[TEFSADDERFISA]

Okay so first off, I am the type to take my dog EVERYWHERE with me. But I've only ever had tinies. I have previously owned a Pom and Yorkie. We would rotate them on vacations. Go to Iowa, take Tik. Go to B.C. take Pooter. And the other would be left with a friend. But it was easy because they were small and "cute" "fluffy" tinies that people loved to watch and they got along with other dogs like champs.

Now with Izzy she is fairly large and very hyper and could be DA even if she has never previously shown signs. I know it's a li'l early to post but We will be gone for 2-4 weeks for Christmas/New Years. Izzy can't come to Iowa due to the fact my mom lives in an apartment with no dogs allowed and my dad and I do not speak. I am not sure if she will be able to go to BC with us yet, depends on if my mother in law thinks she's okay... she is biased against pitties because one bit her son [my BIL].

What do you guys do? Do ALL of you have willing friends and family members to dogsit? We have NO family in our town, so that's no option. Friends... next to none as we're fairly new here. Do you guys agree with boarding kennels, or hiring a random sitter, do you find other pitty owners who are knowledgeable and exhaust those sources?

[corsar-caribean]

Simple... I don't vacation. LOL

Good luck, sorry I don't actually have anything to contribute, but honestly I don't trust people to take care of my dogs so I avoid going on trips that last more than 2 or 3 days.

[jokilewqs]

I take him with me. Now that he is bigger

[Kotyara]

I don't go on vacation. I stay home and look after everyone else's dogs! I'm in B.C.. If it's anywhere close to Van that you visit, I'd be willing to take her in if your mother in law doesn't want her there, then you can still grab her for walks and outings when you can. It's a thought anyway. I do have references. She'd have to be crate trained and not HA though. I rotate and I don't handle HA dogs.

[Petrushkaukrop]

One option I had was a local business called "Pawz N Clawz" In home pet sitting. The woman that owns the business is bonded and she is also a vet tech. I used her to watch Sugar for 5-6 days once and I think I remember it costing about $150. She came over and we went through the whole routine of Sugar's feeding schedule, treats and what she liked to do outside. The woman came 3-4 times a day to take care of Sugar while I was gone.

One other time, I boarded Sugar at a local Doggie Day Care that provided a boarding service. The day care place was all open bay and Sugar didn't get much individual attention. In fact, Sugar seemed a little "shell shocked" when I returned and it took her a couple of days to return to normal.

Now Rowdy ... I NEVER went anywhere without him. I just didn't trust anyone with Rowdy and I knew where ever he was, he would tear the place apart trying to get to me.

Two Examples:
- I dropped Rowdy and Sugar at the vets one morning for their yearly check up and shots. They kept Rowdy and Sugar in large kennel bays built into the building until the vet arrived. When I picked Rowdy and Sugar up, they said Sugar was fine but they really didn't want to try and keep Rowdy for any length of time again. I guess he went a little nuts in the kennel and my not being there Lol.

- Another time I was at the beach with a friend and we were staying at my families cottage there. My friend and I left Rowdy in the cottage while we went off and did something for about an hour. WELL ... when we got back to the cottage, Rowdy had clawed and chewed his way almost completely through the door !!! I spent one whole afternoon on vacation repairing a door HA !!!

At home, in familiar surroundings, Rowdy would be fine for me to leave with free run of the house for even several hours at a time. He would just settle down and wait. But I never trusted that he would tolerate being away from me for days at a time nor would I have trusted him with someone he did not know well. Plus, he was generally not good with other animals.

If push had ever come to shove and I had to make arrangements for Rowdy, I would have used the in home pet sitting service ... and expected some torn up stuff when I got back.

The way I found out about the in home pet sitting service was by checking the business card bulletin board at the best little pet store we have in town and by talking to the pet store owner about the service.

[TEFSADDERFISA]

My vacations are unfortunately a must until I get my Canadian Residency. I have to leave the country every 6 months and it always falls on Christmas time and mid summer. So we are usually gone twice a year for a couple weeks.
Zoe, I will be in Kelowna, BC a:] Idk how far away that is. I know it's not horribly far.

