What would you do??

[cloverfdx]

I could not say before but i too will NEVER kennel my dogs ever again , it breaks my heart to think i what i put them through earlier in the year. My sweet bright happy dogs in a few days turned into depressed lethargic animals. I know not all dogs react that way, but i will not risk their health and safety again.

I hope your FIL can come a few times a day for Buddy and Sierra. That is a great idea about penning off some of the house so they have a little more room, if possible.

[Tina]

I think leaving them home and let someone check on them is the best thing to do.

I don't think I could never kennel my pups. I would much rather them be at home where someone can check on them.

[pitc9]

Yeah, I could try to clear a room in the basement for them.

They will and HAVE eaten/chewed on everything!! Carpet, cushions, couches, the cover to the pool table, books.... you name it!

So I have to be careful!! Esp since they will be a little weirded out since we won't be home!!!

[LorraineO]

Can your dad maybe spend the nights overnight with them,, would your parents mind the evenings away from eachother?? this way,, she gets the bed to therself,, your dad gets a bed to himself and the doggies dont sleep in crates in the night!?

[4 Dog Mother]

Having met your dogs, I think they would be better at home. They are very sensitive and love you so much, I think they would have a tough time at a kennel. Most of the kennels I know of, leave them in a small space most of the time too, - like a crate but with high walls. Some have a small dog run so they can be out a little but others only walk them once or twice aday and you have to pay for that. I worked for a short time for a vet and their kennel I think would be very scary to most dogs. The dogs did not get very much human contact either. It was noisy and echo-y and smelled funny!

When we did have to kennel our other dogs (a very long, long time ago) they came home smelly and dirty!

I always take my dogs to a relative or leave them at home for a neighbor to let them in and out. I think your dogs would feel less stressed at home.

[Uabassoon]

The best of all worlds was when I found my petsitter through www.petsit.com and now no one ever has to leave anymore.

This really is a great place to find a good pet sitting agency. The company that I work for is listed there. You should be able to find a wonderful and experienced sitter that could stay there overnight, then have your FIL stop by during the day to let them out.

[chocolatepuppy]

I voted stay at home. But is there maybe one other person you could trust with them so they'd have less time alone? They could stop in at different times then your FIL.

[lovingisliving76]

I would let them stay at home as long as they were not left in their crates the majority of the time. If I were you I'd set up a room that you could let them stay loose in (after making sure there were nothing in it that they could get hurt by. At night maybe your FIL could come by and crate them for bedtime. But leaving them in the crates for such a long time and then being out of them for only an hour or so at a time is not a good idea. Imagine yourself in their paws. :-)

[shutterbug0303]

Well, going on personal experience...it's mixed for me. Most kennels place the dogs in the same cage, but just leave them there and feed them twice a day...and hopefully walk them too. However, there is a place near me that is a "cage-free"/24 hr kennel/day care. They let the pups out to play in "pup-friendly" rooms and in their spacious, well-fenced yard with swimming pools and tons of toys. The kids are always monitored, bathed before being picked up, and loved on all the time. An ideal kennel situation that isn't too outrageously priced! (working on opening one of my own a little closer to my neck of the woods )...but anyway...if there isn't something like this available to you, then I would go for the leave @ home w/ FIL situation. I would try to find a safe place for them to be in the daytime out of their cage though. Good luck!

[pitc9]

Originally posted by shutterbug0303
Well, going on personal experience...it's mixed for me. Most kennels place the dogs in the same cage, but just leave them there and feed them twice a day...and hopefully walk them too. However, there is a place near me that is a "cage-free"/24 hr kennel/day care. They let the pups out to play in "pup-friendly" rooms and in their spacious, well-fenced yard with swimming pools and tons of toys. The kids are always monitored, bathed before being picked up, and loved on all the time. An ideal kennel situation that isn't too outrageously priced! (working on opening one of my own a little closer to my neck of the woods )...but anyway...if there isn't something like this available to you, then I would go for the leave @ home w/ FIL situation. I would try to find a safe place for them to be in the daytime out of their cage though. Good luck!

Boy... that sounds more like a vacation spot than a kennel!!!

[pitc9]

Thank you all for the input.

I have spoken to another friend of mine, and she will come over and let them out to play for an hour or two once in a while, and I have one other person to ask. So they should be okay!
I already know how I am going to section off an area for them to stay in. They can be in crates during the day (they are used to that) then at night... I think I am asking for trouble ... but I think I am going to have my FIL gate them in our bedroom for the night. I mean hey... that's where they normally sleep!! But we may not have a mattress or blankets left when we get home. I think I may work for the first night... but after that, I think they may start to get mad!!!

