Like most families, we don’t always get along. But even at our worst moments, when we’re bickering like mad, there’s one thing we all agree on, and that’s how much we love Buddy.
Buddy is our big, goofy, black-and-white mutt, with floppy ears and a fabulous plume of a tail. And despite having a name traditionally bestowed on male dogs, Buddy is female; there was some gender confusion when we adopted her at the animal shelter.
But there’s one aspect of pet ownership we neglected to consider when we adopted Buddy four years ago, and that’s what would happen to Buddy when we left town.
At first we dropped her off at a dog-boarding place nearby where the dogs run around and play all day. She loved it there, but eventually we had to swear off the place. It was $45 a day and quickly got to the point where either the dog could go on vacation or the humans could go, but we couldn’t afford for us all to go. Besides, she always smelled bad when she came home.
We hunted around for a cheaper place, but $45 a day was the going rate for boarding a dog in the city. Then we started to look in nearby suburbs. I found what looked like an OK place 90 minutes north, a bit of a drive, but a fraction of the price. I mentioned it to an acquaintance who lived in the area. She made me promise I wouldn’t leave Buddy there. Turns out the place is used by local authorities as a drop-off for strays; it doesn’t have a good reputation for cleanliness or dog health.
We looked into staying at hotels that permit pets, but that turned out to be more complicated than it seems. Most hotels don’t allow dogs in the room when you’re gone, so if you’re heading off for a day of museum-hopping or skiing, what do you do with the dog? Some people cage small, quiet dogs, and put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door so the maid won’t discover the animal, but Buddy’s too big to do that. Besides, I want the maid to clean our room.
Eventually we came up with other solutions. If we’re driving somewhere, we take Buddy with us and find a place to board her at our destinations. We’ve had good luck calling local veterinarians and getting their recommendations for where to board, and we often head to an area where we have friends or family. Usually by asking around we can get a reference.
If we’re flying somewhere, though, we have a problem. We finally found a place outside of Springfield, Mass., a 2 1/2-hour drive, that someone in the area told us about. It’s about $15 a day, and therefore worth the time it takes to deliver and pick her up. Still, 21 days of $15 fees adds more than $300 to the cost of our trip. It’s something we now budget for.
But for Buddy, the best vacations are the ones she can spend with us. We often spend our summer vacation in Maine, where we own a little house on a pond, and of course Buddy comes along. She is very good during the 400-mile drive in our compact car, squeezing into a tiny space next to someone’s feet or quietly sitting on a lap. (She weighs around 65 pounds, so it’s like having a 10-year-old in your lap for eight hours, only Buddy is much better behaved than most 10-year-olds I know.)
When we get there, it’s hard to know who likes it more – us or Buddy. She loves running around the yard and taking a swim whenever she feels like it. And no leash is necessary when she takes herself for a walk.
When we pack up to go home at the end of our sojourns in Maine, we all feel a little sad about leaving the place. Buddy follows us around as we empty the refrigerator and put the boats away until next summer, brushing up against us assertively as if to remind us that we mustn’t forget to pack her up too.
When all our bags are in the trunk and the kids are buckled in, we call her. She jumps in the car and tucks herself in whatever space she can find. We’re all a little subdued by then, sad that our vacation is done for another year.
Scanning Buddy’s winsome face and looking into her big brown eyes, I can’t help but think that she always looks a little sad too. ——
This week’s advice: The best way to find a place to board your dog when you go on vacation is to get a recommendation from someone you trust, whether it’s a friend, relative, fellow dog-owner, local kennel club or veterinarian. There are many Web sites that list pet sitters and boarding facilities nationwide, but some charge the care providers for a listing, and few are comprehensive. The best boarding facility in a given area may not be listed, so a personal recommendation is your best bet.
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Comments? Stories about kids and travel? Contact bharpaz@ap.org.
