For Those who take their pets on vacation

[fostrmom2mny]

We are considering taking a short vacation, in an area that offers to take pets. We have not taken a vacation in a couple of years due to us not wanting to leave our baby in a kennel. (SP) We had an evacuation last year due to a fire storm and our dog hasn't been the same since. She stayed in a kennel, and I've noticed that she doesn't act the same when we have her groomed. So here is my question.

How do you travel, (like what things should we keep in mind for our dog) and is it common to get a specific room because we have a pet? We keep her groomed, current on shots and flea & tick. Our vet even gives her a shot since we take her to be groomed. I just want to cover the safety of our pet, but I knew a woman once who traveled with her service dog, and she did not take care to take the dog out to take care of business. Her room would always smell really bad! I couldn't handle that.

Please advise. I'm holding off from talking to hubby about a possible pet friendly vacation. Thank you to all who contribute.

 

[serinlea]

We love the Extended Stay America chain of hotels...they're not much on the amenities, but clean and cheap, and every single one is pet-friendly (and no size restrictions either, which is good as husky-Akita mix is 80 pounds!).

Zoe is fairly low-key and every dog is different, but for us, we just make sure to stop every 2-3 hours on the drive so she can walk and stretch. If your dog is prone to carsickness, avoid food before setting off.

Car Safety - Please either use a secured crate on the drive, or a car harness (locks into the seatbelt) for you and your pet's safety. We prefer the harness because it still lets her wander the backseat, stand up/sit/lay down as she prefers, but will keep her from going flying in the event of a sudden stop or an accident.

We bring her normal food and her food/water bowls, a favorite toy or two, and a blanket from home. During the day, she is fine while we're gone at work, so we just make sure not to stay away from the room any longer at a stretch than we'd be gone during the day at home (~10 hours for us, YMMV).

If your pet has a microchip, check to make sure the info is up to date (esp. your cell numbers)...usually that just involves a free phone call. If you know what company the chip belongs to, a quick Google search will turn up their contact info. If you don't know which chip your pet has, your vet may have it in their records.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[spiceycat]

use to take Spicey all the time. A cat, he learned to love to travel. Now the few times did not take him - hired a pet sitter. Ask your vet to recommend you one.

yes in most hotels there are only certain rooms that are pet friendly. they have to do it this way - because some people are allergic to pets. to put one of these people in a room that a pet was in - could kill them. at least they would get sick.

when staying at WDW resorts - took him to disney kennels - when they were disney kennels. that no problem - he was my baby - so visited at least 3 times daily (even when I got sick) and always feed him myself. So he was out of the cage at least 3 times - if not 4. he loved to walk at nights - so most of the offsite kennels could not allow that.

the kennels at WDW are clean and fairly nice - but they are expensive and you can visit your pet as many times as necessary for you to feel okay.

of course with Spicey started early he was not even 3 months old on his first visit to WDW.(sick kitten with older cat who wanted to kill him)

some dogs (and most cats) just do not travel well. take your doggie on small trips to fun places - like the local park, then further a state park.

if he does okay - then yea a trip with him in mind is fine. on the other hand if he hates it. believe me you will know. then don't take him. (you need to do each section at least 3 times)

you can and should interview the pet sitter before you leave your baby with her/him. make sure your dog likes the person. (just you don't get jealous)

now since single and brought DVC - spending several hours each day with my cat did not hurt my budget much - yours might be different.

 

[GoofTroop]

We love the Extended Stay America chain of hotels...they're not much on the amenities, but clean and cheap, and every single one is pet-friendly (and no size restrictions either, which is good as husky-Akita mix is 80 pounds!).

Is there housekeeping? If so, how do they clean the room if you're away and your pet is in the room?

Elizabeth

 

[serinlea]

Is there housekeeping? If so, how do they clean the room if you're away and your pet is in the room?

Elizabeth

They (and any other pet-friendly chain really) are happy to make arrangements with you to clean the room at a time when you're out walking the dog. They won't clean the room while a pet is there to avoid safety and/or escapee issues.

What we usually do - because honestly we don't vacuum and change sheets everyday at home anyway - is only get the room cleaned when we run out of towels and leave the Do Not Disturb sign up the rest of the time.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We have a mini-pin that travels with us all the time. I understand your reluctance to use kennels. We don't either. When we take a trip that requires we fly or when we go on a cruise, we drive from Florida (home) to North Carolina for my sister to watch her. We then fly from there. Yeah, she's that spoiled.

You'll be surprised to see more luxury hotels accept pets than average chain hotels. Loews, The Ritz, & Fairmont are just a few of the luxury hotels that bend over backwards for guests traveling with their pets. Look for boutique hotels. Most of those accept pets. Theirs also Westin & W Hotels. Most but not all Renaissance, Hilton & Sheraton hotels accept pets. As does a lot of Holiday Inns. Those are just some of the options.

After deciding on a hotel, call & ask what their pet requirements are. Most will ask for shot records, before you check in. Also, inquire about a pet fee. Most of the luxury hotels don't charge one, but most of the regular chain resorts do. You need to ask to be sure what to expect.

As far as housekeeping goes, you can usually set up a time for your room to be clean. The pet needs to be in a crate or you need to be there with the pet. We just do the housekeeping ourselves. I always make the beds in the morning, whether we have housekeeping or not. My DH trades out the towels & picks up anything else we need (i.e. toiletries, tissue, coffee, etc.) We have had housekeepers ask to come in to see her, after my DH has told them she's in there.

Loews hotels are great, which makes Universal Orlando very pet friendly. Disney is the opposite. They advertise themselves as pet friendly, but many of us don't consider kennels pet friendly at all. I called once to ask why Swan & Dolphin doesn't allow pets. (As I noted earlier, most Westin & Sheraton hotels do.) I was told Disney doesn't allow them to offer pet friendly accommodations on their property. Needless to say, we go to UO much more often than WDW. Now that the new Waldorf Astoria & Hilton have opened, we may go more often.

That's all I can think of for now. If you have anymore questions, I'll try to help you out.

 

[fostrmom2mny]

Thank you so much! All of you. It actually makes me feel better that they ask for current immunisations for the pets. She travels around town with us and to the park, and she seems to love to take a ride in the car. We are looking at driving about five hours. Since we have kids, we'd be making stops even on that short of a difference.
Again thatnk you and I bet this thread will help others who may be interested in traveling with their pats.
PS. For us we are lucky that my son lives nearby and could dog sit if we decide not to take her with us.

 

[seus-mouse]

Thanks for all of the useful information

We will be bringing our Chihuahua and are taking this info to heart. She loves to travel, so far, and it sure is different looking for hotels along the way and in Orlando that are pet friendly. We will hit more of the State parks so she will have some green places to run around