It definitely felt like I aged 10 years in a few minutes this am. I must have looked like a complete crazy person. My neighbors don't know me because I moved up here mid-winter, and only recently has it warmed up enough for chance encounters with neighbors outside. I went running outside at 10:30 am with 2 leashes, 1 dog, a sample bag of cat food, wearing Christmas themed pj pants, a bright yellow Georgia Tech hoodie sweatshirt, no glasses so i can't see, randomly shouting "HAVE YOU SEEN A LITTLE DOG RUNNING AROUND!" at my neighbors.
Both of my girls are microchipped. I know there is a lot of debate about collars. I fear, especially with the martingale style, that mine will strangle themselves if they get caught on something when I'm not around. In this case, I'm glad Callie didn't have a collar on because the rungs on the porch are so close together, she may have caught the collar without realizing it & jumped & hung herself. I do worry that they will get out & somebody will find them but not know to check for a microchip, but even dogs with collars can lose them while running around loose. So I don't think there is a right or wrong answer for when to collar them. Mine don't usually dart out of doors, so I don't worry about it too often.
As for the porch; that will not be accessible to them if I can not supervise them from now on. Fortunately I will only be here for a couple more weeks, so I won't worry about adding chicken wire or anything. I'm already saving up for a basenji proof fence for the new house though. Callie is quite the escape artist when she has motivation (clearly!)
SA/New foster and boarding
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Chopper is a very recent (48hrs) foster, so he's having some separation issues as is. On the 14th, the fiance and I are leaving for a planned-for-a-year vacation. We're attending a music festival and have had our $100/night no-pets hotel booked since last year, so Chopper needs to stay behind for four days.
Not sure what the best way to go about this is…
I'm planning to just board him in a nice kennel in the area (Suites, beds, outdoor play areas, private runs, and 24hr staff.) and hope for the best.
No one I know is comfortable watching him, with his biting and crate screaming, and leaving him home with a sitter is definitely NOT an option (he screams, howls, digs, and whimpers all night long, as is, screams the entire time he's in a crate, and I live in an apartment.)Any thoughts?
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take him in to the kennel for a weekend.
It will cost you some $$ but you will be able to see if he can "handle it" or you will have to get someone to move in and keep company with him.