How do your pets act?

[catlove44]

My cats also get very upset when the suitcases come out. I try to wait until the last minute to pack so they won't be upset, but they sure know what's coming and they hide under the bed.

We use a professional pet sitter who comes in every day and plays with them for 30 minutes and feeds them and cleans the cat box. She is bonded and insured and I prefer the cats stay in there own environment.

She even calls me with updates so I can relax on my trip. Next cruise is only 30 days away!:)

[cmacf1]

My mom used to watch our two dogs for us (both are five years old, one is a corgi and the other a belgian shepherd,) but caring for them has gotten to be too difficult for her. So for our holiday cruise, I knew I was going to have to put them in a kennel. I started worrying about it in April when we booked the cruise, went to visit several kennels in May and June and made reservations at the one I liked best in July. I couldn't take the dogs to the kennel because I knew I'd be too upset, so my DH took them. The dogs were able to stay together and the report when we got home was that they were perfect guests. THey were happy to see us, as always, but that good mood and lively behavior lasted for weeks. I think they really loved being at the kennel. We paid for the dogs to be taken out daily to chase balls and run, so I'm sure that helped. I no longer worry about leaving the dogs at the kennel.

[provenienbam]

 

Can you share some of your experiences with Kennels? Anything I need to look for or pay attention to?

 

Thanks,

 

We took our dogs to the kennels when they were 6 months old for a couple of days to get them used to it. Really recommend you do that for them.

 

The most important thing is finding a good kennels:

a) ask friends for recommendations, go to the SPCA and ask who they use (overflow dogs go to kennels sometimes). Dog groomers and vets are also a good source.

b) visit the kennels. Ask to walk around and inspect. If they say no, don't go there. When you walk around check that the runs are large, clean-ish, bedding should be clean.

c) speak to the owner and staff. Don't be put off if they ain't good people-persons. The kennel we go to, he's terrible people-person, but the dogs absolutely love him. We call up to make a booking and we say "we'd like to check in Hobo...." and he interrupts us with Hobo, Lady, Peggy. He knows our dogs inside out.

d) if the kennel will accept dogs without innoculation certificates then don't take them there.

e) get your dogs innoculated, especially for kennel-cough.

f) some kennels allow you to take a favorite toy and/or bedding. Depending on your dog that may be beneficial.

g) find out how much exercise they'll get. It is just a dog-run, or do they play with them, allow them to play with dogs, get taken for a walk etc.

 

 

Hope that helps. Our dogs love our kennels: so much so that they run in the front door and that's the last we see of them until we get back.

[Nickymjw1]

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions on the kennels. I am starting to feel a littlebit more at ease. Knowing that they don't have a good sense of time will help me think that as far as he is concerned I only left for 5 minutes :)

[Nickymjw1]

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions on the kennels. I am starting to feel a littlebit more at ease. Knowing that they don't have a good sense of time will help me think that as far as he is concerned I only left for 5 minutes :)

[GalOverCs]

Suitcases are a very commen thing for my husband so our pups just get excited about taking his place in the bed next to me. They actually run up to the bedroom and start creating thier nests.

But BOTH of us leaving is another thing..

We tell our pet sitters that they MUST open all the doors in the house for our husky. He has to make sure we arent hiding somewhere from him. Last week on our cruise our new gal didnt remember these instructions. She was so worried about what a hysterical tizzy they were in she didnt sleep for four nights. (More likely they wouldnt let her!)

Once she figured out all she had to do was open our bedroom, he did his walk through and was calm as a cucumber the rest of the week!

[luv2photo]

My dog must be really layed back, because he really doesn't mind going to the vet to be boarded. He gets treated like a

Celebrity there. He's kind of a rare bread and I've heard that the desk lady will tell people who love to see our dog that he's there and he gets out to see people. He doesn't even mind going in for shots. Now a bath is another story, but they say he's getting better.

 

Is this a plug for a doggie cruise?

[GORDONCHICK]

Is this a plug for a doggie cruise?

 

Heaven's no! The only people I would like to "share" my dog with would be the chair hogs. He's a 75lb Gordon Setter, less than two years old and he loves to run! Not enough ship for him.

[klct39lg]

Heaven's no! The only people I would like to "share" my dog with would be the chair hogs. He's a 75lb Gordon Setter, less than two years old and he loves to run! Not enough ship for him.

 

One of my dogs is a 2 year old Australian Shepherd, all she wants to do is fetch frisbees or tennis balls. However, she does like to try to herd...anything ...including us, maybe your dog could run on the ship and my dog could try to herd him.:D

 

Seriously, I think Gordon Setter's are beautiful, perhaps we could post pictures of our canine and feline friends.

[GORDONCHICK]

Seriously, I think Gordon Setter's are beautiful, perhaps we could post pictures of our canine and feline friends.

 

I tried taking photos of my dog, but they are usually a blur since he won't stand or sit still, much less pose......

[sparkle]

Nickymjw1, we got a dog sitter that kept our dog in her house with her family and dogs when we went on a 15 day cruise. We could not bring ourselves to put him in a kennel.

We are truck drivers and our Cocker Spaniel (13 yrs old) was used to riding in the truck with us. He was used to people, and we were his pack. He had no interest whatsoever in other dogs. Just people and food. It took many phone calls to dog sitters in the So. Cal area (dog sitters usually come to your house, not many take dogs in) before I found 1 that would keep him. I started working on this 4 months before our cruise. It wasn't cheap, but worth it for the peace of mind.

 

My brother takes his dogs (2 yellow labs) to a kennel that is like a camp. They stay together and the people take them out to play ball a couple times a day, and I think they like that better than staying home all day. So I guess it depends on your particular dog(s).

 

Provenienbam lists very good advice for picking a kennel. Also you need to do the kennel cough shots a few weeks in advance, it's two shots a couple weeks apart.