I need to leave town on a family emergency and I have a medium sized dog. I would love to leave him at home but he can get anxious and has been known to dig under the fence. I don't want to worry about him for the two weeks we are away. He is a 2 year old golden retriever/basset mix and I've never left him more than overnight before. How much does it cost to board and is home sitting really a good option?
I wouldn't leave him at home by himself if he can dig under the fence. Nor would I leave him in charge of a friend unless your friend is willing to keep the dog in his home. If you can find someone to stay in your home, that would be best. Your other option is to board him in a kennel. Cost depends on where you live. Get some references from your friends and vet as to a good place to board.
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June 14th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Do you have a trusted friend. YOU CAN"T LEAVE HIM ALONE FOR 2 WEEKS! A vet boarding is expensive and many don't give the attention they need (trust me my Grandmother is a groomer and the kennel workers throw food in there if it falls out of the bowl oh well and wash to poop to the back of the cage until Saturday. Plus the walk is like 10 steps and back.
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June 14th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Home sitting is a great option, especially for a dog that gets anxious in your absence, at least he'll have the comforts of his own home. I would recommend that you call your vet first thing in the morning, and see if they can help you to find someone *trustworthy*.
Good luck!
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June 14th, 2009 at 1:03 am
Oh God try to have a friend come over and stay at your house. Boarding sucks. You'll come home to a dog with kennel cough or bloat and not have the slightest idea what happened. Look into a dog sitter in your area if no friends are available, but make sure the sitter is BONDED and ask for references and check them out. Good luck on this one. sorry for your troubles.
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June 14th, 2009 at 1:48 am
the place my family uses is 40 bucks a day. I would be cautious of any place that charges less than that. Make sure he is up to date with shots and is on flea prevention meds otherwise most places won't accept him. At least, thats the rules in CA. Do you have any friends that would be willing to take your guy in while you are away? That might save you some $$ if you have someone responsible that could help you out in a bind.
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June 14th, 2009 at 2:08 am
I personally like boarding but it depends on the kennel. If the dog is inside and the sitter doesn't check on him enough he may potty in your house. And if he has dug under the fence many times before then he will prob. do it again. Just find a good kennal that you trust. Ask around for suggestions on kennals and most GOOD kennals give tours.
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Dog lover!! have 6 dogs
June 14th, 2009 at 2:39 am
I wouldn't leave him at home by himself if he can dig under the fence. Nor would I leave him in charge of a friend unless your friend is willing to keep the dog in his home. If you can find someone to stay in your home, that would be best. Your other option is to board him in a kennel. Cost depends on where you live. Get some references from your friends and vet as to a good place to board.
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http://www.abka.com/abka/
http://www.petsitters.org/
June 14th, 2009 at 3:19 am
its the same with my dog. he seems to do fine at the vet boarding. the cost depends on the vet that you board him with. i would go with the boarding at a vet since if anything serious happens while your gone, the vet is right there to help your best friend.
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own experience
June 14th, 2009 at 3:44 am
well boarding him would be safer than leaving him at home because you know his/she is eating/drinking but the $$cash$$ is alot if i board my 3 dogs its $200$ at home something could happen she could get out or get hurt what if theres a fire you could lose you dog well i would say vet if you really care for your pet
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3 dogs getting horse
June 14th, 2009 at 4:16 am
The cost all depends on the boarding place. Some can be really expensive because they spend alot more time with the dogs. The cheaper ones pretty much ignore the dogs. I had a friend that owned a boarding and grooming business, and they really paid no attention to them. Just threw food in and washed the pee and poo. I have seen some places that offer alot, with their boarding, like one on one time with a handler. They also offer doggy play time with other other dogs of the same size and age. If you have someone you can trust to housesit that is always a good option. For 2 weeks boarding at a good kennel could get extremely expensive.
