[BaileyandBella]

Hi...

We booked an Alaskan cruise last year. We adopted a Golden Retriever last December and were told she would be fine at a kennel. We were first time dog owners.

WELL......I am totally in love with my dog and am stressed out about leaving her. I did a lot of investigating to find a kennel. She is crate trained, so I will bring her crate along. They have 2 play times a day in a big grassy area by themselves, with no other dogs.

I don't have family that could stay and my husband doesn't want to hire a stranger to dog sit.

But I have heard so many mixed opinions....some people say their dogs were fine, other say their dogs were never the same afterwards

I am a stay at home mom and she is my "velcro" dog

When I think about leaving, I get teary eyed

Can I hear some others experiences? Thanks

[loratliff]

She'll be fine. It sounds like you've done your homework. Make sure she goes with a favorite toy and the food that she eats at home so you don't run the risk of her getting an upset stomach.

Also, you likely won't need to bring her crate along. At most places, the dogs have their own little room or crate to stay in.

[BaileyandBella]

Originally Posted by loratliff

Also, you likely won't need to bring her crate along. At most places, the dogs have their own little room or crate to stay in.

She will have a dog run, with a little platform for her bed. The lady said I could bring her crate if I wanted and I figured that would make her feel more secure, I would just take the door off.

Thanks for your post.

I think my biggest concern is that she is such a people dog and is with me all day, and then to not have that.

[Two Labs Mom]

I have always hated having to leave my dogs behind, but the one thing that will set your mind at ease is finding a great kennel. We found one that was just awesome - in fact, they are so good and have such a great reputation that they are now so busy that you have to make reservations months in advance! Kind of a pain when you want to be spontaneous, but they are well worth it.

Knowing your dog is in a loving, caring environment while you're gone makes all the difference. As long as you feel good about the kennel you've chosen, your dog should be just fine.

[allab]

I agree with every one, one thing I would suggest before you are going to leave her for a long stay,to take her there for a few days for a day care,this way she will be familiar with the place.
we are lucky to have a kennel that have live web cameras,so no matter where we go we always spend a few hours looking at our dogs on the internet.
We also went on a cruise last year,brought out lap top,and when ever we were in the room-we watched our dogs.

I dont know where in Ca you live,but here is a link to a place where our dogs stay:
http://www.campbowwow.com/forms/searchresults.aspx

[Purplex15]

it is a very difficult to say how a dog will be at a kennel. most kennels that advertise take as many dogs as they can, put all of them in cages, with 2-4 potty breaks. very little interaction with people and dogs. plus, one dog could be anxious in his pen and start barking, and thats all it takes for every single dog in the place to become anxious and bark as well. dogs who are used to being with people and being out of a cage will not dio well at most kennels, b/c that is what they do.

the ONLY kennel i would ever suggest to anyone is an interactive kennel, where the dogs are outside all day playing with each other and with people. you want to look for a smaller facility, insterad of one that has over 100 dogs. you want the staff ratio to be no more than 1 person to every 10-12 dogs. from what you are saying, i would not leave my dog at the place you are leaving her at. dogs are not happy being forced to stay in a cage all day. they also go through very little seperation anxiety when there are other dogs and people around to play with. 2 play times by herself is not enough time. how long ar these play times? how much are you paying for all of this. i understand your worried, so i hope you believe me when i say that there is a good chance your dog will come home very different from when you left her.

also, if you do leave her at any kennel, try and keep your insecruties about boarding her to yourself. dogs pick up on that and will in turn act like there is something to fear. dogs who in general have very finicky owners are almost always as bad as them. everyone should keep that in mind when taking their dogs to get groomed, boarded, whatever.

the fact that the place you mentioned didnt insist on your dog staying for daycare, or one overnight before you left for good is a really big red flag. i work in a kennel and we would never accept a dog for the first time without some kind of an evaluation. we dont want to send someone off on vacation just to find that the dog couldnt handle being boarded, but now there isnt anything anyone can do.

[BaileyandBella]

Hi again....

Well, now I am even more confused. I decided not to go the kennel route and either hire a dog sitter or take her to a home that cares for dogs one on one. There is a company called Sleep Over Rover...LOL.

I went to Pet sit dot com and found a sitter near me....she is licensed, bonded etc.

But now my husband is paranoid that we will be robbed or the sitter would have a huge party at our house....LOL.

Has anyone hired a pet sitter?

[Willowy]

If the pet sitter you hired is licensed and bonded, you don't have to worry....he/she isn't going to risk his/her license to take your TV or throw a party. If you just hired the kid down the street, you might have a problem. I have never hired a pet sitter, besides just asking a friend to stop in and check on the cats (my dogs go to the vet's for boarding), but I do know that there's a reason for the licensing and insurance they carry.

[Kotone]

I work at a place that is a doggie daycare, grooming & boaring facility. The dogs we keep for boarding are out together all day playing and getting plenty of potty breaks and socializing with people the whole time. It works the same as the daycare dogs(lots of play/exercise), except that at the end of the day they go into their kennels to sleep until the morning. This is the kind of place I would recommend for you, instead of them spending most of their time in the kennel. Allowing the dogs to socialize with each other would be better than not doing so. Especially if they get human interaction in the mix, too. Good luck.

[terryjeanne]

Did you get Bailey from a breeder close by? WIll the breeder take the dog back while you go on vacation?

Who's looking after your cat?

[bluedawg]

The kennel I preffer to use is a good experience for my dogs, they love going there. Of course they are happier when I pick them up and the car ride home.

Where are you guys going while in AK?

[Patt]

If you've checked the kennel out I'm sure all will be okay. Did you get a recommendation from anyone, maybe your vet? Where in CA are you located? I know of a wonderful kennel in Dublin is that close to you?

Edit:
Find a top quality kennel near you…
http://www.abka.com/abka/

[BaileyandBella]

We adopted Bailey from a rescue and they cannot take any extra dogs.

My mom will come by every night or every other night for the cat. We have always done this in the past and it's been fine.....since she can just go potty in her litter box.

In Alaska, we are going to Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau.

[rosemaryninja]

Have you looked up any doggy daycares near you that would take your dog for the time you were gone? Even if they aren't a boarding facility and won't let her stay over night, you might be able to find a family member who would be willing to drop her off in the morning and pick her up at night. That way she would get play, socialisation and a watchful eye throughout the day.

I would not worry about the pet-sitter wreaking havoc in your house; however, you could always conduct a screening interview.

Just out of curiosity, what cruise is this? I went on a cruise several years ago that visited the exact same ports.