How should I prepare to leave my dog at home (rather than a kennel) for 3 d., 2 n? I have a pet sitter.?

Question

I have never left my dog alone in the house while I travel for business. Usually my mom takes care of my golden while I am away. That is no longer possilbe. I have boarded him in the past but someone suggested that I let him stay in his own house and get a dog sitter to come several times,feed him, walk him...etc. So I am going to do that. Now with the trip coming up, I am not sure I know if this is the best idea (he is very good in the house) and I don't know how to prepare. Goldens are so people oriented, I am worried that he will get depressed or crazy while we are gone. The pet sitter is on the same street as me so they could come and see or walk him as much as I want to pay for. Please advise about this whole thing....Thanks, many!!!
Oh...need answers quick....

Answer 1

omg dont take him to the keenel!!! its so risky! prepare leaving him home or something

good luck girl

Answer 2

I am of like mind that pets are happier left at home than at a kennel. Kennels are impersonal and much like a animal shelter in my opinion. I have seen good kennels that have very caring people and must say that I do reccomend a kennel in my area to some customers if that is their preference. Leaving your pet in your home is my preference because it is familar to your pet and noted as a safe place. It is loaded with the surroundings and sents that it knows as home. If you work during the day and leave your pet at home do the same thing to prepare for your trip. Just stock up on some extra treats, maybe a blanket that smells like its favorite person and have your pet sitter come by something like three times a day if possible. Pet sitters are great! They can socialize your pet while you're away, feed, water, exercise and give them attention. In additionally, they can add some measure of security to you home while you're on your trip. In my opinion, a pet sitter is money well spent. I have one that watches mine regularly and sometimes stays in my home when I'm out of town.

I hope this is helpful and good luck!

Answer 3

Your dog will be just fine. Make sure you have the sitter come in a couple of time before you leave while you are there to play with and walk your dog. I've had the same dog sitter/walker for years and she has a list of phone numbers(vet, emergency clinic, family members), details re feeding, meds, etc. It always works out. Good luck.

Answer 4

Even a mellow golden can go nuts when left alone for that long...sitter or not. dogs seem to know the difference between gone for the day vs. gone for days! and they may act out. It's not uncommon for them to destroy your property in situations like this. I would not reccomend it. My animals have always been inside/outside pets. They were accustomed to both. The sitter idea worked fine as long as plenty of food and water are left. But leaving the dog inside...I just don't know about that...sometimes the kennel is best for the animals own safety and your peace of mind.

Answer 5

My parents leave their golden home when they go on short trips and my Uncle goes up several times a day to feed, water, walk and play with her and she always does great! Your dog will be comfortable being at home with familiar surroundings and smells, just make sure your sitter goes up several times each day and actually spends some time with your dog rather than just do the basics and I'll bet he'll do great too!

Answer 6

I felt the same way when my mom said that we had to leave our dogs at the house when we first went on a trip. But luckily, I had my best friend babysit my dogs for me. She came in the morning, once in the afternoon, and then once at night. She did that for six days and five nights. I was very grateful and we paid her for it. She said that our dogs behaved really well and that they didn't show any signs of depression. Just simply ask the dog sitter to give your dog an extra treat or two to keep up your pup's spirits and before you leave simply tell your dog" I will be back in a few days, so be good, I love you." Trust me, they know what you are saying. Well, I hope this helps. Have fun on your trip and say hi to your dog for me.

Answer 7

I have the same problem every single time we have to stay away overnight, and we can't take our dog.

The truth is, the reasons to take your dog with you outweigh the reasons to leave him/her behind at all... However, I honestly do not suggest putting your dog on a plane; it's horrible for them in every way.

Now, what I can suggest to you if you literally CANNOT take your dog with you is this: Go by the order.
Here's the order: 1) Family who owns dogs 2) Friends who own dogs 3) Family that can stay over at your house 4) Dog sitter 5) Kennel 6) Board plane.

You should definitely consider going through those 6 steps and check off each before going to the next. When I suggest these, I mean just for the dog. Also, it really makes a difference on how long you are literally leaving your dog. The longer you are gone, the higher up you should pick on the list.

Now, normally, when I leave my dog, our first choice is my uncle, who owns two dogs of his own. It is very obvious we would choose him first, because he owns his own dogs and knows how to handle them. A bad choice of family or friends would be one who is very inexperienced with dogs, wouldn't know how to handle them on walks, wouldn't know how to feed them right, and especially, give them proper attention. Our next choice is normally our house maid who comes and actually sleeps over night. That is VERY IMPORTANT. It's ALWAYS better to find someone or someplace that there is someone to watch over your dog OVERNIGHT. You never know how many things there are that can happen to your dog overnight.

On one occasion, our dog had eaten chocolate covered raisins (which are horribly toxic to dogs and have a very, very high chance of being fatal), but since we were there with him, we saw him vomit and got him to the hospital in time. Just an example!

So really, when you make your choice, it's for the benefit of your dog, not for your own convenience.

Answer 8

Hi, I feel the same way you do about my dogs. Mine have never been taken to a kennel and I do not feel that they would handle it well if I did take them to one. I would think, since you have a doggy door and they are well house broken, they should be fine for one night without any one there. Since you have friends that are willing to feed them and check on them, I would leave them at home. My ideal situation would be if your friends could stay at your house during the night, but being that it is Christmas eve, probably not going to happen. They would be more comfortable at home, and lets face it, being at a kennel would mean they would be crated all night long without any one around, and they would be more likely to come in contact with sick animals too. I would definitely leave them at the house. JMHO

Answer 9

You are right. Golden retrievers are very much people dogs, but we give ourselves too much stardom in their lives. He will be happy with the attention of any human who is kind to him, feeds him and takes him for his walks.

I would suggest that you take a blanket from your bed, or an old coat or something else that has your scent on it and put it where he lays.

I promise he will be fine while you are away, but be prepared for a hyper home coming. It is so good to hear from people who truly love their pets. God Bless!

Answer 10

leave a detailed list for the sitter. ( how much food, how much exersize, any problems you might have had with pet in past like tick fooot or something) and make sure that the list is specific to where the dog sitter knows what to do at all times but not too specific to where they freak out.

Answer 11

Bring in the Pet Sitter several times before you leave to let you pal get used to them. Watch for reactions from both the sitter and your dog. See if they get along o.k.