I am posting this under health as it is for health reasons I am reluctant to put my Scarlet into kennels.

Scarlet had surgery for Laryngeal Paralysis four months ago and now needs to be kept quiet ( no barking ) and has Glaucoma and so needs daily eye drops. My booked pet sitter is poorly and cannot look after her as planned. We are away for a week. I have excellent neighbours who will look after her all day and feed her and give her medication, but it is not ideal for her to stay with them 24 hours a day. I have never left her at home alone all night, although at 11 years old she is a good sleeper and is happier in her own home. Have any of you arranged care like this and how did it go? It is only for one week?

Thanks

Sue

i havent arranged for care like this but have done this type of thing for a favour for a friend. it went really well and i would recommend it to anyone who was reluctant to put dogs in kennels. we went round every couple of hours for toiletting, walks etc. went round last thing at night (about 11) for settle down routine and then again in the morning at about 7 for wee wees breakfast. the dog we did it for would have gone nuts in kennels and it just wasnt practical to have her at ours with 2 studs when she was about 2 week away from her season too.
we sat with her for company for about 3 hours a day.

I too have looked after a friends dogs and put her to bed at 11pm, up again at 7am.  Not a problem, but I can hear her from my house as it is only a couple of doors away.

Many kennels don't have staff living in so dogs will be locked up for the night until staff are back in the morning.

It's what I would do with mine - kennels are not an option, and if I couldn't get someone to stay in the house with them, then your arrangement is the next best thing.

I did this when a neighbour died, and no relative wanted the old guys dog.  I was asked to look after it while they found a home for it.

Went round at 7am and intermittently throughout the day.  Last visit around midnight.  It went on for weeks, and I gradually started bringing her round to my place (although they didn't know.)

It ended up that she only actually went home to sleep!  After 8 weeks they phoned to tell me they had found a home for her.  I told them it was too late, she lived with me now.  I couldn't wait to pick up her bed and collar and lead, and shove their key through the door!

But yes, it can work.  A dog is better in its own environment than being stressed out.

Where in the country are you depending on the answer may have a suggestion. PM me if you like.

I did this for a neighbour as his dogs had never been in kennels and he thought it would be too stressful for his oldie.  I popped in 4 times or so during the day, gave the dogs a quick walk and spent half an hour or so with them in the house.  Tucked them in for the night about 10.30-11pm.  Back in in the morning about 7-7.30am to take them out and then get their breakfast.  The dogs were perfectly fine with the arrangement - I would have heard barking/howling from my house if there had been any.

Thanks for all your replies. They have really helped. Scarlet is such a 'routine' dog that she would respond to this quite well I think.

Sue

PS I live in West Sussex in a place called Steyning.

Yes, this is what we prefer to do with our dogs, our next door neighbours take care of the dogs in the day time, walking, feeding, playing etc and the 2 boys are left in our house (home alone) during the night, they are good sleepers and the neighbours could hear them if they barked. 

For me it beats being in kennels as the kennels we used which seemed really good, locked up at 5 and the dogs were not seen again til next morning - so very much alone and in unfamiliar surroundings.

I know Steynning quite well but unfortnately you are too far away for what I was going to suggest we are croydon. Hope you get him sorted