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You may remember that back in March my DH adopted a puppy. Well, Mr. Darcy has, I hope, now reached his full height. The middle sized dog we compromised on is looking pretty big to me. I think that once adolescence is over and he fills out, the “middle sized” label won’t fit. Already he is big enough and strong enough that when he climbs all over me on the couch (he has a ton of both love and energy) I am hard pressed to push him away.
Anyway, with the holidays approaching, it was time to find a place to board Darcy. With our last dog we brought him to a place about 45 minutes away in the country. I decided to see what was available closer to home now. And, boy, was I surprised.
There are now a whole list of places where I can take him that are right here in the burbs. None of these are “small room and a narrow fenced run” places either. They are dog hotels. And they take day care dogs too. In fact, most of their business is from people who are just going to work, and who drop off their pooches for the day.
The dogs get to play with each other either inside or out in free range spaces. They get treats. They are divided by age and size, so a young “middle sized” dog like Darcy does not overwhelm an elderly toy poodle, or an elderly anything. If they stay overnight they get a nap mid day in their spacious private room that has a big dog bed and a miniature human bed (I am not kidding). I was thinking if they added a desk this would not be a bad place to use as a retreat as long as I brought bark canceling earphones with me.
I called one called Camp Bow Wow and learned that yes, indeed, they could take him the days I needed. However, first he had to visit for his interview.
Interview?
They need to see him in action and be assured he is not too aggressive, it turned out. I nodded and took notes on how to set this up, while I watched Darcy chase the cat all through the first level of the house. Oh, dear, I thought. He may fail his interview and I will never be able to travel again. DH was going to have a lot to answer for.
The day of the interview I had no help with him, so I put him in a harness and clicked the seat belt through it. The next fifteen minutes were the longest in either of our lives. What wailing and whining came out of that dog. Nonstop, and so bad I stopped the car twice just to make sure he was not strangling back there.
All that ended when we got to Camp Bow Wow. He smelled the other dogs at once. His ears perked up. Hey, maybe this won’t be so bad, Mom.
He went off with the nice lady and passed tests one and two, then joined all the other dogs. He had to stay there three hours under observation. They have web cams set up, so I could watch him cavorting around on their web site. I am sure that I did not spend more than two hours doing that.
He had such a good time that he slept the whole next day. If I could get him used to that harness I might bring him for day care every now and then, just so he works off some energy. As it is, he is going to do an overnight stay soon, which I am hoping he enjoys as much.
I guess these fancy dog care places are the latest thing, since there seem to be quite a few of them around here. Then again, everything new comes last to PIttsburgh, so maybe everywhere else they are old news. I think they are a great idea, though.
Do you bring your pets with your when you travel, or board them, or have someone in to care for them?
Have you ever used a place like Camp Bow Wow? Did your dog like it?
Any tips for how to make car riding less traumatic for a dog?
49 Comments on “Mr. Darcy Goes to Camp”
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I wish that I could say that yes I do go away for holidays – but I don’t. I totally hate being away from home because the one time I was away from home overnight the person I had arranged to feed my cat couldn’t be bothered. Needless to say but I was pi$$ed and ripped the person a new one. I found the best and easiest way to get a puppy/dog used to being in a harness is to let them wear it for several hours a day and give them treats so they learn that it is not a bad thing. Taking the dog for short trips in the car (and giving treats to provide positive reinforcement) and then building it up to longer trips also helps to get the dog used to traveling. I had to do this with Freya and while she did get a little excited while the car was in motion, she was actually really well behaved while traveling. I just wish that it was so easy for Acheron who hates traveling in the car, especially in the carry cage. *sigh*
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 4:30 am.
We had put that harness on him several times before I used it in the car. I am not sure what upset him so much—the harness or just being in the car. I try to have someone back there with him most times, but obviously can’t rely on that all the time. I am hoping that since this trip ended up with lots of fun, he won’t see the car as tied to things like the vet alone.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:38 am.
My old cat Dusty would cry the whole time he was in the cage. If I stuck my finger in there she would calm down but sometimes I need that hand to drive.
My nephew takes his dog to doggie day care a couple of times a week. Gracie loves it.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 6:37 am.
My cat would react the same way! If I could get a finger near his nose, he would settle.
For people who work long hours, these doggy care places are fantastic.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:39 am.
