<p>My cat died a couple months ago – the first time in 32 years we’ve been petless. This has to change. I miss the companionship.</p>
<p>We’ve always had cats, and we still want a cat. But I’m thinking I also want a dog. Small to medium size, not a puppy. </p>
<p>Problem is, we travel a lot. We take at least two two-week vacations a year, and many long weekends or 4-5 day trips – probably once a month. In most situations, we go places where we can’t bring a dog. </p>
<p>Does our travel schedule rule out having a dog? Any advice on how to juggle a dog in this situation? And if we can manage this – any suggestions on the best way to introduce new cats and dogs into a household (do we get the dog first or the cat first?, or together?)</p>
<p>I know there are lots of dog lovers here, so I’m looking forward to your advice.</p>
<p>My first inclination was to say no. But if you can find a home to place your dog while on vacation, it might be doable. We were very lucky for the 11 1/2 years we had our dog, and were always able to find a home, instead of a kennel, when we traveled. There are pet sitters who do it in their home. The last one we had, we found through our dog groomer. Ask around.</p>
<p>Do you also work? If so, you also have to consider the fact that your dog will need to be crated during the day. If someone is home every day, then it might be feasible.</p>
<p>It also depends on the breed. You need to get very educated before taking this step.</p>
<p>I think it depends. It’s the once a month vacations that are hurting you. Especially certain breeds, a dog will MISS you and that is a lot of time to ask it to spend without you.</p>
<p>We are hoping to get a dog this year so we are working it out ourselves. For every vacation except the one in the summer, my mom can come and stay at our house to take care of the dog-- she can work anywhere and has agreed. Our doggy will know her and will be able to stay in his normal surroundings. We only take 1-2 vacations a year TOPS, usually just one 1 week or 2 week long one, but we take a LOT of day trips to visit my fiance’s parents 3 hours away-- almost once a month, but just for the day. We will need to find another friend/family member and a good kennel as plans B and C. In the summer my mom is in FL for 3 months and we go to visit, so we will need to use plan B or C then. Since it’s just a handful of times a year for longer trips, and just day trips the rest of the time, I think it will be fine. Once a month, I think you might be pushing it. IMO, you would have to have a regular sitter that your dog likes to see and pick a breed that is not as clingy.</p>
<p>You may want to look into some destinations where you could bring the dog with you, especially for those long weekend trips. It would help.</p>
<p>ETA:</p>
<p>Something to realize is that as any pet you get ages, it may curtail your traveling. When our family dog got older, the last 5 years of his life he needed insulin injections every day at 6am and 6pm on the dot, needed his urine tested each morning, and needed his food and water intake carefully measured and documented. My parents had to stop traveling until he died. This obviously doesn’t happen for every dog, but do think about the commitment you’re making-- if something changes in dog’s health it will trump traveling and you have to be okay with that. My parents arent, so they are settling for babysitting the grandpuppy. They would not get another dog because for them right now travel trumps all. </p>
<p>Agree with the above posts, but as you can tell from my avatar and name, I’m a HUGE dog lover and will admit that disclaimer right up front! As to which to get first, it has been our experience that it is much better to get kittens introduced to a dog verses the other way around. We joke that our dogs raised the cat so they came to an amicable relationship fairly easily. We did bring a puppy into a home with a full-grown cat and that took a while for cat to accept and tolerate - that dog to this day has a healthy respect for the cat!</p>
<p>Dogs are big social creatures and IMHO really do thrive on lots of human interaction daily and constantly and as I am sure you are aware will get into mischief when left alone too long. Absolutely understand the need for companionship and dogs truly can be human’s best friend - mine certainly are. We have an RV so the dogs go just about everywhere with us but it does curtail some destinations (National Parks are NOT dog friendly). My H is the cat fan and I will agree they are far more self-reliant that dogs and probably a better fit for the lifestyle you describe. Lots of hotels are realizing the economic value of allowing dogs so the possibilities are improving every year. Best of luck in your decision and condolences on the cat - we just lost ours a month or so ago so will be on the hunt for a rescue tabby in a few months. </p>
<p>It’s hard to narrow it down… for example, we want a Dalmatian. Dalmatians need their people. I couldn’t do what you want to do with a Dalmatian. Are there any particular breeds you are interested in, or are you still wide open? What kind of exercise commitments can you reasonably make? That’s where the adoption counselors at my shelter always start to narrow it down, the energy level. I would start there, do some research about what kinds of breeds are a good match for you, then research their temperament and sociability. In the meantime, you need solid plans A and B at minimum for sitters for your trips. If I were making this decision for you, I’d be a lot more comfortable if you could bring your dog with you on those once a month trips. I have a friend that is kind of crazy about animal rights and doesn’t believe in petsitters, she is a pro at finding hotels and the like that allow dogs, and I am seeing a lot more now than I used to-- it might not be as hard as you think. Worth taking a look and seeing what you can do. You have to bend your lifestyle to accommodate the dog’s, you can’t ask the dog to bend to yours. That is the downside to dogs, you do have to be willing to do that bending. Cats are easier.</p>