Her previous owner has offered to watch her. She misses her a lot but loves what I'm doing with her and has even brought Izzy's spare kennel inside incase I were to return her lol. So I may give her the chance... she even Izzy proofed the basement so Izzy could have the room to run while it's -40 degree out this winter. I know she loved Izzy but just couldn't raise three special needs toddlers and go through a divorice and care for Izzy properly... I think she would be okay with Izzy since by Xmas Izzy will be a pro at being an indoor dog haha. But still... I am skeptical. I would feel bad to tell her no she can't watch the dog she gave me for free when she was asking $500 because she thought I was a perfect home... how big of a jerk would I be??

I've always aquired a couple fellow pitty owners... one that has two of her own and takes in rescues, and a lady that just has one.

---------- Post added at 11:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:05 PM ----------

Izzy doesn't show signs of separation anxiety when I have to leave she just sleeps and is actually starting to love sleeping in her kennel on her own... so I am not too worried about her getting frantic wondering where I am. BUT that sounds like a great option, in home sitting. Not much in my apartment to steal, so I could trust anyone esp. a professional business or someone with references. It would make Izzy at home too because she has her very one couch and her kennel is where it's supposed to be lol.

[downtowndude]

My friends often have me watch their dogs. We all know each others handling abilities as we all work in shelter situations with one another and we pretty much know each other's thoughts on how to handle dogs.

Are you involved in an obedience club or sport? I know that's another common place to find someone willing to watch your dog that you may know well.

My family doesn't go places that the dogs can't come because one is a huge PIA and neither would do well being boarded.

Have you thought about renting a dog friendly motel room nearby?

[Evoryboypoto]

I don't really vacation I don't have a job that pays me enough to get me the ability to vacation. But I do have to go to Indianapolis (a 150 mile 1 way trip) a lot, my parents, my grandpa, and my dentist is there. I have a friend come over and feed Goren and make sure he is ok but I am normally only gone for about 48 hours max. This Wed/Thurs I have to go up to get some fillings and she is ganna dog sit Logan and come over to feed Goren so we know Logan is not shut in the kennel for a substantial amount of time.

[GenrieAB]

There are a few boarding facilities around here where the dogs have their own pens but they're also let out for supervised play. There is one just outside of Calgary that has all that plus they do take aggressive dogs. Pet Planet is one of them, and the latter is Springbank Kennels.

[offinoNem]

I also don't vacation. I don't have any people that I think are responsible enough to contain and control an APBT, let alone 2 APBT, an AB and the Bastard Hound, lol.

If I had to go I think I would first try to get a hotel or short time rental house that allows the dogs, failing that I would hire a licensed, insured and bully breed experienced in home sitter. Failing that, I would board at my vet because they have a nice boarding area and know bully breeds.

If I were you, I'd be thrilled at Zoe's offer and take her up on it because A) she is not terribly far and you'd be able to spend time with Izzy and B) since it is closer to where you're going you can tell the former owner you're able to take Izzy with you and not cause any hurt feelings or resentment.

[55TRATTERENRY]

What do you guys do? Do ALL of you have willing friends and family members to dogsit? We have NO family in our town, so that's no option. Friends... next to none as we're fairly new here. Do you guys agree with boarding kennels, or hiring a random sitter, do you find other pitty owners who are knowledgeable and exhaust those sources?

Both my family and my husband's family are not dog people at all. I am lucky with my standard poodle, Jiggs, that I trade dog-sitting with the people who own Jiggs' littermate, as they don't live too far away. As for Cookie, my apbt/ast, I haven't left her with anybody yet. Jiggs' littermates' owners said they are willing to take Cookie if/when needed, but I have some hesitations because they have 4 dogs of their own and what if Cookie becomes DA or what if one of her dogs doesn't like Cookie. They are not experienced with bully breeds. I have toyed with the idea of having sort of a test-meeting with those other dogs to see if all get along, or else I will board Cookie at a kennel if needed, there are a couple close by that are good.

