Don't Want To Leave My Dog Behind...

[donaldsc]

As long as he is fed and walked, your dog will not even know that you are gone. And you have to get over treating an animal as your child.

 

DON

[PhxRain]

2 years ago, we took a family trip to Hawaii for 10 days. Took our 2 year old black lab to a boarding place and she had absolutely the best time. She had other big dogs to play with, never had any anxiety problems, and immediately recognized us when we came home to get her. Got her home and she was the same loving, happy-go-lucky lab she's always been. We all missed her something fierce but at the end of the day, we think of her as our DOG and treat her as our dog, not a child. She is a WELL cared for dog and a well LOVED dog, but she knows she is still our dog and we lead her, not the other way around, maybe that's why she's a healthy, well adjusted dog.

[PhxRain]

I guess I fall in the middle. I do consider our pets as "part of the family," but I do not consider them my children. I have children, and as much as I love our animals, they do not rank equal with my kids.

 

I think it's great to love your animals, but there are some people who value their pets more than the humans in their lives. They will put their pets over their family or close friends, and I think that is crossing into the inappropriate.

 

I agree, we love our black lab, she's our dog & not at the same level as our kids but she is a "part of the family". :)

[Sirwinston]

I would rather take our basset hound on a cruise than our more than a handful teenager, But truthfully we really enjoy our time away from both.

 

If you are totally pet codependant then perhaps a road trip with motels that allow pets is more for you....

 

We have nice neighbors that will feed/walk buddy for us.:D Our kid is at a boarding school. :) ...

 

Tom in Long Beach

[Mary Ellen1]

Love my 2 rescues, and love this thread.

 

I don't have a cruise planned over Christmas, but we're going out of town to visit DH's family, so we made a reservation at the kennel we always use when we cruise.

 

Got a phone call 3 days ago from the (now-former) groomer at our (now-former) dog kennel, saying they'd been foreclosed on & had shut down (Can you imagine if we showed up there, as planned, on our way to the airport, to find them closed?). :(

 

We then went through a mad scramble to find a replacement boarding facility for my 2 dogs over the holidays. We've now found one, and are trying to decide between reserving a regular indoor/outdoor kennel-type run, or a Deluxe Suite complete with brass beds and a TV. Such a dilemma...

[krisnme]

 

My dog does cry tears of joy when she sees me. Yes, she is an animal but she loves me unconditionally. I can't say that about some of my relatives.

 

I just returned from a 4 day cruise and my dog was okay about it because DOGS DO KNOW TIME AND DAYS!. I have a talk with her before I leave.

She understands English and Spanish, spelling of words, my body language, sign language, etc. When I am talking about her on the telephone she understands that I am talking about her and she gives me that look of I know what you are saying about me. One day she made a fart and I said on the telephone that my dog had just smelled up the room. She took off running to another room.LOL.

 

.

 

Humanize much?

[tetleytea]

I would rather that a dog get the worst second-class-citizen treatment than be holed up at the animal shelter. I will give that much.

[falkcor]

We've now found one, and are trying to decide between reserving a regular indoor/outdoor kennel-type run, or a Deluxe Suite complete with brass beds and a TV. Such a dilemma...

 

hehe, this is a simple question...

 

did you book a (n indoor/outdoor) balcony, or a suite for your cruise? i wouldn't get the dog better than i booked for myself lol :D

 

and by the same virtue, if you booked a suite, would a balcony be sufficient for your children? i'd think so... :)

 

and that's not even to mention oceanviews or insides... lol... just found that an amusing parallel

[mzspyc1]

Some of these posts are too funny! In June, my mom and a dear friend split the week and kept my Lhasa Apso Oreo company. It was a hassle for me to coordinate everything, so I really would like to Board him for my next cruise, but he doesnt really socialize with other dogs. Should I just keep the family and friends or a kennel? Dilemas!

[shadoo]

Totally understand your concern. One of the things we have done with our dogs is send them to doggie daycare a couple times a week, so that when we leave they have BFFs who they love. It has worked out great for us and while they seem VERY happy to see us when we return they are back to their normal routine very soon.

Have a great cruise!

[ohitssunshine]

I REALLY thought I was the only person who felt like this! I am so glad to hear there are others out there...support group here we come!

