Preparing Myself and Missy for boarding.

The last few days I have been struggling with the idea of boarding Missy while we travel for a few days. Usually, she comes with us or someone we know watches her. After all, she's my baby, I want her to be safe and with me whenever I can have her.

Missy used to be known as the great traveling puppy. My husband and I adopted Missy a month after I moved to Kentucky with him. We weren't married yet, I wasn't working or going to school for the first time in my life. She instantly became my companion. We joke that she is my dog and not his, but lets be real, everyone who has ever had a pet knows they pick one person to be theirs. 

Missy moved from Kentucky to Georgia, then South Carolina and Arizona, and now back to the south. She's lived in apartments on the first floor and the third floor, she stayed with her grandparents for awhile when my husband was in Missouri for 3 months, she had a yard with AstroTurf in Arizona. Missy has lived more places in her short 4 years than more people live in their lifetimes. 

One of her many trips to beach in Georgia.

She's made friends big and small, and is always able to hold her own with the big dogs but loves when her small friends come to visit.

Missy with her Uncle Cooper, the first time they met.

Instant best friends.

I was concerned when thinking about boarding her, she was owner surrendered in Kentucky at 12 weeks old. Someone paid to have her spayed and then brought her to the humane society for whatever reason. She is sweet as can be and was very timid when we first adopted her. I'll never understand why that person surrendered her, but I like to think it happened for a reason because I couldn't imagine moving all over without her. 

Missy adjusts to the changes we put her through so easily, which is what I have to remember while we board her. I, on the other hand, do not adjust easily to not seeing her everyday. When we realized that she was not going to be able to travel with us on this trip, I immediately started my own panic because I am overly attached to my animal. I kept asking myself if she could handle being boarded or if she was going to have terrible separation anxiety, I know I am going to. 

We live in a small town in the south that doesn't have doggy day care or anything super fancy, so I started researching veterinarians in the area. It is 2015 after all, I am a firm believer in a legitimate website, no matter how big or small the place and it should definitely have a Facebook page. So I found a handful online and made a list of the places I wanted to look at around town. Since veterinarians are our only option, it actually gave me a little more piece of mind, that if something happened they will be able to help her as soon as possible.

Then I obnoxiously annoyed my best friends and husband with the websites to get their opinions and if they agreed with the ones I was looking into. My best friend, who is the dog mom of a beagle rescue and a goofy little pug, gave me the reassurance I needed and said she would take her dogs there depending on customer service and the people.

So the next step to easing my anxiety was visiting the office.

This morning I was able to walk in and talk to all the people that work at the office, I took a tour of where they keep the dogs and see that they only boarded a few at a time. I even met the veterinarian and the vet techs.

When Missy was just a puppy we crate trained her for the first year. If we left, she was in the crate, when we were in bed, she was in her crate. She still loves her crate to this day, she doesn't use it as much anymore but if she's uncomfortable or nervous she will get in it, because she knows that is her space and she is safe. I think this is going to come in handy while she is boarded because she isn't afraid of it and knows it is a safe space.

The receptionist at the office told me I could bring anything I wanted her to have while we are gone. I can bring her beloved bed, her favorite blanket, toys, Nylabones and her food. Of course, I started thinking about all the things I think she will need and then reminded myself that she sleeps all day, even when I am with her.

Her current position while I wrote this post.

So I have decided to make a list for myself so I don't look like a total nut job bringing everything I have for her. I am definitely bringing her dog bed and her favorite blanket, I am going to limit myself to just 2 toys. Right now she is loving her Nylabone again and she could stay busy chewing on it for hours and just bringing one of her squeaker toys that she will play with alone. And I will bring enough food for her stay to keep her on the same thing so she won't be bothered by something else.

I think this is really more for me to move past my separation anxiety, than it is for her. We have moved this dog all over country, to countless new houses, she's traveled many hours in the back seat of the car. I know she doesn't love the car rides but she does it because she trusts us. I just hope she keeps trusting us but something tells me she will come back from her small vacation with more friends and smile on her face.



The adventure continues....