Where your dogs stay while you’re gone makes a difference
The extent to which a dog is distressed when their owners are away can depend on how secure your dog feels without you. This will also depend on whether they are boarding at a kennel, staying with a friend, or having someone take care of them at home.
At a kennel, there are many unfamiliar sounds and sights. A dog can easily appear to miss their owner while feeling anxious about the new surroundings.
It is the same when they stay with a friend, unless they often go for playdates and sleepovers. In that case, they might not even notice you are gone while they live in the moment and enjoy themselves.
The most comfortable they will probably be is if someone takes care of them at your home. This is their own environment and a safe space. Unless the caretaker makes abrupt changes to their routine, a well-adjusted dog will likely cruise through every day like a regular day in their lives.
If the caretaker is someone your dog has known since they were a puppy, all the better!
If your dog has to stay somewhere else, then it’s vital they take a part of their home with them, like their bed and maybe a T-shirt of yours for your scent. We totally recommend these gorgeous dog blankets, because they will soak up your house scent and they’ll be your dog’s familiar cozy blanket.
You can buy one here if you love them as much as I do!
To learn more about whether your dog will remember you, check out our article Will My Dog Remember Me?
You might also want to read: How long after getting a puppy can you go on holiday?
Do dogs get depressed when you go on vacation?
Anxiety About Leaving Your Dog While on Vacation
It’s completely normal to feel emotional and anxious about leaving your pup, but it’s also important for you to do your best to not express these feelings while around him because it will only make the situation worse — for both of you.
Do dogs miss their owners on vacation?
Dogs usually don’t miss us the way we miss them, and it’s all down to how their memory works. However, they can grow depressed and distressed if you’re gone for a long period. After all, you are the most vital part of your dog’s pack.
To better understand how our dogs can get on just fine without us, we must understand how they experience their memories, and how they stay in the present moment.
7 Tips For Leaving Your Dog On Vacation
Wondering what to do with your dog while on vacation? As much as I like to take our dogs with us everywhere we go, sometimes it’s just not possible. So as responsible dog owners, we need to decide who is going to take care of our dogs when we plan on taking a vacation.
Yes, your dog will be okay when you go on vacation. Dogs are resilient, and if you take the right steps to make sure he is well taken care of, then he will be just fine.
If you’re lucky, you have family or friends that are willing to dog-sit for you. I personally try to avoid boarding when at all possible. That’s not to say that boarding facilities are bad, but I do think it’s hard to find a great one.