Pets Welcome Here

What's the first question your family asks when thinking about your upcoming vacation? Chances are if you're pet owners, you wonder what to do with your canine or feline family friend. Should you consider boarding your pet in a kennel? Or hiring a petsitter? Maybe you should rethink your vacation and bring your family friend with you. Whether lodging in a motel or camping in a campground, more facilities of all types are seeking to attract the pet-loving family with pet-friendly amenities.

Vacationing with your dog or cat requires extra planning and preparation on your part. Make sure your pet's vaccinations are current, especially if you anticipate going out of state or out of country. Bring the vaccination record with you should you need to show it.

How will you be arriving at your destination? Although not yet up and flying, Companion Air plans on being the first pet-friendly airline. No more stashing your cat or dog in a cargo hold; this innovative airline plans to put jet-prop airplanes in the air that will seat 6 people and kennel 12 pets. The idea is to have the owners toward the front of the cabin and the rented or family-owned kennels toward the back. In that way, the owners, during times in the flight where movement is permitted, can go back to be with their family friend.

Will you require a rental car when you arrive? Not a problem as long as you keep the car clean. Probably the best way of doing that is to put your dog or cat in their carrier or cover the seat that they will be lying upon with a blanket from home.

Query motels, hotels, or campgrounds where you plan to stay about their pet policy. A website or travel guide may indicate that the business is pet friendly, but their policy may have changed. If you are going to stay in a hotel or motel, be aware that there may be a limited number of pet rooms available. Call ahead and ask to reserve a room.

Do bring a pet carrier in the event you must leave your pet unattended, but ask beforehand if the place allows this. Remember, though, that the reason you are bringing your pet with you on vacation is to spend time with him. Plan for plenty of pet-friendly activities and places that you and your pet will enjoy together.

Along with a leash and collar your pet should also have identification tags with his name, your name, your address, and phone number. An additional leash to store in the car is handy, too. Have a good photo of your cat or dog with you should your pet go missing. Make your pet comfortable with his vacation away from home by bringing his favorite toy, his food dish and regular food and other things with which he is familiar. Bring a scooper and doggie disposal bags to clean up after him.

Many motel and hotel chains now offer family-with-pet lodging. Motel 6, established in 1962, lays claim to being the first pet-friendly chain, but other chains have recognized the love of humans for their pets. Among these are Best Western, Loews, Super 8, Holiday Inn, Radisson, and Marriott. There are 47 dog-friendly lodging chains nationwide.

Some of these motels offer amenity-loaded packages including petsitting, dog walking, upon check-in and before bed treats, vegan or non-vegan room service meals, an on-call vet, area maps showing pet-friendly places, personalized food and water dishes, a pet bed, disposable doggie waste bags, or kitty litter boxes. Some even have a pager that you can take with you if you have to leave your pet unattended in your room for any reason. The staff can page you should there be any problems while you are away. If this option is not available, leave a cell phone number with the front desk.

Be aware that your pet room comes with additional charges. Most facilities charge a cleaning fee per pet which can be anywhere from $10 to $100. Some will charge a conditional refundable damage deposit as well from $25 to $150. On the lower end, the fee is generally cheaper than alternatives like boarding kennels or petsitters.

Some motels/hotels have weight or breed restrictions. Many will not accept dog breeds like Dobermans, Rottweilers, or pit bull and pit bull mixes that have been known to be aggressive. Especially if your dog weighs over 75 pounds you should let the hotel/motel know exactly what kind of pet you have and they can tell you if you can reserve a room.

Before you stay in a room with your pet you should know about rules of etiquette. The most important of these is that your pet should be well-behaved. If your dog is not housetrained, has accidents when nervous, jumps up on strangers, or howls when alone, you should not bring your dog with you. If your cat uses chairs and beds as scratching posts, she will need to be carefully watched in the room.

Many places require your pet to be on a leash or in a pet carrier at all times in and out of the room. There is good reason for this. Any pet in an unfamiliar setting is capable of being a 'bolter', escaping through the first opened door to create his own adventure. Keeping a leash on him allows for easier recapture should he 'bolt'.

To minimize contact with other guests who may not like animals or may be afraid or allergic ask for a ground floor room with the quickest access to the pet walking area. Even if you have never seen your pet act in an ill-mannered way toward strangers, you should err on the side of caution. Find out what areas of the hotel (the swimming pool area or the restaurant, for instance) are off limits to animals.

Be courteous to the housekeeping staff. Let them know when you will be taking your pet from the room so that they can clean. Hang the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on your door when your pet is in the room.

Keep their cleanup job to a minimum by not inviting your pet on the furniture. If possible bring a blanket or pet bed from home for your dog or cat to lie upon. Keep the food and water dish as well as the litter box in the bathroom on a pet mat for less mess. Yes, cleanup is the housekeeping staff's job, but you want the hotel or motel to continue to regard pets and their owners as welcome guests.

Chicago, Illinois, is a good pet-friendly city along with Boston, New York City, Seattle, and San Francisco. Some cities offer off-leash outdoor dog parks or designated city beaches where you and your pet are allowed. Some have a number of outdoor restaurants that will allow your well-behaved dog to lie down under the table at your feet. In some cities, carriage rides and sightseeing boat cruises for pet and owner are available. New York City has two taxi services for owners and their pets, Pet Taxi and Pet Chauffeur. Chicago has one, Paws Around Chicago. Kenmore Air based in Seattle offers seaplane rides for owners and their friends. Chicago, besides having 35 other dog friendly outdoor restaurants, has a cafe called For Dog's Sake that serves only dog treats and toys. The Roxbury area of Boston has its own Polka Dog Bakery that serves doggy cookies and other snacks. At least two Major League baseball franchises, the Chicago White Sox and the San Francisco Giants, have special days for dogs and owners.

If a large city vacation is not what you wanted, you may consider camping in an RV park, campground, or state or national park area. The pet supply list is much the same, and so are many of the rules. There are quiet hours, and usually a six foot maximum leash length is required for your dog at all times. Being in the great outdoors means you are closer to wildlife. For your pet's safety, keep him leashed at all times, even while in the campground, and don't let him wander. Don't leave dog food in the campsite or in your tent overnight. More campers have received an unexpected visit from a bear or raccoon because of food scents. Always pick up when your dog goes potty whether in the campground or on a backtrail. Use a disposable bag and seal this in a sealable plastic zipper bag. If you happen to encounter any animal while hiking keep a firm hand on your dog's leash. When you come back from any hike in the wild check not only yourself but also your dog for woodticks.

You would be wise to call the campground or park you want to camp in and ask for their rules regarding pets. Some national parks like Isle Royale do not allow pets at all and some will not allow pets in the back country or on park trails. If you want a ferry ride to an island and lots of hiking and a carriage ride when you get there, a better place to visit would be Michigan's Mackinac Island.

Want to hike with your dog with like-minded dog owners? By carefully searching the Internet you can find groups that were established just for the purpose of hiking with other dog owners. Some do day trips, some plan overnighters complete with scenic settings and with all the camping equipment provided. You can purchase guide books in most book stores for various areas of the United States that will direct you to the best dog hiking trails, parks, and open spaces in that place.

Another idea for you and your dog is to attend a dog camp session. Dog Days of Wisconsin is held in August, and is a time for your dog to play Needle (rawhide) in a Haystack or Fun Doggy Olympics, hike on the Ice Age Trail or take a sunrise canoe trip with you. Or you can attend The Dog Camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. If you and your dog plan to become a competitive team you can run through the paces here.

Don't leave your best furry buddy at home anymore. Vacationing with your pet can be a wonderful experience as long as you do your research beforehand and prepare well.