It’s new in Pittsburgh!- that was a mantra at my old job, feel free to use it.
Remember when we called them kennels? Guess that word doesn’t encourage customers to pay as much. Then again the quality and service you describe make it seem worth it.
Hope you’re looking forward to Mr. Darcy showering you with love when you return from your trip.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 7:19 am.
Oh, I expect him to slobber all over me when we get back. He really is a sweetie— just a lot of work and very demanding of attention. DH says once he is full grown that will get better. . . .
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:41 am.
dogs either love or hate car rides, in my experience. One nanny job, their dog loved them so much she would come with me to do errands in the family van,sitting in the front passenger seat and when we stopped at a red light, would lean over for snuggles. I miss that dog more that that hellish family. sigh.
Now that you are taking Mr Darcy somewhere fun, he might be ok with the rides.
it also could be that he gets car sick and that is the reason for the rides. my dog trainer friend told me about some device that grounds the vehicle and stops the static activity that creates the nausea. her dogs all got car sick and as they were Super Dogs and out to train and compete, she found a solution. it totally worked!
let me email her and ask what it is called…
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 8:04 am.
oops! I should proof-read my own comments BEFORE submitting.
duh.
“the reason for the rides” should be
“the reason for the whines”
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 8:06 am.
it’s called an antistatic grounding strap.
here is a link:
http://www.mizter.com/
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 8:17 am.
Please let me know what she says, because I think the car sick problem is what is going on. I just assumed it was anxiety causing the car sickness, but if it is the actual movement, there may be a solution.
I have never had a dog that loved cars. I see dogs that clearly do, and wonder how that happened.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:43 am.
We just got our first dog. We are going away for the holidays and my in-laws offered to take her. We had a little meet and greet with their dog the other day and, once she got over being terrified when their dog chased her (it only took a couple of times), she joined right in the fun and they got along great. How sweet is it of them to take her for 10 days?! We’ve never done a day care for our animals but we boarded our cat at a vet’s office for a couple of nights. He got a bath and played with and they told us how sweet he is. He got boarded and a full check up all at once, it was great.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 8:09 am.
I wish I had relatives who had another dog nearby. That would be wonderful. Darcy really likes to play with other dogs.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:44 am.
I only have a minute right now to write so I will elaborate later. As to freaking out dog in car… DRAMAMINE!!!! They make a doggie version but the people version works just fine too. I’ve had dogs who were “car sick dogs” and “spazzy dogs” both. Give them a little bit of dramamine about 30 min before a car ride and you should be good to go. There are a bunch of “Pet calm” type products out there but I’ve never tried any of them so not sure if they work or not but i know that dramamine does and it is safe
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 8:31 am.
Oh, this is great info. I guess I give him less than a human would take. I’ll work it out by his weight. The dog products are probably the same thing. Thanks!
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:46 am.
Reggie goes to daycare once a week and will go twice now that it’s winter. He loves it.I love that I get two days of downtime for the price of one. He’s cooked the day after too.
He also had to go for the interview and observation. He passed but whenever we walk into the place everyone there says “It’s the wildman!”
So far we haven’t had to board Reggie, there has always been someone to watch him. But if we didn’t have someone I would leave him for “sleepovers” at daycare.
Our previous dogs were usually watched by someone. The one time we took the last dog to a kennel, he barked 24-7 and ended up without a voice for a week when we brought him home, which wasn’t the worst thing.
Not sure about the car. The last dog went nuts in the car so we hardly took him anywhere. We did have a crate that he was much calmer in, but he was so huge and so was the cage that it was kind of a pain.
Reggie adores the car. Sits in the seat, head out the window. I take him with me to do errands because he’s so good. We can’t say “car ride” or he’ll be at the door whining until he gets one.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 8:46 am.
See, I always though all dogs did the car out he window thing like you see on T.V.
I really hope I can fix this because I would love to do what you do, and bring him a couple of days during the week for play time.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:48 am.
Our two small dogs, 8 and 12 pounds, travel with us. They both travel well. Chewbacca was six weeks old when he had his first car ride. You may need to take Darcy for a short ride a few times a week to get him use to it. We did put our previous dog in a kennel for a week. It broke my heart to do that.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 8:52 am.
