[WorldWideLea]

Hi all, I am thinking of getting a toy poodle soon, I've worked everything out and it works for me but...
I like to travel and I usually travel to nearby places where I could bring my poodle but sometimes I like to travel to far away countries and I am scared my poodle will suffer a lot if I leave it with a family member or friend!
Any advice?
Thank you.

 

[Raindrops]

The best thing you can do for your dog is to prepare it mentally for being left for these periods of time. If it will stay with another person, you first spend time at that person's house with the dog. Have the person do a trial run where they take the dog for a short while, to show the dog that you will return. Make their house fun by giving the dog special chews and treats that it gets at their house. And when the dog is a puppy, be sure to crate train it properly and get it used to staying in a pen both while you are at home and gone. This makes it easy for a caregiver to accommodate the dog however works in their house.

 

[WorldWideLea]

The best thing you can do for your dog is to prepare it mentally for being left for these periods of time. If it will stay with another person, you first spend time at that person's house with the dog. Have the person do a trial run where they take the dog for a short while, to show the dog that you will return. Make their house fun by giving the dog special chews and treats that it gets at their house. And when the dog is a puppy, be sure to crate train it properly and get it used to staying in a pen both while you are at home and gone. This makes it easy for a caregiver to accommodate the dog however works in their house.

Thanks a lot, very useful I'll keep it in mind!

 

[PeggyTheParti]

My mini mix got physically ill when I tried leaving her with a friend, but she had a wonderful time when I left her with my parents. The difference? As Raindrops said, we spent lots of time with my parents as she was growing up. Plus, my parents had their own two dogs of similar size, so Gracie would just fit right into their pack. They did multiple daily walks because my parents are retired, and Gracie always got to go in the car if my parents were running errands. And my parents respected Gracie's need for a routine and stuck to it closely.

If you can find a good situation like that for your pup, and put in the effort early on to acclimate her, I'm sure she'll be fine.

 

[WorldWideLea]

My mini mix got physically ill when I tried leaving her with a friend, but she had a wonderful time when I left her with my parents. The difference? As Raindrops said, we spent lots of time with my parents as she was growing up. Plus, my parents had their own two dogs of similar size, so Gracie would just fit right into their pack. They did multiple daily walks because my parents are retired, and Gracie always got to go in the car if my parents were running errands. And my parents respected Gracie's need for a routine and stuck to it closely.

If you can find a good situation like that for your pup, and put in the effort early on to acclimate her, I'm sure she'll be fine.

Thanks!

 

[Johanna]

Until this year, we took at least two trips to Europe each year - 14 to 18 days each. We have a woman who stays at our house to care for our 4 dogs. It costs nearly $100 a day, but she is excellent - even takes the dogs for walks, something I rarely do. She has handled one emergency very well - a whippet who ate some raisin bread. People like her are hard to find, but we found her when she was just starting to take care of pets, so we were able to "train" her on dogs, horses, and chickens. She is glad we don't have horses and chickens any more, though!

 

[Johanna]

Rats! I hit Post too soon.

I wanted to add that if you plan to leave your critters with someone, it's best to have a rehearsal. I would not want my dogs to meet the critter sitter on the day we leave. Also, you need very complete, detailed, written information to give them. And not just information about the animals, you also need to provide information on things like where to shut off water, who to contact for various emergencies (plumber, electrician, neighbor, etc.), what plants to water, and anything else important. I keep those instructions on my computer and update them before each trip. I have attached one as an example.

One more thing - be sure your dog is accustomed to being crated! It is probably good for them to be crated every night so they regard their crate as their bed and are used to sleeping there. This is especially useful if you are taking the dog to stay with someone as opposed to having someone come to your home to stay.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Great advice. And getting your dog on a good sleep routine isn't just helpful when you're away. Smart dogs especially (like poodles!) really thrive when they can anticipate what's next in their day. This applies to crating, feeding schedules, walks, etc.

Free feeding, for example, can be a real challenge when you travel, whether your dog accompanies you or not. That's why, this time around, we're trying to establish half-hour windows for breakfast and dinner. Easier said than done with a picky poodle, but worth it.

 

[WorldWideLea]

Rats! I hit Post too soon.

I wanted to add that if you plan to leave your critters with someone, it's best to have a rehearsal. I would not want my dogs to meet the critter sitter on the day we leave. Also, you need very complete, detailed, written information to give them. And not just information about the animals, you also need to provide information on things like where to shut off water, who to contact for various emergencies (plumber, electrician, neighbor, etc.), what plants to water, and anything else important. I keep those instructions on my computer and update them before each trip. I have attached one as an example.

One more thing - be sure your dog is accustomed to being crated! It is probably good for them to be crated every night so they regard their crate as their bed and are used to sleeping there. This is especially useful if you are taking the dog to stay with someone as opposed to having someone come to your home to stay.

Thank you so much!

 

[lily cd re]

I agree with what others have said and will add that it is important to raising a pup to be a well balanced and pleasant dog by making them adjust well to being boarded, crated and separated from you. There are some places dogs can't go with us unless they are service dogs and if there is ever an illness or injury that requires a stay at the vet you don't want huge anxieties about being out of your reach or having to sleep in a crate to interfere with what is otherwise happening.

 

[WorldWideLea]

I agree with what others have said and will add that it is important to raising a pup to be a well balanced and pleasant dog by making them adjust well to being boarded, crated and separated from you. There are some places dogs can't go with us unless they are service dogs and if there is ever an illness or injury that requires a stay at the vet you don't want huge anxieties about being out of your reach or having to sleep in a crate to interfere with what is otherwise happening.

Thanks a lot!