Second Doodle but very concerned because....

[Doug and Beth]

We have not posted in quite some time however we are constantly here reading.  Anyway we have our 3 year old labradoodle who literally is a gem.  House trained in 6 days, slept through the night on day one when we got him at 8 weeks and is so mellow and laid back.  Basically perfect!  

So we are seriously considering another from the same breeder, different parents though.  The puppies will be ready to go home at the end of January.  The challenge we have is we will be on a 7 day trip in mid April basically 2.5 months after we get him or her.  We cannot cancel the trip at this point.  We have a dog walker who comes in daily to take of our other one but not sure if this would be a great idea with a 4.5 month puppy.  

Any thoughts?  Can the puppy really be ok for that period of time?  I would not think so but wanted to get everyones thoughts.

Anything else we should consider when getting a second one?  Anyone have regrets?

Thanks so much

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Why dont you get a pet sitter?   We have a doodle pet sitting group here on DK.  Also, other DK members near you might be willing to pet sit.

I agree with you, at any age, once a day for a dog to be checked on is not enough. 

[Doug and Beth]

We hire a professional dog walker who comes 3 times a day and spends about 30-45 minutes with our current doodle on every visit.  what we love about this option is the fact that he is in the comfort of his own home.  On the other hand it runs us $120 a day so on a 7 day trip, do the math :)

[Adina P]

I would want 4 times a day but maybe less time spent at a couple of those times if that helps cost. Our times are:
7am
Noon-ish (first meal)
5-ish (second meal)
10-ish

[Stella]

$120 a day just to come and visit?? Wow. I have a girl who stays in my house while I ama away (I have two large doodles), walks them two to three times a day and extra outdoor playtime, and loves them like they were her own. I pay $30/day which I consider to be a bargain!! I always give her a good tip becuase it means everything to me to be able to go away for work when I need to and not be worrying about my fur kids.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

We have an older lady come stay at our home.  She is here most of the day and all night.  She brings her cockapoo and it works great for us.  Joanne mentioned other DKers in your area and hopefully there is someone in your area that could help you out and visa versa.  I agree that only once or twice a day for any dog is not enough when the owners are away for a week!  Another thing that may be possible - would your breeder consider taking them in for a week.Your new puppy may not even be totally potty trained when you leave and that could be an additional issue since some puppies train more quickly than others.  Our Charlie was trained at 4 mos, and Beau was 6 months.  I wish you luck.

[Stephanie and Ragley]

You could try dogvacay.com. Your pup could go stay in someone's home with them and get 24/7 care and attention and the cost is extremely reasonable. When I used it with Ragley, the cost was less than a basic boarding package at our local facility and the care was WAY better. The lady she stayed with fed her on her regular schedule from home, brushed her, played with her, and even tried to teach her a new trick. It was fantastic and I highly recommend it. The people come with references and insurance, etc. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

I personally would not want to leave that young a puppy alone that much of the day when only 4 1/2 months old.  I'm thinking you don't know the personality at all yet, who knows how your pup will even do in a crate.  One of my pups has done fine, the other, not so much.  Perhaps a family member would LOVE to be able to pet sit a sweet puppy.  If not I'd look for a pet sitter or another DK'er in your area perhaps.  Our second doodle, Maci is just now 6 1/2 months, so I remember this age well ;-).

She is the one who does well in the crate, but I would not her leave alone that long.  Would your new pup be alone all night too?

[Lynda Kamrath]

I would also get a pet sitter.  We have several dogs who stay with us frequently while their families are traveling, and for the first time we are away from home and one of the dogs who frequently stays with us is staying at our home with his person because our house is all set up for dogs.  We also have internet and that is all he (the master) needs to work from home.  So I would start checking around at local doodle owners and make arrangement to trade care off.  It definitely works for us.  In fact, I now am sitting here wearing a jacket from China that the owner of the other doodle brought back to me when we had her dog staying with us.  Since I am retired (and my husband also) it is no problem for dogs to stay with us for weeks while their families are traveling.  It might work for you also.  Start checking it out right away.

Two dogs?  We always have at least two dogs.  I also have another dog coming in the spring because I really want to get a sheepadoodle.  So, the more the merrier, at least if you are home to be taking care of them.

[Adina P]

There's gotta be another option! Some local dog sitters here charge $5 per visit. So that is what we pay for a friend's son to do the same thing. He's just a few houses down the street. No college students in the neighborhood or friends who would take certain times of day? Local pet boarding? Maybe things are just way cheaper here, but i would never go anywhere if my only option was $120/day.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Adina ~ I am 60 miles from you and the dog walkers in this area seem to be charging $15 per visit.  I pay my sitter who stays in our home $35 a day and she brings her little dog along.  I think I am getting a bargain!  And, she is so reliable and she loves the boys - so that being said, I would probably be willing to pay even more. I have heard when you have two and take them to boarding it is so much more.

[Adina P]

The closest boarding facility is $28/day with 10% off for a second dog. I think a separate place in town charges just slightly less. I've never used any of them.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I pay the woman who boards my dogs $40/day each and $50 for transport. She recently started an extra $25 for the two dogs on a holiday.