Of course in a perfect world, every place you intend to go on vacation would welcome your dog with open arms. And in a perfect world, your dog would be a model traveler. Well, welcome to the real world!
Should you take your dog? Or leave him home?
Should you take your dog on vacation with you? Or should you leave him/her/them at home with a frequent pet sitter? Or how about dog boarding–leaving your dog(s) to stay with HousePETality where they will be safe, comfortable, well exercised and loved. Seems like a simple choice to me.
Here’s how I think about it
If I’m traveling locally and I know that the place I’ll be staying is dog friendly (and there are such places, found here, here, and here) then I’ll take Roxie with me. It I have to fly to get where I’m going, I’ve decided that a trip on a plane is too stressful for her (not that she’d be welcome at the destination anyway).
So what do I do when I have to go away and I can’t take my dog along? Here’s my list in order of priority:
- First, I look for a friend–or family member– who is willing and able to take her in while I’m away.
- Failing that, I look for a good pet sitter who is willing to move into my house and will actually spend a lot of time with my dog–rather than just coming and going.
- Next in line is a pet sitter who does dog boarding and will let Roxie board at heir place. That’s what HousePETality VIP Dog Boarding offers. a just-like-home living arrangement in the company of people and a well-behaved dog companion.
- Not as good, but acceptable, I would find a good responsible pet sitter who will make multiple visits (at least 3 and preferably 4) to my home to make sure that Roxie has someone coming in and out of her life who is responsible for her basic needs: feeding, exercising, and TLC. HousePETality offers this service too. This option works best if your dog doesn’t get along with other dogs (i.e. Roxie) or is too ill or elderly to dislodge from the familiar. Or if you have more than 2 dogs. This also is the best solution if your pet is a cat who needs attention only once or twice a day.
- And as a last resort, leave your dog(s) in a kennel. Kennels can be very stressful places and your dog will be confined to its own area and isolated. There is time for supervised exercise (in a good kennel) and more or less custodial care and maintenance. Hardly a vacation for your dog! Actually, if you’ve ever visited an animal shelter with stressed-out dogs, barking and carrying on, you can get some idea about what it’s like for your dog in a kennel.
10-point checklist
Now, if you really choose or need to take your dog with you when you travel, there is a checklist of to-dos to keep in mind. Here’s a video that summarizes what’s involved and here’s 10-point checklist for traveling with your dog.
