|
 Vacations, you’ve got to love them. Sure there’s the stress of getting everything ready, finding passports only to discover that they’re expired and worrying for hours after you’ve actually left that you’ve forgotten something essential, or worse still left something on in the house. But all of that aside, vacations are a great thing and something most of us look forward to.
Well those of us without dogs it seems. Sure we look forward to them, but when it comes to actually making a holiday happen, pets can cause considerably more problems than expired passports and forgotten toothbrushes.
So what do you do with your dog when you go on vacation? Well, it turns out there are quite a few options, some of which you probably know and others you might not have considered yet.
Ask A Friend
It’s time to call in that favour. Didn’t they say that Rover was cute? Well now’s the chance for them to get to know each other a little better while you’re off sunning yourself on a tropical island somewhere.
Joking aside, friends and family are a great place to start when it comes to finding someone to look after the dog, especially if it’s only short-term.
Get a Dog Sitter
Sometimes friends and family just aren’t able to help out. It could be that they’re taking a vacation at the same time as you, or perhaps last time Rover ate one of their shoes and they’re no longer keen on the idea: it’s at times like these that you need a dog sitter.
Just like the dogs themselves, dog sitters come in all shapes and sizes. There are the traditional pet sitting agencies which match you up with a pet sitter who will come and pop in on the dog once or twice a day, or often for an additional fee, stay overnight with them as well.
There are also an increasing number of house sitting websites which connect pet owners with sitters who are willing to stay and look after their pets, with many of them doing it for free, in return for the free accommodation as they make it a holiday themselves. Be sure to check on the profiles which sitters have experience with dogs, and to be doubly certain to get the right person, be sure to ask what breeds they’ve worked with in the past. Having looked after a Chihuahua is going to be a little different than looking after a Great Dane.
Take Your Pet With You
This may not be an option if you’re planning on travelling overseas, but if your holiday is at home, many hotels now have pet-friendly rooms; some include a dog food and water bowl and will even have a welcome treat ready for your arrival. Read More: How To Find Dog Friendly Hotel Chains
There are more and more options for your dogs when you're on vacation. With a little planning, you and your dogs can both have a great time, whether you travel together or go on separate vacations.
James writes for house sitting website TrustedHousesitters.com which connects pet owners and available sitters through its house sitting assignments page. Sitters range from writers and freelancers to a retired FBI agent and retired police officers.
Was this useful to you? Check out the links below for more great tips or browse the Blog Category at right.
If you liked this, you may also like:
How To Choose A Dog Sitter - What questions to ask to make sure you get the right sitter for you and your dog.
Why Do Dogs Get Depressed? - How to recognize and treat doggie depression.
Dog Booties For Snow - Keep your dog's paws protected from painful pad cracks and toxic street salt.
Photo credit: Marya
|
