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| I never sleep alone...except when I travel without my dogs. |
Two of my greatest loves - dogs and travel - don't complement each other very well, especially with a reactive dog like Ruby who is not easy to travel with. I've only been on one short business trip since adopting Boca, and while the travel bug is nibbling at me, the thought of nights away from my adored bedtime dog (and cat) pile gives me separation anxiety, not to mention the nervousness about leaving my babies in someone else's care.
Tomorrow I have to suck it up and go on vacation, and with an obsessive planner's lists, instructions, Plans A, B, B1 and B2, plus the fortunate benefit of a trusted family member staying with The Ginger Sisters full time, I'm determined to have a good time without them for a few days!
For the fourth time in ten years, I will be seeing Madonna in concert in with one of my dearest friends. The first time was in L.A., the second with my mom in Denver, and the last time also in Denver when we won front row tickets. We have elaborate costumes and days of fun planned, but I'm sure I'll be caught gazing at other peoples' dogs longingly when we're out and about. I know I'll have a blast but also that I'll miss Ruby's kisses and Boca's silliness, playing tug with Ruby and patting Boca's frog legs.
Since my dad has been living with us for the past year, he is well versed in the animals' routines and they are accustomed to and fond of him. Boca is still wary about him putting her collar or harness on, but after some crowd-sourced discussions with dog friends I decided I didn't want to leave any gear on her in my absence since my dogs don't wear collars in the house. She will just have to miss out on walks for a few days. My dad already takes Ruby on daily walks so there will be little change in her routine.
The Ginger Sisters have a rather elaborate meal schedule, since they are on a rotation diet and I feed a variety of formats. My dad makes their Honest Kitchen breakfast most mornings, so he is familiar with that, and he has written instructions for their alternating dinners of kibble and frozen raw with their accompanying toppings and supplements.
I've listed all our regular veterinarians as well as emergency/after hours clinics, insurance information, Care Credit information, and a couple of friends as emergency contacts. I think everything is in order and my girls are in the best possible hands. All I have to do now is
Who cares for your pets when you go out of town?
I totally get it!
ReplyDeleteMy parents or my sister watches my pets when we are gone, but yes I do worry and leave lists/instructions/emergency numbers.
Having 3 dogs currently (our 2 plus foster) makes things even more difficult, i'm looking forward to going back to just my two dogs soon. It's a lot to ask someone to watch 3 dogs and 2 cats.
We try to take them with us as much as possible, sometimes though we'll split them up. If I go out of town to visit family I might take just Dante and leave the hubby with the rest of the crew.
Boca and I will most likely be going on a road trip together to Blog Paws next year, as long as my dad can watch Ruby. She is very easy to travel with!
DeleteYep. I've lost interest in any trip longer than two weeks, and even that feels too long. Rob's dad is a great sitter, but my dogs don't get walked at all when we're gone. Now we've got the added task of administering eye drops to Leo, which is very easy for me, but when I was gone ONE day, Rob struggled with it, so we'll see how many expensive drops get wasted when Rob's folks try to put them in. Our recent trip to Disney World with Rob's parents was the first time I've left the dogs with other people that I haven't been stricken with worry for the first few days (if not the whole trip). It was the fourth time we've boarded Leo at this kennel, and the third time Mia stayed with this sitter... so I was reassured by past experience that it would be fine. It certainly makes it less miserable to RETURN from trips when you know your furry friends are waiting.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness - no one can get a drop in Ruby's eye and I'm certain Boca wouldn't allow my dad to, either, even though she's a very cooperative patient for me.
DeleteI didn't include in the post that my dad doesn't have a car, so some of the emergency contacts are exclusively for "emergency drive to the vet" - the last thing you want to think about happening while you're gone but something that there should be a plan in place for. It's great to find people or a boarding facility that you trust.
Ruby isn't a candidate for boarding though Boca might be okay. You are right about dogs being a cure for post-vacation blues!
This is my biggest issue with travel as well. I love to travel, but it's difficult to find places that will allow two giant breeds. We literally have no one to watch Mauja and Atka right now. We're ridiculously far away from family, our close friends just moved, and we live on base (so the sitter would have to have base access). I also want someone to live at our house because they just don't do well alone. They're not destructive, but my neighbor said she heard them crying inside one night :(
ReplyDeleteI really don't know what I'll do when my dad isn't available...like you, I would want someone at my house full time which is hard to find.
