I have two issues. I've been driving home 20 mins each way to let my Bouv puppy out at lunchtime. I will never be able to keep it up over the winter months because with any weather issues the traffic here will double the trip. So, thinking of getting someone to come in during the day. I know no one should be working with my dog besides me. Do we think it's a problem to get someone to take him for a short walk or I should just have them let him out into the yard. He isn't a great walker yet, just starting him on prong. It would be nice to get him some exercise mid-day, but maybe it would be best to wait until he is older.

We mostly take our dogs with us, but may take a vacation or business trip where we can't bring our dogs. We've had pet sitters come to the house and we've used a kennel. What do we think is better. Pet sitter hasn't been great, as they allowed terrier to sneak into our room and pee on our bed. Thinking maybe kennel is better as they don't interact with the dog so much, although terrier did regress with housetraining when she came back.

My personal opinion is that a good pet sitter is a much better option. It should be less stressful for the dog being in familar surroundings. I am not raising a working dog, so working dog owners may have a completely different opinion.

That being said it is crucial that you do your due dillegence in finding a good pet sitter. Ask other dog owners who they have used, if you belong to a club ask around there and find someone who comes highly recommended.

Also, do a dry run or two with you there. Have the sitter come over and pretend that you are not around and see how they interact with the dog.

Be very specific in the groundrules too. How long to walk, play, what toys can they play with, what treats to give and how many, when to call you if something doesn't seem right, etc. Write them down clearly so the sitter knows exactly what you want them to do and do not want them to do.

The clearer you lay these out the more likely the sitter will be to adhere to them.

Good luck.

Having done pet sitting myself, I would recommend that you do not have the sitter walk your pup. Most of the sitters really have no clue about training and those who do may train incorrectly and most importantly they should NOT be training your dog, which is exactly what will happen if the dog is taken for a walk. They'll either try to train the pup to walk well (which to me is not acceptable) or they will let the pup pull them down the road, reinforcing the pulling thing. Just out in the backyard would be better. Another issue with walking is encountering stray and perhaps aggressive dogs. Will your sitter know what to do? Probably not.

As far as kennels go, unless you find one you absolutely completely trust, I wouldn't go that way at all. Even if you trust the kennel owner, who exactly will be handling your dog and do you know and trust them? Besides, there should be some interaction with a boarded dog, at least exercise chasing balls or whatever.

With a sitter, it's simple enough to keep all doors closed to rooms you don't want the dog going into. And if a sitter is doing the job right, no dog will be out of her sight for a second. Period. The sitter doesn't have to be a live in sitter. Two to 3 visits a day should be sufficient (3 preferable so the dog won't have to hold potty for 12 hours at a time).

The other advantage to having a sitter during trips is that the dog is always in his own home and not having to deal with being unsettled by unfamiliar surroundings and not seeing you for several days. The dog doesn't know it's for several days. For all he knows, you've left him. Not much difference between some boarding kennels and the pound. Staying at home is less traumatic to the dog. He's already been conditioned to you coming home to him - one less thing for the dog to deal with. Best just keep them safe at home.

I agree with Sandy 100%. Leaving your dogs at home with someone you trust is SO much easier on them. When I was younger I left my dog at a kennel ONCE. When he came back he had lost weight and was so stressed from the experience that he slept for about 16 hours straight. And this was a reputable kennel to which I had been referred!

Also, now that I am a raw feeder I simply don't trust that my dogs food will be handled properly or that some well-meaning and ill-informed kennel employee won't feed them kibble. Aside from that, you never know what really goes on at a kennel.

When I go out of town now I either leave my boys with my Ibizan's breeder (I'm SO lucky to have her so close:-) Or I have a trusted friend stay with them.

If you don't have a friend who is able to stay with them, the advantage to a sitter is that you can interview them, observe them and really make a more informed decision as to whom your dogs are exposed. In a kennel situation you have zero control over who handles and interacts with your dog. I'm not interested in having someone who doesn't know how to handle a dog messing with my lab-mix!

Just my 2 cents:-)

The trust issue is big, now there are people who I would trust in my house for the week, but not with my dogs and visa versa. My aunt was watching our terrier when she snuck upstairs and peed on our bed, but she generally is a good pet sitter. Now my mother-in law has been known to stop by and visit her and she adheres to the rolled up newspaper method of training which I don't allow. That's why I was thinking that maybe a kennel was better with minimal interaction with the dog.
Maybe I need to find a better pet sitter! or someone who just comes in a couple of times a day.

If you have the time you can try what worked for me. I mentor a young neighborhood girl thats "animal crazy" like I was as a kid.
I worked some OB with my older dog with her, taught her about raw food, kind of showed her the ropes. Took her to protection work with me a few times. I knew both her and the family so I was sure she was responsible. She followed my instructions to the letter and was very happy to walk my dogs. She's actually gone on to college for animal husbandry so I need to find a new victim. It was worth the effort for me to build a relationship with her...my doggies are to special to leave with just anybody!

I agree with everyone that a reliable pet-sitter is best. I interviewed a lot of people, checked references, etc. before I found the right person. Once you find the right person be VERY specific about ground rules and feeding, and reinforce the rules by writing everything down. If you feed raw you can prepare by bagging meals in ziplock bags so the petsitter doesn't need to worry about portions. I don't allow training or walks, and I'm clear that I don't want the dogs to leave my property. Before I leave I close and lock the bedroom doors, with anything private or worrisome left in a bedroom. I left for a weekend to see how it went before I took off for a longer period of time. This same person will come mid-day to let my pups out if need be, too. Because I travel often, and have the same person caring for both my horses and dogs I had to be very picky about who I chose; but once I found her it worked out great for everybody. Preparation and being firm about rules makes a big difference. I wouldn't consider letting anyone else walk my dogs.