WHEW.... I think I feel better!!
I can't believe how long I still have to freak out about all of this!
I can't stop thinking about it! I can't believe I am going to be leaving my babies for 4 days!!!!!

I know they are not going to eat!! The only time they eat... is when I mix up their food. Rick can mix up the SAME food... but they won't eat it!! Oh well.. it's not like they are going to starve! They'll eat when they are hungry!!!

[pitc9]

Originally posted by 4 Dog Mother
Having met your dogs, I think they would be better at home. They are very sensitive and love you so much, I think they would have a tough time at a kennel.

Yes... they are TOO sensitive!!!

[lovemyshiba]

I'm a little late, as it seems you already have made your decision, and it's a good one, I believe.
I kenneled my dogs once, when we were moving into our house, and I was so glad I did, because it was much easier to get things done without them underfoot, and we didn't have to worry about them running out the door. But that was just for the day, not even overnight, and I left them with my vet.

Fortunately, we have a great dogsitter. A 16-year-old kid who lives on our street does that for some extra money. He was recommended to us by neighbors, and he does an amazing job. He stays with them any time we go anywhere, even if it's just for a long day. There is also a guy who my husband works with who is a college student and lives in a cramped apartment with 2 roommates, and we used him last time we needed someone to stay with them, because the other kid had to leave early. He loved having the whole house to himself for a few hours.

I believe Sierra and Buddy will do better in their own environment, and I hope all goes well. I was worried about Jada not eating when we went to the beach this summer, but she did it no problem.

[snappy]

I am so glad you decided to keep your kids at home. I have an older gentleman who comes to my house and sits, takes the boys for 3 walks a day, gets the mail, answers the phone etc. that I use every time I am going out of town. In fact - sometimes I think the boys love him more than they do us!

I don't like 'strangers' in my house either, and had to really get to know Max before I would let him stay in my house and take care of my kids. But this is now a great situation for all - he gets out of his small apartment (where he lives alone) and the boys get all the 'Max' attention they can handle.

I would check with a local college (vet college if there is one near you) or the Petsit.com to see if there isn't someone there who you can interview to see if they can help for the future. Then the FIL can come and check to make sure that all is going well until you are really secure with the 'new' person.

Just MHO!

[kingrattus]

I have mixed feelings about dog kennels. RB Max has gone to both good & bad kennels.

A really big & nicelooking kennels Max had gone to several times was good, he wasn't bathed but he wasn't stinky or filthy when we got him back, except for the last time he was there. He was a mess. he smelled horrid & was covered in dirt from nose to tail, he had deep gashes on his lips & scabson his face too. Hes not the type to fight unless someone is getting hurt or a dog is attacking him or another, he always went after the agressor to breakit up. But the kennels didn't tell us anything at all. so we never took him back. & they closed a year later, so something must have been going on, cause it was always full of dogs.

Then in PEI, we wanted to go somewhere for the day & found only 1 kennel open. We drove him there & were a little unsure. The kennels wasn't normally a bording kennel, but it was a personal Shelty kennel.

The lady said yes to us cause we called her, sounded nice & so did Max. the lady wasn't expecting such a large dog & said what she'll do is open all the Shelty outside runs so he can walk around from run to run to run & she'll leave the walking area open to him too. & at night he could sleep in the Shelty House & have the whole space to himself while the Shelties were in their kennels. The space was HUGE & she brought him several large blankets to sleep on.

Her daughtor LOVED Max & we told him he wont run awayso it was safeto bring him to thehay field to run & play with him. The daughtor ended up playing with him the whole time he was there & they all LOVED him so much. Now that I think of it, they were the ones who got usto change his food fron the 2'ed best to the best in Canada at the time, which was Nutro. Her dogs were Lovely & very healthy.

But after Max turned 5 he was just too large for Kennels& there no no more left in our home area. We got ouryoung neighbour to care from him. She would stay with him all day, take him to her friends houses, her house, walks, swimming, watched scarry movies with him, slept in the house with him, brought her female dog over to play with him (she was a fixed mini Scnousar (sp)). Max LOVED staying at home, we knew he was getting town water & was eating his own food (he would get very ill otherwise).

Max wasa good dog so he had the whole house to himself.