My life lately!

[gja1000]

Lindsey, it is so great that she is so social and loves it so much when you have to leave her somewhere. She will do just fine. My boys just whine and cry every time I leave them at the groomers, and they have been going there all their lives!!! The groomer is the sweetest lady and she just loves on them, but they just look at me with pleading eyes when I leave! They are just so used to having the run of the house I think they hate the cage. I wish they were more like Layla!

[Lindsey]

Gayle, for us I think it depends who puts her in a cage lol! She HATES crates and will not travel in any sort of wire crate, plastic travel crate, or carrier. She will cry and yelp and chew at them until her teeth bleed. But apparently she does just fine anywhere else! Actually, at the groomer on Friday, she put Layla in a basket on the floor because she wouldn't "do" the crate lol. But she was happy all afternoon in the basket.

Speaking of the groomer, just as Scott picked up the dogs, another lady came in to get her pugs' nails clipped. She saw Layla in her wheelchair and told Scott they also had a paraplegic dog for 8 years. They thought they'd never go on vacation again. But she found a lady who helped them and looked after their dog every time they went away. She gave Scott her number and email so we could be in touch and she would give us the name and contact information for the girl she used. Well, Scott misplaced the paper in the confusion of paying and getting all three dogs out to the car. So he called the groomer again today, and she said she would call the lady and give her OUR info so she could get in touch with us. Well, tonight she did! We now have another option! I think we might stay with our current plans this time, but it's awesome to know there is another choice next time!

[DIANE W]

Thats really good news, like you say it is always good to have a plan B.

I think its a great idea to get Layla to visit them a few times, see how she takes to them and vice versa - that way if you feel at all uncomfortable, you still have time to look up your plan B option.

[DIANE W]

Originally Posted by gja1000

Lindsey, it is so great that she is so social and loves it so much when you have to leave her somewhere. She will do just fine. My boys just whine and cry every time I leave them at the groomers, and they have been going there all their lives!!! The groomer is the sweetest lady and she just loves on them, but they just look at me with pleading eyes when I leave! They are just so used to having the run of the house I think they hate the cage. I wish they were more like Layla!

I do too Gayle....... i wish my Harvey was like Layla, i would be afraid to leave him, i am sure he would have heart failure.

My next door neighbour once asked us if we minded if she took Harvey for a walk around sometimes, she felt it would give her a reason to excersise and she loves him.
We didnt mind at all, so off he goes with lead on..............didnt even get to the botton of the drive, refused to budge, never thought i would see that - he loves his walkies so much. I felt so sorry for her!!!!

[Lindsey]

Originally Posted by DIANE W

Thats really good news, like you say it is always good to have a plan B.

I think its a great idea to get Layla to visit them a few times, see how she takes to them and vice versa - that way if you feel at all uncomfortable, you still have time to look up your plan B option.

Well, Scott now wants me to contact the lady tonight and see if she'd take Layla in her home during that week instead (she works at another kennel as well, but I like the place Layla is currently booked at better!) I guess he wants to see what she would charge if Layla were in her home. Layla would probably be more comfortable in a home than in a kennel, even though I know she'll survive either way. We might not worry as much though.

Originally Posted by DIANE W

I do too Gayle....... i wish my Harvey was like Layla, i would be afraid to leave him, i am sure he would have heart failure.

My next door neighbour once asked us if we minded if she took Harvey for a walk around sometimes, she felt it would give her a reason to excersise and she loves him.
We didnt mind at all, so off he goes with lead on..............didnt even get to the botton of the drive, refused to budge, never thought i would see that - he loves his walkies so much. I felt so sorry for her!!!!

Awww Diane, that reminds me of the first (and only) time I went on vacation with my parents, and left Layla with my aunt and uncle for a week. We were all visiting at my grandma's house, and when they decided to leave, I put on Layla's harness and collar and handed her off. She was resisting as they tried to pull her out the door and she looked at me with her huge eyes like she was saying "Mommy, aren't you coming too?" and the whole room erupted in "AWWWW!" It broke my heart. Layla didn't eat for 5 days at their house. But eventually it was okay. This was before she was paralyzed. Now she's so used to being in different places with different people for different treatments, I think she is better at being away from me because she's been forced to do it so often! Now it's just hard on me lol.

[DIANE W]

I agree Lindsey........ it has got to be better if they are not as clingy, i wish he wasnt so attached to me in a way, all tonight he has been asleep in my arm... now i know he is only little, but i still get a dead arm.

When we are out he gets so much attention from people, he reluctantly lets people stroke him and fuss him, but he doesnt really like it, now other doggies he just loves, waggy tail all over the place.

Why dont you visit with Layla, and see what you think of her and her home????? Then you can make a decision, i have to agree though, i think Layla would prefer a home environment - with the right people of course.

