Do you ever board your Doodle?

[LeAnn & Loki Doodle]

We have to go out of town to a wedding, its going to be to long to leave the doodle here by himself. Have people that can let him out, but afraid of what we would come home to with all his alone time. Feel bad boarding him, it will be for 24 hours. Please tell me this is ok :/

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Why do you feel bad boarding him?

[LeAnn & Loki Doodle]

The thought of him being caged up for 24 hours makes me sad

[Wendy and Myla]

It is definitely okay but I know how you feel - we know that Myla will be boarded a couple weeks a year and maybe the odd weekend but it's heartbreaking to think about it and of course we definitely second guess ourselves...ie... "do we really need to go to Mexico????"... but what we did was take Myla to a couple of places for one night, just to find out which "kennel" she liked best and now that we found one that we both like (Myla and us) we are comfortable.  The first one we took her to, she couldn't wait to get back in our car and we weren't too happy with the answers we were getting on how she did there.  The second one knew how she was (they told us that at "play time" she held back and then chose a quieter dog to play with).  We knew that would by Myla and we were so happy that they took the time to notice her interaction with other dogs.  Of course it's the more expensive one - Myla has expensive taste!  LOL.  She had a great time with the other dogs and I am so happy that if we do need to take her there for more time than anticipated, we know that she will be okay there.  I think this "one day" will be a good test to see how he does.  He will definitely be glad to see you when you get back but he will be fine!  It's sort of like leaving your child at daycare - has to be done but you have to choose the best one!!!!  Have fun at the wedding and you both will have the best reunion!!!!

[LeAnn & Loki Doodle]

Thank you so much for this. It def makes me feel better. Our town isnt real big so dont have a ton of choices. We do know the people that work their and trust them, but like you said, its like leaving your child at daycare for the first time. Were going to take his blanket and a couple toys, the thought of him being caged up makes me sad. I agree...he should be VERY happy to see us :) Thanks again

[Lynda Kamrath]

You do have other choices.  My dogs have never been boarded, but we usually have someone at home with them.  We have left them home alone for several hours (inside and outside).  Our neighbors have a second home in Honduras and many animals, so my son has been caring for their cats and chickens while they were gone this time.  They took their dog with them, but cats and chickens do fine alone in their familiar surroundings.  Another option is to make friends with another doodle owner who you can trade off with for extended trips.  I have cared for several doodles while their families were away on a vacation (one family went to Germany and another to Russia).  A home that is set up for doodles can usually include another dog for an extended period of time.  Sure, they do miss their families when they are gone, but as long as everyone feels comfortable, the dogs adjust easily.  I think that is better than boarding.  Some play dates before hand would be preferable.  It is very much like leaving a child at daycare for the first time.  And my son, when he was little, used to cry when I came to pick him up at daycare because he loved being there with the other kids.  It helped that the daycare person lived in a park (her husband was a ranger), but it definitely made me feel better that he was happy there.  Take a look at the photos on my page and you will see some of our guests included in our family activities.  They fit in perfectly and we will see them tomorrow at a doodle romp in San Jose.  Good luck, but it will be good for you to get a boarding situation set up for use in the future.  I would suggest another doodle owner who you could trade off with when the occasion arises.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I just checked your page to see where you live. I was going to tell you to bring him here. I think now, that won't happen as I live in Ohio.
Have you posted in the NE group? Many of us take on a pup to watch for a few days.

[LeAnn & Loki Doodle]

Thank you!!! I will check that out :)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Sadly, I don't find a Group for Nebraska.  You need to start that group. 

Let me do a search on DK for members in the state of Nebraska

I found 96 members ( dont know how active they are)  Here is the link

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/members/?q=NE

[LeAnn & Loki Doodle]

THANK YOU!!!!

[LeAnn & Loki Doodle]

The closet one is 2 hours away. My doodle also gets car sick, hoping he outgrows it. He is 8 months old. He goes 30 miles away to the groomer, so this next time we go, were going to try Dramimine.

[Lynda Kamrath]

OMD, when I saw NE as the address, I thought New England.  Thanks Joanne, for setting me straight.  That is pretty sad for an old retired teacher!

[Star and Goldie]

I agree with Joanne's idea. If you can reach out for someone to watch him that would be a great place to start. I am very apprehensive about boarding due to the being caged all day too. I know they get a little bit of play time but it's more like a few breaks from the cages vs a few breaks from play for nap time, meal time, etc that a daycare might do.  Maybe there is a boarding place near you that doesn't keep them in their cage other than for naps and overnight? Some daycare places do both daycare and boarding and the boarding clients get to enjoy the daycare amenities during the day and have cozy room for the night.