Center Parcs - 1st Time with dog

[Verbena37]

Hi,
We are Center Parcs veterans/addicts but our next break will be our first with our 7 month old golden retriever. I’ve suddenly realised that we normally get there early, park the car, go for brunch, then swim until getting into the villa.

On the last day, we normally vacate the villa by ten, park the car and swim, have lunch then home.

This time though, we will have the dog. What do others do with the dog before they can get into the villa? Just wander round the village with the dog, eat outside etc? Or do you not get there until villas are accessible at 3pm?

Kind of wishing now that we weren’t taking the dog.

You do know you're not allowed to leave them unattended in the villa?

What were you going to do with him during the break when you were lunching or swimming? Could you still do that with him?

Unless you were planning on leaving him in the villa during those times? You know your dog best but a seven month old left alone in a strange place sounds like it could be risky so you'll need a contingency plan if he doesn't settle alone. Can you take him with you and someone stay out the pool with him? Never been the CP so don't know where dogs are / are not allowed. Do they have any kind of dog creche?

Are you not allowed to leave them u attended? I thought it was they shouldn’t make a nuisance e.g. barking would be not tolerated and if housekeeping were going in someone should be there but otherwise OK?

Oh maybe they've changed the rules since I last went. My bad!

You can leave them unattended in your lodge. There's a little sign in the window to warn people just in case maintenance call round when you're out.

I found the exercise areas very very small for our German shepherd who needed a good run around daily so ended up walking him miles as outside of the dog exercise areas they must be kept on leads at all times.

Basically on arrival and departure days you're stuck with the dog so options are restricted to walking round and eating outside. It does really cut into you're holiday time for other activities I'm afraid but obviously it's a lovely place to walk around.

Yes, you can defo leave them in the villa. DD is 16 and will be spending more time with him and studying for mocks.

So have spoken to DH and he said he is happy on first and last days to walk him and sit outside Café Rouge having a latte or two and reading his book if the kids and I want to swim/ have lunch etc.

We can lèave him for a couple of hours at a time and dd and DH will be pooping to walk him and let him out. I have an injured foot so won’t be able to walk him. We have booked some activities so he will be able to come and watch with me for some stuff too.

Thanks for your help.

popping

Just 7 months old! Are you very confident that he won't chew furnishings or scrap at the doors, if left unattended ... or are you going to crate him?

It could really ruin your holiday if there was a chance of him doing irreparable damage.

Yep. He has stopped chewing chair legs etc. He’s a really good boy. He was crated but now has free roam of kitchen each night. Nothing is disturbed when we come down.

This is him....

But being in his own home is different to a strange place, surely?

I think I would be a bit nervous of leaving such a young dog alone un crated in an unfamiliar setting. Remember it's going to be a mixture of excitement and stress with new surroundings, smells, noises etc.

We are going away later in the year to a cottage with our dog who is now 16 months old and he is not a chewer and can easily be left alone at home but I wouldn't risk leaving him there where he may stress out.

I think we took our dog when she was about that age as she was still in her crate. Never again felt bad leaving her in a strange place, as someone else said exercise area tiny so ended up going outside of CPs. The very friendly squirrels and birds were too much for her too.

I have a Goldie ( yours is gorgeous by the way) and he’s never been a chewer however I wouldn’t leave him alone in a villa like that. He would probably be ok but I would worry too much and he’s not even a puppy any more.
Ddog is pretty chilled but I think he would be a bit worried about where he was and where we had all gone

I think he will be fine. He isn’t a worrier and I understand it’s a new place but it would be no different than us leaving him with someone else in their home. Even if my parents had had him stay with them, he has only Visit day their house three times and we wouldn’t be there.

We have always made sure not to make a big fuss when leaving him and on returning etc. It’s not like we will be leaving him for more than a couple of hours at a time and dd (16) will be in and out looking after him and studying,

A week of lovely, long walks on an extendable lead is going to be fine. We will leave the tv on for him or if he seems very over excited or worried, we can’t close him in the bathroom with his bed and water.

I have a GR the same age, from the look of yours he's from working lines? Mine is very similar and from working stock (a deliberate choice by me). Remember that there is a second period of fear imprinting from around 6-14 months. If he becomes distressed at all, while alone, during this holiday then you might end up with a dog with separation anxiety.

This is my 6th retriever pup. I've had some lovely dogs and made numerous mistakes, some of which I just had to live with This time I'm not taking any chances- because living with a dog with behaviour issues I could have prevented is, frankly, stressful and shitty.

I personally wouldn't risk leaving my GR in a strange place alone at this stage in her life. If someone is always with the dog OTOH then it can be a really positive experience of managing new places. Your dog might be fine, but it's not a risk I would take.

7 months is very young. It doesn't even sound like you have hit the difficult teenage phase yet. I hope you are right and leaving him in a strange place with lots of people coming and going around the chalet will be ok but it might be an expensive call if not as I assume you will be liable for any damage.

Have to say as a fellow GR owner ( on number 5 ) I agree wholeheartedly with Castrus excellent post, he is too young to be left in a strange environment, you might think he is showing no stress, but many dogs will internalise their anxiety and it can lead to behavioural issues in later life. if he is from a working line ( beautiful boy BTW) they genuinely dislike separation even more.

Had a great time and no problems with the dog.
He was fab. He hasn’t shown any signs of stress/distress and we are now home. He didn’t bite, chew, pee, scratch anywhere. He had his bed, toys and blanket etc and we didn’t leave him for more than 2 hours at a time. He refused to do poos anywhere but the small dog exercise area and DH took him on 2 long walks each day so he got plenty of exercise, albeit on the lead.

Called in to see friends on way back who he had never before and within minutes, he was playing with their two dogs and sprawling out on the heated floor whilst we chatted.

He is working line, yes. Won’t be Woking him though. Lovely dog and can’t wait to take him to the lovely cottage we have booked in Wales in summer hols....that’s even got a stream I the garden! He will love it.

That’s great verbena, glad it went well

I’ve been to CP lots of times and only taken my dog once...once was enough! Totally ruins the relaxing ‘getting away from it all’ feeling. Not that mine was misbehaved in any way, it’s just a bit of a ball ache having to factor in the dog’s needs. Is there no way you can leave him with someone else?

thatchers See above... we got back Friday