My other dogs always acted like it was torture to go to the kennel, but once there they loved it. They were around other dogs even if they could not play freely, and the runs were long enough for good outside space. But they liked to guilt trip me when it came time to leave them there.
I was sort of thinking of getting a small dog that would be more portable, but DH balked and wanted this “medium sized” one. We love him to the point of stupidity, but if he were half the size it sure would be easier all around.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:51 am.
We used to take our old dog everywhere with us, but he was a spanial- small and easy to manage. Now we have a lab about 9 months old, and she is just too much to travel with. Trying to get 2 kids and her in the backseat of the car doesn’t work. We have boarded her twice now, and she doesn’t mind it at all. It is like you said- gone are the small little cells they used to keep them in. They have a good space to play, and if you pay a little extra they get ‘daycare’ days outside with their friends. You can even pay for them to swim or for a half an hour of cuddle time per day. They place I take Bailey posts pictures of the dogs at play on their FB page, so I can see her out playing and interacting with the other dogs.
I was nervous to take her the first time, but she seemed to enjoy herself, and wasn’t hesitant to go back, so it made the second time a lot less stressful.
I haven’t had any issues with Bailey and the car, but she seems more comfortable with each ride.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:19 am.
Aren’t these places great? It makes so much sense. Of course they are more expensive than the old-fashioned kennels, but not ridiculous in price so it is worth it knowing they get to exercise and play.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:53 am.
Luckily I have a friend who loves my two cats and begs for them to come visit with her three. She keeps saying mine teach hers manners. Her Husband likes them because he says “They’re dudes, they like to hang.”
Hint to people looking at cats: If you want a cuddly cat, you go for the cuddly kitten, the one that comes up to you all friendly. Don’t go for the cute one that turns its back on you. Do take the time to let them warm up to you before you make your choice. Beans almost didn’t get adopted as he was a bit standoffish, not unfriendly, just not interested in My Guy and I at all. Finally he trotted over to me and that was that.
My Cats LOOOOOVVVVEEEE the car. It means they’re going someplace fun, to walk, to the natural pet food store, to play with their babysitters cat, or to go to the pet friendly cafe, where they just hang when the dogs come in. The Waitresses are amazed at how laid back the cats are with the strange dogs. It’s simple, if the cats don’t run…the dogs don’t run after them. My cats are giant breeds, they don’t feel the need to run.
Cant really give you tips on the car other than to start with short trips to take him on fun walks. As soon as they associate the car with fun, and not a vet visit, they seem to settle down.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:46 am.
Wow, I would never trust me cat to stay put if I brought him anywhere and he wasn’t in a cage. Your cats sound sort of dog like. I agree with how to pick them out. Same with dogs. I also judge a lot by their eyes.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:56 am.
Ragdolls and Maine Coons are the golden retrievers of the cat world.
Cats need to be trained just like dogs. They’re going to be wild if you let them do whatever they please. keep them occupied, keep them interested and they do almost the same thing as a dog.
People say, “You walk your cat?” “Yeah, you walk your dog?” “But my dog has to go out to go to the bathroom.” “Well…if I can train my cat to walk on a leash, you can certainly train your dog to use a litterbox.” “But I do it for exercise” “Cats need exercise too. Or they wreck your house.”
I get it looks a bit crazy cat lady, My Guy gets a kick out of the look on people’s faces when he’s walking the cats. However, that’s how we roll at my house. Don’t want squashed cat, but I do want a well exercised one, so a leash is necessary.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 6:49 pm.
My CR owns toe full-service dog facilities of this sort, called Lucky Dog. It’s his side business, something he does for love. They have day care and boarding, grooming and training, even a rescue that has saved about 300 dogs in the past 2 1/2 years.
We could have all the free day care and boarding we could ever desire—sadly, my chow mix gets freaked out I groups of dogs & can’t handle it. So I have to hire a house sitter!
Day care is great for border collies because they need so much exercise.
As for the car-no ideas. My dog loves it. When I want to change Jack’ s behavior, though, I use chicken as a reward.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:47 am.
Two. iPad typing.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:47 am.
Your CR’s places sound like the one I am using. Grooming and even training, as well as the rescue.They normally have a few rescue dogs there looking adorable and available for adoption.