DeleteI have only left Blueberry once since I've had her (I know, pathetic). I left her at the house and had a pet sitter came in a couple times a day to feed her/check on her. I trust the pet sitter because she is also the manager at the vet office Blueberry goes to so I knew if anything happened, B was in good hands.
ReplyDeleteSounds like the Ginger sisters will do just fine without you - so relax and have a good time! :)
I used a service like that with my old girls and it worked out well, but I have gotten more worried about them being alone for an extended period of time now that someone is home almost around the clock. We are all going to have an adjustment period when my dad leaves.
DeleteAwe! I bet they will miss you, too! I tend to feel guilty for leaving mine for an afternoon and we have only left them for a day trip one time in the care of my inlaws and that will NEVER happen again... Every other time we've gone somewhere they've come with us. We've stayed in really crappy Motel 6 hotels so that we could have them with us. I'm sure Vince would love to go on some sort of exotic vacation without them but I'm not sure I could handle being away for more than a day or two.
ReplyDeleteAn RV might be in my retirement future...or a tiny dog that can fly with me. And is not reactive.
DeleteAnd that's why I moved onto a boat. I get to travel and Honey gets to go with me. :)
ReplyDeleteA perfect plan...I need a first mate, though :)
DeleteIt is really hard - good dog-sitters are gems!
ReplyDeleteWe take Habi (recovering-reactive) and Obi (hail-fellow-well-met) with us, and camp or stay at a Motel 6 (though we are finding more and more non-franchise motels are pet-friendly) when we can, or one stays home while the other travels. We did have a trusted pet sitter (one of Habi's trainers), but she's not always available. A wonderful neighbor takes care of letting the dogs out for a potty break mid-day if we're both gone all day, but several years ago we tried having him tend dogs for a week and Habi was a wreck when we got home. He had followed my extremely detailed instructions to a T, but Habi didn't behave as expected so the instructions didn't work and things fell apart. It set us back several months in training.
Life is so much easier since Habi became a good traveller. We did a two week road trip with dogs through the Pacific Northwest this September that was fabulous!
Mr. N is super portable to travel with and he's a good traveler. When we were looking at dogs, I specifically wanted one that could travel in cabin. He comes with us most vacations and if he can't come, he goes to stay with his former foster family or blogger friends. Bringing him on vacation usually works out. The only problems being we can't go to museums and such and we usually have to travel during the warmer months when we can eat outside.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel. It's weird to say, but I'm glad that next year I'll be traveling less. I'd much rather be with my babies (and I secretly don't trust J to do everything right). But I love going places with friends.
ReplyDeleteStill trying to find that balance.
I get it! Nola is small enough/go with the flow enough to travel with me pretty much everywhere (and she has traveled quite a bit!), and she'll be traveling with me in Europe next spring. My other dogs, though? It kills me to leave them! My parents watch them, and I always leave a notebook's worth of instructions with them.
ReplyDeleteYes! I'm on a business trip right now and sitting alone in a hotel room just thinking about 'my boys' (the poodles and my husband). I miss them the moment I head to the airport. I hope you have fun at the Madonna concert though! And just think, how sweet and excited the ginger sisters will be to see you when you get home! I always get the most poodle kisses when I've been away for a few days.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are good to go. Mom adores Madonna and actually played pool with her one time
ReplyDeleteLily & Edward
I completely understand how you feel! I love to travel, but it is agonizing to leave the Chihuahua home, even if she is being super well cared for. It is especially difficult now that she is fourteen. I can't help but be inclined to blame myself if something terrible happens and I am not there. More in our heads then reality, thankfully. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteI always travel with the kids if I can. They always go to CA with us. I brought Wynston with my to Nashville but Matt was home with Khloee. I REALLY want to take Wynston to NYC on the 2nd of Nov. but I know it would be way too stressful for him. If it were a 2 hour flight, it'd be different. I just keep thinking about all of the amazing photos I could take of him in the city. But the flight, noise and all the people would give him serious anxiety. Luckily I will only be gone the 2nd-4th and Matt will be home with him! I have separation anxiety...
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