[Lindsey]

Scott is going to call this other lady when he gets home on Sunday (he is working out of town) and we'll see what we can figure out

Layla is the opposite with people and dogs - she doesn't like other dogs around, but she'll do anything for human attention!

[DianaB]

I've caught up on the posts about Layla........so which did you choose and how did she do? She is such a little sweetheart! I would take care of her in a heartbeat if I lived closer to you!

[Lindsey]

We have not been able to get in touch with the second lady yet, so as of now, we're still going with the first kennel. We leave in two weeks now, so we have to make the decision and start taking Layla for daycare days so she is used to it.

[Lindsey]

Well, we toured both places this weekend.

We went to the first place and the owner was so friendly! He immediately got down on his knees and started petting Layla. His house is just across the yard from the kennel. He showed us around and talked to every dog as he walked by them, calling them by name, telling us who he thinks might be compatible to be beside Layla. He showed us the "quiet" area where the older or special needs dogs are, and said that's where he'd probably put Layla. The others are all pretty rambunctious! He showed us all the kennels, then their little runs outside and the play area outside. He asked if Layla would prefer to walk on gravel or the grass, because they can do either one, and if she doesn't want to play with the other dogs at exercise time, they'd just take her for a walk around the building on her own. He showed us their boiler system that heats the concrete floors, as well as their water filtration (they have city water, and then filter it again so the dogs get the best of the best). Their floors all slope to a drain along the hallways in case there are any accidents, the liquid would run out of the kennel and not be stuck in there with the dog. And none of the kennels face other kennels. There are concrete walls across the hallways, so the dogs aren't looking at each other and they really have their own little private space.

He asked if Layla would have problems on the concrete and said he had some foam mats he could put in the bottom of her kennel so she wouldn't rub her belly on the concrete all day. They have on-site grooming, and the groomer came over and was fawning all over Layla as well! She said she'd love to bring her little dogs in to play with her. We talked about expressing and he asked lots of questions and said they'd do it 4x per day. He would be in charge of mornings and nights (between 6:30-7 am, and then 11-midnight), and during the day there are two staff on that would be expressing her at least two more times.

So then we went to the other place. There is also a person who lives on site, but she was not the one there when we stopped. The lady we talked to didn't know anything about expressing dogs, and just said "one of the other girls deals with that." There were two buildings, she just showed us the first one we had to walk through. There was no grass outside, just gravel. The dogs all looked very stressed and she ignored them all. They all had access to outside so Scott asked if they are just left open all night, and she said no, the doors are closed up when they close for the night at 6 pm. The dogs go out again in the morning at 7." I was shocked! They just leave all those dogs for 13 hours without a bathroom break? I guess when the business closes, they just stop everything. The house must have been 20 feet from the kennel. We told her Layla can't go that long, so she said "Well then I guess the girl who lives here would come out and do it, but that's something extra she'd have to do for you" She didn't talk to Layla or pet her or give her any attention.

We got in the car and I told Scott that was an easy choice! The first place it is! It is still going to be really hard to leave her, but it's the better choice. We are taking her this Wednesday for her first full daycare day there, and we'll take her twice next week as well, before leaving her for 9 days. I really hope she likes it! She seemed pretty calm there though. I'm just going to be a worried mom for a week!

[DIANE W]

Oh Lindsey............poor you, you will be so worried, i agree the first place really does sound the better option. I think its good that Layla is going to get to visit before too, that way it will be familiar to her.

[gja1000]

Lindsey, the first place sounds wonderful - but I agree, I'd be a worried mom too! I know she will be fine, but you will still worry and that is OK!

[Lindsey]

We are taking her there for her first "daycare" day tomorrow. The vet tech doesn't start work until 10, so we'll go in at 7:45 and show them how to express her properly. The tech should be there to teach them for noon and afternoon expressings as well. I am having anxiety already!

[Lindsey]

We took her on Wednesday for daycare. We showed the owner how to express when we got there, but he couldn't get it so we just emptied her bladder for them before leaving. I worried about her all day but she was happy when we got there to pick her up. They told us their vet tech tried to express her around 2 pm, but she couldn't get anything out. She should have been able to though. Layla's bladder was full when we got there at 5. The tech was gone by then, so we tried to teach the owner and he still couldn't get it. We took her again today. We spent 45 minutes with him this morning and he still couldn't get anything. We emptied her bladder for him again before leaving (and being late for work by an hour). I just want to cry!!! We leave in a week.

[DIANE W]

Lindsey.......... i am sure you have considered it, but could she not go with you, even left in a hotel room, you maybe could get back to see to her at times????

I am only guessing, poor you, i too would be worried sick.