Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Guide Dog Owners: Advice on Vacations with a Guide Dog (self.Blind)
submitted by iwokeuplike
Hi, this is cross posted in /r/service_dogs but I wanted your advice as well!
My boyfriend, his guide dog and I are trying to plan a vacation for a week or two but we don't know how we can bring his guide dog and do the activities we would enjoy.
We like snowmobiling, snow tubing, waterskiing, learning to surf, etc. as well as going to spas. (Or I do and my boyfriend is a good sport about it). His guide dog can't join us for those things and in the past, we went on day trips nearby and left his dog with my boyfriend's parents for a few hours.
For longer vacations, we don't really want to leave the dog for a whole week or two and it seems like the only option is for either one of us to sit with his guide dog while the other enjoys the activity and then we switch. We could also leave the guide dog in the airbnb or hotel, which I think isn't allowed, not to mention it is pretty upsetting to the guide dog and my boyfriend.
Has anyone gone on vacations with activities like this? What you did with your guide dog? Do you have any advice long term? Thank you in advance!
I would also appreciate any advice for fun vacations in general! We haven't been on a vacation in so long and never with his guide dog so if you have some fun ideas or tips on traveling with a guide dog, I would love to hear from you!
My boyfriend, his guide dog and I are trying to plan a vacation for a week or two but we don't know how we can bring his guide dog and do the activities we would enjoy.
We like snowmobiling, snow tubing, waterskiing, learning to surf, etc. as well as going to spas. (Or I do and my boyfriend is a good sport about it). His guide dog can't join us for those things and in the past, we went on day trips nearby and left his dog with my boyfriend's parents for a few hours.
For longer vacations, we don't really want to leave the dog for a whole week or two and it seems like the only option is for either one of us to sit with his guide dog while the other enjoys the activity and then we switch. We could also leave the guide dog in the airbnb or hotel, which I think isn't allowed, not to mention it is pretty upsetting to the guide dog and my boyfriend.
Has anyone gone on vacations with activities like this? What you did with your guide dog? Do you have any advice long term? Thank you in advance!
I would also appreciate any advice for fun vacations in general! We haven't been on a vacation in so long and never with his guide dog so if you have some fun ideas or tips on traveling with a guide dog, I would love to hear from you!
1BlindNinja 3 points 1y ago
Why do you not want to leave the GD with someone? Taking a GD oon vacation tends to be stressful for them and I know personally, I’ve left my boy with someone he knows well
iwokeuplike [OP] 3 points 1y ago
I am definitely worried about his stress, however he has never been away from my boyfriend for longer than a few hours before and gets really sad and depressed when separated from my bf. When you left your guide dog, was he okay, how long had you left them without you before? Did you work up to leaving him for longer and longer times?
Also, how did you feel going from getting around with your guide dog to going to a different form of getting around? I know my boyfriend is a lot more uncertain and certainly less confident when he isn't working with his guide dog and I worry about him transitioning back to a different form of movement.
Also, how did you feel going from getting around with your guide dog to going to a different form of getting around? I know my boyfriend is a lot more uncertain and certainly less confident when he isn't working with his guide dog and I worry about him transitioning back to a different form of movement.
Laurax-1994 3 points 1y ago
I have a gd too, and I leave her with my parents when I go on vacation. She loves me, but she loves them too, and does fine.
1BlindNinja 2 points 1y ago
Yes, he has a few “friends” that I would have taken him to; previously it was my Ex’s family where he would have stayed for 2 weeks without issue. Since splitting from my Ex, he has stayed with a work colleague, who would have taken him out to spend, as the site around the building is terrible to navigate (coming from Mobility Officers), so they suggested I ask staff to help.
In September he stayed wiht her for 12 nights and loved it. I give them his bed and a nylabone (which he loves).
On holiday my GF sighted guides me, but I pack a cane too (belt and braces approach!). It is good practice to be able to confidently use a cane, as even with a GD, if it got injured,or wasn’t able to guide safely for any reason- due to distraction attack from other dog etc, you need to be able to still reach your destination.
Before going, leave the GD with whoever they are best used to and this sounds hard, but I would also discourage lots of cuddling, petting, reassuring before leaving, as this can cause stress.a simple pat on the head and turn and go without looking back is better for the dog.
It will allow the both of you to fully enjoy your holiday. I love my GD, but it is limiting on holidays and the stress the dog experiences in a new environment.
Sorry for the essay! But additionally, GDs also would say not to use a GD where you do not know. You should be confident travelling the route by cane before using your GD (again for your safety).
Hope this all helps 💓
In September he stayed wiht her for 12 nights and loved it. I give them his bed and a nylabone (which he loves).
