Dogs and Summer Vacations
If you are not taking the dog on vacation with you, then you will need to make arrangements for the care of your dog. Will you have someone come into your house and look after the dog or will the dog go somewhere else for the holiday period?
Leaving the dog at home
Advantages:
- Dog knows its environment, therefore stress levels may be lessened
Disadvantages:
- Lack of social contact with humans (how much time will neighbor/friend/relative give?)
- How “doggy wise” are the carriers: will they remember to keep doors closed or will dog run past them into the neighborhood to look for you? Will they recognise symptoms of illness, etc and know how to deal with these emergencies? Tip: leave written contact details, pet information, feeding regime, vets information etc with your helper.
Leaving the dog at a friend’s house
Advantages and disadvantages are much the same, except if the dog goes missing it may be unlikely to know the area!
Travelling with you
- Frequent toilet/feeding/exercise stops, depending on age of dog
- Safe travelling – use something to restrain the dog in case of sudden braking, eg seat belt harness, travel cage or dog bars. The folding type of cage is ideal in that this can be erected in your holiday home/room.
Dangers:
Cars parked in the shade are still an unacceptable risk to dogs. The upper lethal temperature for a dog is 102º and tests show that this temperature can occur in a car parked in shade in less than 45 minutes! Distress and illness will occur much sooner.
Do not leave the dog for more than a few minutes. Young dogs, old dogs and small breeds will show thermal distress more quickly. If you are travelling with the dog in the car, then you need to bring old towels, a good supply of water and a freezer bag. A wet towel, wrung out, laid over the dog will help cool down the dog (physics lesson number one – evaporation causes cooling).
Boarding Kennels
Different countries have differing regulations (or none) regarding boarding kennels, their size and numbers of dogs allowed.
In general:
- The number of dogs kept is irrelevant. The important number is the ratio of dogs to full time workers (in some cases, as high as 40:1)
- Kennel staff should be experienced and “doggy wise”
- Seek recommendation from your vet or other dog owners. Prepare your young dog for your long vacation by introducing it to the kennels for short stays (1-2 hours), building up to overnight stays.
- Avoid dramatic good-byes so there is less contrast when your presence is withdrawn.
- Enquire whether the kennels allow you to bring the dog’s toys or bedding.
- Ask if the kennels have a range of accommodation to suit differing needs, eg shy dogs kept away from dogs that bark.
- Is there a range of diets available which will help prevent digestive upset?
- Visit the kennels and talk to staff.
- Give staff the necessary details so they can relate to your dog’s individual nature e.g. are there health problems, tablets or injections to give, aggression in certain circumstances, or is your bitch due in season?
- To help settle your dog into the kennel you can give it your scent on a cloth. Put the cloth or towel in your laundry basket with your dirty clothes for a couple of days so the whole family’s scent is transferred. Take out and put into a plastic bag and secure.
Jim Stephens
MSc. Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling
parti poodle, dog training, poodle training, dog behavier, puppy chewing, housebreaking poodles, grooming, dog breeders, toy poodle, poodle information, poodle health
