help I at some point within the next year will be receiving a new guide/service dog. My retiring dog will need a place to stay while I go for training for three weeks in another state. he has several health issues so would need some place that is more attentive than a kennel especially due to stress on his health at being away from home etc. some where where he could get taken out for walks during the day. I can afford some payment but not much so does anyone have ideas on how to find the right place and what all i should look into about the person and ask them? this will be the first time I will have to board a dog to receive another dog. once training is over I want to ensure I get my dog back safe and sound.
since the school cannot give much notice (about a month) before my class date I am not sure where to look. most of the dog people i know work full time and have a house full of dogs he can have playmates but may get physically overwhelmed with a pack. and he has an overprotective mom who wont let him go to anybody off the street. (hes with me 24/7 so the separation will be hard enough for both of us so who ever takes care of him had better know what they are doing)
amanda

I'm not sure which school you work with or how close you are, but if *I* were your puppy raiser, i would happily puppy sit for the month you are away training with a new dog. I've puppy sat my dogs for their VI partners several times. I LOVE it!! Getting to spend time with my babies, all grown up! If you do not have a relationship with your raiser or are not close enough, maybe a local service dog organization would have a volunteer willing to help you (Leader Dogs and Paws with a Cause are both in the Michigan area) Most puppy raisers are more than willing to help out with puppy sitting active or retired SDs.

NoMonsters had some good ideas. Have you asked your school for help? If they have somebody at their location, you might be able take him along and stay there with somebody. the schools I volenteer for all have people close to the school that keep program dogs short term. We in turn always have room for any dog needing a place in this area.

yes i have looked into local raisers sending my guy to his original raiser for the three weeks, putting an ad in the paper the local dog clubs etc. i live in michigan the school is in california and my guys raiser is in flordia so no matter what it would some how require two dogs to fly with me on a plane at the same time. btw any family i trust to watch him is out of state as welland doesnt have the capability anyway. the local raising group all cannot meet his/my needs the fact he needs to be relieved around lunch time has a bunch of meds, eats multiple times a day make it hard to find the right person let alone the fact that dog people have lots of dogs and lets just say my guy loves to play probably not always the most socially correct games but it isnt until he stops that he realizes he has overdone it and now needs help. dont get me wrong he is an amazing guy with alot to give and he has a great quality of life IF you manage his health and can meet his needs which i normally can even once the new dog comes i still should be able to handle it with my flexible schedule its just the three weeks i need the help. if i could have them bring the new dog to me i would but they said i do not qualify for that and they being a small school do not have the extra money lying around to grant in home training to everyone who wants it. if i had the money id give it to them and the problem would be solved but as an unemployed grad student whos student loan debt rivals the national debt it wont happen anytime soon

if i end up trying to go the ad route or get references from dog club people other than obvious questions would there be a question or something i should look out for and how can i guarantee i can get the dog back in as close to the same shape i left him in as possible?

Hey, I live in California. I could watch him! I don't know, just a thought. I think I would be qualified. I'm home MOST of the day, (I homeschool) and could give him any meds needed. I've only got one dog, soon to be zero, maybe back to one, (I'm a puppy raiser, my pup goes in in a month and a half, and I may get another pup after that.) If you can't find anyone else, I'd be happy to watch him. (I don't know if you'll take me seriously or not. Maybe I'm making myself look like an idiot, but I don't know...If you really need someone, I am available!)

By the way...What school are you going to for your next dog? I am a part of GDA, which is twenty minutes from my house, but I live about an hour and a half from GDB.

I will keep you in mind like i said originally i wont have much notice I am half hoping for the magic call tomarrow and half hoping to wait until the litter of GSD's are ready next spring and see if their is a match.(bad thing to say on a lab forum but the labs the school puts out will be harder to match than the shepherds for all my needs.)
the whole trying to figure out the whole plane thing getting one dog to you then getting to class then getting my exhausted self and two dogs home on a plane all without going more broke than i already am. last time i flew out to L A X the ticket was 600 dollars which is prohibitive at the moment with tuition due.
the school i will attend gdd in palm springs area.you probably know many of the trainers that work there as they used to work at gda. i have a relative near gda but she is almost 90 and even though she is extremely active and would spoil my dog rotten she doesnt have the ability to care for him. I will post to the group when i get the call to go.

Have you contacted GDD for help? I know that GDB and GDD are vastly different in their support services, but I know that GDB would at least have suggestions for you. Living about 40 minutes from GDB's campus, each of the people who has my dogs knows they have an open invitation for puppy sitting. The only time I would turn them down is if I am away, or, as in the case of my GSD, their dog to dog behavior is not appropriate to be in my home with a PIT. I will not risk my current puppy for a dog that has developed bad habits with other dogs.

Another suggestion.. Have you contacted your vet hospital to see if any of the staff is willing to take care of your dog. If you have a good relationship with your vet hospital, from my experience there has been many who are willing to help out in those situations and having the medical background is even better. Ask your vet and if not them, then maybe even another hospital nearby whose staff may be willing to help. I do , other people I have worked with in vet hospitals all have. It just comes with the territory sometimes. and we all do what we do because we love animals. I've got to believe you would have some luck there.

I will keep you in mind like i said originally i wont have much notice I am half hoping for the magic call tomarrow and half hoping to wait until the litter of GSD's are ready next spring and see if their is a match.(bad thing to say on a lab forum but the labs the school puts out will be harder to match than the shepherds for all my needs.)
the whole trying to figure out the whole plane thing getting one dog to you then getting to class then getting my exhausted self and two dogs home on a plane all without going more broke than i already am. last time i flew out to L A X the ticket was 600 dollars which is prohibitive at the moment with tuition due.
the school i will attend gdd in palm springs area.you probably know many of the trainers that work there as they used to work at gda. i have a relative near gda but she is almost 90 and even though she is extremely active and would spoil my dog rotten she doesnt have the ability to care for him. I will post to the group when i get the call to go.

Yes, I realize the dillemma. It would be better for your current dog to stay near your home. But the offer is still up if you simply cannot find anyone else.

I wasn't aware that GDD didn't pay for transportation to and from the school. GDA pays for it, and I'm pretty sure GDB does, but don't quote me on that. :D

Oh yes, I'm familiar with GDD. I ALMOST raised for them, but decided against it when I realized they didn't have many raisers out here. I would have died without the support of fellow raisers!