I think that I am going to end up doing what most of you have been doing...taking Wes and Maddie with me. It's not that I don't love having them with me. I just find that sometimes it's hard to just relax and enjoy other things when I have them with me because I'm always thinking about them first.

I think I'm going to try and do my best to ease them into traveling so maybe they'll enjoy it too. My boyfriend and I would really love to start camping, so I think we're going to try to get them used to it by first spending a few day trips in a camping setting, then spend one night, then slowly move it up to a couple nights.

I agree with all of you...they love spending time with their parents! Mine would love nothing more than to be with me every minute of every day (and they love a few treats now and then too) :p

We hardly ever go on vacation due to my husbands job, but we did go stay the week in Topeka, Ks when my hubby returned from Iraq....We went to a debriefing classes and the Engineer Ball. Grandpa came and stayed with them will we were gone. They love thier Grandpa. Grandpa watched them alot while daddy was gone in Iraq.

We've done all of the above! A couple of times we've taken Jaxon with us - either by car or plane. That's my preference but it can't always be done. The 2nd option is having a friend stay at our house to look after him. That way he's at home, everything is the same as always. We don't have family nearby so unfortunately that's not an option. We have also boarded him once for a few days. I absolutely bawled when I left him and it was very hard. I know he was well taken care of, but it's still tough. There are a lot of good boarding facilities around - just takes some research to find them.

With my first Yorkie (she's gone now) :( I would leave her home with my family, also a friend kept her a few times...I also boarded her. I kept her at her vet/groomers/kennel. I trusted them.

I now have a 17 month Yorkie that I have yet to leave...I just can't bring myself to leave him yet.

I board mine at my groomers too. She takes them home with her

Wow, that's wonderful!! Lucky you!

Funny this post was started just as I'm stressing about our trip this weekend. We got Tatum as a puppy when we were living with my MIL while building our house so she loves "Grandmother" and we leave her with my MIL whenever we have to go somewhere. Turns out though that she is going to the same place we are this weekend so she can't keep her. A neighbor of ours has a boarding kennel which is were we leave Stormie, our Australian Shepherd but I just don't like it for Tatum. This is an "indoor" kennel but is still not "the life" that Tatum is used to. When we had our toy poodle, we would always board him at the vet because of his health. I knew he was getting the best of care there but I just can't imagine Tatum being in a "cage" all day and night (Thursday through Sunday).

So...... long story short (too late!), we have decided to take her with us. We're traveling with our Airstream (travel trailer) so when I have to (like when we go eat or something), I can leave her in there. The rest of the time, she'll just have a ball hanging out with us I hope! We are competing at the Red Stegall Cowboy Gathering Chuckwagon competition. I don't actually do any of the cooking (that's my husband and his uncle's job) so I usually get bored anyway just sitting around. Our kids are old enough to run around themselves and have their little cousins to play with and watch over too so this will give me a "good excuse" to retire to the Airstream occasionally because "Tatum needs to rest"! ;)

Any Ft. Worth people here that are planning to go to this thing this weekend? If so, come introduce yourselves!! We are the "Rocking T" chuckwagon and if we're in the same place as last year, we'll be the first one set up at the end. If I'm not there when you come by, just ask for "Tatums Mom"! My husband will be one of the cowboys doing the cooking.

Well, you all have some good times and yummy vittles.:D I just know you will enjoy yourself much more with Chachi with you.

Usually, a close family member spends the night with our dogs at our house. We have yet to consider boarding if we go on vacation but our dogs aren't to update with the shots, so boarding is kinda out of the question, LOL. Sometimes we take them with us, everything goes pretty well except barking yorkies at rest stops in the middle of the night.

Generally we go to Disney World (27 more days..woo hoo) and my dad stays home with all the dogs...theirs and ours. He is happy as a lark and I think sometimes sad to see us come back!:(

Aww....he's just enjoying his special time with all the "fur grandkids"! I think that is great your dad helps you out!! And to obviously enjoy it, what a wonderful man:)

He he he...3 of those fur kids are his.;)

I'll usually travel with Gigi. When she doesn't travel with me, she usually stays with her Nana. She loves..loves..loves all the treats and attention her Nana gives her.

When I go on vacations with the family, she goes with us. I will usually research ahead of time for Doggie Daycare facilities and/or pet sitters (you can customize what you need) This summer, we went to Walt Disney World. I found a great facility...Dog Day Afternoon which offered day camp. I would drop Gigi off in the am and pick her up in the evening when we were done going to the different parks. Dog Day Afternoon had live cameras...so I was able to log on and check on her.

Sugarpig

well you just said that your baby gets upset when he's not home
so I don't think you should board him

I think it's better to have a friend come over and feed them and play with them a few hours a day

the people working at the boarding would be really distraught if your baby didn't eat!

My mom keeps them when I go on vacation. They are used to that environment and I am sure that they enjoy it.

I've tried taking them on weekend vacations and as much as I love them, it's just to much. I don't like leaving them alone (who knows when housekeeping or someone is going to come in) and it makes it hard to do things and go out to dinner.

We took our Missy on a two week vacation this past summer and it went perfectly. We had never traveled with a dog before and didn't know exactly what we would encounter, but there were no problems. Hotels were very accepting and reasonable in their extra charges...usually $10. Many of the shops we were at had no problem with her accompanying us. I took along a "dog purse," but didn't need to use it. She was welcomed on leash. She was pleasantly greeted everywhere we went and was the beginning of many conversations.
I take her with me on any small trips that are feasible and she loves to ride in the car.
If I had to leave her behind, I would choose a friend before boarding her because of bad experiences with fleas and other illnesses that can be shared.
Mostly, we love having her with us!