Can you/do you leave your dogs anywhere?

[poiuytrewq]

It occurred to me when my daughter and I were talking about going to visit friends abroad that it would be a problem with the dogs. Either she or I am here If the other has been away (rarely for me, I think I’ve left Cecil for about 2 weekends)
Mr P isn’t coming with us so will be home overnight but it will be in harvest time so he will be flat out.
My mum said she will call in once a day to let out and just be here for a bit. She could walk the little ones but may not handle the bigger dog.
I really can’t see Cecil In particular being settled somewhere else. M-I-L has had dogs before but he doesn’t know or seem to have taken to her much the few times they have met.
I can’t see either settling in kennels having never been in that situation.
They just aren’t used to being in other peoples houses!
So I guess they stay home alone. Mr P can do morning breakfast, let out and company for a bit. My mum at lunch time, maybe pay someone to visit, dinner walk late pm and then Mr P back at night?
In a perfect world they will be actually harvesting here and someone on the grain drier meaning they could just open the back door and have run of the garden but that would be too good to be true and totally weather dependent.
What does everyone else do with theirs?

 

[poiuytrewq]

The other option is to split them all. Spud go to MIL, he’s pretty easy. Basil could go to my mum and cec go harvesting all day perhaps (being the one easiest to chuck in and out of combines and vehicles, and the one who really wants to be with me or mr p)

 

[MerryMaxmas]

With my previous dogs I had a family member come and stay at my house on the rare occasions we were away, but my present dog had terrible separation anxiety when we got him so we opted to holiday in the UK so he could come with us, he has enjoyed some lovely holidays in cottages in the Lake District ❤

 

[Surbie]

I dogsit for my friends. Their remaining dog is not great with strangers, which she classifies as anyone but them, irrespective of the amount of times she's met the other people, but will tolerate me if my pockets are full of jerky or cheddar cubes.

 

[Prancerpoos]

No. My sister used to look after my dog(s) during my frequent trips abroad but she is now too old to manage a 40kg dog. Instead of going abroad I have had some great holidays at dog friendly places in the UK and have resigned myself to no more foreign trips for the next 10 years or whatever. I know that doesn’t help when you want to visit friends, but actually your proposal to leave them at home sounds quite acceptable to me. If I had that option, I would go away for a week or two.

 

[tda]

I have left mine for a few days, but I was not happy, a friend and her mate stayed here overnight, but they obviously went to work during the day. I think we left the oldest one with MIL, so just the two younger ones.
We once went overnight to dalby forest to a concert, we took the little bitch with us, she was happy to sleep in the car

 

[some show]

I wouldn't leave mine at someone else's house either, or at kennels probably. I go to Pembrokeshire a couple of times a year and he comes with me to those holiday cottages, but he's terrible for wanting to mark in new places that have doggy smells (I think because he grew up in kennels/wasn't neutered til he was 3?) so I have to watch him like a hawk for the first hour to make sure he doesn't wee up the table leg or something

I did a lot of 'alone training' with him when I adopted him because I worked full time, and he still gets left alone a lot on the couple of days I now go in to the office. Walk early in the morning, one at lunch (by my super mum who lives nearby), and another when I get home. Yours have the benefit of having each other for company which must help!

 

[AmyMay]

If the dog can’t come, she goes to a friend.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I take them with me in the van where possible but I kennel them if not.

They're used to travelling and sleeping away from home and like road life.

The lady I use is experienced with the breed, complies with the various quirk-related requests and treats them like her own. They love going there and know 'their' kennels, I get daily picture updates.

I know a lot of people who run kennels so I can pop them in somewhere else near where I'm going if she is full.

Having said that I've always kept my dogs in runs during the day while I'm at work so it's not a massive culture shock for them.

 

[blackcob]

The proposal for them staying at home sounds fine to me - fewer walks maybe but their heads won't fall off for just being let out instead for a week or two, and no upheaval of going to a new house with new rules. I move into my mum's place when she's on holiday on a similar basis, I am WFH during the day but can boot them out for a wee here and there.

For differing reasons I've never been able to leave mine with family. My old pair occasionally went to a kennel which I trusted to treat them exactly how I asked, they shared one large kennel so they had each other and were let out directly from that into an exercise pen, no walks.

Apart from that I generally travel for competition so they come with me, they're used to the car/tent/holiday let routine. OH stays home with any non competing dogs. People think it utterly bizarre that we haven't been away together in 10+ years but it works for us.

 

[Cortez]

Mine go to boarding kennels when I go away. They don't love it but have to just get on with it. The cat REALLY hates it, so I try to leave him at home with a person popping in to feed and check on him if possible. He's an elderly cat (18) and has only ever left the farm for vaccinations, and twice to the kennels. He survived but was a bit freaked out the first time, better the second, so will probably continue to improve if I have to do it again.

 

[Jenko109]

I have thee.

One would stay with anyone. Anyone who will play with her is her new best friend. A stranger can walk her. A BC x GSD. She stays at a dog sitters who I have used since she was a puppy.

