[kittygilchrist]

this goes on and on....sorry, but I do want to be clear...
I'd like to be able to travel more, but leaving my dog is very difficult. She was abandoned three times for no good reason (now an AKC good citizen, certified therapy dog with no training needed)...
I see threads asking for a stranger to come feed the dog while owners are gone and I can't imagine leaving Emma alone for more than a day with nothing but that.

I'm looking for help here as I would like to travel but I will only leave her with a proven sitter who is either hosting her at their home or who is staying with her at my home. A kennel is out of the question.
On adoption, she was 15-20 lbs underweight and dry-coated not from neglectful owners, but from the humane society's one size fits treatment, she was regal in bearing, but had big round sad eyes (now happy eyes), when I adopted her.

When I see other people asking for a sitter to come by the house and feed/walk the dog...it makes me think how mournful my dog would be to have me disappear and however kind a stranger would be popping by...I just don't think I could leave her to be alone that much and with someone she had not already bonded with.

I posted this to invite the opinions and thoughts of others. I'm not judging what anyone else decides for their animals...I could easily board my cat, though I know he would miss me too.

[Debfrommaine]

Totally understand all of your points and this is a quandary. Amazing how our pups touch our lives and become such a wonderful part of it. Had same concerns as you with Molly. We did decide to board her a Doggie Doo Run Run because Scott and his family are wonderful - the dogs are not crated and roam the house like the family's own dogs. When we've picked Molly up after our trips, she's great! Per your comments, I know you won't consider this but it did work for us and you'll figure it out for Emma, she is adorable. Thank you for rescuing, it's vital. And, I'm off to the Sanctuary shortly to help our beautiful pure souls there. Have a good day.

[redwitch]

Emma is a sweetheart and impossible not to love. I can well understand your concerns about having her feel abandoned. I've found that many dogs can cope with being alone during the day (owners are off and running and doing all the time) but it is hard for some to be left alone at night -- that's just too much loneliness. However, I think I'd still give it a shot if I were you.

Try just one day/night first. Make sure it is a sitter who will hang out with Emma, not just come in, feed and walk her, but don't have them spend the night. If she does okay, then try a longer trick. I know my policy is that if the owner is gone for more than 5 days, the dog should have someone spend the night at least every third day. For a secure dog, this seems to work well -- less sense of abandonment, it seems. For Emma, it might have to be nightly or every other night. But try the one night trip first and see how it goes.

Good luck. It isn't easy finding the right solution for caring for a beloved pet, especially not if it has been as traumatized as your lady has. (Okay, she's a semi-clown but she's still a lady.))

[Parker]

My sister takes her dog to Doggie Doo Run every Wednesday for dogsitting due to her work, so that they are familiar with the place. As the poster above says, they let the dogs run free around the house and fenced-in yard. They are very well treated and love to go there. So when she travels, there is no separation anxiety. This method might work for you too. If something, God forbid, ever happened to you, your dog could see that there are other loving people out there to trust.

[graciegirl]

I would take Emma in a heartbeat, but our three younger children are not used to larger friends.

[gomoho]

I have two senior dogs that are very people dependent. Since we arrived in TV we have taken them to someone's home for sitting several times, but even that creates a lot of stress for them. Our last trip we decided to try an in-home sitter that stayed at our house while coming and going as she needed and it worked out beautifully. No stress of taking them out of their normal environment and they stayed pretty close to their normal routine. I am a great believer in in-home sitting, but I also have no problem having a stranger stay in my home. If someone loves animals they are a good soul in my book.

[villages07]

My introduction to central FL was "cat sitting" for friends of my aunts who lived in Winter Park FL. They traveled often and I would fly down to cat/house sit. It was a great vacation for me and the house and cats were looked after.

So, offering your home as a "free" vacation destination for friends or family who want to come play here and take care of Emma while you are away is a "win-win" solution.

[Bonnevie]

I haven't taken a trip longer than 4 nights away. I have used people who come in three times a day and it has been ok in the past. However, I, too, would like to do more traveling for longer periods and will most likely want someone to stay here if possible at least part of the time. My dogs are also rescues and I've always said they are like foster children....so afraid of losing their new home, they get really stressed by change.

[lovinganimals]

If Emma is cat friendly, I am willing to have her stay at my house. I have done it numerous times for other dogs when I lived in CT. My dog would probably love the company as we used to have 2 others but now she is alone. She is a greyhound so she doesn't play with other dogs, but just likes the company.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by kittygilchrist

I'd like to be able to travel more, but leaving my dog is very difficult.
I posted this to invite the opinions and thoughts of others.

We boarded our two dogs at a boarding facility while we took a ten-day Mediterranean cruise in 2011. Prior to the trip, we looked at several facilities and met the owners. This one was highly recommended by a multitude of people. We did try the facility for an over night prior to the cruise time, and the dogs were fine.

Our two dogs shared their own private, roomy living quarters with walls, and two comfy beds. They had an outside patio overlooking the dog play area. So when they weren't out playing themselves, they could be entertained by other dogs playing. They also had a 24 hour television in their room which played dog videos. This boarding facility had no wire fences and was the most highly rated facility in our area. The owners were wonderful, caring people.