<p>But do think about exercise. Do you go for a daily run? How about a walk? Are you a 3 miles a day walker, or maybe you just want to take a quick jaunt around the block? Or maybe when you’re honest with yourself you’d rather throw a ball around the yard and just walk a few times a week? Start to narrow it down there. (and while you’re at it, how is your yard? Is it fenced? Big enough to run around in?) I am guessing a high energy breed isn’t a good fit because you wont be home to make sure it’s getting its exercise while youre on vacation, but I guess that depends on the petsitting arrangements you decide to make. </p>
<p>I should say, BTW, that I am assuming the answer is no, we can’t have a dog. But I thought I’d ask just in case.</p>
<p>I walk every day, wouldn’t mind walking more, so it would be no problem walking a dog. We have a fenced backyard, too. </p>
<p>There is absolutely no way to take a dog with us on the shorter trips. My husband travels a lot for work, usually on an airplane, and I frequently go with him. Accommodations are hotels in big cities. Yes, I could give that up – but I don’t want to. I would (and did) give up travel when our cat was ill to be home with her, so on a short-term basis that’s not an issue. </p>
<p>As for breed – small to medium. Largest would be a cocker spaniel or cockapoo. </p>
<p>Get a smaller dog–under 15 pounds–and you can take it almost anywhere (including on planes), although you might have to stay in different hotels. Look around for a local breeder who boards the dogs she sells, and you can vacation for two weeks without guilt while your dog spends time with her family. For example, I know a local Cavalier King Charles breeder who does this. (Note that when finding a good breeder, all the usual caveats about dog breeders apply. Look for one who says “I breed for health, temperament, and structure” when you look around.) </p>
<p>There are many small breeds who are under 15 pounds and under 15" at the shoulder–this limit is the size limit for a dog in a carrier on an airplane, which is why I suggest that limit. You can get laid-back breeds and highly energetic ones, from toy poodles to Jack Russell terriers, including lhasas, cocker spaniels, the afore-mentioned Cavaliers, shelties. Figure out what you want from a dog first, then look for a small dog that fits that descriptioni.</p>
<p>Can you afford a house.pet sitter or have someone who will do this for you? Or is there some place close enough that has good boarding facilities that are affordable? </p>
<p>DH and I travel regularly and with two elderly MILs at home, and pets and a large house that needs care from house plants to garbage to whatever, it’s essential that we have reliable care in place when we leave. That we have dependable high schooler at home still and two older kids in the area makes it even less stress (in some cases it could be more, LOL in such scenarios), so we have reliable help. So getting another pet wouldn’t be an issue for us,. It could be absorbed in the infra structure we currently have. '</p>
<p>But if it’s just the two of you and you have noone, nothing in place, you need to make inroads that way to see what can be done. If you can afford a house/pet sitter, you are good to go and have a pet. </p>
<p>I would have been much more concerned about the dog being home alone all day than its being without you one long weekend per month and for a few longer vacations. That changed my response from “get a cat.” :)</p>
<p>Your absences can be dealt with by a combination of pet sitters and a GOOD kennel. There were 3 kennels in my area where I felt comfortable leaving my dogs, especially my neurotic rescue girl. She loved the guy who ran one of them, which was unusual for her.</p>
<p>Regarding the breed, with few exceptions, they ALL want to be with their people. Dogs are pack animals. Energy levels vary within breeds, but also by individual, as does tolerance of cats. In general, sight hounds are not going to be as good with cats, and some people find terriers iffy also. (Hounds also have a tendency to take off at the drop of a hat, or an interesting scent, which can be a problem! Some of them are very noisy. Of course, there is a difference between sight hound and scent hounds…)</p>
<p>A major advantage of going through a rescue organization is that they normally foster the dogs with experienced dog families before adopting them out, so they know a lot more about the dog than a shelter. (If you think about it, no dog is going to be its usual self in that environment!) They will be able to tell you how a dog behaves with cats, for example. In our area, there are numerous rescue organizations of this type, some of which have arrangements with rescues in the South. There are no kill shelters here, but the South is full of them, and also full of un-spayed, un-neutered, unwanted dogs of a wider range of breeds, including terriers, sporting dogs, and so on. Go to a shelter around here, and almost every dog will be a pit mix, or something close to it. (Identifying the breeds behind a mutt–a word I do NOT use pejoratively–is often a guess.)</p>
<p>Every situation/dog is different. For the last 12 years, we’ve had neighborhood kids taking care of our dog. They would come over and let him out 4 times daily. Our school has an open lunch, so it worked really well. Unfortunately, the kids have now graduated and our dog is old. He recently started on insulin and the poor thing is going to have to be boarded this weekend. I feel awful. </p>
<p>This is hard. I love love love my dog. But he is also much like having a toddler. YES you CAN travel but is it too hard/too expensive/too heart wretching? My dog happily loves our kennel but that isn’t always the case. They charge $35 a night (which I suspect the coastal people will be shocked at). I have left him for up to a week but it is hard. After we get home he is clingy and wound up. I think this is very much a it depends on YOUR dog thing. Most could handle some kennelling…some won’t adapt well. (Think about how cats are…some are lap kittys some are hunters…dogs may be somewhat more predictable…)</p>
<p>Talk to a local animal rescue organization. There is a great need of foster homes for dogs and cats. You can work this around your travels. We foster when our schedule permits. It is rewarding to see people fall in love with their new animal as soon as they meet. Some are easier to give up than others, but we gain so much from serving animals in this way.</p>
<p>I love that idea.<br>
Also it gives you time to find a dog that will fit your family situation.
