What’s the reason to board the dog? I used to work for a dog sitting company. It cost like $15 for someone to come to your home for a 30 minute visit to do whatever the dog wanted to do. The dogs loved it. One client who had a security camera told me that her dog stayed awake until I arrived for our midday walk - she apparenttly worried she’d miss me.
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Unfortunately letting someone in our house without us being there is a no-go, for any reason. Too many security systems in place due to the neighborhood, in addition to a paranoid partner, etc.
That said, $15 is a steal! When I looked, the cost was $30 per 30 minute walk for the only accredited/certified/insured/whatever you call it outfit within range. If it were $15, I could definitely swing it.
Paranoid partner stays home with the dog, then? Any accredited pet service has insurance for theft and liability.
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Whaf about living in a town where dog sitters do. It exist? And to board for a weekend no matter when I leave in my town you have to drop off and pick up 8-5 m-f. And I work a 24 hr shift Monday so at a minimum that is 4 days.
Now my two dogs dogs don’t go with me to every show. When they don’t they stay with a friend but they live 1.5 he’s away. If my dogs go away from trailer or stalls they are leashes. If at stalls and I’m not there they are in crates. Only time off leash is with me when it’s quiet and over got a e collar on them. And they are trained. But as a responsible dog owner I’m tired of off leash dogs running up to us at all times. I work to keep mine behsvingnbut when unsupervised dogs keep running up and I have to discipline my dog to keep them from getting rowdy and playing it’s not fair to my dog
There’s other avenues. Do as you did and find a friend to keep them. Post on your community Facebook page. I live rurally but anyone posting on our community page looking for a pet sitter gets innundated with responses. My point is that if there’s a will there’s a way.
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I’m not trying to be rude. If I can find a dog sitter for a deployment surely people can find a sitter for a horse show.
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Maybe so but every time that friend keeps my dogs it’s equals 6 hours of driving time for me to make that happen. And I require fencing that is of a certain height to keep them in. I don’t know anyone here that has that locally. And I’m not going to let a random person off of Facebook come into my house or have my animals well-being depend on that person taking care of my animals. If dogs were outlawed at shows they would be given away or euthanized. Which is an awful harsh penalty for well trained dogs that are always under my control or properly contained while I am away. Either that or sell all my horses and move into town. And yes I am being a bit dramatic but they are part of my family. And I have invested significant time and money into their training to ensure they are solid citizens and appropriate to take to shows. Which I go to about 2-3 times a month most of the year for 2-5 days on average. If it was a one day haul in and out they wouldn’t come. But that’s a different period of time when I am comfortable leaving them alone. More than 24 hours nope
You would euth or give away your dogs for a horse show? Wow!
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They are a part of my family.
I’d kill them before letting someone else care for them in a manner they’re not accustomed to. I won’t let a dog walker in my house. Horse shows are also more important than being with the dogs.
yeah… that’s rational.
substitute “kids,” “daycare,” and “work” and read that again. You’d call CPS if someone said that!
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Dogs are expensive.
I can go to a one day schooling show and my cats tighten their belts so that my wallet stays the same size and they do what they would have done that day anyway…maybe no tight belt on a cat then!
What I think the “no dogs, period” rule would solve is weeding out the good from the bad. Look, the problem with the leash rule is that as you say “people” disobey it, and then you feel entitled to do that, too. So it seems that the Collective Dog-Owning Community can’t get it together enough make sure their pets all make themselves welcome. That lack of cooperation should not become show management’s problem. But it has become that and they find the “slippery slope” of enforcement hard to get done, so they ban dogs.
Things could have gone otherwise. Wheels don’t get grease unless they are squeaking. But a few dog owners didn’t want to play ball. And one exceptionally bad one created this conversation. We wouldn’t be talking about this issue at all unless someone owning a dog made a series of bad and careless decisions. The attention and anti-dog sentiment was earned. . And those who insist on breaking the rules because someone else has is doing their share to help show managers inch toward that complete ban. They do know that their bread and butter-- trainers with dogs-- don’t want this.