The next is a whippet who is about 15 months. He has never stayed away but has stayed at a dog sitters during the day a few times. I think he would be fine BUT he is used to sleeping on (and in!) our bed, so would have to go to a dog sitter who is happy with that. There is a local woman who owns two whippets who I know would be happy with him being in the bed, so I expect she will have him if we go away.

The third is a lurcher who I absolutely could not leave with a stranger. She would be extremely distressed in a kennel or with a stranger, either in our own home or theirs. She would go to my mum if we go away as she has known her since a puppy and is one of the few people she likes.

In honesty though, I prefer to just not go away than to disrupt their routines. I'm not much of a traveller anyway.

 

[babymare]

Our springer hated kennels so we found the most amazing couple who took the dog into their home. Basically as near as possible routine stayed same. If your dog slept on bed then your dog could with them. Welcomed to get on sofa. photos,videos and regular update. They love her and Tess,normally shy of strangers,instantly took to them More exspensive than kennels but worth every penny

 

[meleeka]

We lost my little terrier this year age 17 and we only ever left her for one night. Somehow we either took her with us or one of us was here. She stayed in hotels, travelled on trains and buses and thoroughly enjoyed her travels. The one night we left her, at home with my SIL, she apparently sat by the door all night waiting for us so that made me feel awful.

Current dog panics when I leave for 2 minutes, so overnight isn’t going to be any worse I don’t think.

 

[misst]

Mine are usually home and my daughter stays for the week or two. We have her dog in return when we go away. If she can't do it we use a kennels. It is bloody expensive but they are keen to go - barking and wagging on turning into the driveway, and so happy that Moti ran back in March after a week there. He was brought out of his kennel handed to me and pulled the lead out of my hand to run back. They share a room with heating under the floor, a sofa, beds, radio and access to a covered concrete area and grass beyond 24/7. They are excercised twice a day (just the two of them no mixing) and are excited to see us but don't seem upset at all.

I don't use non family sitters as too many horror stories over the years from friends. One local dog border returned my friends dog at night to their house (she had a key as walked him when friend was working). She only found out when a neighbour texted her while she was abroad to say what time would she be home as the dog was driving her mad!! Another friends dog escaped and ran home. I feel they are safe in kennels and they only go once or twice a year. The rest of the time they have us and their home and are waited on hand and foot... It is a nice kennels though and I wouldn't use anywhere else.

 

[Spotherisk]

When my parents had a dog they just wouldn’t leave it at all - life was severely curtailed, they didn’t even go to the supermarket together, and so I have always been determined not to be in a similar situation. Ours have a mix of stuff, up until now they’ve gone to a friend who has kennels, which is what ours are pretty well used to. They are quite happy and we get multiple videos whilst we are away of them jumping into her lake retrieving dummies etc. Rew aka as special child lives in the house with her cockerpoo and whichever other dogs may be staying, and a huge ginger cat who is very good at education!

Starting next month though we have a mix of a local one man band, fully insured etc etc coming to do a daily drop in if we’re away for the day. She lives only a couple of miles away, and for £15 will be here for about 45 minutes, walking them on our land. I have her booked for twice in one day when I’m working a v long day. We also have my agility trainer booked in for a 24 hour period, so a sleepover. They won’t be here for a solid 24 hours, they’ll dip in and out depending on how long the dogs can be left for, they bring their own food, feed, walk (again dogs will stay on our land) for a very reasonable £45. Really handy if you just need one night away as it doesn’t disrupt the home regime.

 

[oldie48]

We either take Stan with us or we have a couple of friends who will either move in completely or part stay whilst we are away. When we went to NZ for a month my neighbour did the horses for me and walked both dogs but they stayed overnight on their own. They seemed fine but the older BT wouldn't talk to me when I came home and he was a bit sulky for a couple of days!

 

[Annette4]

Jack, Fizz and Dobby could and would stay anywhere and with anyone (provided I trusted them of course) but Ginny is more difficult and i wouldnt trust her witj a striaght boarding kennels but I have found 1 kennels near us which have rescue greyhounds through. They had her overnight for our wedding and she was OK with them, they understood her and as a result there was no nipping.

On the whole if we can't take the dogs, my mum has the girls, Dobby goes into kennels and Jack has a couple of options.

The option you outlined with mum popping in sounds fine to me.

 

[ArklePig]

We have two professional home based dog sitters we trust, one friend and when we brought her down to ROI at Christmas my dad minded her when we went out for an evening. I wouldn't trust just anyone with her, but we are lucky that she loves everyone so if we're happy with the care provider so is she.

ETA I'd never put her in kennels. I'm soft and I'd be afraid she thought she was back in the shelter and she has separation anxiety (not from us specifically just from humans in general).

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I haven’t really ever considered that any of our dogs wouldn’t be happy to be away from home. I suppose they tend to go with us to a lot of different locations so they are quite used to traveling around.

We only have Rio now but he would easily go to a friend or a dog sitter, and he’d be fine in kennels if he needed to be there. He has flown internationally so he’s pretty used to being in different environments.