My girlfriend fosters cattle dogs which are way to high energy for me. </p>
<p>I like the idea of fostering dogs – my concern is that I don’t have any experience as a dog owner, and I’d worry about getting a dog that needs that experience. I can certainly look into it. I know I wouldn’t do well with a very needy animal. </p>
<p>I’m in no rush to get a dog, so I can certainly ask around at our vet and the pet sitter who took care of our cat. I don’t know what kennels are in the area, what they cost, what other options would be – so I’d have to ask questions. We do want to get a cat pretty soon. I tell you, the house is just so quiet without an animal in it. Every time anything creeks I think it’s the cat, and then remember that she’s gone. </p>
<p>My niece fills in for the dog parents across the street when they travel, which is often. She’s 12, so my brother goes with her. They give meds 2x/day, let the dog out, feed him and play with him. That’s probably too easy an example.</p>
<p>Our dog adored the vet office, all the staff, and boarding there. We’d joke than when we got close, she’d know where she was headed and get excited (really.) Only problem was it became expensive. The local groomer loved her and kept her sometimes. She got to run around with his and other dogs at his house. (Good groomers can often recommend good solutions. You could even ask in advance of this decision.) Once, we had her at a real “dog vacation destination” type place and she loved that, too. </p>
<p>Agree, you have to know your dog and the tendencies of the breed. Yes, when they’re ill or frail, you do things differently- same as if a relative needed more of your time or for you to be closer to home. Plus, any place or service can get fully booked (or booked for your dog weight category) at holidays and etc, so you need options.</p>
<p>That said, my beauty passed on 18 months ago and we’re holding off getting another, because of the bonds. It’s hard not to have that relationship, but we’ll know when we;re really ready. Best wishes.</p>
<p>I think you can get a dog but like everyone here has said, it will depend on good help watching him when you are out of town. Do you have a good friend who has dogs or would like a weekend guest. We use to trade watching dogs with our friends and the dogs loved it. Otherwise a good kennel where they will provide lots of exercise.</p>
<p>Tempemom- do you think your kennel fee is low or high? We are very lucky; we pay $18 a night with $5 extra for a long walk or play session. </p>
<p>My dog loves to go to the kennel. But not all dogs do. And it really adds expense to taking a vacation, especially for a high quality kennel. Also, if you are taking car trips and you take the dog along, it really curtails your ability to go into restaurants or many kinds of attractions, even if the dog is small. That is really true when the weather is hot or cold – you can’t just leave the dog in the car.</p>
<p>I actually think my parents signed an agreement with their breeder that they would NOT kennel our old dog. He was 5lbs when they brought him home, was closer to 12lbs when he was fully grown. They said he was too small and they were not comfortable with it. I have no experience with kennels as a result, so no idea if our breeder was just crazy. Our dog was an affenpinscher. He had a “nanny” he went to see when we went on vacations, who he LOVED, but it was still hard. The first few days of EVERY trip EVERY year, he would hide in his cage and refuse to eat. By the time we picked him up he was always overweight, so he did perk up, but we felt awful every time and it was really hard to leave him. He didn’t seem to hold a grudge, though, maybe it was harder for us than for him.</p>
<p>My neighbor has two big dogs, and she works a lot of hours and travels a lot. She has a full time housekeeper, several of them and dog sitters as well. Those dogs are like her children and are so cared for. I don’t know too many who go to that much care for pets, but with her schedule, it would not otherwise make sense to have the dogs. </p>
<p>So, yes, it’s very much doable for you. IT’s a matter of whether you can make the arrangements for care and pay for such. </p>
<p>I’m still hurting over the loss of some of our 4 legged family. I’m almost glad that are cat is not social at all. The full litterbox and empty food bowls and hair leavings are the only trace I see of her. Our only dog remaining is past his time to go though holding on strong. Don’t know if I want another pet as the pain really is there when they leave us, and yes, their care can be expensive and stressful as well.</p>