Thursday

Family Travel For A Year: What About The Dog?

Nacho
Pulling up your family's suburban roots and heading off for some developing country for a year can pose many logistical questions.  For example: What will you do with the family dog?

Our dog is a male, 6 year-old shepherd-mix that we got from Smiley Dog Rescue in Oakland, California about three and a half years ago. After a 6 month family sabbatical in 2005, one of the things we decided to do upon returning home was to get a dog. Without a lot of experience with dogs, we evaluated the pros and cons of rescue dogs and decided to get one, figuring that giving an unwanted dog a home outweighed any other considerations. By October of 2005 we had our dog and after a transition period where he would find every possible way out of our fenced yard, he settled in quite nicely. We quickly learned that he had to stay on leash while on walks, as he'd lunge and growl at certain types of dogs while he'd be friendly with others. Around the family he was very good and he was a great dog for us.

When it came time to start planning our suburban exodus, deciding what to do with our dog was not "top of mind" for us. Once we started to focus on it, the first thing we did was to add up a year's worth of kenneling costs At the rates we'd paid previously, we were looking at $9,500 for a year and that's only if he never left a 4'x4' cyclone fence cage with a concrete floor. If we added a daily 45 minute walk, it would cost close to $20,000 for a year for a pretty miserable existence.

Around the time we were starting to wonder where we could possibly place our dog, the woman who was to rent our house suggested that we could keep the dog at our home and she'd take care of him, along with her three poodles. This seemed perfect; our dog could stay in his own home and even have some canine companionship. She and my wife decided to give the idea a test one afternoon. All of our hopes came crashing down as our dog immediately defended his territory and started growling and barking and did not stop for the entire hour they were at our house. With each growl and bark, our dog's chances of a nice comfortable year in his own house slowly evaporated. Both my wife and our tenant agreed that this would not work.

A few weeks later during a dinner party with our best friends, after a few glasses of wine, the wife of the couple said that they'd love to watch our dog while we were away. As we put away a few more glasses, we ended the evening feeling optimistic about this scenario. The next day, in the cold light of day, we all realized that their house was on the market and there was no way of knowing if their future home would accommodate a dog. Back to square one.

A month later, a dog-loving friend of my wife's casually mentioned that she might take our dog for a year. My wife slowly worked up to suggesting a "doggy-sleepover" to see if such an idea might work. With no other options in sight, we awaited the fateful night. Again, our irascible canine could not contain himself. Not being on his home turf, he paced the house all night and just could not get comfortable. Again, it was mutually decided that we would pursue other options.

At this point, my wife even emailed Smiley Dog Rescue to see if there was a possibility that they'd take the dog back, even temporarily, but they said no.

As a last resort, my wife called her sister in Los Angeles. My sister-in-law and her husband don't have kids and have a nice back yard and she told me wife that she'd do it only if all other options were exhausted. My wife assured her that they were. She and my son brought the dog down in May and thus far the match has been very good. Our dog gets a lot more time walking than he did with us and my sister- and brother-in-law seem to genuinely enjoy his company. At one point during a recent walk, one of their neighbors even asked if he was for sale. From being unwanted and possibly having no home to being set up in a perfect environment and being the talk of the daily walk, our dog has come a long way.

19 comments:

  1. I am glad you managed to get it sorted. I used to have a pet bird and had to give him away as every time I wanted to travel it was a nightmare trying to find someone to look after him.

    If I did not like traveling though, I would opt for a dog as a pet. They have such great characteristics when they are around people they love.

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  2. Natalie,
    Yes it was a hurdle...maybe the toughest one we had. Once you have a dog they become a part of your life and it poses problems for people who like to travel a lot.
    Thanks for commenting.
    Jason

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  3. Nacho is so cute - I'm not surprised people wanted him!

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  4. This is a real issue. Fortunately, my wife's sister loves our dog and she will take him anytime. So when we left the country for a month last year, we drove the 6 hours to Cleveland, left the dog at my sister-in-law's, and flew in and out of there instead of our usual airport.

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  5. I understand how you feel. Animals are not kleenex to be disposed of when they don't fit in with plans any longer.

    We used to have guinea pigs, but when we moved back to England we had the prospect of leaving them in quarantine for six months, because of the UK's laws about bringing animals from abroad.

    So we found a family where we were that would take them. We still keep in touch and both piggies are doing well.

    But, and this is the thing - we have not got any more guinea pigs because it is not fair on them and just too much to bear having to part with them.

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  6. Hey Jason, glad you found a solution. We encountered the same challenge, except with our 2 cats. We ended up having 2 different friends taking each only except it was an adoption. We knew that we would not be coming back, so it was only fair that they become part of their families. It was very difficult giving them up, as they were our kids, but we ultimately knew it was best. They have adapted quite well and it gives us such comfort that they are in good homes. Plus we still skype with them at times, it's funny to see their reactions on screen when they hear our voices.

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  7. That is one lucky dog. We have a yellow Lab. We love her dearly. However, she is a thorn in my side when we travel out of state and have to deal with dog sitters.

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  8. Sounds like your dog has quite a personality and knows what he wants. Do your children miss him?

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  9. Andrea,
    Nacho says "thanks."
    Jason

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  10. Dr. Tom,
    I'm glad your dog doesn't object to being quartered in Cleveland...it wouldn't work for me.
    Jason

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  11. David,
    I hope that wasn't a Peruvian family that you left the guinea pigs with...
    Jason

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  12. Pete,
    That sounds like a sensible solution. Did the cats react to your voices on a skype call? That's cool.
    Jason

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  13. Nancy,
    Yes, the cost of dog sitters can add up.
    Thanks for commenting.
    Jason

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  14. Sophie,
    We missed him a great deal. Every once in a while we'd watch a video clip of him fetching a ball in the back yard.
    Jason

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  15. Jason,

    No, it was an Israeli family - no cuy there.

    :-)

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  16. I'm so glad it has worked out for your dog. This is also one of my biggest concerns when we leave in 9 months. I have a 13 year old cat who doesn't get along with other cats, not to mention not many people are willing to take on an older cat. I hope I can find a loving home for her!

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  17. It was a huge ordeal figuring out what to do with our dog when we moved overseas involving family members, planes, boats, cars, etc. and lots of time and money. It sounds like you've found the perfect solution. :)

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  18. Our dog is a rescued dog as well and he's very protective of his pack. It's the first dog I feel would protect me if needed, but that comes with some disadvantages. I'm so glad you found a good arrangement for your guy. They may not want to give him back when you return, but I bet you can twist her arm with some South American souvenirs.

    I'm so glad you wrote this because I was kind of curious how you worked out these kind of arrangements. You should write a book!

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  19. I was in the same position as you when I left New Zealand, except with my cat. Thankfully my dad took her on and has now completely spoiled her to the point where she is borderline cat obese. I think pets are part of the family, so when you decide to leave it's very important to consider their safety and well being.

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