kswl

Good luck with your decision, Cimbrone. I'm thankful your pet has a friend who loves him so much.

One of our dogs is 15 years old and is still going to his "favorite" kennel. Now that he is the old-timer there, they baby him just as we do.

cmt

P.S. If you really want a live-in pet sitter and are absolutely opposed to boarding your dog, even at the vet, I think the best way to find one is to ask your vet for recommendations.

nessundorma

I always hire one of the aides who works at my local vet's office. She checks in on my pets in the morning and afternoon, on her way to and from work. I began this practice when one of my pets had health problems, because I wanted someone to recognize if the pet was doing OK or not. I knew she would be able to handle the situation immediately.

Since aides in vet's offices don't get paid very much, she enjoys having the extra work.

nona1

"not as lonely as they would be crated at home waiting for a sitter". Why crate?

I've never understood this idea of shutting a dog up in a cage when the owners are out...people never used to do this. Most dogs are allowed the run of the house (maybe with a few doors shut). My last dog's favourite spot was sprawling on the sofa listening to the radio we used to leave on for her if we were out for long.

tara3056

2, 1, then 3 for me.

Teenagers aren't always irresponsible. I'm 25 now, but I would have loved such a job when I was 18-19 to get some spending money before heading off to college! And I wouldn't have had a single person over to your house, or otherwise breached your trust in any way. Just make sure the student is an animal lover who could be trusted to call the vet if needed. Maybe you could tell one of your neighbors to keep an eye out and call you if they see any partying or the like going on?

Also, I agree with whoever said that the student might be more inclined to spend more time with your pet. Professionals, I think, might just do the basics and not spend much time with your dog, because they do it for a living, and your dog is just another charge like any other. But for a young person, spending some time with a pet that isn't theirs, might be a real treat. Young people are usually energetic, too, and your dog might get more exercise/walking from someone like that.

djkbooks

Assuming your dog is used to being at home alone for periods of time, I would recommend the professional dog sitter, also assuming you can find reliable references.

I know a professional dog sitter, and she could not be more reliable and responsible, also enormously kind and loving. But, if your dog is used to your being home all the time and sleeping in the bed with you - this could be a serious problem, as she tells me even the best dogs may behave very badly if they believe they've been abandoned and are worried about the whereabouts of you. She tells me you should consider how your dog behaves if you've ever left the dog at the vet overnight or longer. She tells me that boarding the dog is the very best option if the dog may not do well with the professional sitter attending to the dog two or three times a day (or anyone else), that at a kennel, dogs have the company of other dogs and 24/7 attention.

Your best bet may be to have the dog stay with your mother AND hire the professional dog sitter for its care.

Cimbrone

Thanks for the additional responses. The abandonment issue is a worry for me. He is used to going to my mom's, so I'm afraid that ANY other option will upset him. The idea of sending him to her AND hiring a pet-walker is a good one. Although I doubt mom will allow it...

I appreciate the encouragement about a kennel. But the thought of him in a concrete run all night possibly with other dogs barking would ruin my trip for sure. Again, I think he'd be frightened. I'd rather not travel.

cmt

Whatever you try--whether it's a live-in sitter, or a dog walker, or boarding at the vet hospital or at a kennel, if you are worried about the dog's possibly feeling abandoned, you can try it out for a day or a weekend, or even try it out a few times. I don't remember precisely what I did, but I think I left one dog for a weekend and another for just one night, to get them used to the idea that boarding was OK and I'd be back. also the first time I tried boarding two of my dogs together in the same room, I tried them out for just one day to make sure it would work out.

I'd be much much more concerend about a sitter or walker losing my dog. Dogs who haven't tried to dash out the door since their youth will sometimes do so when they are in a house other than their own or when their owner is away and they are with other people, even if they know them. I've known several people who agreed to take care of a dog for a week or two during a friend's absence who somehow had the dog escape by slipping out a door or by running away when exercising in a park where the dog was accustomed to running off leash every day. (Got the dogs back, but still....) Another person had a dog killed while in the care of a dog walker who let the dog walk ahead on an extended retractable leash while crossing a street in traffic. Stupidly, I used to leave my first dog with my parents when I was on vacation and once when I was in the hospital, although many times the dog playfully slipped out the door when they were going in or out, and she could've been killed by a car if neighbors hadn't helped to get her back. A previous dog of mine who never used to try to run out the door when we were in our own home managed to slip out twice when we were staying at my father's house for a few days so that I could visit him regularly while he was in the hospital. I knew how to get her back (had to lie down on my back and whimper and she ran right over to see what was wrong), but I'm not sure that a stranger would've been able to. For all these reasons, in general, I think an established, reputable, secure kennel that you've visited, examined, and interviewed beforehand can be much safer. A concrete floor won't kill the dog, but a car might.

But if you want a sitter, ask your vet for recommendations.

kswl

Our dogs do not lie on a concrete floor at South Forty, although in this heat they would probably welcome the cooler surface. We bring all their own bedding, as the kennel encourages us to. The runs at our kennel are partially inside, with a clean vinyl floor upon which their own bedding is placed, and they have their own pet door at the end of the kennel to go outside to their own, concrete, fenced run. They can go outside whenever they want. They're walked 5x per day. And the kennels/runs are large enough for my two dogs to stay together, which they love.

You should check out a really high-end kennel, Cimbrone, because I think it would ease your fears about the nature of care your dog will receive. Of course, he might be so worried about being in a strange place that all the "creature comforts" in the world wouldn't make him truly comfortable. But if you do find a good kennel you could leave him there for an overnight to see how he behaves when he returns home.