 

Our first cruise my overweight pug went on a hunger strike when my mother came to stay and watch the kids and the dogs. He didn't eat a bite the first 3 days we were gone. He finally broke on the 4th. We know his level of loyalty now don't we....

 

Our second cruise a friend from work came and stayed at the house and they did just fine. We have since adopted a third dog (yes I am nuts) and have left them with the same coworker while we were away 3 days over Thanksgiving. They all did fine, so I am feeling better about the upcoming 5 day cruise.

 

I won't lie, I will be sick to my stomach the day before leaving, the entire drive to the port and maybe during check in. Once on the boat I tend to be more relaxed but I will still wake up with anxiety over them!

[Crystalbast]

Factual source please

 

Just one source.

 

http://www.access . foundationsource.com/node/334

 

Since 1877, American Humane Association has been at the forefront of nearly every major advancement in protecting children, pets and farm animals from cruelty, abuse and neglect. Today we’re also leading the way in understanding human-animal interaction and its role in society.

 

As the nation's voice for the protection of children and animals, American Humane Association reaches millions of people every day through groundbreaking research, education, training and services that span a wide network of organizations, agencies and businesses.

 

Program & Initiative Areas:

• Child Protection and Well-Being

• Animal Protection and Well-Being

• Human-Animal Interaction

[oceanxbreeze89]

I know I'm not alone when I say that I'm worried that my dog will not take the trauma of me leaving him while I go on a 4 day cruise. OK, I don't know if I can take the trauma of being away from him. Our pets are our children... we do worry about them.

 

I am lucky to have a neighbor to watch our Chinese Crested while we are away but I still worry that he will not adapt to our leaving him behind. What is your experience.

 

Thanks....

 

We have 2 yellow labs (1 purebred and 1 mix). We go away every summer for 2-3 weeks at a time. When our normal pet-sitter couldn't sit them anymore, we went as a family to visit dog boarding businesses. We first looked online for the different places with in a reasonable distance from my house then we decided one weekend to visit them all. We went to a total of 4-6 different places before we found the perfect place. We knew when we walked right in that it was the perfect place. The place that we go to is called the Willow Pet Hotel. They gave our entire family a tour of the facility, a break down of all of the pricing, and we even got to talk to a bunch of the costumers who were dropping off their animals that day. They give (for a price of course) one of my dogs running time/activity (the other dog doesn't like too much activity...he just likes to cuddle lol) twice a day, treat time, a complementary grooming, and of course, a lot of love and affection!

 

I would also look into your vet's office for their boarding service. We were all apprehensive in the beginning on leaving them for so long but they loved that place and you can tell that they love animals! I would personally leave my pet that has either access to a Vet office around the clock or has one in the place who is watching your pet.

 

Trust your gut...the first time is the hardest. The Willow Pet Hotel told us that if you want to "leave something to remind them of your presence", leave a old t-shirt or blanket that they can sleep with at night. Also, leave a number that the place/person can reach you at in case of an emergency (just incase...we haven't had a problem yet) and notify your vet that someone is watching your dog and that they have permission to give your pooch the treatment that they need (god forbid). When you return from your vacation and go to pick up your pooch (realizing that everything is ok), you will realize that your can leave your dog for longer periods of time and that they actually enjoy the place that you are dropping them off at. My two dogs get really excited when we drop them off b/c we have used the facility so much, the recognize the people!!

 

You will be fine, the dog(s) will be fine...enjoy your vacation!!

 

Helen

[Crystalbast]

For those of you who claim that dogs have no sense of time I disagree. My dogs know when I am due home from work and are waiting for me by the gate to the backyard which is close to where I park my car (if the weather is nice they get to spend the day outside). My neighbor (who owns 2 small dogs) has told me that her dogs know when I get home and demand to be let out to visit with me by the fence.

 

For those who are skeptical that cats can talk - they vocalize. Babies vocalize and their parents can tell what they need - hungry, wet/dirty diaper, etc. Cats and dogs can vocalize and if you are intuned to your animals you know what they are communicating to you. Some cats will ignore you when you board them because they are pissed off and others will let you know in no uncertain terms that they are pissed off. Cats do not deal well with change. My 16 year old cat is the type to verbalize her issues when I pick her up at the vets (doggie and kitty camp :D).

