My Dilemma
 

I am losing sleep over this.

My niece is getting married in July. She lives a two-hour drive from me, and the wedding is a half an hour drive from where she lives. The entire event will last
7 - 8 hours. I won't have a car, as I will be riding with others. I would be totally lost getting to and from the area if I took my car.

My little girl is 10 years old. She has only wet in my home about three times, and pooped around 4 times. This occurs when I come home to find the smoke alarm batteries chirping as they are dying, fireworks that the neighbors set off one time in August, etc.

I can leave her at my brothers house, but fear she may need to go to the bathroom while I am gone. She could probably hold her bladder if she were home, but surely she will be nervous being away from home, and alone with another small dog (they get along well) that long.

I tried a human baby diaper on her the other week for two hours, and it stayed on, and did not seem to bother her.

Would it be cruel to put a diaper on her for 8 hours? If she did soil it,
I would bathe her right away hoping she does not get a urinary tract infection.

I don't know what else to do. She goes crazy in a crate, and no way could I crate her this long. She is a perfect girl in my eyes, so this is very hard for me.
I don't trust anyone else keeping her but family, and they will all be with me.
My parents live across the street, so she hardly is ever alone. She is very spoiled and loved.

OK, sorry this is so long. Basically, I would like to know if it is OK to diaper her for 8 hours or so.

Thanks.

Kate

You could diaper your dog I guess but I don't think its nice to the dog.
Realistically I'm guessing she'd hold it or get stressed, lots of potty breaks needed.

Putting a belly band in a boy to prevent marking is different.

Kenneling works if you provide adequate space to have a food/water, sleep, play and a potty area.

Have you ever used an in home pet sitter?

Doggy day care?

Kenneling at the vets?

I will be there three days before the wedding and would not leave her in my hometown kennel that long. If I kennel her in the town the wedding is held,
that will not work as we are driving home that night, and the kennel will be closed at that hour.

I don't feel comfortable leaving her with a pet sitter that I don't know anything about, but I guess I could check into that before hand. My family lives in the country, so that would be quite a trip to get her to a pet sitter within 20 miles.

Something to think about though.

My brother's dog has no problem holding his bladder, and I am sure Sadie could do it too if she was in her own living environment.

Thanks.

My doggy daycare is 24 hours for pick up and there is always someone there even when they are "closed".

Is it common other doggy day cares are not staffed at times?

If so-that seems so unacceptable to me.s

We have a pet sitter through our vet but she advertises on Angie's list and Sitter City-a pet sitter should travel to and sit at your location.
I know semi paranoid sounding but we have security cams in and out of our home-cheap nanny cams so far they have only been utalized as the dog nanny cam lol-just inform a pet sitter should you gave one that you utalize nanny cams.

8 hours is a long time to expect a dog to hold it, plus maybe longer...yikes is she pad trained at all?

No, she is not pad trainee.

I know 8 hours is a long time, but what do working people do? I am retired.

I think that if she really needed to go that she would go in her diaper.
I would hate for her to be in a wet diaper, but at least she would not damage my
brother's floors.

I am really planning to be back sooner than that, but this would be the worst case scenario.

I wish you lived near me. Your facility sounds very well organized.

Thanks.

You could call your vets office- Many vet techs also do pet sitting. At least you would know them.

My groomer does pet sitting. When she grooms mine cagefree- It is only my dogs and her personal dogs. She only pet sits for her customers!

My neighbors will take mine to potty if me, my parents, and brother go away only for the day. 12 hrs would be 2 potty breaks. 8 hrs is 1 potty break.

I use petsitters that come to my house. The dogs stay with their routines and a Petsitter cleans up after them and feeds and does their hair, etc. I use professional petsitters who are insured and in business doing it. It's worked out well for us for ten years now. I suggest you hire someone

Is there a tile floor bathroom you could leave her in with water, food and paper for potty instead of diapers? I think leaving her at home with a pet sitter would be the ideal situation. Good luck.

I would check on that area for a Petsuites or something similar. Or do you have a friend that could go along with you and "puppy sit" while you attend the wedding?

I really think she would be more comfortable in her own home. If you are concerned about your carpeting you could maybe put her in the kitchen with a bed and her food dishes and put a gate up. Make sure you leave a light on for her for when it gets dark. (Gracie freaks out if she is left home in the dark)

The only other thing I can think of is having someone stop by to let her out to go potty while you are gone. If you can't do that then try leaving a potty pad in the room with her. She might use it if she felt she had to.

I'm confused :( are you leaving for the day of the wedding only or for several days?

If it's for the day, I believe she would be much better at home maybe closed off in the living/family or kitchen area so atleast she has familiar surrounds... you can always just clean up where she pottied, when we must leave the house for several hours, we leave the lights on inside and outside too and the tv with nice cartoons playing.

-I would not put a diaper on her - what if something happens and you are running late -to have that soiled and against her skin can't be healthy -what if she poopies running and that is all over her all day :confused:

If it's several days you will be gone, you have to try and find someone super duper trustworthy to babysit her :( I would hate being in your position right now, can't be easy :( after all they are our babies.

I agree I would not put a diaper on. If she had to poop she would have it in the diaper all day. And on her hair. Not wat you want to clean up after a wedding. I would put her in a kitchen or bathroom with food and water. I would put some paper or pee pads in one corner away from her food and bed. If she had to go she would probably go there.

what about an xpen with potty pads?? i wouldnt leave her in a diaper that long..jmo. i wish you luck with finding a solution.

We take Columbo everywhere with us. He freaks out when left in a crate, but is just fine when left in an ex-pen. I have one that is extremely light-weight (much lighted than even a crate) and very easy to travel with and set up. Here is the link to the kind I have: SeaBreeze Petite Pens - A lightweight solution to heavy exercise pens I usually give him a bed in the pen and a little extra room to move around. If I don't have a bed with me, then I'll use a comforter or blanket from the house I'm staying in. The pen is adjustable to different sizes, so I can make it whatever size I need, it does not have to be set up very big. If you are worried about pottying in the house, then set it up on a tile or vinyl floor that can be easily cleaned up. If you introduce your baby to it before you go in July, she should be ok. It is not as confining as a crate, so they usually aren't as upset in there.

I think it would be mean to use diapers on her especially if she used it and had to sit in it for hours and hours.