Going on Vacation? What about your pet?
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR PET WHEN YOU TRAVEL
Delaney was a gorgeous puppy in 2022
How could you leave this one behind?
One of the biggest concerns when going away on a trip, is what to do with your pet? When Debb suggested I join her for a trip to Thailand and Viet Nam, my initial response on whether I could go or not, was contingent on who would take care of my 3-year-old pup Delaney? I have had her from 8 weeks old and she has never been away from me for more than a day so I had some reservations as to what to do with her over an extended holiday of several weeks.
Ideally, the best option is to have a friend who knows your dog/pet and can live at your house when you’re away. It helps the pet and allows another measure of security that your house is not vacant during your time away. This option, unfortunately was not available for me.
So, I asked friends or other dog owners about who looked after their pet when they went travelling. Some provided their favourite boarding places but upon reviewing a couple of their suggested places, I found that there were strict requirements as to what type of dog they would take (i.e. small dogs only, older dogs only, no puppies, etc.). Other requirements included the pick-up and drop-off time between certain hours as some places board and also have a daycare set up and didn’t want overlapping times. Also, most of the locations for these boarding places were in outlying suburbs. If I had more time to get organized prior to my trip, I would have checked out the places in person and well in advance and maybe even had a trial run for my dog over a couple of weekends.
I also researched online for reputable and experienced dog sitters. I found that the average cost per night ranged from $67 - $100 (Canadian) per night which seemed expensive but apparently was the standard rate provided in 2024. YIKES! This is quite the business to be in! For most dog owners when going away, they often feel like they have no choice but to pay as the pressure increases as it gets closer to travel time and for the length of the trip.
Delaney with her favourite ball (2024)
What a cutie!
My dog is a real people dog and needs human interaction daily to survive. She loves everyone (two legged that is) i.e. toddlers, small children, older people in wheelchairs and especially men (which is sometimes surprising for some dogs)! She is also a very active dog and is used to a minimum of 2, if not 3 hours of activity per day so I wasn’t so sure that I wanted my dog kept in a ‘kennel’ with limited human interaction or physical activity.
In the end, I had Delaney’s dog walker Jessica (bonded and insured) and who Delaney adores, stay at my house for the 3 weeks that I was away. Jessica is very experienced and knowledgeable and could accommodate doing this given that it was a slower time for her business. Although, it was expensive (I did negotiate on the standard rate), for my own peace of mind, I felt it was the best option as it allowed the easiest transition for Delaney as her first time without me.
Every few days, I got updates (via text/videos on WhatsApp) from Jessica on what activities Delaney was involved in and could see what a good time she had when I was gone. I also asked friends to come over from time to time with their dogs for a playdate for both dogs. This also provided my dog with her consistent doggy friends.
If you decide to have someone live at your home when caring for your pet in your absence, you may consider creating a detailed BINDER as I did that contained the following:
1. everything related to the care of my dog – emergency numbers of vet and friends, specific meal portions and number of treats to be given, time of her usual daily walks and types of mental stimulation exercises, any personality traits that might be helpful to know (e.g. doesn’t like a big wolfhound who lumbers up the lane);
2. a section on where everything is located in my home and any idiosyncrasies (e.g. kitchen light switch is on far wall, not by the door as you enter where you’d expect it to be; hot water pressure is low on 3rd floor; garbage days, etc.);
3. my itinerary of air flights and hotels
The above binder was helpful for anyone taking care of your house and precious fur baby! 🐶
