Please help with my anxiety!!!!
 

we leave on Monday for 5 WONDERFUL days in NYC, but i've never been so torn about going away. We are leaving Layla with her babysitter who she LOVES, but i cry just thinking about it. She goes on Friday for a trial run... her babysitter says it is more for me than for Layla... she is right :p i'm a mess about leaving her.... i don't know how i'm going to do it Friday let alone Monday.... i feel like i'm leaving her forever, even though i know i'm comin back to get her... but what if something happens.... what if she thinks i've left her.... i'm so worried she will cry to let her babysitter know that she needs to go out at night but her babysitter won't hear her. Layla sleeps in a crate and she is level with my bed so i can hear her.. although she rarely wakes up at nnight.. but when she doens't.. she's not kidding.. she NEEDS to go out... i'm worried there is going ot be too much activity at the house for her... our days are quiet... or what if she gets lost... or sick.... i'm just making MYSELF sick about this... i'm just worried it is a bad idea... and I KNOW people leave their dogs all the time in worse places than Layla is going (Which honest to God is ideal...) maybe those that have left their pups for the first time already can just tell me she will be fine.. she wont' hate me and you'd do it again....

I totally understand your concerns! As long as you trust Layla's babysitter, she will be fine. Just make sure you go over all your fears and concerns, she will understand. Layla WILL forgive you, and she will be so happy to see you when you come home. When Jake was 5 mos. old, I had to go into the hospital for surgery. I worried more about him than anything else that was going on, and I missed him terribly! I don't know why I worried because he was in excellent hands with my hubby and son, and my daughter came to stay with him too. Jake has always been such a mommy's boy that I was afraid that would change. But ya know what? It didn't change one bit. When I came home, he was extremely happy to see me, and he went right back to being a mommy's boy lol.

Try to relax, although I KNOW it's hard. Have FUN on your trip! You deserve it!!!

Oh do I hear you. I was almost sick when I left Wylie in the past; now that we have teeny Marcel - it'll be worse.

She will be okay. The only thing I know that helped me was to "prep" the caretaker for as much as possible....i.e., written instructions, toys, food, habits, favorites, etcetera. And, stressing safety issues ad nauseum.

It really is tough, so I totally understand...but have confidence that she'll be okay, that it'll be WAY harder on you than her, and that she'll forget you were even gone once you're reunited. Try to enjoy....

Okay girl, take a deep breath, and look at the whole situation...I know where you coming from, but you must trust your babysitter or you wouldn't even let her around Layla, and you have to pray and have faith....She will be fine, its hard but you need to get away and have some fun also, and just think of all the kissing and love you will receive when you get home, when I have left mine for a few days in the past I was devested and so excited to see them, that when I got home it was like I never left( it was me having the hard time not them):) ...so don't worry so much, have a great time....:D

I have never left mine for longer then a day, just wanted to tell you to go and have a great time and she will smother you with all her wonderful yorkie kisses when you get home:) :) I know its so hard not to worry, cause we are good mommies, she knows that;) best to you, have fun:D

Marci - it really will be okay, but you'll miss her like crazy and worry about her till you get back and that will be even with you calling to check on her every day at least once!!!!!!

You are a perfectly normal and sane Yorkie loving mommy!!!! I'm leaving tomorrow till Sunday night and my girls are staying with my friend Linda (Fancypants) and her two boys, Henry & Cameron. She has had her boys twice as long as I've had my girls and I know I will talk to her daily to check on the girls. I'm sure they will have fun playing with the boys, but I'll still worry.

Hugs to you!!!

I agree with all the others; and you can call anytime I'm sure to make sure things are going alright! It's normal to worry about someone you love and who you're so used to being with, but I think sometimes it's good for us to be away from them so they don't totally decompensate in times of emergencies if you had to be gone for awhile. And I think it's good for us too to get away and have a little less responsibility 24/7. Have a good time, even if you have to call several times a day, LOL.

