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The doghouse

Take Ddog away for a week, by ferry or leave in kennels?

7 replies

AnguaVonUberwald · 21/04/2015 12:55

I am wondering what would be the best option for our dog.

She is a 2 year old rescue (found as a stray) - very bonded with us now, but definitely has some abandonment issues.

We are going away in half term, for a week, and we can take her with us, or we can leave her in kennels.

cost is more or less the same.

I am just wondering what is best for her.

Coming with us: 7 hour car journey - 4 hours on ferry in kennels (plus waiting to get on and off the boat) - another hour drive. (and the reverse on the way back) We are visiting family so she would be very welcome, but the garden isn't secure so she wouldn't be able to run outside freely.

she is our first dog, never done a journey like that with her - no idea how she would cope.

or:

leave her in kennels - she has stayed there before - twice, just for a couple of nights, so she knows when she is there, we come back for her - but 7 nights seems like a long time - I am worried she would find that long really hard.

They are a great kennels - three walks a day - outside play etc - but in the end its seven days of being without us, and sleeping on her own every night.

What do you think would be the best option for her?

OP posts:
Iloveadrianmole · 21/04/2015 13:02

We take our dog on regular five hour ferry trips and then on a six hour drive about three times year. We do this when we visit relatives back at home in the UK - he is used to it now - goes to sleep on the ferry and we have regular stops on the car journey. He is fine and he is a "fretty" type dog - always worrying when we are not there! Take her - I'm sure she will be fine.

lapetitesiren · 21/04/2015 13:05

Dogs are usually happy in kennels- they like being with the other dogs and they don't seem to have much track of time so the kennel on the boat shouldn't be much of an issue as long as it's not too choppy at sea. If it was me I would base the decision on whether you would enjoy your holiday more with or without the dog. Will you be restricted in the things you want to do if you take her? Or are you planning lots of walking anyway. French are generally more tolerant of well-behaved dogs in restaurants etc.

moosemama · 21/04/2015 15:57

We use kennels for shorter breaks - our dogs love it there - but they come with us every time when we travel to Ireland by ferry. We have a long drive to the ferry port, but break it up with a couple of short walks and a picnic lunch with a longer walk just before we join the ferry queue and you can walk them around while in the queue as well, if you're worried about them being cooped up.

We leave them in the car on the ferry (4 hour crossing), as they're happy and calm in there, so it's preferable to the on-board kennels. In warm weather we travel at night so it's cooler.

We have the same problem, with our family's holiday home not having a secure garden, but we have long tie-out cables for when we all sit out together and take them out for wees regularly, as well as them spending all day, every day out and about on walks/beaches etc with us, so it's not a problem.

We've been doing this for 25 years now and so-far, fingers-crossed, none of our dogs have had a problem with it.

You know your dog best and whether or not she'll be happy with a week long kennel stay, also as lapetitesiren said, it's also a case of whether or not you'd be happier if she's with you or would spend the whole time fretting if she's ok or not.

AnguaVonUberwald · 25/04/2015 10:55

Thank you for your posts. Relatives turn out not to be welcoming after all so ddog going into kennels. We are planning days we go to minimise stay but will probably have to be for 6 nights ??. Will she be ok?

OP posts:
moosemama · 25/04/2015 11:06

The longest I've left mine in kennels is a fortnight, when ds2 was 3 years old and seriously ill with pneumonia. I was worried sick about them, but they were fine and still dragged us down the drive to get into the kennel block the next time we took them there. Mine always go as a pair though.

If you're worried, an alternative would be home boarding either in your own home or in the home of a pet sitter. That would be a more normal environment for her and she'd get more 1:1 attention.

How was she when you left her there for a couple of nights?

ender · 25/04/2015 11:17

Depends on the dog, you know him best.
My lab would be fine in kennels for a week, had him from a puppy and he never worries about anything and loves meeting new people and dogs.
My GSD rescue needs to be with us and I couldn't leave him in kennels because I know he'd hate it and it would ruin my holiday worrying about him. Also we'd probably be back to square one with all the problems we had when we first got him, so if relatives were unwelcoming I'd have to cancel the holiday.

AnguaVonUberwald · 25/04/2015 21:49

We have left her twice both for two nights. The first time she was totally hyper after we picked her up. And some regression in behaviour. I don't think anyone had ever come back for her before Sad.

BUT she settled down very quickly and actually seemed more settled afterwards than before we went. I think she finally started to believe she was here to stay.

The second time she was fine. Not hyper. No regression. So I think she has finally started to feel secure.

I don't want to put in her in anyone else's home. She was found as a stray and then had kennels, at rescue/foster home, first adoption ( lasted a week! Long story) and then us, so I really think if she was in another house she would think she had been moved into another home and been abandoned again.

I think kennels is best option and holiday not exactly optional, just hoping 6 nights is not too much for her.

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