Luka-pop Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 My fam and I are going to Japan for two weeks in the summer, and we would have to leave Luka behind, and I was wondering what the best way to leave him behind would be. He has separation anxiety and does not do well in an enclosed space like a crate. He does everything (chewing, scratching, squeezing) to get free and has bent his crate completely out of frame. Now he sleeps in the corner of my room on his bed. I am assuming that he would do the same at a kennel. He was at the shelter for a couple of weeks before we adopted him, and he jumped the six feet fence in the outside pen and wandered off to a convenience store miles away. And my friend who works at the vet's boarding place have told me horror stories of doctors finding bloody dogs in the morning who have broken their teeth and nails trying to escape during the night. And I'm afraid that he will do the same at any boarding kennel. And I was going to have a friend live at my house for two weeks, but she works from 8:00 to 5:00, which means that he would be home alone, except the potty break during lunch hour. I don't want to come home two weeks later to a disaster inside our home. Usually, he stays home alone for 6 hours without a potty break perfectly, but I don't know how he would be every day for two whole weeks. And this friend isn't the type that walks dogs. She just lets them out in the yard. And professional pet sitters don't live inside your home, do they? Don't they just come a couple of times during the day, for 30 minute sessions? I was going to take him to a boarding kennel that offeres doggy daycare/interaction twice daily, to see if he would be too tired and focused to be destructive. I am so stuck with this, and an help would be great. Thanks for putting up with a long one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellieangel Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 Ours come with us.. I would be reluctant to leave Luca at a kennels if he has separation problems :( you should be able to get a pet-sitter that comes to your home,they can be pricey but at least you would feel better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooeydog Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 Ace can have bad side effects on some dogs, I would NEVER use it on a dog if I wasn't around to watch them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 I pet sit a lot of people's pets when they go away. It's a lot easier on the dog for them to stay in their own home IMO. Do you have any other friends who would walk him daily when you are gone? Or perhaps if you paid your friend and stressed that he needs to be walked consistently? I would try and keep him in your home if possible. Or could you have your friend stay with him and hire a dog walker to walk him during the day while your friend is at work? That way he gets to go outside when your friend can't be there and you KNOW he is getting walked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolk9s Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 I too would stay away or use extreme caution with ACE. One of the possible side effects of ACE is to lower the seizure threshold, if a dog is predisposed to seizures, ACE may increase the chances the dog will have them. I used ACE in the past for my Belgian, before I knew better. It DID sedate him, actually made him weak, groggy, uncoordinated, unable to stand, and the effects lasted far longer than 8 hours. Of course every dog reacts differently to drugs, but I will not give my dogs ACE again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefeathers! Posted March 22, 2004 Share Posted March 22, 2004 I'm going to join in the Beware Of Ace choir here, too. While it works great for some dogs, IMO, it's just too unpredictable. You never know which dogs are going to just be mellow, which are going to be konked out for the day, or which ones will turn into mean drunks (not uncommon). Even though it's common, I really hate to see ace sent out with people to use at home. Also, while it doesn't CAUSE seizures in dogs, it does weaken their resistance to them in a dog already prone to seizures. We've had more than a few cases of dogs who had never had a seizure before having a seizure when taking ace. I used to give it to one of my dogs who is horribly afraid of storms (in our region, afternoon thunderstorms occur daily). He would pant, drool, and lose control of his bowel and bladder, he was so afraid. The ace pretty much sedated him for the entire afternoon and over into the night. It just wasn't worth having my dog so dopey just to get through a one hour storm. I hate to sound like an alarmist, but I am troubled that ace is so commonly prescribed for home use in sedating dogs. The effects of the stuff are just too unpredictable and I would never give it to a dog without being present to monitor it. All that said, I think the friend option seems like a good idea. Luka may not receive the same level of care as if you were there, but sometimes you have to weigh the evils and this may be the lesser of them if you think Luka would self destruct in a kennel. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 [quote]And my friend who works at the vet's boarding place have told me horror stories of doctors finding bloody dogs in the morning who have broken their teeth and nails trying to escape during the night. And I'm afraid that he will do the same at any boarding kennel.[/quote] WOW :o I have been working at a boarding kennel for about 15 years...I have never seen any dogs break teeth or tear nails! :o I would be very concerned about the set up at that particular vet clinic. For myself, I usually have my sister come and stay with my dogs...but, since I rarely go away any where :lol: I don't have to worry about this...I have left my dogs at the boarding kennel I work at as well when I have attended shows...and as much as I think my dogs would die without me...they do fine at the boarding kennel :wink: I have found alot of people who have dogs with seperation anxiety are very anxious themselves when leaving their dogs at the boarding facility. I advise people that yes, your dog is going to be upset because you are upset...some people will stand there and hug their dogs and say softly..."oh max...I'll miss you soooo much....you be a good boy...they will be really nice to you here" this gives a dog with fears more of a reason to be fearful of new situations. To the dog; the owner is actually reassuring the dog that it SHOULD be afraid....heck the owner is nervous...so will the dog be nervous. I have trained alot of people well :wink: most of our regulars which started out fearful, now love coming to the kennel to gossip with the other dogs...and boy, do they appreciate their owner ALOT more when they go home. Any boarding facility will be dog proof...go take a look at different kennels and compare them. Let the staff members know that your dog may be an escapist. At the kennel I work at, we have out door runs for each dog...they can come and go between their indoor and outdoor area...the outdoor run is fully enclosed with a top fencing...and there is fencing completely around the boarding kennel. Make sure you like ALL staff members of the facility, check to make sure they have credintials such as Animal care tech., first aid etc. make sure you feel completely at ease around the staff members and they are nice and friendly...rude kennel workers who may be abrupt with you may not have a kind way with