Holidays with your dog...

[ChicRock]

We are getting a dog in September. We've just come back from a lovely holiday in Cornwall, plenty of dog friendly beaches and restaurants and places where dogs are welcome, which is great. The place where we've had a kayak lesson and hired gear from even has kayaks with a dog seat and doggy life jackets so they can go out on the water with you .

But what do you do when you have plans that can't involve the dog? I'm thinking when we're all bodyboarding and surfing, usually for about 2-4 hours a day, we all enjoy going out in the sea together and we'd rather not have to take it in turns. Would it be ok to leave him in our caravan for a few hours? What about in his crate on the beach in the shade (even as I'm typing this it sounds like a daft idea )?

What do you do with your dog?

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

We never took our dog for just this reason. Even if lots of the things you do are dog friendly if you want to do anything that isn't then you either have to take turns or leave them in your accommodation (which is against terms and conditions). Even for dog friendly things you have to have a dog that cooperates. Our dog would absolutely not sat in a kayak or sat quietly at our feet whilst we ate out.

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

It can be against terms and conditions I meant to say, obviously you would have to check and if it's your own caravan then that's fine as well obviously.

[LordRothermereBlackshirtCunt]

I certainly wouldn't do either of those things. Caravans can get very hot, and I would be concerned about dog theft leaving the dog in a crate like that. We take our dogs on holiday and accept that we can only do dog friendly activities or take it in turns to look after the dogs. Although the last holiday we had was in a cottage let by a company which could arrange dog sitters if needed

[PhoenixJasmine]

I looked into doggy daycare at a local kennels when we went to Cornwall last year, although in the end didn't use it.

Our family stay at some beautiful dog friendly cottages in Norfolk where the owner will dog sit as well.

But my dog is the kind who will happily sit under a pub table all night anyway :)

[Bassetfeet]

Caravans get ridiculously hot during sunny weather so I would not advise that . Or the crate . Feel,for you though it is difficult when just a few hours .
Any local kennels that would doggy day care nearby ?

[WatchingFromTheWings]

I've holiday'd with dogs a few times. We planned our days entirely around dog friendly places but there are plenty of boarding kennels about that will take dogs for full or half days. If you know where you're going you could book in advance to be safe. I personally wouldn't leave a dog in a caravan even with a crate.

[Jaimx86]

When we take our dog away, we make all plans around the dog. Sometimes it is a complete pain - but seeing her little face when she has a seaside chip shop sausage on the beach makes up for it!

[MiddleClassProblem]

I would think leaving your dog in a caravan is as bad as in a car on a hot day, I would never risk that. If we're on holiday with our dogs we just do things we can all do together. It's just like if you're on holiday with kids you wouldn't just leave then to go to a bar with no childcare.

If your really feel it's that important to do then maybe look into a local dog walker or sitter.

[SirVixofVixHall]

Agree with all above. A caravan can get as hot as a car- not a good idea. Many holiday cottages will not allow you to leave your dog alone, but some will have advise on dog sitters. We take our dog everywhere, but we also mainly go away in the Winter, when we can leave her for an hour or so in the car. We live near the beach so have beach fun all year round now. When we lived in town we just accepted that we had to have the dog with us- i remember a very lengthy trudge around Bath on my birthday, trying to find a restaurant that would allow the dog in too. After an hour and half we were walking past the first place we'd tried and they saw us and took pity, and let us in. Luckily he was very quiet and well behaved!

[JustBeingJuliet]

I struggle with this as it's just me and 10yo ds, so it's hard to know what to do with the dog when we need to go into a supermarket or somewhere she can't come, as ds is not really sensible enough to leave outside holding her, and is very likely to let the lead go etc. When it's too hot to leave her in the car and rules say we can't leave her in the accommodation, I'm never quite sure what to do.

[BabyGanoush]

We end up just splitting up/taking turns, or else leave the dog with a dog sitter for the week.

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

We don't make any plans that don't include the dog

Unless there's an activity that maybe dh and some of the dcs want to do, in which case I am happy to chill out with the dog and whichever teenager and have a quiet day

[BabyGanoush]

And a crate (cage) onthe beach is something I have never seen, sounds cruel (hot, where is there shade on a beach, ever?!) and she is likely to be miserable or anxious or both.... And might get stolen!

[Eolian]

I wouldn't leave my dog unattended in a tent or caravan. It's probably against the site rules anyway. And even holiday cottages always say that dogs shouldn't be left alone in them.

We've been away 3 times this summer - once camping, once house swap and once to stay with family. We've taken the dog to all 3. Either dh or I stayed with the dog if there was a non-dog-friendly activity planned.
Imo you either tailor your holiday to having a dog around or not take the dog at all.

[ChicRock]

Thanks everyone.

Overheating in the caravan wouldn't be something I'd be concerned about as we have air con and it's chilly cold when it's on, but even with that there's the issue of leaving the dog on site, probably against the rules, could bark and annoy other campers, etc.

We've already booked for next year so I'll start looking now for doggy daycare where we could leave him for a couple of hours each day. We'll just have to be a bit more organised with a plan for each day rather than looking out of the window, seeing that the waves look good and going straight out. Failing that we'll just have to take it in turns to go out. It seems a shame for him to not come with us at all for the sake of a couple of hours a day.

[dudsville]

You also don't know what kind of dog you'll get until you meet them. One of ours is great in pubs and will sit or lie at our feet and go to sleep. The other one kind of freaks out, so we can't even really go to dog friendly places unless we keep walking!