Desert_Sue

I added up the cost of a kennel for my two dogs and discovered it would be cheaper to fly my sister-in-law in to sit with the dogs while we were on vacation.

I've had the kids of friends stay at my house. One let the dog fall into the pool and he might have drown. The other kid almost burned my house down.

I've also had luck finding good dog people who take my boys in on occasion. Take your time and find someone who cherishes dogs as much as you do.

laartista

I always use a college student that works for me partime to watch Bear the cat. When she has been unavailable I have used one of her friends on her recommendation. So if you know anyone who personally knows a student I'd go with them, they can always use extra money.

BlueSwimmer

As another teacher and dog owner, I agree that if you truly know the student, and you have a fenced yard for your dog, than #2 could be a good option.

We have had younger co-workers who are dog-lovers without their own pets yet and who live with roommates watch our dogs for weekends because they often relish the privacy and like earning a little extra money.

I also recommend looking into, and testing out, high-end kennels. I hated leaving my two dogs anywhere but with my parents. Ordinarily, it works great as my parents are dog people who have decided not to get another dog because they travel for extended periods. My dogs are like their surrogate dogs.

Last month I went away for two weeks, planning the trip without thinking about the fact that it would coincide with July 4, when my parents have hoards of relatives descend on them at the beach. I know I can trust my parents, but with the huge crowds coming in and out, I was very worried that one of my dogs would run out into the busy street.

To top it off, I recently adopted a third dog, a Katrina refugee with a few trauma issues, and he hasn't been around kids or crowds yet so I didn't know if he would nip someone. Three dogs is also a handful when you are trying to entertain, so I didn't want to burden my parents.

We solved the problem with a high end, but family run kennel right near my parents' house. They were on hand for emergencies and could even go and check the dogs out for walks and playtime. The family was delightful and really seemed to love dogs, telling us details of how they interacted and the cute things they did when we picked them up. I knew they were safe and sound. They came home none the worse for wear. After years of being biased against kennels, I now think that a good one can be a solution.

opaldog

We went on vacation for 7 days. At the time we had 2 aging dogs. A kennel was out of the question for one of them. I called my vet and it turned out that a couple of the women that worked as techs also freelanced as babysitters. They did not stay at my house, but came over 3 times per day to walk and feed the dogs. I completely covered my floor and furniture with tarps and sheets in case of accidents. It did work out. It smelled a bit doggy when we returned, but after a good airing out it was fine. Those dogs are gone now, but my 3 year old Boston Terrier loves her babysitter who we will use on occassion.

cantstayhome

cimbrone - don't know where you live or when you are going, but if you've got the time and haven't already done so, find a local dog park and start hanging out there. You may find out about some other resources.

This makes me appreciate all the more the wonderful woman who takes our two pups into her house when we go away. She runs her own business at home, so she's always with them. She takes hers and mine (and whoever else is staying with her) to the dog park, swimming, hiking, or wherever else she can and my dogs love her! When they see the suitcases come out, they get excited knowing they are on their way to "camp." Wish every dog owner could find a clone of her - every dog deserves some fun!

starrsville

Cimbrone, my pups are my babies too. I almost came home from vacation because I wasn't sure the college age nephew was spending enough time at the house (he was going to school AND had a part-time job). I've had great luck with vet techs stopping by on their lunch hours or after work.

It won't save you any money, but I have actually used both at the same time. Nephew stayed at night and so I knew the little pups would have company since they are used to having someone sleep with them.

I had vet tech stop by at lunch - with instructions to call first in case nephew was sleeping in late so he wouldn't be startled by someone coming in the house. If he was there, the vet tech didn't make the stop (but I still paid for the day).

Double coverage eased my mind. I knew the dogs had plenty of company and the sitters knew someone else be aware of their comings and goings. The only "rule" I gave nephew was not to smoke in the house and not to give the neighbors any reason to call the police .

Do make sure the FORMER student's parents are okay with the set-up.

xxxx

The student option may not be bad if you trust them.

Is there anyone in your area that you can have check up on the student (especially early in the trip) to make sure your pet and house are being taken care of like you expect? Will this same person take over care if needed or transport the pet to a kennel in a worst case situation?

Our situation last year was similar. We hired a house/pet sitter by putting an ad on a local college bulletin board. We interviewed her and watched her interact with the pets. Despite everything seeming to be ok, I was still nervous. We had nearby family and friends check on the sitution very frequently in the first days.

Everything turned out well and she did a fine job. But I was relieved to know that we had people to count on in the event something went wrong.

Cimbrone

The other problem with the kennel idea is that my vet is the only place that would board him. This is due to the fact that, among his other health issues, he is terribly allergic to most vaccines and has a special dispensation to not be up-to-date on his rabies shots. And, while I love my vet in terms of medical care, I am not too impressed with the boarding facilities he provides.

We have a beautiful dog park nearby and going to it used to be among my favorite things to do, but my vet has told me not to take him there as these places are rife with doggy illness. The no vaccine issue apparently compounds the seriousness of his warning, and I have been heeding it.

There is now apparently an epidemic of canine flew, and I saw on the news that kennels should be avoided for the time being. It's almost funny, isn't it, what we go through for our animals?

I realize there are bigger problems in the world, so I hope I don't sound shallow. Anyway, it may be that I'll be travelling domestically more and more. Maybe you'll have to look for me on the U.S. board. Sniff, sniff!

Underhill

Have you asked at your vet's? Often the techs there do pet-sitting.

Cimbrone

That should have been "flu." Air travel, no doubt, is on my brain.