your dog. Make a surprise visit, make sure the kennel doesnt smell like urine or of heavy disinfectants. I always worry about some one I don't know coming into my home...of course if they have credintials and are bonded...it should be fine. We have alot of vet tech's which do pet sitting in my area...that would be ideal :wink: If I were you I would take my dog to the doggy day care to get him used to the facility (of course make sure you check out all credintials the staff have) I would start this now...just to see if this would be right for him. I have had many dogs come in for boarding with seperation anxiety...they have done fine. Make sure you find a facility where the staff will try to spend extra time with your dog. Most times the owners have more seperation anxiety than their dogs do :roll: :lol: I had one man tell me his dog probably would not eat etc. while in boarding...the dog was nervous while his owner was there...as soon as his owner stopped cuddling him and left...the dog turned into a friendly bundle of joy who enjoyed the company of other dogs...he also was from a shelter. The poor owner, I don't know if he was more upset that his dog did so well at the kennel or if he was pleased. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Kat Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 I petsit occasionally for a few people and one particular couple insist that I stay at their home to sit their 2 wolfhounds, so yeah negotiate and get someone that you can trust to stay at your home if thats the best option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aonir Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 Ah me and my fiances co-worker, Joe, exchange petsitting! Joe goes on business trips a lot, and we(mostly me) LOVE watching their dog! Amaya absolutely loves her, and she's the dog that made me HAVE to get an Eskie. So I leave my dog with a friend that I can [i]trust[/i]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 [quote]Luka may not receive the same level of care as if you were there, but sometimes you have to weigh the evils and this may be the lesser of them[/quote] Good point. It won't kill Luka to get a little less exercise than normal while you are gone. It would be worth it for me to know that my dog was in his home with less exercise than at a kennel with maybe more exercise. You can make it up to him when you get back! I looked at a few boarding kennels once and they charged an extra 10 bucks a day for 10 minutes of one on one play time. That seems ridiculous to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 One last thing to consider...if you do choose to have a pet sitter come in to look after your dog. We had a recent tradgedy here where a fearful dog got spooked while out walking with a pet sitter...the dog bolted in front of a car and was hit. This would be a worry for me...especially if I had a fearful dog which may get freaked out by some thing on a walk...some people are not prepared for this. My dog Cassie seems fine until she sees some thing different then she spooks...if she was with some one other than myself or my sister she would try to run for the security of home. Just some thing to consider when you have a fearful and insecure dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luka-pop Posted March 23, 2004 Author Share Posted March 23, 2004 The thing that worries me most about leaving him at home with a friend or a pet sitter is that neither of them know my dog. He's a very "deep" and complicated dog. lol. I was originally thinking a professional facility, since I'm sure that it is their liability to ensure the safety of all dogs, but accidents do happen. And the vet's office, I was only considering because a vet would be there to help him if he was in a life-endangering situation, but after hearing that horror story, I'm not too comfortable with that option anymore. I just don't want to traumatize him to intensify his separation anxiety in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bk_blue Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 Hey Luka- glad you're back :) We have boarded BK at a good kennel with no problems. The first time he was away from us he came back a little strange (ie he wasn't spoiled rotten :lol: ), but since then he's adjusted and loves going to visit the other dogs. The kennel has a geriatric facility where Rinny was looked after when he was alive, and the people who run it are lovely and know what they're doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 I will NEVER board my animals... I called just for prices once and they watned $500 for 1 week PLUS $20 for every 5 mins of play time. they also wanted to charge me beucase cody was "handicaped" screw that. they go with me!! Anyways Cody is too attached at the hip, the standard Velcro Aussie and he can't be away from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holz_Boomer Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 Luka, your back :D well we leave Holly and Boomer here and 2 a day my cuzin (next door neighbour) comes and lets them out of their kennels in the morning and feeds them at night aswell as puts them back in their kennels..we have never had a problem with it. :wink: my cuz also takes care of the cats, horses, (used to with the cows, when we had some) aswell as the other animals!! Oh, and moderators, this thread should be moved to "Polls" :D (just a suggestion :oops: :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefeathers! Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 [quote name='DivineOblivion19']Well of course there are reactions with Ace, just as there are with anything you give your dog. This is why I said to talk to your veterinarian and to test it out when you will be home to watch him. There are a lot of animals that take Ace with no problem.[/quote] Not to be argumentative, I swear, but... There is no way to know how a dog will react to Ace. If he does fine when you "test" it out on him once, or even twice, he may not that third time when someone is not around who knows what to look for. Reactions can range from lethargy to deranged behavior... some dogs will actually become more wound up like a mean drunk. I just don't consider Ace to be like "just anything." I truly feel it's dangerous to be sending it home with people. My own vet does it, too. It's pretty common. I'm just uncomfortable with the home use of Ace and would rather see other options explored first and Ace considered as an absolute last resort rather than a quick fix. That's just me. The way we handle the boarding thing with our dogs...? We never go on vacation. :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luka-pop Posted March 28, 2004 Author Share Posted March 28, 2004 I asked my friend and she said she'd watch him for me, but she works 8:00 to 5:00 and she's not the type of person that would willingly walk dogs. She's a barn person, so her dogs just run around loose on the property all day. Our dog is quite different from what she's used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted March 28, 2004 Share Posted March 28, 2004 I board Freebee professionally. the kennel is very good they play with the dogs, adn although expensive, she alawys comes out fine. Laurel I will take back to her foster, she offered me that, because she is too scared to be boarded. I have to go on a week long business trip every year, and taking them with is not an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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