Definitely Layla will be fine.
But you on the other hand, oh boy, it will be tough for you.
I left Momiji with wonderful yorkie mom (another yt member) and she LOVED it there.
She didn't want to come home with me since she gained 2 sisters!!!
One anther time I had to leave her at pet hotel, well that was not very good.
I'm sure they did O.K. job but compare to leave her with someone from YT who understand our precious baby is no comparison.
She came back with messed hair, matted hair, and stink.....
So think about it, Layla will be pampered by your babysitter!!!!

I do have a suggestion. If Layla has a favorite blanket, make sure you sleep with it for a couple nights before you leave to get your scent on it. I did this with Jake, plus I left him one of my shirts. My husband said he always curled up with the blanket and shirt when he slept. That might help Layla.

Hey! i wasn't sure if i should do that or not. She has blankets in her crate that have HER scent on them... should i put my shirt in there too?? maybe i'll just put a tshirt in with her.. i was going ot put my sweatshirt but that might be too much! thanks for the advice!

You poor thing! I can understand how you feel. I'm sure Layla will not only be fine, she'll be spoiled and pampered! You, on the other hand, are understandably having a slight nervous breakdown. You're leaving your little baby!

You will live through this, and she'll have a ball!

Sending you a big hug.

Judy

Your anxiety is understandable, but most likely unwarrented. I too feel terrible when I have to leave my babies...for any length of time, especially if I have somewhere I need to go just after arriving home from work. I even worried about them (unnecessarily) when I left them with my sister for a couple of days. I love and trust my sister whole-heartedly, but still fretted over my babies not getting the attention they get from me. But when I picked them up, guess what? They were perfectly fine and still loved me just as much as ever. So as long as you know and trust your babysitter (and better even that Layla loves her), Layla will be just fine and ready to give you lots and lots of kisses on your return. Try to relax and enjoy your trip!

Oh I completely understand, because of this reason, I haven't left mine. I only left Otis once for 2 days, but since I've gotten Oliver, I haven't. I find a zillion excuses not to go anywhere. One of these days I'll find someone I trust to stay here with them and I'll get away. Enjoy yourself, have a great time, Layla will be wonderful, and very happy to see you.

PS There is this thing called a telephone, and you can call daily to check on her. It is so difficult to leave them, but AlaskaYorkie left his kids for two weeks. Check his thread, and he was also very concerned.

Take care, enjoy your trip and she will be so glad to see you when you return. Warmly, Deborah

I've been on both sides of that one.
Whenever we leave them, Chuck is ready to come back home after one day. I can usually make him hold out another day. Then it's back home to see the kids...because "they" can't sleep without "him".
We have watched other people's puppies and it usually takes a day for them to settle down and then they adapt rather quickly. Layla will be fine, I'm sure. You can call & check on her, right? Relax and have a good time, take lots of pictures. You do not need to experience all of this anxiety, it isn't good for you.

I'm sure she'll be just fine! I agree with the tshirt with your scent on it, it even works for human babies:laugh: My girls are super attached to Daddy, and they both will go and lay on his bathrobe that he leaves on the bed every morning, when he leaves:laugh:

Have a good time, and just think of the greeting you're going to get when you get back:D

Thanks Jeanie :) you are right... anxiety is the last thing i need right now... no wonder i'm stomach has been bad lately.. i'll try and stay calm :) this is the one time i'm SO glad she doens't sleep with me and that she LOVES her crate. i think this will make bed time easier because it is HER space that she can go and is familiar....
i can call and check on her but i'm not sure i want to... i'll just miss her SO much more if i hear about what a great time she is having. and i know if she is having a tough time Lee (her babysitter) will let me know... i'm thinking i might call Wednesday... mid way.... and otherwise i've given her 3 numbers she can contact me at :p i think if i just focus on where i am and what i'm doing i'll be less upset.... but who knows.. i'm sure i'll arrive and have to call right away :p

I feel for you SO MUCH! I am not going to leave mine until NEXT SUMMER and I am already stressing about it... I have no idea who I will trust her with..
only the vet but I dont want her left there alone at night... so AHHHH I dont know what to do....
Good Luck to you! I hope you have a great story to tell about her "visit" when you get home....
d

I understand your anxiety...I've never left Winston for more then several hours. But I know it can be done...many do it, without any problems. Just think of the fun you'll have, all those puppy kisses, when you get home!!!

