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Going Away/ making it easier
by Lauren & Milly
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
Hi, From the 10th October for about 1 and a 1/2 weeks my family and I are going to the states(I live in Australia) and I have never left my baby before. I was wondering how to make it easier on her(and me haha) because she's such a little mummy's girl, she won't even let me go to my room from the lounge room with out her. I thought maybe giving her her favorite toys but still I don't think it'll work very well.Any input would be appreciated
Lauren & Milly
DISCUSSION:
I would suggest you try what we do here. We take a plain cotton tee shirt and sleep in it several nights before leaving town. This night shirt is then given to the pup to sleep on. this leaves the little one with a familiar scent of a family member till we return.
Cherie
Go for it! I mean go with her! We just came back from our first vacation with Princess to and back from Paris. We had so much fun with her. You can bring her as a carry-on and pay alittle fee. I get more depressed from her away than I can bear! It also traumatizes them when you are away. Good Luck.
Rachel
Hi Lauren, I am from Australia too and I put Snowy through a day without Daddy and Mummy when he was about 10 months old. We wanted to get him used to the idea (or at least have the experience) of being away from us. I used the dogsitting service where he is taken to a dog sitter's home. I leave behind instructions and the lady was so good to Snowy. She took him for lots of walk, played with him, brushed him, even allowed him to sleep with her on her bed!! Well, Snowy did miss us and despite the 'royalty' treatment, was a little stress. He would run up to the door everytime a car or person passes by thinking that it might be us returning for him. When I finally took him home the next day, he was so tired that he just slept. I also took along his everything, his bed, his toys, Daddy's T shirt with Daddy's smell, his toilet etc but he was just upset that we weren't there. The dog sitter said that he was looking for us right after we left till the time we return. I am glad that I did not board him up in a boarding kennel as he would have been so lonely. At least via this option, the puppy sitter was sensitive to his needs and try her best to distract him. The comments from the puppy sitter ... "Boy! What an active dog ... he is ready for play anytime at all, even when I wake him in the middle of his sleep." Yes, that sounds like Snowy! If you are interested in the pet sitting service, I can provide you with the details.
Sim & Snowy
I know you'll miss her while you're gone. We went to Australia several years ago for three weeks and really missed ours, even tho she was left with my son at his house. She was very stressed when I returned. He and his wife moved to a new house just a couple of days before and that was different for Buffy. Change from their normal routine is difficult for these little guys who aren't as socialized as they could be. I would start TODAY taking her to a good kennel for the day now and then...doesn't have to sleep over. Take her to a friend's house and let her stay w/o you a while and/or overnight. Do this several times before you leave and I think she'll be alot less stressed. If you never do this, they don't have the confidence to know you're coming back to them, but if you do leave them occasionally, they handle it so much better. Stress can lead to physical ailments, you know. So do THE PUPS a favor, all you MO lovers, and try this before it becomes necessary. Forget your own feelings! Have a good trip! As for taking her with you, I believe you'd run into problems with quarantine on your return home, wouldn't you?
anneh
Hey, leaving them is hard no matter how great your setup is while you're away. I left my little one behind at just three months because one leg of my flight (Southwest Airlines) wouldn't allow any pets except seeing eye dogs. I gave him the t-shirt that I'd slept in. He peed all over it. I got the message! I also have to leave for 2 weeks to go to Ireland/England and cannot take him because of mandatory 6 months quarantine. I have a friend who walks him when I can't get home from work on time and I'm awaiting her decision to stay in my house and dogsit while I'm away, something she does many times for other people. Do you know of anyone you trust implicitly who could do that so that your puppy could stay in familiar surroundings? I did that a few weeks ago when I went to Aruba (the timeshare wouldn't allow pets and the vets there would board him but wouldn't be open when I arrived...or when I was leaving!) and although Angel was constantly looking for me (my neighbor had to open the garage door daily to water my gardens and poor Angel always thought it was me coming home), it was far less traumatic than placing him in a strange place. Best of luck!
Siobhan
The few times that I have boarded Lucy (I haven't boarded the kids at all since Carty came because he's never been and has enough problems needing fixed without another opportunity to feel abandoned), I too have sent along a t-shirt and also a towel (she loves to sleep on them while I'm in the bathroom), both well used. I also send her very own cookies and a denta-bone and whatever toy is her favorite at the moment. AND, at our kennel, you can give them a list of "visitors" who can come any time and play with the kids, take them for walks, etc. Both my son and Lucy's guy (used to be MY guy until she appropriated him!)go to see her every day I am gone (they miss her). Also I pay a bit extra for her to have two private play periods a day with one of the employees at the kennel. So she gets lots of attention. She still isn't a happy girl and usually is mad at me when I get back. But it works. Last time I went away I had a babysitter who stayed with both kids. She was someone they knew well, so that worked out fine. So these are some things you can consider doing. I usually cry when I leave Lucy, so don't feel goofy if you cry too. The kennel people tell me they are quite used to moms and dads losing it when they have to leave the kids 
cathy brown
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