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OMG… “she started it?” Really? Go back and read the thread to see where the ad hominem stuff and the accusation about someone called “MIss Money” started.
Second, I don’t think any of us assumed anything about your net wealth. Also, I thought everyone did assume we were talking about rated shows (since this is where the USEF has any jurisdicational at all; since this is where the dog bite happened; and since it’s the multi-day show that a reasonable person would assume creates a dog boarding expense or someone who wants their dog along for company during that long-ish trip.)
But I do think it’s reasonable to assume that someone who can afford a horse and to go to a one-day horse show can figure out a way to have their dog cared for for that one (long) day. So many more elements of owning a horse or a dog (both optional) cost more than $150. If you can’t figure out a way to ask a friend, neighbor or family member to help watch your dog (the preferred option of scrappy poor people trying to have a pet with minimal expense (like me!), then board your dog. But know that that’s not the only way if money is indeed as tight as you say.
Otherwise, if going to a horse show costs you, say $300 rather than $150) because you also want to own a pet that has those costs attached, I don’t know that to tell you. I mean, this was all optional. So feeling pissy because you can’t bring your dog to a horse show is really a conflict about values. You just don’t value the cost of boarding your dog as a necessary part of going to a show.
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I have a hard time believing your dogs are so immaculately trained if they require fencing of a certain height to “keep them in.”
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Own a high drive dog and you’ll get it. Bird dogs are extremely well trained - but if that danged robin lands on the other side of the fence one more time I swear… 
Fence height is somewhat irrelevant for a well-trained dog on a leash. Surely your dogs would survive a day or even two at a friend’s while not being allowed free run of the yard.
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Yeah I don’t quite get it, the dogs can go to a horse show but not to a closer friend’s house and just stay indoors or something? I feel like it should be possible to find someone to watch the dogs if they really wanted to, it’s just easier to say they can’t find anyone.
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That’s pretty much my thought. In my little podunk, a post for a dog sitteron the community board will net 30-40 replies the MAJORITY from actual adults who run a bonded and insured business. The remainder will go something like “My daughter’s home from vet school for the summer, I’ll have her PM you!”
I have left my actual human children in the care of others with fewer challenges than these dogs apparently present.
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Thank you. And that’s a spade right there, I don’t care what ya call it.
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Well, there’s nothing to “get” about a high prey drive dog at a show of one of its prey species.
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I made no assumptions about your finances, and I don’t care if you can afford local schooling shows. My point is that if you can’t afford to board your dog AND go to a local show, then I guess you shouldn’t go to local shows where dogs arent allowed. If they’re allowed, great. If not, too bad so sad. If the show that formerly allowed dogs now no longer does, oh well, guess that show is off your list.
I didnt assume you could afford anything. I said if it’s a budget stretch, that means YOU don’t attend. Not that THE SHOW modifies its rules. Big difference.
For some of the local shows, the dog care would EXCEED the cost of the show itself. Some of us are alone in this endeavor, and can’t even afford (or don’t find it valuable enough) to join the governing bodies.
A show for me is $150 max. Read that again. $150 MAX.
Nobody cares. You are not virtuous and entitled to bring your dog places because you go to cheap shows. If you can’t afford it the extra luxury of boarding your dog PLUS showing your horse, then you don’t NEED to do either. Stay home then.
I’m all for enforcing the rules and really getting after the bad actors rather than outright banning dogs.
That said, it is ridiculous to make affordability arguments about complete luxuries. It’s like complaining that going to the steak house is unaffordable now because they changed the rules and now insist on a $20 valet. There are several arguments to be made for enforcing the rules rather than an outright ban. The weakest one is using the limits your hobby pet budget to justify your views.
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Wait, you have a live in partner and they can’t watch the dog???
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