Chicken. Got it. I’ll give it a try.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:58 am.
oh, and I don’t have any dogs right now. I have two cats who are fine for the 2 nights I am away for Christmas. plus I am only a short car ride away at my sis’s so I can easily borrow a car and go home to feed them.
when I get home, they are more excited that I brought leftover turkey than to see me anyway. They snoop their noses in all the bags till they find the yummy one!
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:55 am.
We try to always bring our dogs with us when we go away. If we can’t then they get boarded at a local place we like. (And they do too!) My brother used to watch them but we moved a little farther away and it became too much of a pain. It’s nice to find a great place. It keeps the worrying at a minimun.
I have been lucky that all of my dogs have liked to ride in the car. My brother had a dog that didn’t and I thought they gave it dramamine if it was a long ride. I don’t know of any calming methods for a short ride. I wonder if he would be better with time. Do you take him for rides a lot? I’m afraid I’m not a lot of help!!
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:56 am.
I don’t take him for rides a lot, and that may be the problem. I should take everyone’s advice and just drive him around the neighborhood until the oddness wears off.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 11:00 am.
Moose goes every Friday without fail to Doggie Day Care. He’s been going since he was a puppy. He loves it and they love him. I board him there when I’m out of town, and while it is pricey, I know he is in good hands.
How pricey? last time I came home from somewhere, I thought the boarding bill was a tad high. So we reviewed what Moose gets on a daily basis while boarding: Two blocks of group play time. A special walk, just for Moose. A special treat, just for Moose. And tuck-in service.
I said, tuck-in service? (I should really pay closer attention). Yes. They tuck Moose in at night. Apparently he’s been getting this service all along. They asked if I would like to drop down to the lower package. I debated it but then said no. How could I deny this dog, a creature of habit, the tuck-in he’s come to love?
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 10:29 am.
LOL–what is tuck in service?
I often bemoan how we are behind the times here, but the good side of that is retailers and service providers don’t push it. So my camp just has all-inclusive prices,no add ons. Whether they are less expensive is another matter, but my guess is they are.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 11:03 am.
It is exactly what you think it is. They go in his little room and pet him and essentially tuck him in at night. Is it not obscene to pay for that for a dog?? hahahahaa
If you’re not getting tuck-in service, I am guessing your rate is cheaper than mine, too. Sometimes I think it would be cheaper to take Moose with me to places like London than board him, LOL
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 11:08 am.
I have no pets, but lately I’ve been really wanting a dog. Unfortunately my son is terrified of them (as in, when he sees them occasionally unleashed on the greenway, he actually runs into the woods screaming, which is very upsetting for all of us). Hubby isn’t keen on them either. So I will remain dog less, though I do pet everybody’s else’s dogs.
I grew up with them.
But I’m with you on wanting a writer’s retreat like that. We’ve got to find one of those!
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 11:11 am.
There are these group offices in most cities that in theory could work as a writer’s retreat, Just a simple office, rented to those who normally work at home. There are services that one can pay for, like fax or other business needs. But a desk and a computer—no internet!— would work. Only they do not have them near where I live, only in the city. I’m not commuting!
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 12:38 pm.
We had an agreement with the in-laws to take in each other’s dogs when traveling (pooches were litter mates). But those dogs are now gone, the in-laws are aging, and so we can’t do that with our current pup (though they bring us theirs). We’ve been hiring the kid across the street (best friend of my sons)to feed and hang with the dog during the day when we go on a trip. Hank (the pup) doesn’t like things to change. I =think= he’s happier at home where all of our things are, though if he could loosen up he’d probably enjoy other dogs.
We worry so about our canine sweethearts!
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 11:15 am.
There comes an age when I don’t think dogs who only live with humans are interested in the rough and tumble of other dogs. We see it around us, when people walk their older dogs. No interest at all in romping with Darcy, who of course would love to romp with them.
I think that when a dog gets older leaving them with a dog sitter looking in works fine. Darcy is far too young for that. He would wreck the house, or have to spend most of his time in his cage.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 12:40 pm.
Oh… I wish Shadow could go to doggie day car. We tried. I took him 2x a week for about a month and he spends the whole time obsessing by the door and waiting for me to get there. He just wasn’t having any fun.
So then we tried a few times where I went with him and stayed so he could play with the other dogs – he had more fun then – but that sort of defeats the purpose of doggie day care. It may be that the place here is small and doesn’t have a big play area. He is a rescue and has some big separation issues. Flattering for me, but not so convenient at place like the groomers or the canine hotel.