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June 14th, 2009 at 5:05 am
Personally, I would board. My dog likes to go to the borders because he gets to play with the other borders during the day in addition to being able to run around outside if the weather is nice. It's also nice to know that there are people there with them most of the day and can notify me or my vet if anything should happen to the dog. My boarder fees are $25/day (for a poolside kennel which has more room, a tv, an elevated bed, etc). I supply my own food just so he doesn't get upset stomach and treats. I usually take a toy or two also. He always looks disappointed when I pick him up, like he's saying, ahhhh, mom, I'm not done playing yet – but he is happy once he gets home. Also their time concept is different from ours so whether you leave them for a few days or a few weeks, it will seem the same to them. Just my opinion.
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June 14th, 2009 at 5:40 am
It depends – you need to find the option which worries you the least. The cost will be worth it, no matter what, if you don;t have to rush home for another crisis at the other end.
If your dog is a digger, you should probably just board him at the vet's. A good vets kennel should be safe, he is close to help if he does anything stupid, and he should be fine no matter what the entertainment or lack thereof – right now, you need him just mainly to be safe. He may even have fun.
Later, when you have time, you should consider installing an electric radio fencewire inside your wooden fence – that way, he won't dig out of it, and you can have a petsitter do in-home care next time you need to go somewhere – or not. Just make sure the sitter is a mature adult, not a kid – as much as I love kids, things do happen, andthere are many questions posted here by kids who have had big problems when they were petsitting – but a professional should come by recommendation from the vet or friends, and can be very competent. It also allows your dog to stay home, which can be a lot less wear and tear.
You should just be able to leave, knowing your dog is safe, and not on the verge of escaping. A wire can do that for you, and you can also put one in the basement rafters under the front door to avoid having him bolt out to the street.
But for now, just go with the kennel, and go take care of human stuff. It'll be worth it not to worry, at least about him.
Good luck-
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June 14th, 2009 at 5:45 am
I would suggest home sitting. Go onto your neighborhood list-serv and post your ad. You could get a kid to just spend some quality time with your dog and walk him 2-3 times a day (approx. $10-$20 a day). or you could request a house sitter to stay with your pooch, and collect the mail.
I would suggest installing wire under the fence for the digging issue, or an invisible fence around the fence to keep him from getting close enough to dig under. There are also behavior modifiers at http://www.innotek.net.
I realize what I've suggested sounds cruel, but I put in an invisible fence in our front yard. My lab, Nestle, would bolt each time I answered the front door and we live close to a busy street. Trust me, she got shocked two times, and now doesn't even need to wear the collar.
I'd rather have my dog alive, than stand by and wait for the inevitable.
I hope this helps.
Look up http://www.care.com. You can post an ad within a certain mileage of your home, see what people generally charge, and ask if someone will housesit your dog.
Some people have background checks on themselves.
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Three dogs and an adoption counselor for a no-kill shelter for dogs & cats.
June 14th, 2009 at 5:58 am
I work at a boarding facility that offers one on one time with your pet, we also offer playtime with other dogs age/size appropriate. I understand that there are some kennels that do not care about individual attention(used to work at one of these, that's why I left). The cost of boarding depends on the size of the dog, the area u live in, the extra specialties that u might like for ur dog, and so on… I recommend that you visit the boarding kennel and check them out. If they are not willing to assist you and make you feel comfortable about leaving your pet for the first time then continue to the next. If none suit you check with a bonded pet sitter in your area. hope to have been helpful
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Kennel Tech. Doggie Day Care manager
June 14th, 2009 at 6:36 am
I have a great kennel where I board my dog. She spends the day in a large wooded dog run playing with her new doggie friends – and it only costs ten dollars a day. It's not fancy, but she's always happily exhausted when she comes home. She loves it.
If you decide to keep your dog at home, there are a couple of professional pet sitter organizations – one is Pet Sitters International. You can search for a sitter in your area. They are trained and expereinced. the down side is that they will come in and play with your dog and walk your dog, but won't be there all of the time. It would be gerat to have someone you know and trust who could housesit while you're away.
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