We have a very high maintenance jackapoo who we love to absolute pieces. We take her happiness a bit too seriously, but we also take seriously the personal responsibility that comes with dog ownership. So…let’s talk about traveling and the dog. I think this is a touchy subject for a lot of people, as it is for me. There is no easy way around it: having a pet and traveling are often two conflicting priorities. Sure, some people can take their pet on some trips with them–if they are small enough to fit in an under the seat carrier–but even this gets complicated, or impossible, for trips to remote areas and countries with strict quarantine requirements (not to mention quarantine requirements for re-entry). Most of the time, except for roadtrips, taking a pet on international travel just isn’t feasible or appropriate.So what do you do, if you have a pet and want to travel? There seem to be the extremes, including those that refuse to do any traveling without their pet, limiting their trips to only those in which they can take Fido. Then there are those that put their dogs in a kennel for a month and say goodbye. But, to each his/her own, right? (I’m not talking animal abuse or neglect here, at all.)
DH and I are definitely somewhere in the middle. I do think that with pet ownership needs to be a level of personal responsibility. You chose to get a pet, and you need to do the best you can. That doesn’t mean a $300/night pet resort (unless you can afford that, I suppose), but it does mean ensuring that they are healthy, that they are safe, and that they are cared for if you are away. In particular, if you can’t afford proper care for your pet when you go on vacation–I’d suggest you rethink taking your trip in the first place.
Sometimes we don’t travel together. In particular, we usually don’t go on each others work trips “for fun”, so that someone can be with the dog. Because we do travel together on vacation, there are already a few times of the year when she’s going to be without both of us, and we really prefer that one of us stays home rather than put her in a kennel for a few days. Sure, we’d like to go to San Diego or Seattle with each other, but she’s far happier with this arrangement. Plus, it saves us money. And we get extra one-on-one cuddling time with our little dinosaur. Time apart probably is good for us, too!
If possible, we keep her in our home with someone she knows. This by far is the best situation, and one we really strive for when we are gone for more than 4-5 days. Sure, she’s a little bit bummed that we are away, but she’s with someone that hangs out with her a ton. Plus, she keeps her routine, gets to go on her same walks, bark at the same door, and eat out of the same bowls. Our dog is super dramatic, so she might go on a hunger strike for a day just to prove she can, but she always has fresh food, fresh water, and a human for long belly rubs pretty much on command. No, she usually won’t hang out with us for a day after we come home because she’s pouting, but it’s a small price to pay for knowing she’s completely cared for. For easy-going, laid-back dogs (ours is not), they might be just as happy in someone else’s home, too, which can be a great solution if you know a good dog-sitter.
We use common sense to figure out when she’s happy and when she’s not. When we can’t find someone to stay with our dog, we do take her to the kennel. Horror! Yes, we do. She’s incredibly sensitive, and it’s pretty easy to tell if she’s happy or not. When she wants to go into the kennel–like cartwheeling in the car when we drive into the parking lot–we figure she’s had an o.k. time. Sure, I bet she misses us like we miss her, but if she really hated it, we truly believe that we could tell. I mean, this is the dog that hears the word “bath” during a walk, and hides under the bed immediately when you return home for 3 hours. Each pet is different, with different needs. Figure out what suits them best: for example, what type of kennel experience and activities they prefer.
We think about the bigger picture. I’m a total worrier over the dog. When I’m gone, I pretty much worry about her every day. My stomach knots when I drop her off at the kennel, even though she can’t wait for some playtime with friends. I’ll be honest, I always feel–perhaps irrationally–guilty. Yes, she’s “a dog”, but she’s also a cornerstone of our family. DH is great at reminding me that’s she’s fine, and she doesn’t mind a few days without us. And she really doesn’t. In the last year, DH and I, together, have spent approximately 20 days away from her, and she’s spent 11 nights at the kennel, where she is happy and well taken care of. That’s 20 out of 365. While a dog can be a big part of your life, I do think having some balance is important. We are with her 95% of the year, and during this time she is so unbelievably spoiled that it’s too embarrassing to discuss here.
In the grand scheme of things, I think we are doing ok. But it doesn’t get any easier to kiss her goodbye.
Do you have a dog and love to travel? Do you feel guilty dropping them off at the kennel, or walking out the door with your bags?
