Dogs with separation anxiety and holidays?

[amy56]

Hi all,

I just wondered if anyone else has a dog that struggles with separation anxiety & I just wondered what you did about going on holiday?

We have a three year old cocker spaniel who has only ever been left with my mum when we go on holiday - she loved my mum as much as us, and mum would let her sleep on her bed etc (wrong I know but she has slept on our bed since the second day we brought her home and wouldn’t cope with being shut downstairs now - yes I realise we are to blame for her separation anxiety! Lol!)

Anyway, I’m not sure that my stepdad will want to look after her when we go away now that my mum has passed away, & I have just been sat here upset at the thought that this might also mean our holidays abroad might be over & we had planned to take our boys to Florida next October!

Anyway, I just wondered if anyone else has had this worry about leaving their dogs, and if you’ve found good solutions for dogs that basically rule the house and go everywhere and anywhere they want to and are pampered to the extreme?!

[2littleboys]

Our dog is very needy and doesn’t like when her “pack” are gone.

When we got her as a pup I done some research and found a dog walker that also boards dogs. My dog goes out with the walker once a week and then stays with her when we are away. Harper is now used to the walker and her own dogs and loves when she pulls up on the van to pick her up. It’s gives me peace of mind when we go away.

[aqualiv]

Originally Posted by 2littleboys

Our dog is very needy and doesn’t like when her “pack” are gone.

When we got her as a pup I done some research and found a dog walker that also boards dogs. My dog goes out with the walker once a week and then stays with her when we are away. Harper is now used to the walker and her own dogs and loves when she pulls up on the van to pick her up. It’s gives me peace of mind when we go away.

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I’ve done the same
We haven’t actually left her with her yet as she’s only 10 months but have her provisionally booked for next spring

[Twin mummy]

One of ours is very needy and anxious and one of the big reasons we’ve bought a caravan so he can come on holiday with us!

[Taffy1959]

Our dog goes to a lady who looks after him in her own home he loves her and she adores him.
We get photos and messages most days we are away and he is throughly spoilt while he’s there.

[Tillyfloss]

We use a company called ‘Digs for Dogs’
They match your dog with a temporary home based on need/want and lifestyle. For example, a dog who is allowed on the sofa would not go to a home where he was not. A dog needing miles of walks a day would not go to someone with impaired mobility... etc.
The dog is collected and returned as arranged and you can have as much communication as you feel you need.
We have been using them since Merlin was a puppy and never had any worries about leaving him.
Expensive but worth every penny for peace of mind.

[sam7]

Talk to a few dog boarders, the one my friend uses treats her dog exactly as she does her own. She only boards 1 or 2 dogs at a time - so with her dog and her daughters there are only 4 in the house at once. Daisy actually sulks when the holiday is over as she loves going.

[Sitron]

We too have used a dog boarder. Our senior Labradors had been to kennels but as they got older they needed special care and one to one attention. We received daily updates and some lovely photos.

We also used them the following year too.

[Trusty ian]

Originally Posted by Taffy1959

Our dog goes to a lady who looks after him in her own home he loves her and she adores him.
We get photos and messages most days we are away and he is throughly spoilt while he’s there.

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We are the same, use a lady who has our dog in her home . Maybe have another dog there during the day but overnight she only has our dog there. The lady's daughter plays with her after school with regular walks.

[JLH]

I do feel for you ,my dog is needy and has got worse since he’s got older (17 now), like yours mine used to go to my mums but not sure if that will even work for him now. Purely because of his age I decided that I wouldn’t go away anymore unless one of my older children was here to look after him and I am glad I have that option . I still won’t go away for long periods ( a week at most )but at least I know he will be at home with someone he knows . My eldest made it worse - I went away in August for couple of nights and he sent me a recording of my dog howling by the front door as I wasn’t there !