Canada's pet information center - Dogs cats pets are welcome - Pets.ca

You might treat your dog like part of the family, but sometimes you can’t bring it everywhere with you. For example, you don’t think twice about leaving it at home or in the car while you’re grocery shopping. But when it comes to leaving your pet behind while you go on vacation, it becomes a more difficult decision. There are a variety of reasons that people choose not to take their dogs with them on vacation. Sometimes it is simply impossible; perhaps you are going on a cruise that doesn’t allow pets or are entering a country that has a long quarantine period. Quarantine is something that some countries require for animals entering the country. Pets have to stay isolated for a few days to weeks in order to ensure that they do not have any diseases.
           
Other times, it is simply too stressful to bring your dog on vacation. Maybe you have a nervous dog that would not be able to handle being in a strange place or perhaps the seven hour flight to Europe would be way too long. On the other hand, sometimes travelling with your dog would be too stressful for you. Your dog might limit you from doing certain things or going to certain places while you are on vacation. So you decide that you will take your vacation without your dog.
           
You may feel guilty, nervous, or concerned, especially if this is the first time you have left your dog for more than a day. How will it react? Will your pet think that you abandoned it? Will it hate you when you come back from your vacation? Will it go crazy and refuse to eat and bark non-stop the whole time you’re gone? When you got a dog, you agreed to take on a responsibility to care for and love this animal. So it is perfectly natural to feel guilty about leaving it behind for a few days or weeks.This concern just shows that you take your responsibility for your pet’s happiness seriously. With proper preparation, you can make this a good experience for both you and your pet.
           
First of all, what are your options?
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