While we love traveling and going out-of-town, we always have to face the issue of what we're going to do with the pooches while we're gone. Boarding for the 2 dogs is around $70 a night; that's nearly the same price as our own hotel room.Lately we've been looking at some other options. When we went to Tulum, the pooches traveled to the "Chicago Countryside" to stay with E's mother. Their development doesn't allow fenced in yards, and we know how difficult it can be to walk both dogs at once.
Last weekend, we traveled to Memphis for my younger sister's wedding and we had to figure out what to do with the dogs. A friend of mine, who owns a bichon-poodle, offered to take Mr. B., while Miss M stayed in the "Chicago Countryside" to eat pear-apples and lay on the couch.
Before Mr. B could go stay with "I", we had to do a proper introduction and make sure they were compatible; Mr. B has a fear of smaller dogs, while "I" has never had another dog stay in his own house before. We had one meeting on neutral territory outside. Mr. B was originally terrified of "I", but we were soon able to walk them together. At the same time "I" wasn't sure how he felt about having another dog in his house.
The pooches eventually got accustomed to one another, and had a great time hanging out. They took walks by the lakefront:
Mr. B gazed at the sailboats going by:
And they took group photos. Can you tell which one is "I" and which one is Mr. B?
Eventually they became so comfortable that Mr. B became the Single Blu Male and impersonated "I's" every move.
We were lucky that Mr. B and Miss M were able to have places to stay this time, but it's still something that takes a lot of planning each time we go away. What does everyone else do with their pets when you travel?
27 comments:
I'm glad they had fun vacations too! I love the group photo...too cute! Most the time our two will go to Camp K9, but since it's getting pricy, we've been having people stay at our house. Works pretty well for the most part.
Awwww...I'm glad that Mr. B and I got along! They looks so sweet together!
We go stay with our super daycare lady when mom and dad go outta town. We luvs it cuz she lives in a house and mom luvs it cuz there's somebuddy there 24-7 to watch after us. Plus - mom says it's a "steal" at $40 a day for BOTH of us! But this confuses me cuz I heard it wasn't nice to steal.
Wiggles & Wags,
Mayzie
So cute! Were Mr. B and Miss M sad to be separated?
We've got a great kennel (err...dogspa) that's only about $35 a day, including constant access to outdoor areas and one-on-one and group playtimes. Only thing is that if you drop your pupper off in the evening (say, after work) you still get charged for a full day of pet-sitting, and they're not really open in the mornings. So sometimes it's hard to coordinate getting her there!
Other times we just take her with us - Roxie's a *great* car dog; just jumps in the backseat and we're ready to go! She'll be accompanying me on my trip to my parents' house this weekend :-)
Usually ours go with us! lol Often if we're able, we have a friend come by and let them out and feed them while they stay at home where they're used to being. We've also traded dogsitting duties with other greyhound friends, so sometimes our girls would go there, and sometimes we'd keep their greyhounds. That works out pretty well for us. I know the girls will be with someone who understands the breed and they are very social, so they like the company of other hounds at times.
Mr. B and I look so cute together!
Ugh thats always tough trying to decide what to do with Dar if we're going on vacation that she cant come with us on.
We've boarded her once, which adds up, but it's at a Dane breeder so we feel very relaxed leaving her there. Our other option is with her doggie mom and dad.... but that didn't turn out so well this last time with all her back injuries. I think next time we'll go back to the boarders or maybe leave her with other friends.
Thank goodness the pawrents found a place for you to stay. It looks like you had a fun time hanging with the cute little puffy kid. We stay with our friends or babysitter when mom insists on leaving. Have a happee day
Benny & Lily
I'm so glad Mr. B had a great time while you were away. That's one of the things I still think about as I think about getting another dog. Rainy wouldn't go potty on a leash (no matter what I did!) so I knew that would be an issue while traveling with her. When I do get another dog, I know I'll take her with when going to family, but when I'm away otherwise, I will most likely have to bite the bullet and board her since I don't really have family close by and none of my friends are really dog people.
Our good friends (who live one block away) come stay at our place :)
That is our dilemma right now.
We want to plan to go on a cruise but the one we want to go on is 12 days.
As the Mommy I don't think I can be away from my kids that long.
And then there is the who?
I was actually talking to Joey about this on the way to work this morning and here is my master plan:
We will find a poor college student - preferably a graduate student from from Vanderbilt or Belmont and offer then the spare bedroom of our house.
