<p>very nice offer from cnp55, I would go for that one mom60.</p>
<p>[Pet</a> Airways: (OTCBB: *AAQS) The Pet-Only Airline](<a href=“http://petairways.com/]Pet”>http://petairways.com/)</p>
<p>just thought I would share this for anyone interested. Not an endorsement as I know of no one that has used this.</p>
<p>We have a rescue dog who is very attached to her people. She’s extremely sweet, neurotic when the barometric pressure changes, and just painfully shy. We board her, but not for longer than ten days. She does lose weight while she’s there (but she doesn’t eat when she travels with us, either), but she likes the other dogs.</p>
<p>We boarded her at our vet for three days when we took S2 to college. Won’t do that again. Will pay the extra for the “doggie spa.” In our area it’s as low as $30/day, depending on the size of the kennel and what extras you want. </p>
<p>She is a terrific car traveler, and we take her with us on many trips, but I would never put her on a plane.</p>
<p>As a multiple dog owner for my whole life as well as someone who bred and showed golden retrievers for a long time, I would NEVER fly a dog in cargo. I have done that with no problems in the distant past, but I know several–not just one, but SEVERAL–people who have lost dogs when traveling in cargo. The only dog flying I would do now is an accompanied pup or small dog in the cabin.</p>
<p>I always use a petsitter, well paid and trusted, to watch my dogs. She doesn’t live in but comes over as many times as I need her to daily (she gets paid by the visit). For a single dog, a petsitter may be more expensive than boarding. Your d needs to come to terms with leaving the dog and find a good kennel or petsitter as others have said, starting now. I have a retired friend who is missing out on a lot of travel that she can well afford because she won’t leave her dogs more than 2-3 days, which I find very sad. There is still time before the holidays to find someone reliable or a good boarding kennel. Echoing other comments, ask at the vet’s office, a lot of vet techs petsit on the side. Interview potential sitters or kennels and even do a trial run for 1 or 2 nights to check them out, that’s what I’ve done on the rare occasion I need to find a new petsitter. I hope she finds a solution with all the suggestions here!</p>
<p>First of all, let me say I have owned many dogs throughout the years, as well as being a member of a pure bred rescue organization. We have had MANY fosters pass through our doors. We place dogs all over the US, and in doing so, are very careful about if and when we fly a dog. We would be VERY reluctant to fly a dog to the midwest in the winter. If the airlines would even agree to fly the dog, if the crate is left on the tarmac for any amount of time in the cold could be very detrimental. In addition, flying is EXTREMELY stressful on a dog, and we only do that as a very last resort. With a dog such as yours, the flight could be more stressful than being boarded.</p>
<p>I think it would be best for the dog if the dog were left at home with a petsitter or boarded. If your daughter is at college, there may be students who are staying on campus who would welcome the opportunity to live in a house for a week or so. My daughter did that with one of her professor’s cats while she was in college. She got paid a nominal amount but mostly it was about being off-campus for a while. </p>
<p>(I just drove my dogs from Portland to Seattle and back so I could leave them with the only sitter I trust while I went on a business trip. My dogs were thrilled to see her.)</p>
<p>I agree finding a boarding situation- seems best- we did this with our dog if we did not take her with us in the car, until she passed the age of 14 ( large dog) and I felt that was too old to leave with someone else.
( ok actually we didn’t board her- we did board the cats at the vets- but we left our dog with friends or had a house sitter)</p>
<p>WHen your D got the dog, she knew she was going to have to make compromises- I think either having a house sitter or boarding would be appropriate & she has plenty of time to start looking for recommendations, I would start with the facility where she originally found the dog.</p>
<p>I would take cnp55 up on her very nice offer…but if that doesn’t work call the local Girl Scout Council and ask for the contact person in her area. We seem to always have someone working on a Gold Award project involving dogs, the girls are reliable and know they are responsible for representing Girl Scouts. Get one to pet sit…being high school students, they work cheap.</p>
<p>I’ve had the same Girl Scout pet sit for me for a couple of years, she keeps a key to our house. The dog loves her–and so do we…the tortise doesn’t seem to have an opinion.</p>
<p>Also meant to add that the least amount of the stress to the dog is to have someone come in and take care of him/her. At least he’ll have something familiar in his life for that time.</p>
<p>I think a dog would need someone to live (sleep) in the house.
It is fine to live a cat alone with daily visits from a neighbor, but I think a dog needs much more human interaction than that…</p>
<p>The pet sitting business that I’ve used has contracts with families all over the state (CA) who want to board dogs in their homes. The people usually have a dog of their own as well, and they take in dogs for a little extra money. I’ve had good luck with this company, and have used three different families. The longest I’ve left my dog was a week, and it was good knowing that they were getting exercise, play time with another dog and sleeping in their own doggie bed in the bedroom with the family. </p>
<p>I found this company by googling “pet sitters california”. You might see if there is a similar company in Illinois. The nice thing is that these families have been pre-approved by the company, which means they have been visited and they have a track record. You also get the chance to meet the people first and make sure your dog and their dog get along and that you’re happy with the set-up. I like it because the dog gets a family experience instead of an institutional one, which might be especially comforting for the parent of of rescue dog, if she’s worried about anxiety.</p>
<p>The other thing I would do … if I boarded this dog … would be to use a product that emits the pheromones analogous to the nursing mother dog. These products come in a plug in, a spray, a wipe, and a collar. One brand is ComfortZone. </p>
<p>Thinking the collar might be the boarding answer … and tell the kennel that it’s not a flea collar, it’s a “emotional crutch collar” … check with kennel first.</p>
<p>I am going to pass all the information on to her. It will be in her court to make some arrangements or she will be spending three weeks in Indiana over winter break.</p>
<p>Well, we do actually live in Indiana all year long. It’s not like you’d be visiting the North Pole! </p>
<p>First, I disagree that your daughter should just get over it and board the dog for three weeks. And I also disagree that dogs don’t have abandonment issues. You bet they do! I have had great success finding responsible college students to stay with my dog in my home. She’s got plenty of time to look for in-home dog sitters, and if she can’t take the dog with her then that’s a much better option. Even the best kennels in our town are not really great. </p>
<p>There are scores of places you could go in Michigan or Wisconsin for a beautiful winter wonderland vacation, and she could easily drive and bring the dog. There are beautiful log cabin rentals in Southern Indiana. And yes, Chicago is cold in December, but it’s also spectacular!!! Lots to do and see, and there are plenty of condo rentals that allow dogs. </p>
<p>You can come here in the winter. Our state motto is: Indiana—it’s not as bad as you think!</p>
<p>Helenback- I am sorry it I sounded like I am insulting Indiana. I am not. I was all in favor of her going to school in Indiana. I just know this kid of mine. She is not my cold weather child. She is my child who stopped skiing with her siblings and going to the snow at 15 because she was cold. When she visits us in Ca she is walking around our 75 degree house in a big coat because she is freezing. When she got to Indiana in mid August she did not find it to be all that hot. I would have been hot. 2 1/2 yrs in Florida have messed with her body temp control. Which leads me to believe she might need some sun come late Dec/Jan.
I am open to suggestions as to places we could go in driving distance of her where she could bring the dog.</p>