Take one of the pup's toys with you; call home every day; put a picture on your cell phone. Enjoy your vacation--your baby will be in good hands.

A t-shirt or sweatshirt is fine, just so it has your scent on it.:)

thanks for the post
 

I am leaving tede-bare with daddy for 8 nights:eek: I understand. he won't feed with the spoon.. he'll starve, he':hearts-en :teddy: ll get a cold.. he wont know how to treat a tummy upset or the alleragys........:eek: :eek: I know what you are going through.... thanks for the company
jg:p

Marci! It will be ok, I promise! I know it's hard to leave them, but she will be fine! She will be sad, and a little out of sorts for probably 12 hours. (Becayse she'll miss you-and she should miss you, that's ok!) The next day, she'll be fine, and adjust to her new environment.

When we leave the furgirls at daycare, I don't worry at all. I do call, and make sure they're behaving themselves, and to make sure there aren't any questions, but I know that they are being well taken care of. Before I leave, I update and email this explicit list of instructions/information to our babysitter. It has everything on it, from who eats what and when, to what to do when Milli was teething, and vet numbers/names to potty habits, to our contact info. I know that other doggie moms and dads make fun of how thorough I am with this, but why take a chance? My 15 minutes of updating might help answer questions the babysitter might have, and it might help my dogs feel more at home while I'm away. I can send you ours if you want to use it as a template-just PM me if you want to see ours. I'm happy to share, as long as you don't call me crazy for everything that's on it!

I also send their crates with blankets (sleep with the blanket the night before you go, and then put it in there), a couple favorite toys that can stand up to being "shared" with "friends" ;) their treats, harnesses, leashes, etc. All of their own stuff makes them feel more at home.

I think the hardest part is not how Layla will do away from home, but how you will do away from Layla ;) Try not to worry, or she'll feel that you're anxious, and become anxious too. My mom used to have a cat that would throw up every time he saw a suitcase. Why? Not because he was sick, but because he would pretend to be sick so she would stay home with him! Kind of funny-but it's interesting to think about who had who trained!

Hope all that helps. Good luck!

I wasn't kidding when I said you may telephone. If it helps you relax, call daily and you will be able to have a great time without worry. Take care, Deborah

I know exactly how you feel. Hubby and I have just got back from a 4 day trip to the mountains. I left mine with my son & his gf - they live in a cottage in MY garden, and I still felt like I was abandoning them! Needless to say they were fine. Just kissed and licked like crazy when we got home.

I babysat a friends Yorkie for two weeks while she went to Isreal, he missed her for about a day then settled down and had fun with my two. He did go bananas when she returned.

You are quite normal, enjoy your trip:)

oh marci! it'll be oky ..and i know EXACTLY what you are talking about.

I left kikko and i swear i emailed my boss every other day!! lucky for me, he knew how worried i was and took pictures and told me everything was oky.

i highly suggest the t-shirt idea, i did that with kikko and it did seem to help the separation a bit (also helped me too b/c at least i knew that kikko would remember how i smelled like. haha) apparently he slept on it everyday i was gone.

if you have a webcam and so does the babysitter, you could video conference ... anyways, don't worry hun, just TRY to have as much fun as you can. then when you come home spoil layla rotten! hahaha she'll love it!

I'm sure Layla is going to be fine, but of course you'll miss her and worry about her, it's expected.

I agree with the t-shirt idea. :thumbup: Today was my first day back at work and Gizmo slept on my pillow almost all morning. By the afternoon he was more alert and playful.

Phone call: I called to check on things and my husband said that Gizmo heard me on the phone and started getting excited, like he recognized my voice!! Has this happened to anyone else? I know they are smart, but to recognize your voice on the phone? So, I text-messaged him when I checked in later. Good thing he doesn't read. :rolleyes:

Take photos of her with you. It helped me today to show his photo to some of my co-workers. I even set up a bulletin board in my classroom for pet photos. Students will be able to post photos of their pets. I put a couple of Gizmo up there to start it off.

Most of all, enjoy your trip! Have fun. :D