The Trouble with Travel

This Thanksgiving, we were lucky to be able to travel as a family to Florida to visit my grandparents for the holiday. While McGee is not crazy about car rides (especially 14 hour car rides), we were so happy to be able to take her with us. We were able to find a pet friendly hotel near my grandma and grandpa's home and, although she did get lonely when we had to leave her in the room, having McGee with us during the holidays really helps bring stress levels down.

You might be thinking, "Oh, that's cute. She has her dog there to snuggle and it makes her feel more relaxed after a day of Black Friday shopping."

Well, actually no, that's not it at all. First and foremost, it's my dog who needs the snuggling to reduce her stress level. Secondly, I think Black Friday is a horror show, but that's for a different post on an altogether separate blog.

You see, the thing about my little dogfriend is that she poses many problems for us when it comes to traveling during the holiday season. Or any season. I struggle so much with the idea of leaving her anywhere that I am more likely to pass on a trip than to take a risk when it comes to her care and keeping while I am away.



Enjoying a break from her accommodations.

What am I worried about? Well, for a dog like McGee, staying with strangers is not an option. She won't eat or sleep, she's afraid of strange places and people unless she has Dog Dad or me their to encourage her to be brave, and she certainly can't stay with anybody who owns another dog.

Or a cat.
Or a ferret.
Guinea pig.
Rabbit.
Bird.
Maybe a fish would work out ok as long as it was on a high shelf.

And let me ask this: what are the odds that someone who owns only a fish will know what to do with a leash reactive, scared of strangers, insomniac dog? I'm sure that magical person exists someplace in the world, but if they are in my neck of the woods I either haven't met them yet or, more likely, can't afford their help. We've worked so hard to help McGee become a more well adjusted dog, I'd hate for all our work to be inadvertently undone.

There is the option of kenneling her in a boarding facility, but The McGee is so quick to morph into a doggie version of Eeyore that I shudder at the thought of leaving her all alone in a kennel run for days on end, even with the most loving of attendants checking on her. And again, unless they've got a true dog whisperer on staff, the likelihood of her getting playgroup time is pretty slim.



Last day at the hotel. Clearly the novelty has worn off.

Last year at Christmas time, we drove to Wisconsin and brought our McGee with us. It was a brilliant idea, until we realized that every single family home comes with it's own set of dogs. McGee found herself sequestered to an upstairs bedroom where, though visited often and cozy as a bear in a den, she spent many lonely hours wishing for company while everyone else played games and snuggled with my mom's menagerie of tiny dogs.

It's a difficult situation when spending time with loved ones means a plethora of incompatible canine companions. Before we had a dog, I dreamt of taking my future pet home and watching him frolic in the snow with my uncle's Labradors or snooze on the couch with my dad's two little monsters. I hoped for family dog walks in the park and an understanding between the dogs that because their humans are all kin, they should love one another too.

Unfortunately, I have come to understand very clearly that dog brains do not work this way and pushing for my dog to develop any relationship faster than her comfort will allow is selfish on my part. But still, she is undoubtedly my family, and while I love my human relatives and treasure the time I spend with them, I am still racked with guilt when my loyal dog cannot share some of the happiest days of the year at my side.

This Thanksgiving, I was just so thankful to have my McGee close at hand.

How do you manage your pets and the pets of your extended family during the holiday season?