My husband and I are taking a short trip next month and plan to take one dog with us. I know -- it sounds bad for the one left behind. We have used many different methods over the years for our various dogs who stay at home. We really don't like taking them to a boarding kennel. It can get expensive -- expecially when we had 3 dogs. And each dog has a different temperment regarding being left in a strange place. We used to have a reliable pet sitter who would come and stay at our house with our dogs while we were gone. That was by far the best solution for the dogs and the house. Yesterday, she notified me that she's too ill to do the job next month, so we are left scrambling to find a solution for the dog we are leaving behind.
Let me first explain why she's being left behind. Anika is 2 years old and hasn't learned how to relax in the car for a long car ride. Within 20 minutes she's restless and soon starts barking. All efforts to get her to stop have been futile. So we decided we couldn't take her for a 3 hour car trip. She could stay home with the pet sitter for 3 nights.
So now we're looking for a kennel for her to stay. With only a couple of weeks before our trip, I don't think I have it in me to find and interview a new at-home pet sitter. They are difficult to find. Especially people who are willing to just hang around our house all day and night and basically mimic the routine we have. We need retired people who love to spend the day with dogs, or someone who has a low-pressure, work-at-home job they can bring with them to our house while they keep an eye on the dogs. Basically, our dogs are not used to being left alone all day. They can handle being in their crates for 2 hours, maybe 3, but beyond that and I start to worry about them.
So, back to finding a boarding kennel. We are going out tomorrow to visit one that has been recommended. It's not very close to our house, but I'd rather take her to a nice place with 24-hour supervision. I'll post my thoughts afterwards.
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