Dogs are attached to their humans, so, it is not the house, but the human that is a source of security for them.
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So, if you ask some of your friends to stop by your place a few times a day to care for your pet while you’re away, and the rest of the time your dog will be all alone, this can become major stress for your pup, and it’ll be hard to overcome.
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You may only leave your dog at home while you’re away if you ask someone to live in your house for the time being.
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It is best if your dog knows and likes the person staying with him/her – that’s the least stressful scenario.
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If there’s no one like that to live with your dog, choose a dog-sitter over leaving your dog at home alone.
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There are different types of boarding:
• Your relatives or friends take your pup into their home😉
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• In-home boarding – your dog will live with a person providing a pet sitting service;
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• Animal hotels.
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If you work with a dog trainer, sometimes they might agree to take your pet too.
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🐶How to make boarding time easier for your dog?
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Discuss the feeding and walking schedule – this will keep your dog’s daily routine untouched and provide predictability.
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Make sure to introduce your pet to a person who will live with them in advance.
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It’d great if you went for a walk (or more) with that person in order to see how they interact with your dog.
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If you can, go and see the place where your dog will stay.
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Even if you usually don’t use a leash on walks, it’s important to make sure that the dog sitter knows that they should only walk your pup on a leash.
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Dogs won’t always follow a person they don’t know, no matter how trained they are.
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Make a “cheat sheet” of the most important things: what and when to feed your pup, when to walk him/her, what kind of rules to follow.
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If your dog once struggled with behavior problems, stress might make them come back.
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Warn the dog sitter about them and tell them how to deal with those.
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Talk to the dog sitter about the rules you set for your dog at home – what he/she can or cannot do.
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Dogs value consistency, so this will help your pet live calmly while you are away.
