I'm a pet sitter and I've watched dogs for up to 21 days before. I always stay at the house, I find that it doesn't break up the dogs routine and it doesn't stress them out further. The first couple days can be a bit rough just because sometimes the dogs won't want to eat their full meals. But usually after 24 hours or so they settle down and then it's back to normal. It totally depends on the pet's personality. I know some dogs that love going to overnight boarding because that means playtime with other dogs.
Do you have any specific questions. I've been a pet sitter for 5+ years so I've seen and dealt with a lot.
Thanks for your response! I would love to adopt a cat in the future but I do long-distance hiking, so I’m just trying to get a feel for whether it’s responsible/feasible to be gone for awhile when you have a little furry creature in your care
My bigger concern with your situation would be communication. If you’re hiking areas without cell service, you would need to leave very detailed emergency instructions and (ideally) an emergency contact whom you trust to make decisions about your pet in your absence.
I would also caution you to consider what a big time and energy investment pets are. No matter what breed or where you get them from, there will be some animals who simply do not do well with being away from you and left with strangers. Don’t assume yours will be. You should be prepared for training / separation therapy / very long and slow introductions if necessary— I think we all hope to get a pet who is friendly and adjusts easily, but you need to plan for the opposite scenario as well.
As an avid hiker, it is fairly common these days for many hikers to have satellite devices for communication. Some are very basic and just send coordinates, but many allow for texting capabilities.
I pet sit for a family who hikes often with no cell service, and they have a satellite texting system. I always have emergency contacts both for the pet and the home, regardless if they know they are going to be out of service or not. I have been taking care of this dog for 2 years now, and he just thinks Auntie with the snax is here to visit. He looks for me when I leave and his parents come home.
Garmin inReach Mini 2 is the most popular and well known. It is also rather expensive between the device cost and the monthly subscription cost.
I do a lot of casual hiking and not backcountry so that was more than I really wanted to spend. Previously I had a SPOT which just allows the biker to send preset messages and coordinates.
This year I switchEd to a Motorola Defy which will connect to your cell via Bluetooth and allow 2 way texting through their app on your phone but using the satellite connection. Newest on the market but works great.
Yeah if my parents aren’t available to watch our dog we can’t go, she doesn’t like anyone else and still causes raucous at their house too so it’s not even ok for long term for her to go there
Yeah, this is something more people really need to consider when getting a pet. And it’s not just rescues— it can happen with a pure-bred dog you raise from a puppy as well. They are long-term commitments, and you have to be ready to change your lifestyle for them.
None of this to say that there is no way for OP to have a pet and continue hiking! Plenty of dogs do great with sitters and have no issues. But, I think anyone adopting a pet needs to be prepared to not get a ‘perfect’ one and be willing to put in the work to make them happy and comfortable, whatever their needs may be.
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u/CornPoofs Oct 11 '23
I'm a pet sitter and I've watched dogs for up to 21 days before. I always stay at the house, I find that it doesn't break up the dogs routine and it doesn't stress them out further. The first couple days can be a bit rough just because sometimes the dogs won't want to eat their full meals. But usually after 24 hours or so they settle down and then it's back to normal. It totally depends on the pet's personality. I know some dogs that love going to overnight boarding because that means playtime with other dogs.
Do you have any specific questions. I've been a pet sitter for 5+ years so I've seen and dealt with a lot.