A couple I know of (parents of a colleague) have gone on a week's holiday, leaving their elderly dog at home on its own. They have arranged for family members to check on him three times a day, presumably to feed and let him out, but I imagine he'll be on his own for many hours between visits.
Strictly speaking I suppose this isn't classed as cruelty or abandonment as such, but I just don't know how people can do it - can they really enjoy themselves knowing that their dog is spending a long, sad week without much human contact ?
I find myself constantly worrying about this poor dog and can't wait until the end of the week when his family will return home.

I know of several people who have done this... I suppose it is more traumatic than kennels, but tis still not right IMO

I don't think you or I would have a house left at then end of the week :D

That is terrible. Can you imagine how that poor dog feels being left alone? I know of afew people that have done this in the past. Personally if my 2 Cavaliers can't come with me on holiday, then I won't be going either as they are part of my family.

i just hope that the dogs gets it's own back by recking the house:-D.
People like that should not be allowed to own dogs and if the can not afford kennels then they can not afford a holiday and should not go.

I agree, i think it is disgusting and cruel and people like that should not be allowed to keep animals. I wouldnt even consider a holiday unless I knew my dog was being properly looked after. I couldnt even bear to put him in kennels.

I used to dog sit for people like this - go anywhere from 3-5 times a day and spend an hour or more at a time with the dog/s. One dog in particular could not be kenneled, and I was the only one who could dogsit for her - she was aggressive, and only family and myself could handle her (she loved me - never showed her teeth to me at all).

I dont' think I could personally do it now, but in some circumstances, for some dogs, staying home in a familiar environment is probably much safer and happier than being kenneled. Some dogs do not kennel well -it's not a matter of affording, but what's best for the dog - and some dogs will do better with less attention, but still home.

I would hope though, that these people going to feed and let out etc are actually spending time with this dog - a good copule of hours at each go. I would go several times a day for letting out and feeding then I would go spend the evening over there till the dogs bedtime.

Wendy

I suppose it depends really on what the family members who are popping in are actually doing. If they are taking the dog out for a nice walk each time and spending time cuddling him and giving him attention, he may be far happier staying at home with this level of care, than he would be in a kennel. Some dogs find kennels extremely traumatic. As he's an old dog, if he's exercised a lot, he may just be sleeping the rest of the time and may be perfectly happy with this situation.

I have left my very elderly dog for a weekend with a neighbour coming in five or six times a day, letting him out, feeding him, sitting with him etc. as I had to be away and he was not well enough at the time to go to his usual kennels. He was absolutely fine and not at all stressed - in fact I think he was spoiled rotten! His carer was a neighbour though - so she would've heard if there was a problem in between times, noticed if someone had broken in or if there was a fire etc. It is things like that that I would worry about with noone nearby for hours at a time. Not sure I would do it for a week though - would try to get someone to live in or let him stay with them. But that said for some particularly old dogs it is by far the best thing for them to stay at home and as long as they regular and good quality attention I have no problem with it. Checking in for a few minutes a couple of times a day is not enough though - it fulfils the legal requirement but not the welfare requirement IMO. It needs to be more than that.

For those who say they would not leave their dogs ever - you are lucky to be in that position. Believe it or not there are people who HAVE to go away at times - and can't always take their dogs. I have to go to conferences etc for my work - I can't avoid it. My dogs are therefore used to being kennelled from youngsters so they can be when needed and they know the kennel people well. I don't think that makes me a bad owner. For older or sick dogs I would try to avoid leaving them but it is not always possible and one solution is to have the dog cared for at home.

I have a responsable 15year old son, if I have to go away for a night (not very often) I still get my boyfriend of mum to stay over as my son likes to go to bed early (9pm) and I hate to leave my 2 cavs alone so early in the night.
I used to live next door to a family who had an german shephard and a small terrier, they used to leave them both at home whilst they went away for 2 weeks having someone to pop in twice a day. I offered my help but we didn't get on so they said no. I have jusy knocked back a great offer of a week in the sun as there is no way I could leave my young pups, leaving them for 1 night breaks my heart !

I was asked to do this for a friend recently. He has 3 dogs and i could not stay over night like i usually do, so he arranged for a neighbour to let them out in the morning and in the evening before they went to bed. Then i took them for a walk at lunchtime and at 5pm when i fed them. This happened for 4 days, and although there were no problems i felt awkward doing this as it seemed so unfair for the dogs. I couldn't devote any more time to them as i have my own dogs and work to think about. He wants me to do this for a week at the end of august and i have said yes, but i feel so bad about it. I know my dogs would hate having so little human company, and i would worry about them terribly.

Interesting to hear the views on this. As someone said it depends on how much time the 'visitors' spend with the dog.
I appreciate that, in some circumstances, there may not be a choice and, providing that good, reliable arrangements are in place, elderly dogs may be perfectly fine left at home.
But the point I was trying to make was that it seems so selfish to leave a dog for a week while you have a holiday - in my opinion a holiday is just not a good enough reason.

I couldn't say whether a holiday is a good enough reason - in some circumstances (for example if someone has been in a carer position - for human or animal - for a long period - then a holiday might be needed for their sanity - my mother was in that position once). If it is simply the annual jaunt being missed for once then perhaps not. But surely we can't judge those things unless we know people's full circumstances?

I am currently caring for a large breed, geriatric dog whose back end is failing and who is also becoming incontinent both ways. I love him to bits but it is exhausting - emotionally as well as physically - and I am shattered after only a few weeks of it. If someone was doing this for months or even years I wouldn't criticise them for needing to take time out as long as appropriate replacement care is arranged and the dog is comfortable and not stressed. We are not all superhuman! :)

In the case I referred to at the start of this thread, I know for a fact that the holiday being taken is of the non-essential variety.

I agree, looking after a sick, elderly dog is certainly a huge physical and emotional strain but I don't think such a situation would continue for 'months or years'.