missing them already

[tinytwo]

My boyfriend and I are going away for the July 4th weekend to a music festival. We're actually leaving the Thursday prior and will be gone 4 days. Our original plan was to take our 2 puppies, but have decided against it. We have to work a 4 hour shift each day of the festival at a booth our friend owns, and we don't want to have to leave the puppies in the RV trailer we will be camping in. It was also very hot last year when we were there.

So, we are leaving them with a very good friend of mine. She has puppy sat for us before, but usually just for an evening, or maybe just overnight. We trust her, she has dogs and they all get along together, we know she will take care of our pups, but....I am a bit sad to go away for that long without our puppies!

Is that normal? Has anyone felt like that before?

[dontpugme]

Totally normal. We have to leave our dog with close friends for a month to a month and a half every other year around now. The family we usually leave max with had a dog, but it recently passed away. We were going to leave him with my friend's grandparents, but we couldn't get a hold of them. Now we are leaving max with relatives that live like 3 minutes away from us. They have like 6 kids. I kind of trust max more with kids that with dogs. I'm still in the process on working on his reactivity towards dogs, but he's very tollerant of screaming, jumping, poking kids.

[tinytwo]

It's good to know it's not just me!

[angel894]

When my husband, then fiance, and I went to go down to his parents for Christmas one year, I left Sparkey with my dad. We had just taken him to the vet a couple days before we left and he had to have medicine multiple times a day. I thought I'd be okay, but I ended up crying sooo hard because I was so worried that my husband and his dad drove 3 hours *each way* late that night to go get him and bring him down. I had to keep him gated off in a different room because the kids were terrors, but he could see us and when the kids were asleep, he cuddled with me.

[thepennywhistle]

I think it's very normal miss/worry about your creatures while your gone.
You've taken every effort to ensure they will be lovingly cared for while
you're gone, but that doesn't mean you can just trot off without a backward
glance. The bond we share with our creatures is not something we can
just switch off, so we have to just do our best to trust the sitter and not
make others with us crazy by worrying for them.

If you trust your sitters, go have fun! If you can't let go completely, call
them every day and ask for an update. I've done it, and so have other
anxious owners I've sat for over the years, so that's not unusual either.
Most sitters have been there and understand, and will only tease you a
little bit

[tinytwo]

Thank you, guys! I know my friend will love them and take care of them! After all, she calls herself their "auntie"! But, I will definitely miss them and get frequent updates!

[Fundog]

Oh good grief-- if you think you've got it bad, wait till you hear this: My family went over to dinner at our in-laws this evening. After debating whether to take the girls with us (our in-laws have a farm), we decided to leave them home this time, mostly for the sake of keeping them clean. Well, the whole time we were there, I was wishing we had brought the girls, and I couldn't wait to get back home to see them. And our in-laws only live a mile down the road from us!!!

[tinytwo]

Haha! Yep, that's kind of funny! Saturday night we went to a sporting event and were gone for 3 hours. A former student of mine puppy sat and I emailed her several times with detailed instructions! And, I texted her several times that night checking on my two puppies!

[luvmydogs]

I feel your pain..I am going away for a week in august to a beautiful hotel right on the beach..We have a balcony view of the ocean where you see the dolphins swimming right by.It is so relaxing but when I am sitting and loving my pups I feel so bad that I will be leaving them..I get worried that something will happen and I'm not here..I have to say though once you are at your destination you don't think about those things..It is perfectly normal to feel that way..(maybe not to a non-pet person though ) Enjoy your time because you know your pups will be having their own mini vacation and getting spoiled..

[tinytwo]

That's true, I know my pups will enjoy their time at my friend's house! They love getting to play with her dogs, and she does spoil them! And, I had thought about whether or not I am more worried about leaving them now then I will be while I'm actually gone....

[wvvdiup1]

I know how you feel! As soon as I go away, I begin missing my dog(s) because it is like leaving my "babies." Some years ago, I went on a trip and became worried about my dogs I had at the time. So, I called my friend who was "dog sitting" and had her put each on the phone to talk with them! Those of you reading this, must think I must be insane or have an obsessive disorder, I will tell you this: it worked! Each dog whimpered as though to say "when are you coming home?" And my "dog sitting" friend, told me she thought I was insane, but it worked because it calmed them down and they did very well for her! So, please do not call the insane asylum and have them come after me in a van and a straight-jacket!

[tinytwo]

That's funny, because I was planning on calling to talk to Harper and Abby, too!
My boyfriend will probably think I'm crazy, though!

[Leigha]

Nope, not crazy, I called to talk to my boys when we left to go to Florida last year.

[wvvdiup1]

My "dog-sitting" friend still thinks I'm "Dog Gone Crazy!" But what they don't understand is that once you've formed a bond with your dogs, they are like one of the family. You and that special someone go on a trip and leave your children with relatives, don't you call to see how your child or children are doing?

[tinytwo]

Of course! And, it's ok if they think I'm crazy as long as I get to talk to my puppies!