On holiday my GF sighted guides me, but I pack a cane too (belt and braces approach!). It is good practice to be able to confidently use a cane, as even with a GD, if it got injured,or wasn’t able to guide safely for any reason- due to distraction attack from other dog etc, you need to be able to still reach your destination.
Before going, leave the GD with whoever they are best used to and this sounds hard, but I would also discourage lots of cuddling, petting, reassuring before leaving, as this can cause stress.a simple pat on the head and turn and go without looking back is better for the dog.
It will allow the both of you to fully enjoy your holiday. I love my GD, but it is limiting on holidays and the stress the dog experiences in a new environment.
Sorry for the essay! But additionally, GDs also would say not to use a GD where you do not know. You should be confident travelling the route by cane before using your GD (again for your safety).
Hope this all helps 💓
iwokeuplike [OP] 2 points 1y ago
Sorry for the late reply but this is very very helpful, I didn't know a lot of the recommendations you gave me so i appreciate it very much!! Thank you!
1BlindNinja 1 points 1y ago
No problem 😊
B-dub31 3 points 1y ago
Could you maybe look up a kennel at your destination and see if they could board the doggo for a day while you go do the outdoorsy stuff you want to do?
athennna 2 points 1y ago
Have you looked up doggie day cares in the area you’re planning on going for vacation? It would be like sending the dog to summer camp for a few hours while you do your activities.
OvateWolf 1 points 1y ago
I would not recommend just putting your dog in any old kennel or doggy daycare, as they won’t know and appreciate fully that it’s a working dog necessarily and how to treat it.
Also depending on the school your dog came from it may not have any experience of being kennelled and this can be quite traumatic for them.
For example if the staff go home at 6 o’clock and the dog is left until six or 7 am the next morning then it may get stressed and have spending issues, even if there is outside space for it to get to.
In a lot of cases dogs do adapt quicker than we think and it is important for your partners dog to be able to cope with being alone sometimes.
Also honestly it sounds like your vacation will be great for you but boring and stressful for the dog.
The school that trained your partner with the dog may have some suggestions for borders in the area, and if not you could probably reach out to blindness communities on social media that are local to you.
I would definitely suggest having a long talk with whoever is going to take care of them and making it very clear is acceptable and what is not acceptable to you in terms of how the dog needs to be treated.
That way you know that it’s more likely everyone is comfortable up to the task of it.
Also if you can you can perhaps arrange a few visits with the dog so that it’s not a completely new stressful environment, and perhaps even arrange for them to be left for at least a few hours with the border before you go out of town for a long time.
You could also look at something like an adaptil colour or plug-in for the border to use which may help the dog be, and less stressed.
It sounds like either one of the situations will be stressful for the dog, so it’s really up to you and your partner to figure out which one will be the least horrific for everyone involved including yourselves.
And yes it may well be that when you come back your partner has to put in a little bit of extra work and be a bit more aware the dog is up to for the first couple of days, but that is just part and parcel of Guidedogs ownership.
Good luck and I hope you find the right Asistance.
I’m in the UK but I’m more than happy for you to message me if I can be of any more help.
Also depending on the school your dog came from it may not have any experience of being kennelled and this can be quite traumatic for them.
For example if the staff go home at 6 o’clock and the dog is left until six or 7 am the next morning then it may get stressed and have spending issues, even if there is outside space for it to get to.
In a lot of cases dogs do adapt quicker than we think and it is important for your partners dog to be able to cope with being alone sometimes.
Also honestly it sounds like your vacation will be great for you but boring and stressful for the dog.
The school that trained your partner with the dog may have some suggestions for borders in the area, and if not you could probably reach out to blindness communities on social media that are local to you.
I would definitely suggest having a long talk with whoever is going to take care of them and making it very clear is acceptable and what is not acceptable to you in terms of how the dog needs to be treated.
That way you know that it’s more likely everyone is comfortable up to the task of it.
Also if you can you can perhaps arrange a few visits with the dog so that it’s not a completely new stressful environment, and perhaps even arrange for them to be left for at least a few hours with the border before you go out of town for a long time.
You could also look at something like an adaptil colour or plug-in for the border to use which may help the dog be, and less stressed.
It sounds like either one of the situations will be stressful for the dog, so it’s really up to you and your partner to figure out which one will be the least horrific for everyone involved including yourselves.
And yes it may well be that when you come back your partner has to put in a little bit of extra work and be a bit more aware the dog is up to for the first couple of days, but that is just part and parcel of Guidedogs ownership.
Good luck and I hope you find the right Asistance.
I’m in the UK but I’m more than happy for you to message me if I can be of any more help.
WorldlyLingonberry40 1 points 1y ago
I once saw a FaceBook post where the handler reached out to the puppy raising family that raised their service dog. When they had a surgery or went on a long trip, the family gladly took care of the dog.
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