If Only Doodles Could Fly!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

A little over a year ago I had abandoned my hopes for a high flying jet-setting career, having discovered that I am much more comfortable at home, and so decided to nest a little, by taking in some furry babies. Well, wouldn't you know that this is when my career starts to pick up?

I am being sent off to Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a week of training and there are a few more trips in the new year being planned to much more exotic and far away places. After my last ordeal of being sent off to Washington for a couple days and not having a good option for doodle care, I did a lot of searching for a good place to take my doodles when I'm away. The Country Dog Resort - a cage free boarding experience - seems to be the best place. I brought the doodles out there this past Sunday and they loved it. The only problem is that it isn't cheap, especially for two doggies.

I have also asked around and found a few options that are free. Winston and Sophie's uncles, Kevin and Brad, are willing to take in Winston, the calmer of the two, for the time I'm away. In fact they are looking forward to it. I have a friend who has a doodle of her own, and she's offered too. So I can split them up into different homes within their own neighbourhood for free, or I can pay an arm and a leg out of my own pocket to keep them together in the country where I know 100% that the owners are professionals and won't mess up (not that my friends will, but the professionals have more at stake so I guess it just feels slightly more secure...).

I hadn't quite made up my mind about what I wanted to do when I discovered that the hotel I'll be staying in is super pet friendly. Oh to add insult to injury. I have to leave my doodles behind and see all these other hotel guests happily toting along their furries all the while knowing that if Halifax wasn't quite so far I could have driven there with my doodles and had them by my side.

Maybe if my work wasn’t so weird about pet care expenses they could have given me a couple of extra days to get to and from by car, or paid for the boarding place. Why isn't pet care a legitimate, claimable, travel expense? It’s not like I’m choosing to go to Halifax for vacation, they aren’t really giving much of a choice here (although, I must admit I am pretty excited as I’ve always wanted to go to the East Coast). And for that matter, why can’t I take them with me on the plane? Is flying with doodles really so bad? It’s not a long flight, only about two hours… If only doodles had wings of their own, they could fly along with the plane and stay with me in Halifax.

 

 

My work’s travel directives state that when on travel status employees can claim up to $75 a day for child care expenses if they are the sole care provider or if the other parent is also on travel at the same time. Not only that but my employer also allows 5 days of family care leave per employee to take when their kids are sick or have appointments and what not. This strikes me as discrimination against pets, it’s just not fair. As single pet mom I don’t have a lot of options.

Whenever I start a new job and move to a new office from now on I plan to post up pictures of random kids in my office and tell everyone these are my children: Winston 5, Penny 3, and Sophie 1. Then nobody can complain if I take a day off because “I was up all night with Sophie who has an upset stomach so I can’t come in today” and I won’t need to use up my vacation days when “Winston needs to see the doctor for his ear infection”. And then maybe when I travel I can claim daycare expenses.

My colleague suggested I write the union about this and see if they can convince management to add pet care to the travel directives and leave allowances. Yea, sure, when doodles fly…

 

 

This is just another reason why I need to get out of the rat race and open my own doggie daycare. I really do prefer staying home. Home is where the heart is and in my case my heart is with my doodles and kitty.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I appreciate everyone's comments! thank you.

I think I can arrange for S and W to get play dates with each other so if nothing else they will get to see each other a few times during the week. It's a small comfort. I really can't afford the kennel, especially given that I am gearing up for Winston's skin allergy test in the new year and that is going to cost me an arm and leg...

Now to grapple with the thought of leaving my furballs for an entire week. How will I survive???

[F, Calla & Luca]

Even if they could fly you couldn't leave them alone all day in the hotel. I think Karen's ideas of keeping them together is good but I do understand it is expensive. I think my two are support for one another when I have boarded them.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

Sherri - I loved your post, I too have taken career limitations because of the doods, but I am totally fine with that.  I would have to pay the extra to keep R&B together because Bandit howls a new moon even if Rosey and I go on a 15 minute walk without him.  I haven't left them much but I had a pet sitter who stayed in our home.  Now I would leave them with my parents.  I would lean on the professional side of things but I guess depends on how much you trust your other options to work out....  Can you board them a few days and then have the uncles watch them the other days?

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Oh my - I feel the pain.  I seem to travel a lot for someone who doesn't work :) and thank God for our wonderful pet sitter who takes the boys into her home.  They love her but it is $67. a night for the two of them.  It adds up fast.  I would be soooo happy if Rooney and Stuart could travel with me.  I could just see the 3 of us on the plane, the boys seatbelted in looking out the window.  Why should I have to put up with someone's spoiled, naughty child on a plane?   My doods would be way better behaved!  LOL  I'll buy my own plane when I win the lotto!!!

[Bonnie and Kona]

I highly recommend having someone stay in your home when possible. It is the easiest situation for the doods... not as much of an adjustment. We frequently dog-sit our son's Golden Retriever. We have two standard Goldendoodles. My husband runs all three at the same time. Walking is actually harder than running because when you walk each one is tempted to go sniffing off on their own. Running keeps them all focused in the same direction. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I like the idea of your friend and her dog staying at your place. The only issue I see would be walking all of them, with you not having a yard.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sherri, imagine a dog park in the air where there is no way out for hours, though, with all the horror stories we hear, and I think that's why nobody is going to do this, no matter how much $ they have, lol.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

My doodle loving friend offered to take both if she can stay at my place - her place is too small for all three. Heck my place is too small for all three but maybe it will do for one week. The Uncles can pitch in if/when she's had enough.

karen, I think there's a new business idea in there -truely pet friendly flights for pet lovers. if only I were rich enough to start my own airline.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry you have to deal with this. It's one of the reasons I don't travel. If JD could sit in the passenger compartment with me, we'd be spedining most of our time visiting all of our DK friends.

I personally think it would be less confusing, especially for Winston, to board them together rather than separate them out into two separate households. I am sure they would receive excellent care, but the stress factor involved in "I'm in another new home?" is something I would worry about for Winnie. Of course, if it's a hardship, it won't be the end of the world, and he'll adjust.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Open that Doogie Day Care soon! Not only will you be happy so will all of your clients! We are going out of town for five days. A friend is staying at our house. It can't get better than this but I am still worried about her leaving them for too many hours at a time. We love our doodles!