[Hlennisal]

My vet is also a 24-hour emergency animal hospital and has a full boarding kennel attached. I board Bentley.

Carter gets to stay with either of my brothers. He's got a lot of allergies and his vet doesn't board. We boarded him once at my vet but he was allergic to something and came back with hives. So he gets to visit other people.

[TEFSADDERFISA]

Getting a motel with Izzy would be more of a pain then finding a sitter because of her current tendancy to bark at the door when she here's other apartment doors shut or people in the hallway. Also she would be pent up in the hotel room for two weeks because when we are home in Iowa we are never sitting around because I only see my family 1-2 times a year so lots of visiting to do. I wish my uncle would have kept his two kennels up in his yard for when he was a breeder :/ she could have stayed there!

Such a tough choice... just posted izzy's first interaction lol. She seems to have a little DA, but who knows what that will look like by Christmas with proper management and socializing. If all else failed I would let her previous over watch her as long as she kept her inside, made her daughter give her two walks a day for at least an hour each, and followed any other regime we are on.
Also, I'd definitely consider Zoe

[extessarere]

I don't vacation and I also don't really trust other people with my dogs lol.
Worst case you may have to bite down and find a dog friendly motel or hotel. Thats the cost of being a dog owner.

[Kotyara]

Zoe, I will be in Kelowna, BC a:] Idk how far away that is. I know it's not horribly far.

Well, it's a good four and a half hour drive....

[Wsjltrhe]

Most any time I go somewhere, it's for a dog event... so the crew usually goes with lol But if I am going to a sighthound hunt, I leave the bulldogs on their chain spots. My folks are nice enough to feed and water them for me when I am out of town, and my dad or cousin will let them off their chains one at a time to play for a bit. I don't trust anyone else with my dogs... and I don't trust my folks because of their dog knowledge, I trust them because they know how important my dogs are to me and the wrath that will descend if they mess up LOL My dogs are also really easy... I don't at this time have any dogs that cannot be near each other or anything like that.

I've stayed in a hotel with 5 dogs, between my best friend and I... we just didn't tell the front desk that LOL

[TEFSADDERFISA]

Like I said, Destin... a hotel is more of a pain than finding someone to trust with her because of her barking. it's already an issue in our apartment so a potentially busy hotel would be worse. mind you hopefully the problem will be corrected before xmas time. but then as I said she can't go to my mom's, and my dad is out of the picture so she would just sit in a crate for 5-10 hours a day and get only one walk if I have time. I don't mind shelling out money for a hotel... we did lots when we had our tinies. but they were tiny and much different than izzy lol.

I'm hoping through my local pitbull group I joined that i can find some people who share my views and views like you guys here that I can trust and that Izzy will not be too DA for being in a home with others. I'm going to meet the one lady at some point and hopefully if it goes well we will meet on a consistant basis... see what comes of it. And if it's good that might be my best option, she owns and does foster care for pitbull rescues.

[Petrushkaukrop]

I sneaked Rowdy into a hotel with me once (or twice). The next morning I took him for a walk before checking out and getting on the road. We encountered two hungry feral stray dogs much bigger than Rowdy and literally just barely made it back to the room (luckily on the first floor ... always get first floor Lol) as I slammed the door in the dogs snarling faces. I was delayed a half hour or so getting on the road that morning.

[Irravepem]

Depends. Sometimes they come with us, sometimes a few come with us, sometimes they're boarded. We had to unexpectedly stay in a hotel once, with 3 APBT's. The hotel was skeptical, but then agreed once we told them all dogs were crated. They made us leave several numbers in the event the dogs were barking too much. At the end of that vacation, the hotel staff told us how amazed they were that we actually crated our dogs and didn't let them chew up the hotel room, and how quiet they were. Good experience.

We've had to board all dogs once, when we had to fly short notice. They are only boarded with a specific friend who has concrete kennels, sturdy kennel fencing and keeps all of our Schutzhund clubs' dogs (HA, DA, whatever). It's the only place we trust.

[tLO0hFNy]

whats a vacation?! is it a dog show? cause thats all i get lol