I want to try it again when I get to Co Springs as there is a place there that has a big play area and even takes the dogs for walks around a little pond nearby. He is fine at the dog park when I am with him and runs around…as long as I’m there.
He loves going places with me in the car (his Christmas present will be a new car seat cover) and has been great on our road trips and adventures.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 11:57 am.
It sounds like he just wants to be with YOU. If he is older, I could see how those dog day care places would seem very chaotic to him.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 12:42 pm.
oh yes.. he’s VERY attached. Bless his sweet heart
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 1:07 pm.
Your dog is absolutely adorable!
My husband and I have brought our dog with us when we’ve travelled before. Of course, she’s a tiny dog, so we generally haven’t had troubles bringing her about. But more often than not we leave her with my in-laws if we’re going somewhere. Particularly if we’re flying. We have never flown anywhere with our Chihuahua, she’s always stayed with a family member. I’ve never sent her to a doggy hotel, and I’m not sure she’d like it. She’s tiny and terrified of big dogs.
My Chihuahua, Lady, loves car rides. We sometimes put her in her crate and put the crate in the back, or we’ll let her roam free. When we used to do road trips with her, she would climb onto my lap (in the passenger seat), then make her way to my shoulders. She could stay on my shoulders for hours on end.
When she was a little puppy we’d talk to her when she was in her travel crate… let her know that we’re there, that everything is ok. I think that just the sounds of our voices was soothing for her. We also drove her to places other than the vet, so she was always looking forward to what new place we’d visit.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 11:58 am.
They do separate out the little dogs. At least our place does. So that helps a lot. Those tiny guys are not in there with the labs.
Your furr baby sounds adorable. If I let Darcy free in the car, he would ride standing up with his front paws around my neck, licking my face so I could not see,
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 12:45 pm.
We always started taking our dogs for rides as soon as we could.. Just for fun… and they all loved being in the car and going with us. Maybe you just need to take him for rides more often.. Give him some treats along the way. One of our banks sends out treats to dogs in the drive up area..
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 12:04 pm.
I had a bank that did that! Our mail delivery guy also has a basket of them, that he throws to the dog if it gets too close. I think it is for defense, though. Throw a dog bone and hit the gas.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 12:47 pm.
Sounds wonderful Madeline. I also chocked reading your blog and your “Interview”? line. I myself have no pets, I do good to keep up with me.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 5:19 pm.
My reaction to hearing about the interview was astonishment. What was the world coming to? But I realized that if a dog was going to be romping with other ones, they would want to make sure he wasn’t a biter. Still, it felt odd to be jumping through so many hoops, lol.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 7:15 pm.
Mr. Darcy is a doll! What a cute boy! And the daycare facility sounds great. They’ve had them here in Alabama for over ten years.
If I am going to my Mom’s I HAVE to bring the dogs with me. She loves to see them and they love her. And they enjoy playing with her two dogs – Sarge (a fifteen year old pomeranian) and Miss Minnie Mouse (a three year old teeny tiny chihuahua.) They travel very well in the car. The funny thing is if we turn left at a certain point they know they are going to the vet and they pout. If we turn right they know we are going to Nana’s and they get very excited.
When I go to RWA Nationals I have a dog sitter who comes to the house and looks after the dogs and cats. She lives less than a mile from my house and she trains scent dogs and agility dogs. We have known each other for years and my dogs are really comfortable with her.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:11 pm.
Ten years!!!! we are really behind the times here. I think these places have all opened in the last 2 or 3 years.’
I hope that when he is older Darcy will only need a sitter. He has a lot of calming down to do before that, though
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 11:48 pm.
I always wanted to try Camp BowWow or the one down here in little Washington, Pavlov’s Place. Sadly my old Dalmatian is too touch and go in a big group situation… she is either perfect or 100% dominant female. I actually take both to a kennel in Taylorstown (read middle of nowhere), it’s more old school kennel but with extras. It’s in the country so you can sign them up for nature walks on top of their normal outside time in the yard. I think of it more as the rustic summer camp I went to instead of the country club “camps”.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 9:56 pm.
That is the type of place we used to use. It was fine and had good space for each dog. It was just so far away! Most old school kennels are out a ways from the burbs where I live.
Posted on November 19, 2012 at 11:50 pm.