Traveling with pets

[MarkyMouse]

We are heading down to Hilton Head DVC for Thanksgiving. We are also taking my FIL and his dog down with us as he heads to his Fla. condo. I have never traveled with pets before and we need to stop at a hotel on the way down. Is there any advice regarding this? Are most hotels pet friendly? And before anyone asks, we will not be staying at the DVC resort with the dog.

Mods, if this post belongs somewhere else please move it. I wasn't sure where to post?

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

Most are not pet friendly, and a lot have weight/breed restrictions. La Quinta I believe is pet friendly across the board, and many Days Inns are. Call ahead, and expect an additional pet cleaning fee/deposit at a lot of places. Most places require the dog to be crated if left alone in the room. Bring shot records just in case, and make sure the dog has a collar with an accurate phone number, and even better a microchip as well in the case (god forbid) they get lost in the new area. Always call the hotel to verify, and have them note on your reservation that you will have a pet. Many hotels only dictate a few rooms to be "pet friendly" and that will impact availability.

 

[JennyDrake]

You need to check with each, specific hotel. Do not assume pet friendly! ASK! There may be a significant deposit (refundable) charged and/or there will be an additional charge per night.

Does that help any?

 

[Luvchefmic]

Many many are pet friendly. I used to travel from NY to FL all the time with one of my dogs. Stayed at Extended Stay Deluxe think it's name is Extended Stay America now...here's a wonderful link to check some hotels/motels that are pet friendly based on state

http://www.pet-friendly-hotels.net/

and all documentation, collar, etc as above poster said

 

[swedie]

While traveling, pick up the hotel/motel travel magazines that can be found at most gas stations, diners and info centers. They list a lot of the hotels/motels/inns that you will be passing along your route. They usually include info as to whether or not they accept pets, and if not there will be a phone # listed. Always get better deals through these magazines than you would just stopping at one (making sure to mention the ad - and showing it to them upon arrival).

 

[carlyle688]

We travel with two dogs and always stay at LaQuinta. We have never been charged an extra fee for bringing pets.

 

[gtpoohbear]

I'm pretty sure all La Quinta's are pet friendly. We used them several times when we travelled with our dog and never had any trouble.

 

[Sugardimples]

All Motel 6 are pet friendly. Many, many hotels are now pet friendly. We've stayed at Sheratons, Embassy Suites, Holiday Inns. You'll be surprised how easy it will be to find a place to stay.

 

[MarkyMouse]

Thanks for the advice. Im really nervous about all this. I LOVE dogs but I can't stand this one. It yaps all the time and is not well behaved. I told my wife that if worse comes to worse I will just sleep out in the car with the dog. Fortunately, I won't have this issue when we travel back home. It might be a LONG night for me. LOL!

 

[Bluegrrl]

Also, Disney does have a nice pet boarding place on property. So if you can get your FIL to leave the dog there, that may help. It's supposed to be great.

 

[rpcvpanama]

Also, when stopping along the way don't leave the dog in the car by itself, even with the windows cracked/down. There are many states where this is illegal regardless of the weather conditions. I am not presuming anyone would but best to be safe.

 

[Ronda93]

Another vote for LaQuinta. We have stayed with dogs and they don't make a big deal, charge fees, etc. Very dog friendly with pick up bags and grassy areas at the ready.

Good luck.

 

[disnut8]

Red Roof Inn.

 

[SarahKate]

Just read their policies very closely about leaving your pets in the room. Some have strict rules about how long you can leave them in the room. If your dog is yappy, I would certainly not want to be staying in a room next to, above or below that room (sorry)!

Is there no option to board them? I know that it is hard to leave them. But I wonder if there are any high-quality kennels near you? We just got back from a 10-day trip and it was our first time kenneling our two dogs. I was soooo nervous, but the place had gotten good reviews. The dogs had a GREAT time there and played with the other dogs. I think we sometimes think that we're doing a favor for the dogs by having them with us all the time, but traveling can be really stressful for them.

 

[lawgator]

We also usually stay at La Quinta, although some have pet weight restrictions and specific rooms that you stay in with a pet. Have also stayed at Red Roof Inn, Motel 6 and even some Hampton Inns. As others have said you really need to contact the hotels in advance for specific pet policies. Some of the larger travel websites have search engines that allow you to see pet friendly hotels. There is also a website we've used to locate pet friendly hotels, restaurants, and places called bringfido.com.

 

[Kathryn777]

We have two yappy dogs and have done many hotels with them . LQ are great as others said. There are times we went out and it was several rooms of dogs yapping as we walked down the hall , but we couldn't hear a thing in our room. I found the nicer hotels had much stricter policies

 

[MarkyMouse]

unfortunately there are no La Quinta's on my route. I have found a Best Western in Asheville, NC and have spoken to them. They have specific pet friendly rooms and fortunately they had one available. We are taking my FIL to a condo in New Smyrna. We are traveling with him as far as HHI and then he will complete the journey on his own with his dog. Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated.

 

[Friend of a Mouse]

We raise puppies for Leader Dogs for the Blind and they travel with us. It's a little different as most places waive pet restrictions and fees for dogs in training.

We never know when we get a puppy if they will whine/bark in a hotel. Fortunately, none have. We travel with a crate. I love the wire ones that fold and have handles, they are easy to transport that way.

You will want to have some toys on hand to occupy the dog for the hotel room. Maybe a new toy that will capture interest. This can help to occupy to minimize barking and other destructive behavior. I have found great success with antlers. Another thing you can do is take a Kong and stuff it with peanut butter and kibble. It will keep most dogs occupied for quite awhile.

I like to preportion the dog food into ziploc bags to make sure I have enough for the trip. I always bring a few extra. They make travel dog bowls. I dislike the Kurg collapsible ones. My puppies have popped the bottom out of two. Kurg makes one that zips into a fabric triangle. It is waterproof which makes for a good waterbowl and has a carabiner so it is easy to carry.

Don't forget waste pick up bags! If the dog yaps, I would not leave it in the hotel room alone. Look for restaurants with patios where you can eat.

One way to stop yapping is to use positive reinforcement. It's a facet of clicker training. Carry treats with you (Zuke's Minis work well) and when the dog is doing a behavior you like, treat the dog. We use the word "yes" in place of the clicker as a marker that they have done the right thing. I have found using positive reinforcement training with them is a huge help on trips when they are more likely to misbehave because dogs do not generalize well.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

unfortunately there are no La Quinta's on my route. I have found a Best Western in Asheville, NC and have spoken to them. They have specific pet friendly rooms and fortunately they had one available. We are taking my FIL to a condo in New Smyrna. We are traveling with him as far as HHI and then he will complete the journey on his own with his dog. Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated.

OP, check out the days inn in Asheville. That is where we stayed with our dogs! It was great, and it is a nice days inn, all doors on the inside of the building type.