Advice on how to deal with dogs and travel

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Advice on how to deal with dogs and travel

Bob

547962

Barked: Thu Jul 2, '09 9:03am PST


	What are the do's and dont's when travelling with pets? Do you leave them in a crate in the "pet friendly" hotel room? I am in a dilemma every time I have to go out on a vacation. My dog always has some problem when I get him back from the boarding place. The first one I tried, he had not eaten anything at all. The next one, he was unwell and constipated. I am really scared on what to do the next time. The last option is to take him along. I am not sure how advisable that is because it greatly restricts our options to tour because most of the places restrict pets. It would be great to get some advice on how other dogster users deal with this because I want to be sure that my dog is comfortable and happy while I am away.

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Bretta - **Guardian- Angel Now**

10/2005 RIP- 12/2008

Barked: Thu Jul 2, '09 12:14pm PST


	You either decide to take a "pet friendly" vacation knowing that you can only go places that accepts pets, or you find a boarding kennel you like and send the dog for short overnights before you go on vacation so that the dog becomes accustomed to being away from home/you and is comfortable with the kennel environment.

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Sassy

Princess and the- Pea

Barked: Fri Jul 3, '09 12:13pm PST


	Or get a house/pet sitter! My son takes his dog to a friend's house when he is away. Dog loves it. Using a camper or RV is another way to go. 10 years ago we traveled to Yellowstone NP during a heat wave with Sassy. She was better off in that camper than outside even without air conditioning. Mostly one of us was with her but we did leave her in the camper with no problems. Much safer than leaving in any car.

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Lupi

I'll do anything- for a treat!

Barked: Sun Jul 5, '09 10:31pm PST


	If you do decide to stay in hotels, it's a good idea to put your dog in his kennel when you leave the room. This is not just so he won't chew up the furniture, but also in case a staff member needs to enter the room. Many pet-friendly hotels have large green spaces, or are within walking distance of parks. After a long car ride it's nice to have a place where your dog can run and burn off some energy! When we travel we always bring: Her food Her blanket, dog bed and kennel Some toys Treats Leash, collar and tags with our phone #'s Vaccination records-just in case we decide to go shopping for a day and need to drop her off at a doggie daycare Food and water dishes We've never had problems with car sickness and Lupi settles right into whatever hotel we stay at, so I think having her familiar bed and things helps. I use the website "www.bringfido.com" to find hotels and other places that allow pets. Hope you have a nice vacation!

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Maxwell

I'm triple- superior MAD- now!

Barked: Mon Jul 6, '09 7:54am PST


	I don't think it is acceptable to leave dogs in hotel rooms even crated. Many hotels don't allow it any longer. Barking. I keep the dogs with me. We eat in shifts if necessary. Consider stairs and elevators. Sassy is not a fan of elevators and open stair treads can be terrifying for dogs. Practice before hand! Position of the room can be important. People above or below? People walking by? Bring poop bags and water from home just in case. Strange water can upset dogs. Lots of towels just in case. A first aid kit would be an excellent idea for all, just add dog specific items to your kit. Grooming equipment. Sassy blew coat during a 3 week camping trip. If I hadn't had her brush we would have suffocated in dog hair. For emergencies find vets along the way before hand and have the phone numbers and maps of the locations in the car. My dogs travel in car crates and I have another one to take in the hotel room in case they are restless. If they are really horrible I take a bed sheet and they come on the bed with me. They WON'T stay in their own beds. I would wake up and Max would be on a chair looking very uncomfortable. Rather he be on a bed sheet than on an uncovered chair. Oops. It is a lot like traveling with kids and annoying to non dog/kid people as the whole trip is slowed down and you have to be responsible and some options are out. You can find day kennels some places like at Disneyland and for going to Hearst Castle in California. Might not be as scary for your dog and you could do stuff you wouldn't be able to otherwise.

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Bianca

What big ears- you have...

Barked: Mon Jul 6, '09 4:36pm PST


	Normally I do a lot of dog friendly activities on my vacations, and I usually stay at cottages/cabins whenever possible because they do not mind if you leave the dog during the day. I also bring along an x-pen and set them up in the kitchen if we are going out without the dog. When I stay in a hotel I do not normally leave them in the room alone. When I was staying at a bed and breakfast in NYC (we were only in town for 2 nights, then going on to Maine) I took Ginger to a dog daycare for the day when we went in to Manhattan. I also looked up several dog daycares in the areas we will be staying on our trip this month. We are staying in hotels so this way if we are going somewhere during the day where Bianca can't come (most of the things I have planned allow dogs) I have a safe place she can go and play for the day.

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Tallulah

I pretty much- will rule the- universe.

Barked: Mon Jul 6, '09 6:38pm PST


	I just finished my first long trip with Tallulah. I did not dare leave her alone in the hotel, even crated. I couldn't be sure how she would react in a strange environment with lots of odd noises and possibly a maid coming in ( let alone my fear of her being stolen) . Luckily we were staying near family, so they were able to keep her in their house while we went and did non-dog stuff. I looked up doggy day cares in the area, but all the ones I find require a "trial" first to see how the dog will fit with the pack, understandably! Also they dont allow intact dogs over 6 months old. Plus my dog is a 4 pound toy, so I cant just throw her in anywhere. This just turned out to NOT be an option. Perhaps a boarding kennel would have given a one day rate if I had to go that route.

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Bianca

What big ears- you have...

Barked: Mon Jul 6, '09 9:40pm PST


	I've noticed some of the dog daycares I looked up required a "evaluation" but several of those said that you get a free day or half day of daycare with the evaluation which is basically they take the dog for 1 day of daycare and see how they are around other dogs, so it would work too. I've also found some of them offered a "single playtimes" option where they keep the dog separate from the other dogs (usually in the boarding kennel if it's a place with both daycare and boarding) and give them playtimes alone, for dogs who don't get along with other dogs. Petsmart Petshotel has something like this too, they call it "Day Care" vs the regular service which they call "doggie day camp", this is the info from their website: "Day Care is a great alternative to Doggie Day Camp for dogs that may not be up for an entire day of group play. Your pooch can spend the day in one of our atrium rooms equipped with a hypoallergenic lambskin bed. Plus, your pet can enjoy a group play session or an individual play time session along with any other add-on services you choose. "

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Brooklyn

"Lust for Life"

Barked: Sun Jul 12, '09 12:49pm PST


	We own two Inns in Vermont that cater exclusively to dog owners and their dogs. Over the last 8 years we have had thousands of dogs stay with us, most of them model citizens. We provide an on-site facility where you can leave your dogs when you go out without them - where it's ok for them to bark and they can't do any damage. This facility provides the owners with peace of mind and the other guests with peace and quiet. We do not recommend leaving your dog alone in a hotel room for any length of time. You never know how your dog may react. If you never traveled with your dog then you may want to check out one of our Inns. Our goal is to make it easy to travel with your dogs! Our website is www.pawhouse.com Good luck!

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Advice on how to deal with dogs and travel



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