Our 70 lb Lollipop was glad to see us when we picked the dogs up, but she was just fine. (She was a rescue that had four homes before we adopted her). BUT our 10 lb Biggins was a basket case. He was 11 years old at the time. Despite the fact that the girls who worked at the facility carried him around for hours every day, he lost weight, and when we picked him up, he was quivering and extremely anxious. After the cruise, he developed a tumor in his mouth, which required two separate surgeries. I think the tumor could have been activated by all the stress he was feeling. To this day, he still suffers from extreme anxiety.

I realize that all this agonizing about the well being of pets is absurd to anyone who isn't a true pet lover. But for us, it's a real concern. The next time we travel, we intend to leave the dogs in our home, in familiar surroundings, with a live-in care giver. And we will try a short trip first, and then a bit longer, just to make sure the dogs are OK.

[Village Kid 2]

I feel the same way about my cat. He is really a people cat and gets very lonely if left alone. I have traded cat sitting with good friends who are neighbors and that has worked well for short trips. We would like to take longer trips (a month or two) in the summer if I could find a happy solution for my fur baby. I have thought an ideal situation would be to find another owner of a single cat (or two) who would want to trade having the cats in either of our homes together while either of us travels. We could introduce them ahead of time to see if they get along. Cats do take longer than dogs to adjust to other animals. My cat (12 yo) is probably ready for some company as his two older sisters (19 and 20) crossed the rainbow bridge this past year. I am missing them too so another cat visitor would be welcome. If anyone is interested in doing this, please send me a pm.

[OBXNana]

As we look forward to coming to TV, I realize my responses are coming from PA and may not be practical any place else. We have two rescued labs and a foster lab/hound mix. All 3 have gone through so much and we like to travel. Our solution (may not work everywhere) is to board them with the rescue from where they came. All three go for doggie day care at Animal House every few weeks to keep them familiar with the volunteers and the employees. The rescue uses the money to fund the rescue and we know the pups are in great hands. It's a win for us, our dog family, and the rescue.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Village Kid 2

I feel the same way about my cat. He is really a people cat and gets very lonely if left alone. I have traded cat sitting with good friends who are neighbors and that has worked well for short trips. We would like to take longer trips (a month or two) in the summer if I could find a happy solution for my fur baby. I have thought an ideal situation would be to find another owner of a single cat (or two) who would want to trade having the cats in either of our homes together while either of us travels. We could introduce them ahead of time to see if they get along. Cats do take longer than dogs to adjust to other animals. My cat (12 yo) is probably ready for some company as his two older sisters (19 and 20) crossed the rainbow bridge this past year. I am missing them too so another cat visitor would be welcome. If anyone is interested in doing this, please send me a pm.

Have you seen the thread "Found - Tiny Black Cat". Awww, sounds like a real cutie.

Seems like a purfect fit for you (just tell Chuckie you found him in the street outside your Villa).

[GeoGeo]

I don't know if this will help anyone or not, but I thought I would share our experience. Our dogs were very attached to us. They would have separation anxiety if we left to go outside, let alone to the store. When it came to vacations, we would only go on trips where we could take the dogs with us. I guess we were afraid they would die if they stayed at a boarding facility. They were not used to other dogs, a different feeding schedule, the noise, etc. Well, it came a time when we had to fly out of state and didn't have any other choice but to board them at a boarding facility. We figured they would be mourning, sitting in the corner, missing us, not eating, on the verge of death, and so on. Well, when we returned we sneaked over to where they were in the play area outside. They were having a blast with all the other dogs. Our jaws just about hit the ground. Miss us? You couldn't tell it. In fact, after that incident we had to go away again and boarded them at a different facility because we had moved to Florida. Again, we sneaked backed in to view them and they were again having a great time. No signs of missing us, no signs of missing a meal, nothing. So we determined that it must be us. We were told by a trainer that dogs adapt very well and that owners do take their own feelings (even though they don't realize they are doing it) and turn those feelings into what the dog must be feeling and going through. The dogs were actually having so much fun and were so busy that they didn't have time to be worrying about us. So be assured that if you do want to travel, that if you select a reputable place, your pet should be just fine. After you have selected a place to board or a person to care for them, you might have them watch your pet for a few hours or during the day for a time or two just so your pet will be familiar with that person or that place that will be watching them. It is still hard on us and we don't want to be away from our pet, but at least we know if we have to they will be okay.

[Patty55]

Originally Posted by OBXNana

As we look forward to coming to TV, I realize my responses are coming from PA and may not be practical any place else. We have two rescued labs and a foster lab/hound mix. All 3 have gone through so much and we like to travel. Our solution (may not work everywhere) is to board them with the rescue from where they came. All three go for doggie day care at Animal House every few weeks to keep them familiar with the volunteers and the employees. The rescue uses the money to fund the rescue and we know the pups are in great hands. It's a win for us, our dog family, and the rescue.

I did the same thing on LI, took them to the rescue group for grooming (I only get puppy cuts, nothing fancy). Most of the time if I had to travel I would try to take them, if not I boarded them at the rescue. Girl Scouts working on badges would come in and play with them. I always left something of mine from home with them. Figured they'd think that even if I dumped them I'd surely be back for my pillow-LOL.

I preferred giving the money to the rescue group. I figured that if Save-a-Pet could save them then they should be able to take care of them for a few days.