Hi! My husky puppy just turned 5 months. We are both super attached to each other but I had to take my son to college so have been gone for 2 weeks. She's with a pet sitter who treats her like her own - keeps her with her, let's her sleep inside her room with her, etc. I asked her if my husband could go see her this week because I miss her SO much but she said that will confuse her. I'm torn... my husband could get her before I get home in 11 days but he'll be working so she'll be in her kennel while he works. Or I keep her with the pet sitter and deal with my emotions of worry, fear that she won't remember me and fear that she'll want to stay with the pet sitter Any advise? Has anyone left their young puppy for weeks before? Thank you!

I would for certain visit, I think it will be okay. I doubt the puppy will forget you. They never do.

I would visit and take her home when you have the time to. I would find it odd that the pet sitter doesn't want you visiting. Our dogs get seen by family members all the time and don't become confused. Seems like strange logic definitely worth a check.

I'm late with my response to this, I read it shortly after you posted and did a "Uh-oh, that doesn't sound right!"

I board with my vet - not so expensive as the local pet sitter and they're with my vet if anything goes wrong. Mary, the Vet, has a standing rule that owners are not allowed in the work area and most work is done on the pets in the "examine room" so it's rare that an owner would need to "go in back".

Before I boarded with her the first time, I asked to see the kennel area and she brought me in the back door, I saw what I needed to and left - just as one of the techs was bringing a dog out to the large run area.  I talked to her for a while as she played with the dog - both seemed happy.

All told, I agree with Mary's "no owner" rule, she doesn't need to try to comfort a human when she's trying to treat a dog who's "in trouble" - I understand the emotions at play there.  Obviously I have a lot of respect and trust for the lady I entrust with my dogs.

On the other hand, if she had not allowed me to see where they were kenneled while boarded with her or if the tech had become irritated when I was watching her play with one of the boarded dogs - I'd have been looking elsewhere.

For anyone to refuse to allow me to see the conditions in which [n]MY[/b] dogs were going to be kept, or to not allow me to see them while in their care would raise some great big red flags.  If your dogs have been boarded a couple of times, they know that you're coming back and a visit as your husband or you are in the area is definitely not inappropriate - granted the pup will probably be excited "Daddy!!!!!!" but this is your dog, not their's and should be maintained by your rules.  A boarded pup who's allowed, for example, in her bed (and maybe not in yours) is only going to confuse the issue but also potentially cause an accident if she has dogs of her own.

If I were in your shoes, I'd bring the pup home and let her stay with Daddy, she'll probably be happier in her kennel at home than away from both of you.

'Nuff said, this just doesn't feel right ....