Rio is also very happy to stay at home alone, so we can easily pay someone to check on him. When he lived in South Africa, he would roam the property all day and night with our late retriever. They would only come in for supper and breakfast or if we did something with them. Here we have footpaths on the farm so he needs to be accompanied by someone if he’s out of the garden so keeping him entertained is a bit more hands on.

 

[Birker2020]

It occurred to me when my daughter and I were talking about going to visit friends abroad that it would be a problem with the dogs. Either she or I am here If the other has been away (rarely for me, I think I’ve left Cecil for about 2 weekends)
Mr P isn’t coming with us so will be home overnight but it will be in harvest time so he will be flat out.
My mum said she will call in once a day to let out and just be here for a bit. She could walk the little ones but may not handle the bigger dog.
I really can’t see Cecil In particular being settled somewhere else. M-I-L has had dogs before but he doesn’t know or seem to have taken to her much the few times they have met.
I can’t see either settling in kennels having never been in that situation.
They just aren’t used to being in other peoples houses!
So I guess they stay home alone. Mr P can do morning breakfast, let out and company for a bit. My mum at lunch time, maybe pay someone to visit, dinner walk late pm and then Mr P back at night?
In a perfect world they will be actually harvesting here and someone on the grain drier meaning they could just open the back door and have run of the garden but that would be too good to be true and totally weather dependent.
What does everyone else do with theirs?

Partner leaves our dog at his brothers house on her own for four hours when we are both working. He goes back lunch time to feed her. His brothers house is in between his workplace and our house so its convenient.

She's very good and just sleeps. On days when he doesn't work Summer rarely surfaces before noon!

When my partner was in hospital I was working in a site office on a busy construction site too far from home. So i told my boss he'd have to let me have her at work otherwise I couldn't work so he was more than happy to let me keep her under my desk!

 

[poiuytrewq]

It’s a shame really Mr P is staying as the easiest thing would be to get one of my daughters friends to stop over

 

[poiuytrewq]

Nb I’m quite relieved the general Opinion hasn’t just been man up

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I know a fabulous kennel - indoor space with an outdoor run and a field for walks where we've left Bear and Zak before. At a push, I'd leave them there again but I think we've decided to forego holidays now unless we can take the dogs with us. Getting soppy in our old age!

 

[Escapade]

I've used kennels in the past but current dog can and will escape from anywhere. If she can't stay home, she goes to stay with the people who found her. She lived there for 6 months and LOVES going to see them so it's total peace of mind

 

[Smitty]

My 9 yo terrier has spent one night in kennels. The rest of the time he has always been with me. He is extremely sociable though (LOVES going to the vets) and I could see him happy with being in kennels.

A crowd of us went camping a couple of years ago and after a boozy evening I went to bed without securing dog sufficiently. I woke in the morning to no dog and a text saying we have your dog and his location. It turned out to be a caravan about a hundred yards away. He had turned up during the night sniffing round and as they could see no sign of life anywhere had taken him in. They said he was very obedient and a delight to have. He jumped on their bed a couple of times and they told him to get down, which he did.

I went to collect him and the Lassie Come Home type reunion was somewhat missing. He saw me, looked pleased, they let his lead go thinking I suppose that he would rush over to me, but no, he made a beeline for the set up along the way that were cooking breakfast

 

[dreamcometrue]

We can’t leave our current dog with other people and we have never tried. He is very strongly attached to us and quite needy. He has to come with us on holiday so we use holiday cottages in the UK that are dog friendly.

 

[SOS]

All three of our dogs have stayed with various trusted friends and family before or we have had “pet sitters” - always people we know personally but happen to do it as a job on the side.

They always seem very happy in the updates we get. They particularly like staying at my mothers and with one pet sitter, they get very excited when they see both and when we return they barely get out of bed. So we try use them where we can.

Our more anxious dog doesn’t eat well if my partner is away but he does that even if I am at home and partner is away. I believe it’s because my partner being away is a big change in routine for the dog as he normally goes to work with him. He will eat at my mothers though… that’s how much he likes it there!

Unfortunately even with the best will in the world/even if we stopped holidaying abroad we just can’t take them everywhere. I was in hospital a few years ago and my partner was back and forth so the dogs had to stay away, after that I couldn’t walk my dog properly for sometime so has a dog walker in. It meant I had to relinquish some control and actually was good for my dog in some respects - she always travelled well but being picked up for walks means she now loves travelling. So I actually like having a network of people they regularly know, see and stay with incase the unexpected happens.

 

[Auslander]

My parents dog regularly stays with me for months when my parents go to Austrailia to see my sister. He's a very cheeerful, confident little soul, who loves my dad to distraction, but is perfectly happy to stay with me/other people.
My own dog howls if I spend too long in the bath...

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I think Ivy likes staying at other houses nore than she likes home She's done a handful of nights with SiL and just shy of a week with my mum. They have lovely big grassy gardens compared with our small concrete yard so Ivy loves getting to run and sniff to her heart's content. The first time she stayed at mum's it went so well I considered letting her just live there and felt bad for bringing her home!

We couldn't leave her with someone she doesn't know I don't think, and she was fostered before we had her as she was stressed in the kennels so I don't think we could do that.