 

For those of you who have cats that don't do real well when boarded I found that if I leave my cat with a "cat cave" (a quilted cube) that she can do in to insulate herself from her surroundings that she does better. The first time I left her with her cat cave the Vet's office told me that she did so much better that I needed to make sure that she always had the cat cave when I boarded her after that.

 

I wish that I could leave them all at home with a sitter but I don't dare to do that. One time I had them with 2 people in the house with them and they still chewed up a FEIST telephone directory and toilet papered the house because Mamma wasn't home. They don't do that when I am around.

 

My parents are deceased and my siblings live in other states. My notifications (work, Dr, travel) are all good friends because if anything happens to me my first concern is my fur babies. My vet knows who is authorized to make decisions for my fur babies if I am not available and who has authority to take possession of them if necessary.

 

Yes my furbabies are my children but they don't have to be put through college, don't want to borrow the car, and won't grow up to be red neck republicans. :p :D

[nrdsb4]

The kennel which boards my dogs is a really nice one. It is climate controlled, has suites with TV's (our two stay together in one room), and you can purchase suites with lake views, which really cracks me up. I don't spring for lake views as I don't think that's an amenity which dogs would really appreciate.;) The kennel is on acreage in the country, so the dogs have tons of room to run around during their play times.

 

They have a web site which posts pictures every day, so sometimes you can spot your dog - we have seen ours a couple of times.

 

I believe my dogs would rather be home, but they do just fine there and I don't spend one second of my vacation worrying about them. They're perfectly fine and well taken care of.

[SSM0120]

When we go on our cruise in April, this will be the longest time we've left our dog. We even get pet friendly houses when we go to the OBX every summer.

 

Thankfully either good friends of ours will watch her or my parents (they're still undecided on the cruise). Our friends dog and our dog are buddies and they play and play and tire each other out. It works for both of us when they get together. If my parents watch her they're both retired and my dad will walk her 3 times a day and play with her and spoil her.

 

If we had to board her there's an awesome facility that's indoor and outdoor with 24 hour care. It's $30/day, but the price is worth piece of mind they way they have the whole thing setup.

[Havingfun2010]

I understand that people really love their pets. My mother in-law loved her pet so much, that it was one of the "boys". When my son was an infant, and still now, he has severe asthma. At age 1.5, he spent much time in the hospital. One of his triggers was pets. My son grew up not knowing his grandmother because she would not send her "boy" to the garage during visits. She would not visit us, without bringing her "boy". The number one thing I learned, is that you can not change a person who loves an animal more than a human member of the family. It's sad, but true.

 

This whole thread should be removed. Simple, because those that love their pets like family, should post their feelings on a pet forum, and not on a cruise critic forum. Because here, you will not like what you hear. Like many, we feel that your pets will survive in a kennel for the week, or at a friends house. This does not mean we don't like pets, or are mean, we just feel that pets are pets. That simple. Not negative, or mean, but exactly that.

[MagnoliaFly]

I know the feeling! I have three corgis. Our first cruise we boarded our two for the week at a new doggie daycare that came highly recommended. My male dog that is very attached to me took a few days to warm up there but eventually fit right in and had fun.

 

I think I missed them more than they missed me. They were happy to be home though when we came back!

 

As long as you know the place you are boarding them at is good or the pet sitter you hired is qualified and gets along fine with your dogs, I think it'll be fine.

 

I'm sad to leave our newest puppy in March (he'll be like 8 months old when we go) but I am confident he will have fun.

 

Take them to the place a few times before your cruise so they can get used to it. That is my best advice.

[nrdsb4]

My son grew up not knowing his grandmother because she would not send her "boy" to the garage during visits. She would not visit us, without bringing her "boy". The number one thing I learned, is that you can not change a person who loves an animal more than a human member of the family. It's sad, but true.

 

 

This is the kind of behavior I alluded to earlier in the thread. I find that kind of behavior beyond irrational, but it's more common than most people would believe. I would have a hard time not just losing it with someone who would put a dog over her own grandson.:mad: You are probably much more patient and forgiving than I.

[Mary Ellen1]

hehe, this is a simple question...

