[nagdu] what do you do with your dog when you go away?

[GARY STEEVES]

Hello all:

I knew that there would be responses about taking the dog on these trips. Basically it is not an option. Whatever may happen to a dogs training, I think it would be cruel to take him on the over seas flights. Heck, I think it is cruel to make me go on these flights.

I have already done several trips with Bogart  domestically. Once to a conference weekend in Ottawa and then on some family visits over the holidays. So domestically I have no issues taking him. I may end up taking him on the Montreal trip but we'll have to see how things are going to work out. This trip is the first national blind ice hockey tournament . I play goal for the vancouver team and will be playing in as many as 5 games that weekend. I worry about what he will do while we are playing, changing, etc. Probably could figure that trip out. 

With the trip to Hawaii , we are going to the big island.Although we could, in theory, take Bogart I really don't think he would have a good time. There is also the concern of what to do with him when we go hiking. In a lot of the places on this island the rocks are very sharp and could be pretty damaging on his pads. 

Anyway, I would prefer to not get into a debate about why I am not taking the dog since I am doing, in my mind, what is best for the dog. What is best is different for everyone and I appreciate  everyone's thoughts and opinions.


In the end I was just curious if anyone had encounterd this issue before and what they have done and how much they spent to have their dog looked after.

Obviously, I would plan on going over all the things about bogart's training with whomever he is left with to make sure they are at least enforcing his out of harness behaviour.

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts and I'm sure I'll see more. I'll let you know how things develop with all of this.

Gary
 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 11:24 am
Subject: Re: [nagdu] what do you do with your dog when you go away?
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>

> If you get the proper paperwork, why would you not be able to 
> take your dog on these trips?
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "GARY STEEVES" 
> <rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca>To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the 
> National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 2:19 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] what do you do with your dog when you go away?
> 
> 
> >Hello Everyone:
> >
> >As many of you may recall, I'm a fairly new dog guide handler. 
> Over the next several months I must go away almost once a month. 
> Bonn germany for 5 days in February, Turkey in end of march for 
> 8 or 9 days, Montreal at the end of april for 4 days and then a 
> holiday to hawaii in May for 10 days.
> >
> >I'm curious what others do with their dogs when they can't take 
> them with them?
> >
> >I have several options for many of these trips. The first one 
> is that bogart stays at home and will just have to be at home 
> alone while Susan, my girlfriend is at work. Her thought is that 
> although he will be stressed with me gone and being at home 
> alone for 8.5 hours, it will be in his familiar surroundings 
> with his toys, our guinea pigs and my smells (and Susan of course0).
> >
> >Second option is my supervisor at work has offered to take him 
> for any/all of these trips. She has two dogs at home and her 
> husband stays home all day. He takes them out for a couple of 
> walks a day and they have a back yard. Bogart really likes her 
> which could be both good or bad.
> >
> >
> >We have another friend who also have two dogs, a whipet and an 
> older lab, with a back yard and  robert works from home 
> most days.
> >
> >The last option which I am looking into now is if the local 
> guide dog school, who my dog is not from, would offer any 
> kenneling services (for a fee of course) or access to any of 
> their puppy raisers who would be intersted in looking after 
> bogart for some of these trips for a fee as well. My thought is 
> this option, if possible, would best keep bogart's training at a 
> reasonable  level. :)
> >
> >Do any of you have thoughts on what you think would be best. 
> I've left a message for my trainers at my school as well to 
> bounce these options off her too but the more thoughts I have I 
> think the more I can look at pros and cons.
> >
> >Thanks
> >Gary
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