Feeling guilty about kennels

I will be going away on holiday soon with all the family and so I have booked my beloved Cavalier into the local kennels. I know it is a well run kennels and been established many years and we also used to board our previous dog there when we went away, but Toby is such an affectionate dog and we spend a lot of time with him now that we are both retired and I just feel so guilty leaving him to go away on holiday. I have nobody else that I can leave him with, so either he is kennelled or I don't go abroad on holidays any more and that would not be fair on my husband as he looks forward to his holidays.

I am sure Toby will be fine, I know what you mean about feeling guilty, I hate leaving any of my dogs, but he will be grand and you will have a good holdiay and it will be great for him when you get back!

I felt exactly the same, particularly as mine are rescues and I was so worried they would think I'd deserted them again.
Then one time, I arrived early when they were still out on their exercise. I watched Kip trotting around the huge secure field - he even had a doggy friend which is quite unusual for him. He looked so happy & relaxed that I don't worry nearly as much now.

(Not everyone likes kennels which exercise the dogs all together, but I'm happy that the one I use is sensible about it)

Go and enjoy your holiday without feeling guilty, I'm sure Toby will be fine

Hi,
I see you live in Essex like me. There is a place that has dog sitters that have fully checked insured people that takes your dog in to live in thier house and treats them as you would, walks food constant love etc.
When i had my two cavaliers I booked my ones holiday through them and I went and let them meet the lady first and then a few weeks later they went to stay. It was brilliant and they had a fab time. the only time they were left alone in her house was when she went shopping and she even took my lad to the vets for a check up.
If I can find thier details again I will pm you them if you like.
It cost about £2 more per day which I thought was excellent for the constant companionship and cuddles.

Jolive , your we pooch toby will be fine ,my oh and i went broad last yr for the 1st time ever i boarded one of my babies with ZB (my sis ) a valid member on here , and my mammy kept the other two older ones as three would be a handful for her esp as beau is so young and lively , she was grand didn seem to miss me much at all , my three nieces played with her and walked her daily and my young nephew played with her also she had her sister and her dad her aunty and grandad all for company .
When i came home to pick her up she didn seem to keen to leave all her new friends ,.
go and enjoy your holiday toby will be fine im sure xxdk

My two get so excited when they get to the kennels they don't even say goodbye!
Not even mummy's boy Tonto, they can be so fickle lol.
You need to have a break every now and then.
House-sitting is good, and can be just as cheap if you have a few dogs but is a bigger expense if you have just one. I'm sure he'll be fine, maybe he could go for a day before you go on holiday so he'll realise it's a nice place and that Mummy is coming home?

I too am feeling gulity, even though it won't be for a few months yet I know where I am leaving her will be a really good place, but will they look after my little girl the same way I do? I have to accept that nup - they won't, but they'll do a good job. She'll be well fed, well watered, given some loving attention (unless there's something rather cuter than her), and given exercise. I'll get her back, just that little bit more sooky than she goes in, but she will appreciate me being back. I absolutely hate the idea!

oh dear echos of me when our son got married last year,in maylasia naturally my husband and i wanted to go ,but equally i was torn as gemma is to me every it as impotent as my human children (sounds sad i know)but we made it our mission to visit as many kennels as possible and find a home from home,and we did when we returned from maylasia we were promptly put in the dog house by gemma but she soon forgave us and she was perfectly happy in the kennels ,so i think like me your worrying too much ,dogs dont think like us ,they live for the moment ,so go and enjoy your holiday ,i'm sure your little dog will be fine .

Thanks for all your kind replies. I feel a lot better about leaving him now. As you said, dogs live for the moment and once he is home again, it will be just as though I never went away.

I know how you feel...but it will be fine! My mum usually has flower in the day when i am at work and my fiance is working away, but when mum has been working (2 days a week) the neighbour has come and let flower out a couple of times a day. I have decided this isnt really fair anymore and there is a well run kennels just up the road. I have called the lady who was lovely and very helpful who said she would have flower on the days she would be on her own, walk her twice and fed her for me!! In my eyes kennels are a holiday for the dogs aswel. Flower is always with us, very friendly and affectionate dog, so i think she will enjoy spending her day (maybe once a week) in the kennel rather than being confined to a pen in the house.

Luckily when we go away mum will be aving her, but if the whole family go away together I wouldnt hesitate about putting her in the kennels, its deffinately peace of mind that she is having constant attention and that no harm will come to her!!!

Enjoy your hols and please dond worry xxxxx