They get free rent in exchange for being the Nanny of our dogs.
That way we can go on dates and on vacation and they have a stable person at home with them to take care of them.
It would be a sweet deal for them and we could actually have a life.
I'm very serious about this. And then I think to myself; "Good God Jenna you're getting a nanny for your dogs. What will you come up with next?"
My poor husband.
Goodness, we have the same issues! We have yet to find a suitable boarding house for ours, and the in-laws that live close are not so keen on them. We end up having their other set of grandpawrents keep them (they live an hour and a half away). Totally stressful on us all.
Love the pic of Mr. B being a mirror image.
Kitty and Coco's Mom
i always run into this problem...when our building was getting termite tented I put Luci in dog daycare. My friend also worked there so it was nice! But then when I picked Luci up from her weekend there, she came home with an upset tummy :(
When we go on our vacation in a few months, we're having our friend (also old roommate) watch her at his place so that we won't run into the same upset tummy problem! :)
Ummm, we go with them! Actually, we have had sitters come stay with us when we couldn't go with Mom & Dad. There are too many of us to send to a doggy spa! But we have heard Mom & Dad talk about a live-in Nanny like Rescued Pittie Family said. What's wrong with that - doesn't sound crazy to us!
The Road Dogs
mr. b and I are buds! yay! i really like the shadow picture cuz i could totally tell which doggie was which! :)
mama is like, "$70 a night?!?!" wow, that is a lot of green papers. me and asa stay at a super grrreat camp (the one i posted about a few weeks ago), and mama says it's $36 a night. chicago sure is expensive like!
*woof*
the booker man
Thats great! I usually board and it is quite expensive, however my nephew who is 22 is moving back home with me to go to school here is So Cal and I think this may be the perfect time to plan a trip! He is great with the dogs and cats :)
I am very fortunate that my dog walker moved out to the country and Sophie goes to stay with her when I travel. But if she can't, I have to board her at a high end kennel that costs $45 a night. Extra for play time. It's kind of insane. My X will sometimes take her as well, if he is in town. Hey! If you guys got divorced, then one could dog sit while the other traveled. Just kidding.
The fact that your pup is afraid of small dogs made me giggle :)
We take our dogs to a boarding place that basically has this big field where they run around for hours on end. They come back exhausted. It's awesome.
Mr. B - I am so proud of you facing your fears of small dogs! I l'd like to think I helped in some small way after our meeting at the shelter walk!
I usually stay with my grandparents when my family is out of town. It's a nice vacation!
Your pal, Pip
Honestly? It's come to the point that boarding four - now five - dogs is almost expensive as the vacation. I have to plan long and hard to go away!
Well, I have redundancy in the human department. But if ever they all went away at once I don't know what would happen. I guess they'd board me as long as I'm an only dog, but I would hate that. I don't have separation anxiety at home but I do have abandonment issues and get kind of mopey even after I have to stay at the vet for one whole day or anything like that.
wags, Lola
That does sound like a great way to spend vacation time. I have to go to camp with PeeWee and it does cost many dollars (sheesh, they even charge extra because I bring my own foodables, what's up with that).
Slobbers,
Mango
Mom hasn't been on a vacation in years - because of ME! Mwau ha ha ha
I am surprised more people do not hire pro petsitters.
I am glad that worked out for you, that does seem expensive for your kennels.
We look after other dogs when people go away and they look after Pip and me.
I've traveled the world - Asia, America, Europe, Africa (and my own continent, Australia, of course) - until I got a dog. And now I stay home.
But lately I've been set free again by the discovery of a wonderful pet-minder who takes dogs into her own house.
The problem is, I don't want to travel any more. I just want to go for walks with Penny.
What an adventure for Mr. B! And the more exposure he has to nice smaller dogs, the better!
I will never board Levi again. I'm just too paranoid because he is somewhat fearful of strange men and I don't want him to be stressed. He's very sensitive! Luckily, my friend I met through volunteering started a dog walking/pet sitting business and I trust her 1000%. She stayed with him at our house when we went to Belize and it worked out great. The birds either go to my mom's or to boarding. It's not easy to find sitters with bird experience, and when you throw in a dog, it just gets really complicated.
We are very lucky to have a neighbor gal who comes to stay at our house with the "kids". They love her. Also, one of our pitties doesn't get vaccinations due to mast cell cancer, so she can't go to a kennel.
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