Has anyone left their dog for 6 months?

kiwi99

Hi

I'm off travelling soon and will have to leave my dog behind. She is going to be well looked after but I know its going to break my heart when I say goodbye.

Has anyone had any experience of this before?
I'll be devastated if she doesn't remember me

Tropez

I haven't.

However, I do recall watching Airline once (yes, yes, I know, but it was 3am!) and one of the Easyjet workers had to have her dog boarded up in Spain for around a year because the restrictions on moving animals between countries were different back then.

The dog certainly seemed happy enough when they were able to be reunited.

Person_one

I couldn't and wouldn't do it, when I got my dogs I knew that this meant no holidays or trips longer than about a week (without them) for as long as they are around. That's just part of the commitment you make to them.

lizzyb1812

Is the dog going to be staying where you currently live? ie are you travelling but dog is staying where you currently live with your family? In which case she will be absolutely fine.

Will she remember you? I would say yes. I visit my brother and his family a couple of times a year (v long way away from me) and their dogs are a little cautious at first but do seem to remember me pretty quickly. After an hour or so they treat me like they treat other family members, not like they treat other visitors.

lostinrates

Yes.

My family brought pets in to uk under the old (six month) quarantine rules AND a dog went to a foster home for a period of a couple of years. The decision was to leave the dog with the new home if it really wanted to. On return the dog, who had been happy with her foster family was beside herself to see us and the foster family, in tears said we should take her home. It was very difficult for both families, but the dog loved everyone concerned, and happily was dog sat by the foster family again in the future and greeted them with joy too.

I would be prepared to let the dog stay where it goes while you are away, but be open minded. Its very hard for them, they get no choice whatsoever, even if both choices are loving. It might form bonds, for example, with children in a family, or other dogs.

kiwi99

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Is the dog going to be staying where you currently live? ie are you travelling but dog is staying where you currently live with your family? In which case she will be absolutely fine.

YES I wouldn't trust anyone else to look after her. I think the only thing I have to worry about is her potential weight gain from being spoilt too much

Soubrette

Person_one wrote: »

I couldn't and wouldn't do it, when I got my dogs I knew that this meant no holidays or trips longer than about a week (without them) for as long as they are around. That's just part of the commitment you make to them.

I don't like leaving mine even for a weekend as he is old and it's really starting to show and I don't want to be in a situation where decisions have to be made and I can't be got hold of - or if he is in pain or worse with no one familiar around

Of course life isn't always like this and it is my opinion that dogs don't dwell on the past (or anticipate the future) in the same way that we do, they live mostly in the present and if your dog is well looked after then she'll be happy.

We look after a little whippet while his owner is on holiday as he tends to pine in kennels. He takes a few days to settle then he's relaxed and happy and you would think he'd forgotten his owner...then when she comes home...he is completely excited, it's lovely to see and obvious that to him she is the best thing in the world

Tropez

Soubrette wrote: »

We look after a little whippet while his owner is on holiday as he tends to pine in kennels. He takes a few days to settle then he's relaxed and happy and you would think he'd forgotten his owner...then when she comes home...he is completely excited, it's lovely to see and obvious that to him she is the best thing in the world

Whippets in general don't do well in kennels. I think it is in their nature to want cuddles on demand, at least my bunch do!

I'm going away for a week next month and I hate leaving my dogs behind. I'm using a live-in pet-sitter that I've used previously to look after the little nutcases but I can imagine that they'll bowl me over when I get back! :rotfl:

missmontana

I left my first cat Harley with my mum and dad when I went travelling to NZ, every time I rang I would speak to him on the phone

He remembered me when I came home!

lizzyb1812

Well, leaving her with the family she already knows and loves will be fine. She will be OK and you will soon be having an exciting time on your travels knowing she is well cared for if a bit spoilt.

If you were arranging to pass her on to a n other person my answer would not have been the same

kiwi99

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Well, leaving her with the family she already knows and loves will be fine. She will be OK and you will soon be having an exciting time on your travels knowing she is well cared for if a bit spoilt.

If you were arranging to pass her on to a n other person my answer would not have been the same

I don't think I could leave her with a n other, she's going to be with her granny and granddad. I know she'll be fine, we've both moved back home for a few months now so she is well settled but its going to be a difficult goodbye all the same.