Who would you trust with your doodle?

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I have been asked to go to Washington DC for a few days next week and am dreading the thought of leaving my doodle behind. She has been on a sleep over with a friend once while I recovered from laser eye surgery but I was mostly drugged up and unable to see so I wasn't in the right frame of mind to miss her too terribly. She was back before I knew it. The second time was when I had a wedding in Toronto. My friend (same as above, one of the few ppl I would trust with my doodle) had to bail on me at the last minute. I had no choice, Sophie had to go in a kennel. I felt so guilty I cried and worried and worried so much that I came home a day early, barreling down the highway in a rainstorm - "hang on SophieBear, Momma's comming home!!!". She barely noticed I was gone, but holy cow did I ever worry about her.

 

So now my dilema, this is going to be a really great opportunity for my career, but my doggy loving friend isn't available to sit. I have a friend from Toronto staying with me for a few weeks, a friend who is not all that fond of dogs, including my SophieBear (yes, in case you're wondering, she is crazy). She said she would look after her, but I know from her efforts over the past couple of weeks she is not quite up to the task (nothing too harmful, but skimping on walk times and forgetting to give her water in her dish, gets annoyed/intimidated when she gets hyper, etc...). She is certainly not going to be able to get Sophie to settle down to put the special drops in her ears, and she is afraid to take Sophie into the dog park. Then there's my cousin, but he once looked after his sisters cat and forgot to feed him for 3 days (!!). I have other friends in mind but they all seem to be busy. So I'm running out of options.

 

What should I do? if I put SB in the kennel again my heart will break, if I leave it to my friend I will worry so much, my cousin is out of the question, if I don't go on the trip my boss will be very angry with me and I will miss out on an important opportunity.

 

I know I'm being over protective, but I can't help it. I'm a first time dog mom and so I can be a bit of a nervous nelly.  Who would you trust with your doodle?

 

[Joe R.]

How much time will you have Sunday? Like Pam said Old Town Alexandria is nice to walk around. Another thing to do to see a lot of the sights in DC is take a DC Ducks tour (www.dcducks.com). It might seem cheesey, but it's a good way to see everything and then decide what you might like to go see more of.

[Sandi]

I would rather my dogs be safe, than happy, while I'm out of town. If I can't have my proven house sitters, I take them to the Vet's office. Yes, they are in small cages, but they won't be attacked by unknown dogs at boarding facilities (yes, this happens) or won't run out the door unattended.

I travel often and have two different house sitters that I trust, otherwise to the Vet office with them.

[Adina P]

I trust most of my friends if 'trust' simply means they stop by the house X number of times a day to let the dogs out for potty and feed them.  I don't trust any of my friends to walk them because Clark and I are pretty strict on our training method for walks/heeling/commands.  We have a couple friend of ours stop by several times a day when we are away.  They have always been super responsible and give the dogs a lot of time to potty and play, feed them on time, remove water when needed and they all are in one piece when we return =)  Personally I don't expect or need them to treat my dogs like their babies, or cuddle them, or sit on the floor and snuggle or give them special attention.  My dogs are plenty pushy for attention if they need it.  Otherwise they are happy to greet excitedly and then either go out to play or lay around and chill.  I am fairly certain they are FAR more comfortable in their own home, on a normal eating schedule than they'd be in someone else's house or in a kennel.  So we prefer to leave them at home for this reason.  They know where everything is, there's not 'new' stuff to get them into trouble, they sleep where they are used to sleeping, eat from their own bowls at the same times (or close) and even get a visitor.  Super sweet deal!

 

I know I'm late to this conversation and I have not yet read what options you've come up with since you first posted, but honestly, your dog will be fine in a kennel or doggy daycare.  You have not mentioned one thing that went wrong in the past, so I know it's just your 'first time dog owner' jitters taking over.  Remember that although he's your baby, he's still a dog and dogs don't look at kennels and feel bad that it's not a luxury suite with fancy beds and maids and treat bars =) and swimming pools and 5 acre grassy fields.  They might get lonely, but it's not anywhere as hard for your dog as it is for you--it really isn't.  And since your worry is about your DOG's experience, know that it won't be that bad at all.

I'm not big on taking my dogs to other people's homes unless they are SERIOUS dog people and very responsible.  I just don't trust others to keep doors properly closed and monitor my dogs appropriately.  But in my own home with the friends I trust coming by, I'm not at all worried. 

 

Good luck with whatever you've decided.

[Camilla and Darwin]

There are not many people here I would trust to babysit Darwin. Unfortunately most of the people we know are "outdoor dogs only" people. It really only leaves us the option of boarding/daycare. Luckily we found a good place and he loves it!

[Pat and Traveler]

Leaving Trav is a problem for me too, and it's only happened once, so far.  I took him to my daughter's house for the three days I was gone, a 1-1/2 hour drive, as they take very good care of him and have a dog Trav has known all his life.  I would hate to leave him in a doggie boarding place as he only plays with other dogs for a few minutes, then just settles down somewhere with a view of the entry and waits for me to pick him up.  When I left him at a groomer one time for four hours, she said he drove her crazy by barking constantly.  He was crated in a small crate, which he didn't like at all.

I think you made the ideal choice--having your friend look after him at home.  You can show her how to put the drops in Sophie's ears, or if that is just impossible, you can probably skip that for the time you'll be gone.  You can call every day to see how things are going, which is what I did.  Aside from a bit of whining on day one, Trav was just fine!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks everyone. I think I am all prepared and am feeling good that my friend will take care of SB. I've made arrangements for lots of support and left her a bunch of emergency numbers. I've asked some of my neighbours to pitch in if needed. I leave first thing in the a.m. I'm excited, but am super nervous about the work obligations - wish me luck!