What To Do With Your Dog When You Are Away

Deciding what to do with your dog when you travel is one of the more consequential decisions in dog ownership, and it doesn’t get easier to figure out on short notice. The right answer depends on your dog — his age, temperament, training, and what he’s used to — and on how long you’ll be gone. A weekend trip and a two-week vacation call for different approaches. Here’s how to think through the options and what to look for in each.

Option 1: In-home care — pet sitter or dog walker

For many dogs, staying home with a familiar caretaker is the least disruptive option. The dog stays in his own environment, with his own smells, his own sleeping spots, and his own routine as much as possible. This matters especially for dogs that are anxious in new environments or that have established routines they depend on.

An in-home sitter who stays at your house overnight is the gold standard for a dog left home — continuous presence, feeding on schedule, exercise, and someone there if something goes wrong. A dog walker who checks in several times a day is appropriate for adult dogs with reasonable independence; for puppies or dogs with separation anxiety, multiple check-ins per day isn’t enough. A puppy that needs to go out every two to three hours needs someone there continuously.

When hiring in-home care, Thumbtack is a useful resource for finding vetted local dog walkers and sitters with reviews. Your veterinarian and local shelter are also good sources for referrals. Regardless of how you find someone, check references specifically — not just general character references but references from people who have left their dogs in that person’s care.

Things to communicate clearly before you leave: feeding schedule and amounts, medications if any, whether the dog can be off-leash and where, training methods and commands you use, emergency veterinary contact information, and who to call if something goes wrong. Leave written instructions, not just verbal ones. A caretaker dealing with an unexpected problem at midnight while you’re on a plane should have everything they need on paper.

If your dog tends to bark when alone and you’re concerned about the neighbors while you’re away, a bark collar can be part of the plan. Introduce it before you leave so the dog is familiar with it, and brief your sitter on how it works. Don’t introduce it for the first time while you’re gone.

Option 2: Boarding kennel or doggy daycare

A boarding facility makes sense when in-home care isn’t available, when your dog does well with other dogs and new environments, or when the trip is long enough that having someone in your home for the duration isn’t practical. Not all dogs are good candidates for boarding — dogs with significant anxiety, health issues, or strong territorial tendencies often do better with in-home care.

For a hunting dog specifically, you want a kennel that handles sporting breeds regularly and understands their energy level and exercise needs. A facility that keeps dogs in runs most of the day may be fine for a lower-energy companion dog but inadequate for a high-drive retriever or pointing breed that needs genuine exercise. Ask specifically about daily exercise time, not just “outdoor access.”

What to look for and verify before committing to a facility:

Vaccination requirements. Any reputable facility requires proof of current vaccinations including bordetella (kennel cough). If a facility doesn’t require this, don’t use it — they’re accepting unvaccinated dogs that can make your dog sick.

Staffing. How many dogs per staff member during the day? Are staff present overnight or does the facility go unstaffed after hours? What training do staff have in dog handling and first aid?

Group play policies. Some facilities allow open group play; others keep dogs in separate controlled interactions. Neither is universally better — it depends on your dog. A dog that plays well with others in a structured context may do fine in group play. A dog that is reactive or dominant with other dogs should not be in open group play regardless of how supervised it is.

Visit unannounced. The original article makes the right call here: visit the facility during operating hours without an appointment before you book. What you see is what your dog will experience. A facility that won’t allow this has something to hide.

Your vet’s office. Many veterinary practices offer boarding, and this option has the advantage of medical oversight on-site. It tends to be more expensive but is a reasonable choice if your dog has health issues or if you want the security of knowing a veterinarian is immediately available if something goes wrong.

Option 3: Take the dog with you

For trips where it’s practical, taking the dog is often the simplest solution — particularly for hunting trips where the dog is the point of the trip anyway. A dog comfortable with travel, crate-trained, and well-socialized enough to handle new environments handles road trips and hunting camp stays better than a dog that’s never been anywhere. This is another reason why the exposure and socialization work done in puppyhood pays dividends for years.

If you travel with your dog regularly, a quality travel crate for the vehicle is worth the investment. It keeps the dog secure, reduces distraction for the driver, and gives the dog a familiar den space in new environments. Our Zinger aluminum dog crates are built specifically for working dogs traveling in trucks and SUVs — airline-rated, ventilated, and available in sizes for every breed.

Before you leave: the preparation checklist

Regardless of which option you choose, a few things should be handled before you go. Confirm current vaccinations are on file with the boarding facility or available to the sitter. Leave your vet’s contact information and an emergency vet contact in writing. Make sure whoever is caring for the dog knows what normal behavior looks like for your dog, so they can recognize when something is off. If your dog is on medication, verify the caretaker knows the schedule, the dosage, and how to administer it. If the dog has any known health issues, brief the caretaker specifically on what to watch for.

Some dogs will be subdued, off their food, or mildly anxious when you leave regardless of what arrangements you make — particularly dogs that are closely bonded to one person. That’s normal and typically resolves quickly. If your dog has persistent separation anxiety that makes any of these options genuinely difficult, our separation anxiety article has practical guidance on addressing it before your next trip.