Having a pet comes with a lot of responsibilities. You are now in charge of their health, wellbeing, and safety. However, what should you do when you urgently need to leave for a trip? Well, pet owners handle such situations differently. Some prefer traveling with their pets everywhere, while others seek suitable solutions to their situation. Let’s see what options you have when you need to travel, but you have a dog at home.
Take the dog with you!
Why not take your dog with you? Just think about it for a moment. As long as you can make it happen, you can consider such a possibility. These days, traveling with dogs is not such a big deal. It is easy, affordable, and fun. Honestly, most dogs even like traveling. They are very curious creatures and love seeing new places and smelling scents of a new city.
All you need to do here is to carefully plan your travels in advance. You have to book a ticket for your dog, buy a comfortable dog carrying bag, and get all necessary documents and shots in order. It’s a little bit of work, sure. Though, it’s definitely worth the trouble. On the other hand, we can’t travel with our dogs on every occasion. In such cases, we have to look for other solutions.
Friends and family
In case you can’t take your dog for a trip, consider other options. Obviously, you have to find a place where your dog can stay. The number one option you have to consider is to entrust your pet to a family member or a friend. You can either bring your dog to them or ask them to stay with your dog at your house. The latter option is a great one for many reasons.
First, you have a chance to leave your dog at home, a place that they know, love, and feel comfortable at the most. This is a great solution since your pet will already have a hard time handling your absence. They will feel much better and safer if they have a chance to stay at home. When removing a pet from their home, you’d add more stress in an already difficult time.
Though, what’s also so great about this option, is that you entrust your pet and your house to someone you know. Having a friend or a family member in your home means that you have one less thing to worry about when you are gone. People close to you will handle your dog better than any stranger since they already know how it behaves. They also know your rules and norms when it comes to training a dog. Besides, it’s much better to leave your house in the hands of a person who you completely trust.
Though, even if you have to bring your dog to your family’s house, it will still be a good option since your dog will know the people they are staying in. Most dogs are very devoted to their families, so they will have a hard time being with strangers. However, being surrounded by the people they already know (and probably love) will help them adjust better and stay happy during your absence.
Find a good sitter
If finding a friend or a family member is not an option, you can consider getting your pet a reliable sitter. Of course, this option comes with a little more work. You can seek a sitter on special online platforms that offer such services. There are even travel services where people are ready to sit with your pet for free as long as they get to live in your house. Overall, such sites can be a good option since most of the sitters come with a resume and review from previous “employers” (dog owners). Most services also do fairly good checkups to avoid any fraud or undesirable behavior.
Of course, before leaving your dog with a stranger at your house, you have to make sure that they know everything they need to know, like your dog’s diet or the address of your vet. For the very least, make sure they know where to look for science diet dog food reviews and vet clinics in your area. Leave them an emergency contact of a close friend or relative in case you will be unavailable. Give them a sheet with instructions when it comes to your dog training, diet, and behavior.
Dog hotels
Dog hotels are not such a rare thing these days. For example, many vet clinics also offer such services. They can sit with your dog while you are away. At the veterinary clinic, you can be sure your dog will have professional care 24/7. However, your dog will be placed in an unfamiliar environment, which can be stressful to them. There will also be some other pets and dogs, which is something to consider. Also, the attention of the caretakers will be divided between all pets.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.
