Going on vacation, best dog care?

[Retired Engineer Bob]

We have two dogs, Roxy the Rottweiler and Amy the Chihuahua.

After two years of delay we are planning on taking a couple of trips next year. In February we will be in Jamaica for 8 days, in June/July it is Europe for three weeks.

The vet has boarding that we have used before. Worked out ok, but Roxy has never gone - she is just 18 months and Covid kept us all at home.

Ideally family or friends could take them in, but that is not a possibility.

There are services where a bonded and insured person will move into our home. Dogs may be home alone during the day, but the caretaker is there overnight. Pricey, but I’m thinking this may may be best.

Has anyone here tried such a service, and how did it go?

[Quakerfriend]

1. Definitely keeping them in your home

We have found this to be best for our dogs.
Sounds like you have some great trips planned!

[pamdb]

2. dog sitter

We have used Rover.com over the years. Haven't gone anywhere since the pandemic but are
itching for Europe. Anyway, they are bonded and insured and you can read reviews. You can also
narrow your search to your area or zip code. What we've done, (and I'm sure we are not alone) is
after we find someone we like, and the dogs like, we just deal with them direct. Sometimes it's
cheaper because Rover takes like 25% of what they get. Used to be less. And we have them stay at
our house. We have been known to have a friend stop by to check on things as well. Our dogs have never been boarded and we have a big fenced in yard so that helps.

Good luck. It doesn't seem to matter who you get you worry.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

3. Appreciate the feedback

Yeah, the Rover.com path is what I was thinking.

We will worry about them regardless, but I want to minimize the stress for them and ourselves.

Europe was originally scheduled for 2020, been canceled twice.

I really don’t want to cancel again.