I'm back

I'm back; I've been away for a week and it is good to be home. Believe it or not we had sunny 70 degree weather and snow in Canada on our trip; very cool. We received a wonderful homecoming last night and it feels great to be back with the dogs. I miss them like mad when I'm away and this trip away did not supply the dog companionship that I needed. I often am surrounded by family dogs but not this trip. There were a few scattered meetings here and there; one really great shoot but that's it. So I was in need of some canines when I got home. Enjoying breakfast in bed this morning surrounded by my dogs did the trick and now I'm back in the swing of things.

We had a new petsitter this trip away; she was wonderful. It is so important when you go away that you have someone you have complete trust in to care for your dogs or you simply don't have a good time. We've been very lucky with our sitters and so far the dogs have loved them all. It can be very time consuming researching and interviewing sitter candidates but in the long run more than worth your time and effort.

Recommendations are very important; if other people have used a sitter and love them then that is definitely a starting point. After interviewing the person; do you feel 100% comfortable with leaving your dog's in their hands? If you don't then keep interviewing; you really need to go with your gut with this one. We opt to have a stay in sitter; I think it is the best way to go. But there are other options for your dogs when you are away. Many doggy daycares do overnights and if your dog is one that is accustom to going to daycare that can be a great option.

Let your neighbors know that you will be away so that if anything is out of the ordinary they will take notice. Make sure to leave lots of information about your dog with your sitter; I basically write a novel. I feel like the more individual info you give them the better they can deal with anything that might arise. Like I always write; dogs are all individuals so throwing them all in a bucket and treating them as a whole is just not the way to go. My pack consists of three very different personalities and it is important for me to let the sitter know just who they are and how they react to stimulus.

Making sure that you feel just as comfortable as your dogs will while you are away is essential for a good trip for all.

So glad to be back. ;)