Im worried... - Page 2

Rent a bigger gmc tahoe from enterprise leasing for the discount weekend rate and take him with you...cheaper than boarding...I have never left any of my pets    they all go aboard and go with me   clear accross the USA...from north to south and have always travel right with me   all cockers and all germans  but one....and he ws left with my son...

I'm with yellow rose.

On a lighter note, you could leave the kids with your mother in law and take boss!

This is why I never go anywhere. I used to take the crew along with me when visiting family, 3000 miles away.  The flights were always a challenge......but the alternatives were unthinkable.

As I see it Julie, your best option is to start taking that kennel apart yourself.  Hopefully, your husband will *see the light* and offer a helping hand.  Reassemble it at mom-in-law's today.  Don't wait.  Also, set up an outdoor chain and ask mom to watch Boss when he's on it.  The fence is iffy, and the poodle a nightmare. The puppy could get hurt.

Do it now, and try it out.  You and mom will both be happier.  The trial run will ease your mind, and the setup will be a godsend to mom......even if she's oblivious as of yet. (I don't think you'll board, and I don't think you'll rent a vehicle.....I think you'll give the dog to mom.........better set up for it.)

Find a good kennel.

I was going on vacation and had never left my 8 y/o 120# male shepherd overnight. ( I know, sad huh?)

I looked for a kennel but could not get a reference, I looked at the vet, but the size of the crates they wanted him in for 9 days was insane.  So finally a good friend agreed to come over 2 times a day to my house and take care of the dog.  I felt much better and got no calls on my trip.  When I came home I noticed that he seemed a little sad and depressed, would not look at me, but other than that he was in good shape and so was the house.  Then there was a knock on the door.  It was the police, they told me my shepherd had gotten away from my friend and jumped into their patrol vehile while they were on a car stop.  This was across an expressway.  The cops wanted me to know what happened and to make sure that I never left the dog with this friend. Apparently my dog would not get out of the patrol car, and my friend was so scared she left.  Thank goodness to tags and neighbors, they brought my dog home, and my neighbors let him in the house.  My friend never told me about this incident.  Lesson learned.  The officer's reccomended a German Shepherd kennel 45 mins from my home and he has gone there ever since.  I never have to worry about him getting out, biting someone or getting hurt. 

Ok a not so bad story on the kennel.  I went to pick up my 8 y/o one time and the clerk up front thought it would be a good joke to tell me someone else took him. I just about passed out before she told me it was a joke.  Needless to say she no longer works at that kennel.

Rent a larger car and get a weekly rate or board your dog, you will spend your whole vacation stressing over him, and if something does happen, how are you going to rush home?

Take care- try not to worry

Have you thought of leaving the kids or husband at home?

LMH:    I have always had a cowboys cadillac and a 1 ton diesel for the last 8 years  so I load the cockers in the truck each in their kennel and that leaves the front seat for the boss dog....then i put the four crates in bed   load in one crate xxlarge two gsd  one female and one male   ,,smallest of the crowd...and then after those filled,,,I load my trailor with the other four and off accross the united states I go....anywhere I go ,they go..,everyone I visit has kennels and plenty of room   and motels that dont take dogs  , I dont stay at....never had an accident , never lost a dog or a truck or anything in my truck ....lol

Been to Michigan, to Galveston to Sante Fe ,New Mexico,,,,,never to Florida or California.....dogs have a ball,,all dogs travel at least 6-7 hours without potty breaks and all love to travel.....I cover at night and one shepherd and one cocker goes inside with me to motel........

Without a 1 ton truck , it wouldnt be possible as you take enough stuff to fill a horse trailer,,,like a big family of kids ....

Holy Ship!!!!  Any chance to get away from the mutts, i'm gone in a second.  Luckily I have family that lives 3 miles from my home.  They feed, water and let them out of thier kennels.

I think you should go on your vacation, enjoy your human family and forget about Boss for a moment.  It's a dog.  He'll probably enjoy the time himself.  It will probably do the dog some good.  He will probably think it is a nice break from the papparazzi continually making him stand still for a photo of every single event.  The break will do you some good too. 

take boss with you..leave your husband at home..he is the one that changed the plans...

thanks everyone for all the advice...unfortunally boarding him, or renting a vehicle is not an option, if i did that i might as well stay home..lol..it would take most of my trip money.....we are doing this on a tight budget as it is...with christmas right around the corner and with my hubby missing a week of work to go......this is the first time he has agreed to even leave the state, he is a major homebody....been married ten years and we have never went ANYWHERE..lol....the reason he is finally going....his brother is in the marines, his brother usually comes home for the holidays but he just got married about 2 months ago, since paying for the wedding, they cant come home for thanksgiving...this would have been the first year (besides the times he was in iraq) that they couldnt have been together for the holidays....so my hubby finally decided it was time to go see him, even tho he hates to leave home......

BUT...i think i am set on LMH 's idea....we were gonna spend the day sat. (we are leaving sun.) taking boss to my mother-in-laws...just to see how he will act with the other dogs....i think i will THROW A FIT...SHED SOME TEARS...and take boss's own kennel down and make my hubby bring it over there, it actually wouldnt be very hard, its suppose to be a portable kennel....i think it would be best for everyone...i wouldnt have to worry about her fencing and the poodle would not be able to get to him, like he could if boss was on a chain...

thanks tons just for the chatting guys, i am feeling much better about it with that idea, just needed that little push telling me to do what was right...lol, now im gonna go put my foot down and the kennnel is going with my dog! 

iluvmyGSDs,

As an aside, when you throw a fit and cry, make sure Boss doesn't see you do it! Dogs don't understand whether we will be gone an hour or a month, so leave him just like you would any other day. Be confident with him, and don't coddle him. He will be more unsure of his surrounding if his last interaction with you seemed like you were sad or hurting.

If you act like it is no big deal, he will think so too.