Hygiene99 - thanks for the idea....i'll try it...can't hurt..
by the way, i love your picture....our dog is half golden, half cocker....
our only misgivings about going on this trip is she's sooooo old....she's 14 and completely blind (and is on amazing arthritis medicine that has turned her back into a puppy)....but the kennel she goes to for vacation is like home to her...she's been going there since she was 1 and she loves it (it's like a resort for dogs...each dog gets its own building and dog run and the common area is huge and gorgeous....not that she can see it anymore....but lots of nice smells....and the people who run it, love her almost as much as we do....)...
but it's hard to leave her behind....the kennel thinks we're nuts...we always call every day to see how she's doing...