This is the first time I will be leaving my dog for a week and, although she is going to the best place, she is a companion breed so i am sure she will still pine for me.
I will be sending her own bed and food, but is there any advice/ suggestions to make the whole thing easier on her ? Should I consider Rescue Remedy or something for if she gets stressed ?
TIA

It depends on her character really - my dogs are companion breeds and one in particular is a total mummy's girl, never takes her eyes off me and always sits on my lap. But when we got away and they stay with various friends, they honestly don't pine. Once the mummy's girl stayed at the stud dog owners and she was upset the first evening, but after that she settled in as if she'd lived there all her life, and when I turned up to fetch her she was happily ensconced on the son's lap watching tv together. :-)

I have left mine and they have gone off food and lost condition but I did have to leave them for 3 weeks the first time and I got stuck in the ash cloud 4 years ago and they were there for 7 weeks!

The things I would suggest is 1) don't make a big deal about leaving them. It helps if the people take them for a walk while you leave, lots of clingy kisses, goodbyes and tears will only upset them.

2) leave written instructions on what your routine is, their likes/dislikes, allergies, when they had vaccs/worming/spot on, vet details etc. One of mine won't eat log bones or dental chews whole - no idea why, and will mother it, which winds up the dog she shares the kennel with. The staff take her out and feed her the treat separately.

3) this will sound stupid but as you leave call a reassurance to them to let them know you will be back. Mine know 'be good' means I will see them later. I usually say 'be good, see you next....'. The kennel manager swears they sit taller, watching the gate on the pick up date.

Enjoy your time away and don't worry, as long as you've done your homework about the place, there's nothing to worry about.

leave written instructions on what your routine is, their likes/dislikes,

This made me smile - we had to put our lot in quarantine (before Pet Passport) on our return from Canada - 7 of them and believe me the 'instructions' they went in with was like War and Peace.    Fact is they did NOTHING like anything I'd written about!!!   If it give you peace of mind, as it did me, by all means do this, but don't expect them to stick to what you suggest, or your dogs to either!!

Fact is if you are only going for a week, your dog will be fine - look on this as 'his holiday'.    If you have picked a reputable Boarding kennel, and gone in to visit, checked out the dogs in there etc., they are bound to know how to deal with a dog who goes off food etc.   There is always so much going on in a Boarding kennel, dogs coming and going, barking - he'll probably come home and zonk out!!

Please don't take a bean-bag bed in there (nightmare for kennel owners because so often dogs rip them out) or any bed you 'value' because again your dog may take it into his head to rip it up.    Also with diet ..... the kennel I worked in (while my lot were in quarantine partly) were particularly bad about giving boarders the food their owners came in with.   Do make sure they WILL give your dog his normal food - too many don't and use the kennel food - same for all of them.

A good kennel will ask you for all the details suggested here ..... vet's name, a contact number if possible etc.   And they WILL want to see an utd booster record.  

Do your homework re the kennel you are going to use, and go off and enjoy your holiday.

ps    For known upcoming stress situations, Kalm Aid is good but frankly I'd not bother really - again a good establishment should be well used to dealing with any kind of dog they board.

She is going to stay with a relative and I really couldn't leave her anywhere better. The only thing better would be for the relative to come to my house, but that's not going to happen !

I am going to do a daily routine list. Not that they need to stick to it, it's more so they know what she would expect to be doing or eating at a given time. She is a picky eater and I leave dry food down all the time but they won't so that their dogs don't eat it. I also have to hand feed her quite a lot and I know they won't ! She won't starve for a week though, perhaps seeing the other dogs eating will make her more likely to eat.

I am most bothered about her putting them out. She will be sleeping in the bedroom with them and their dogs, and I think their dogs always sleep through the night whereas my dog occasionally gets up for a wee or a drink.
My dog is also more playful and energetic than theirs so I hope she doesn't annoy them.

I have said that I will supply plenty of wine to get them through it !

Sometimes I think we stress out more than the dogs.

Most dogs are fickle :-)

You hand them over and walk off expecting them to cry and pine....the little monkies run in to see their new holiday home and new friends.

She will be fine...you however may not. Do what I do, ring them from your destination, talk to her and set your mind at rest :-) I know...we're totally mad.
I rang Tweed every night from Egypt.....I'm sure he appreciated it :-)

You made me laugh, maybe it's our sociable breeds, but my lot are totally fickle and of course will persuade the carer that they are allowed al sorts of liberties.

I have been to pick up girls from stud, and find them curled up on stud owners laps, and giving me a look as if to say, do I have to come home?

My girl is going to stay with her breeders when we have our 'holiday of a lifetime' to New Zealand next February. She will be there for six weeks and I'm sure she will enjoy every second. She will have three of her siblings to play with plus, mum, aunt, uncle, gran and grandad to put her in her place. She won't want to come home.

When I take my 2 into our local kennels, they don't even look back.

At least they have the grace to look pleased, when I pick them up...