 

did you book a (n indoor/outdoor) balcony, or a suite for your cruise? i wouldn't get the dog better than i booked for myself lol :D

 

and by the same virtue, if you booked a suite, would a balcony be sufficient for your children? i'd think so... :)

 

and that's not even to mention oceanviews or insides... lol... just found that an amusing parallel

 

I like the way you think!!!

 

...and we booked the indoor/outdoor. My dogs don't watch all that much TV.

[kiraryker]

We will be leaving our 4 furry children while on our cruise/vac for 10 days - we have a 160lb great dane that loves to go to the kennel because he usually has dogs around his size to play with - our 4lb chihuahua on the other hand hates it because he is an old crumudgen and hates everything and our crazy pomeranian well she loves everything!

 

We also just got a tiny 3 month old chihuahua that will be going to my sisters since she is so young and I think the kennel would be too much for her right now.

 

And yes we will miss them all but we always bring gifts for them when we return! They will be fine.

[spacewoman]

I've found over the years the dogs were much less trouble than the children;)

 

 

As long as you have someone you trust to take care of them you have no worries. My two love the lady who comes to take care of them. She comes to our house 4 times a day and gives them quality time. They love her to pieces and don't miss us while she's with them. I have a standing letter with my veterinarian for emergency treatment. Since I can now text on board I do check in first sea day, then call at any ports I can make a cell phone call. She's done better with my girls than family has and they go crazy when she walks in the door. You have to see how your animals react with their caregiver. It lets you know how they're being treated. I was lucky to find this lady (recommendation from someone at the vet's office) and wish I had found her years ago. We had my SIL all lined up to house sit and doggie sit and one week before we left for our cruise she sprung it on us that the last 3 days of our cruise she couldn't stay at our house, she wanted to do something with a friend of hers upstate. It was a good thing my neighbors kids had helped out watching them when they were puppies when DH was critically injured and in the hospital. The kid was good to them but we came home to a large present in the living room which meant she didn't get her fanny out of bed that morning and let them out. We come home now and everything is fine. We're left notes if anything is not working in the house (outside lights, inside lights, etc.). It's nice to have someone who cares and then I can enjoy some much needed time off.

[jebuell]

When booking a kennel remember that dogs are cave animals naturally. They actually prefer smaller, darker areas when they are someplace unfamiliar. They feel safer in them. I worked at a boarding facility and the dogs who were always the happiest were the ones who came with their own little travel kennels that they could go into to sleep and whatnot. It's something familiar and small and dark. So if you board, no matter what rooms you book, I recommend bringing their kennel and some blankets from home with them.

[nodumblond]

I can relate totally... [snip]

Now when DH and I go on vacation for 2 weeks Florida for a few days then our cruise we leave our boy with his maternal "grandparents" otherwise known as Spa Grandma and Grandpa :cool:... Ours has definately gone from the dog house to the penthouse... LOL:D

 

That sounds like one of our three rescues, a purebred Peke with the flattest face I have ever seen on an animal! Our kennel doesn't have air conditioning, so she goes to "Nana and PawPaw's" when we cruise -- even in the winter, because they don't want her having to rough it! :p

 

The only problem we have is with our far-too-smart-and-neurotic-for-his-own-good beagle mix, who now knows that seeing suitcases means SOMEBODY's going SOMEWHERE. We've learned to drop the dogs at the vet the morning of departure and then run home and pack like mad. :o

 

Having said all that, the best thing we've learned to do is put a blanket (light or heavy, depending upon the time of year) on our bed for about a week before we go someplace and then send the blanket with the dogs. That way they have something that smells like human-and-doggie home.

[tetleytea]

It seems the larger issue here is whether you can find a dogsitter you can trust. You need that for a 7-day cruise, but you also need that just for 2-day weekends, and probably more often. I would say take the baby steps: drop your dog off for other things, for shorter durations. And if you can trust them with the little things, you can trust them with the big things, like a cruise. I for one have definitely found someone I can trust. The way I found him was through my trainer: I put down like $120 for private lessons to help train my dog, with all the basic stuff--like potty training, come command, aggression, etc.. The trainer worked out well, so I asked for a referral on a dogsitter; and the dogsitter worked out well.