Dogs, the holiday problems they cause.

My husband and I are proud owners of 2 of the most beautiful dogs on the planet. Our little one, a shitzu, has extreme attachment disorder and can not be kenneled. We tried, we didn't even make it to Ocean City when the vet called to tell us that she had to be sedated because she was hyperventalating. When we got back to pick her up, she had bloodly dyherria and almost died. Needless to say, we don't even attempt to kennel her anymore. The other dog, a giant malamute, doesn't do well in kennels either.

We love our dogs. They are members of our family. Call us weird, and maybe we are, but that is the way it is.

We do not travel if we can't A) get a friend to either stay at our home and dog sit, or B) can't bring the dogs with us.

Normally, during the non-holiday times of the year, this isn't a huge issue because our dogs are incredibly sweet and we have friends line up to watch them. Plus we have the big tv and the video game systems and so our home becomes sort of a bed and breakfast retreat for our friends. And we pay them, of course!!

Holiday season creates lots of challenges with the dogs, however. My in-laws all live far, far away, so if we try to do a big holiday gathering, normally my husband and I are left out. We have no problem taking the dogs with us to visit any of them, it's that they have a problem with our dogs. They have their own dogs (of the miniature variety) and think that our dogs will eat their dogs. And frankly, the shitzu might... it's a fair problem.

So, my fellow dog owners who are looking for solutions as the christmas time rolls around... you can send your baby to my house because I'll be here this christmas!!!

Otherwise, it is time for a very frank talk with your family. We had to have that talk for Tahnksgiving, this year. It is not a fun one, but you will leave feeling better despite everything.

Here is what we had to do:

Thanksgiving was to be here, in Maryland, but at the last minute my sister-in-law decided she wanted to host thanksgiving because she has 5 kids and it's too difficult to travel, whatever, my in-laws declared that Thanksiving was to be held there. We asked, as nicely as possible, if we could bring our pets. She said no, which as a hostess she has every right to and I don't fault her one bit. We then had to explain to all of the family who were purchasing plane tickets to get to her home in the middle of the country, that no, we would not be coming because we couldn't find anyone to take care of our dogs. My mother-in-law fought with us tooth and nail to get us to try to kennel our dogs (which is a medical impossiblity for one of the 2 dogs, she'll die) and we didn't do it. We did not show up for Thanksgiving.
I honestly do not think that they believed that we weren't coming until they sat down at the meal and we weren't there. It was the first Thanksgiving that the entire family was not all together, but what were we to do? Leave the dogs unattended for 3 days? Risk one of them dying? No way, for us that is unreasonable.

So, we didn't go. We made a stand. My in-laws now know that we are serious, we will not attend if we can't bring the dogs. It has actually made our lives a lot easier. I am sorry my husband didn't get to see his family at Thanksgiving (and worse yet, he spent it with mine who welcomed the dogs more then they welcomed us) but I am glad we we talked with them, took a stand, and stuck to it.

Christmas next year is HERE so everyone can be together.

Dog owners, if you can't find a good home for your pets while you travel and feel stuck in a corner, it's ok. We've been there. Your absence is worse for the people who are there then it is for you and honestly, you won't regret the decision to stay home.