cute, here is the picture that goes with the story:

Look at that mouth!

 

[disneyofcourse]

I don't think your crazy at all! If the person who pet sits for me becomes unavailable I will cancel everything. Yes, Even if it meant losing money on airfare. My pets are too important to leave at a kennel. My cats get stressed to the point where they have not eaten for days and require vet care after being boarded because of dehydration. My dog has many health issues due to abuse and accidents he suffered before I adopted him. He is unable to be kenneled and needs constant supervision. There are tons of people just like us!