after reading amber's story about her dog bonding to her dogsitter, i thought i'd ask for y'all's advice about what i should do about my own upcoming vacation.

ben has not been left behind since his buddy tucker died almost two years ago. when we've left town for longer than two days, he comes with us. when he's been left for two days (only a couple of times), we've had a professional dogsitter we trust come and care for him in our home. she does not stay in the house and she does not take him for walks. just lets him out and feeds and waters him.

now, finally, we are going to be able to go on our first overseas vacation in about five years. i'm finishing up a big project that has kept me home a long time and i'm looking forward to it.

we're going to be gone at least two weeks.

my options for ben are as follows:

1. put him in a boarding kennel he was last at with his buddy tucker five years ago. we like the boarding kennel, but ben has never been there on his own, and new situations tend to freak him out.

2. have the professional dogsitter visit him at the house 3 times a day. it's VERY expensive and there would be nobody in the house at night, but ben knows and accepts her. i'd be concerned about her taking him on walks on a leash, but possibly even that would work.

3. have someone come and stay with him in the house. would cost about the same as the kennel. it would have to be a new person whose references i checked, provided she handles the dog well. the benefit is ben has someone here with him at night.

which of the three would you choose, and why?

I'm thinking if Ben would freak out at the kennel, your best bet would be option #2. Can she play ball with him in the back yard rather than walk him? I only say that because I would worry that if the dog got away from the dogsitter, she might have a very difficult time recapturing him, he could get lost or hurt. Can one of 3 times a day she checks on him be at night? That way she coudl be turning lights on and off, and strangers would think someone was home. To me, the advantage of option 2 over 3 is the trust factor. This person has established a track record with you and Ben. To me, this out weighs him having someone sleeping over.

Well, after having just gone though it, I would have to say that even though there is the strange bonding issue going on, I'm happy with my decision.

I wasn't worried AT ALL about my dog and was able to contact my friend even when it wasn't business hours. I know he was my friend's top priority instead of being one among many. Also, she knows him and would know if he wasn't acting "quite like himself." A kennel might not be able to pick up on subtle differences in my dog's heath. I felt the highest level of confidence in her level of care for him.

The price I paid for that is that we have a bonding issue. I now really believe that I'll be able to fix that. Overall, I think it was a small price to pay to be able to enjoy my vacation without worrying. Being spoiled is NOT the worst thing that could have happened to him.

If I was currently training for a competition or something it might be different. As it is, I have plenty of time to get him back in gear and already the situation is improving rapidly!

Vacation? Could someone tell me what a vacation is? Leave my boy with someone else! Sorry, I'll stay home a little longer.

ken,
it's a dog. even if i had a child, i would go away on vacations without it sometimes.

 Quote: susan tuck

I'm thinking if Ben would freak out at the kennel, your best bet would be option #2. Can she play ball with him in the back yard rather than walk him? I only say that because I would worry that if the dog got away from the dogsitter, she might have a very difficult time recapturing him, he could get lost or hurt. Can one of 3 times a day she checks on him be at night? That way she coudl be turning lights on and off, and strangers would think someone was home. To me, the advantage of option 2 over 3 is the trust factor. This person has established a track record with you and Ben. To me, this out weighs him having someone sleeping over.

I absolutely agree with everything Susan said. Before I read her post I was going to write almost the exact same thing, with all the same reasons she mentioned. One more thing I would add is that with you being gone for 2 weeks, it would be best that Ben be in his home turf, the place where your scent is, his home where he's comfortable and familiar with everything (it's stabilizing), than in a kennel. Too much change for him would, IMO, not be a good thing for 2 straight weeks.

Me, personally, would (and did) choose option 3. This past December, I asked my mom to actually stay here at our home for 10 days. (That turned out to be her Chrismas present to me!!) But IMO, depending on the times in option 2 that the person comes, anything could happen. I think it's good for the dog to have some semblence of "normal" ie: a presence there during the times you normally are, and like was mentioned earlier, a person the dog enjoys and that you trust is key. Not to mention the house/lights, etc issue. If you do go with option 3, there's still time to acquaint the dog to the person, which I also think is wise before "throwin them to the wolves". Good luck in your decision and have a great trip!

Could you choose Option 3 but include the Option 2 gal?

I wonder if you tell Option 3 person that Option 2 will be coming ONCE a day or every other day to "play", "check", "whatever" the dog. This way you have the best of both worlds. The continuity of Option 3 but you also have the peace of mind knowing that Option 2 gal will know if Ben is really, really OK and can relay that to you if he seems off.

option 2 would come at 7 am, 4 pm, and 10 pm. she has never taken him for walks, and i'd have to teach her how to use the prong, but she is an older woman who has my vet's cell phone number and who i trust 100 percent. she also already knows how to take care of everything in the house. Plus: we have a good working relationship and i trust her. Minus: Ben is alone at night and doesn't get walks. Also VERY expensive.

option 3, if it were a person i know, like a friend or my mother, would be my first choice, because i want ben to have companionship, and i want someone here in case he got sick in the middle of the night. unfortunately, all the good housesitters i used to use have moved away. i would have to try someone new. Plus: Ben has companionship and overnight supervision Minus: person is untried.

the kennel is a good kennel, and they have fenced acreage where they walk the dogs individually, on a lead, four times a day. he would probably have the most supervision there. i could possibly leave him there for one or two nights before our vacation, to see how he does. he's mellowed a lot, he might be fine. Plus: best supervision and exercise Minus: he's away from home, don't know how he'll respond, not sure if kennel is still as well managed as it was.

If it were my dog the best choice without a doubt is kennel, but that might not be the best option for your dog. Maybe it would be good to see how he fares if you leave him there for a trial run. Can you first pay a surprise visit to the kennel to check it out?