Leaving dog when going on holiday

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I am going to America with all my family at the start of May. We have a Jack Russell who is about 14 months old who will be staying in the UK when we're away.

Me and my mum are looking at where to put him for the 2 weeks we're gone. At the moment there are 3 ideas in the pipeline.

The first, and this would be the best, is to leave him with a work friend. She works days, her fella works nights, so someone is always home. The problem is, she already has 2 dogs... an older Jack Russell, and a big huge Great Dane. She has said she would love to look after Rodney if he got on with her 2 dogs. So I am going take him round to see how they get on. If they get on for an hour or so, I can then then leave him longer and longer and eventually over night to see if its ok. That would be smashing - work friend loves dogs and I know Rodders will be in good hands.

Second is - a dogsitter. This is more personal than the third option - he'll get looked after well and still get the attention he'll be after. Downside is I imagine its quite expensive? Not that that matters as I want Rodney to be comfortable while we're away and not distressed. I have a friend though who left his 2 dogs with a dog sitter and they both got away and got lost :/ They were Jack Russells aswell - lol. I am sure this is an isolated case.

The third is Kennels. I *really* do not like the idea of this. In a cage all day bored out his tree. I worry it will affect him mentally - like he will hate me and my mum for leaving him there. While I am sure they give good care to the dogs, it just seems very cruel to the dog. I have had no experience with Kenels so I could be complete wrong about them? Are the dogs just left to their own devices in the cage? Do they get walked? Are they played with? Are the Kennels indoor? Are they warm?

I am quite apprehensive about leaving Rodney - So any advice would be very welcomed. Thanks
 
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When we go away we leave my dog with a dogsitter, he stays at her house and gets taken for walks every day and is really well looked after, you know he likes it there because he gets all excited when you say the ladie's name and he can't wait to get in her house when we drop him off lol. I don't think she charges a lot, something like £10 a day. Obviously you provide the food etc.

There's a website with these sorts of people listed but I can't remember what it's called, maybe someone can help?
 

Tru

Tru

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I used to leave my dog (Lab) at kennels (two weeks), it didn't bother me or the dog one bit. She was always delighted to see us and there was no mental anguish. She loved the kennels actually, it was a like a holiday for the bitch. Yes I think they are largely left to their own devices but there's loads of other dogs to bark at, not sure about walkies but I'm pretty sure no-one plays with them lol :D

I recommend kennels but we have very different attitude to dogs so I don't think it's for you.
 
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There are several organisations, like Homesitters or Housesitters for instance. Someone stays at your house & looks after your lets & the house. Waters the plants etc. It gives you a lot of extra security, as long as you don't mind the chance that someone will look through all your drawers.... ;)

Otherwise, leave the dog with a friend.
 
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Depends which kennels you use i suppose, the kennels we used to use when i had my dog let the dogs out twice daily for a run around and the workers played with them too, my dog loved it there!
 
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My parents leave there dogs in kennels when they go away and they do indeed love it, well the seem to anyway!
If you find a decent one then you cant go wrong with them as tehre usually run by dog lovers who knows how to treat a dog as it should
 
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My work friend has said that she puts her dogs in Kennels when she goes away. She says they are nice. Might give them a ring to organise a walkaround.
 
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We used to put our dogs in the kennals. We knew the lady who ran them and she'd been doing it for years and had a really good reputation. There was loads of space for them to wonder about, their individual pen/cage things were also a pretty decent size. The dogs always looked pleased to see us when we returned, but never seemed to have a problem with being there.
 
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