How to Travel with Your Pet and Be Invited Back

Brooks and Kelly don't want to be left behind!

Today we have a great guest post for anyone thinking of traveling over the holidays, or any time, with their pet. Deborah J. Thompson is a traveler and writer, and her article Ramblin', Gamblin' and Rockin' on the Mississippi Gulf Coast will be in the Spring issue of FIDO Friendly magazine, available at the end of this month/early April. 

 How to Travel with Your Pet and Be Invited Back 
Guest post by Deborah J. Thompson

For many, it’s not a vacation without our family pets. More property owners and hotels are realizing that pet-travelers are an untapped market.

“People who travel with their pets are compassionate—they care, not only about their animals, but about others and their property as well. They are some of my best customers.” Renata-Circeo Loudon, Owner Shore Dreams Vacation Rentals

So how do we become one of those “best customers”?

Whether renting or staying with family, these tips ensure a warm welcome and a return invitation.

1.    Schedule potty breaks in-route. Why start your vacation with a potty on the driveway? And upon arrival, expend pent-up energy with a walk so your pet can be excited to be on vacation instead of just excited to get out of the car. 

2.     Bring their bedding and crate into the house first. Show your pet their acceptable “place,” minimizing anxiety and giving them a sense of the familiar.

3.     Don’t drop them off and leave them alone. Prove you are “staying” here too. You may need to go to the store, or out to dinner. But take time to decompress with your pet so they are more at ease when you do need to leave them alone.

4.     Maintain crating routine. If your dog is used to being crated, then continue. However, if you don’t crate your dog at home, don’t start while in a new environment. It will confuse your pet and make him or her more anxious.

5.     Don’t neglect exercise and attention. This is their vacation too, so help them enjoy it. Don’t leave them in a strange place every day while you’re out having fun. Spend time with them–you brought them so they would be with you­–right? And check on them often. If they understand that you will be back, they will be less likely to “entertain” themselves.

6.     It should go without saying, but make sure that you pick up after your pet. Attach pick-up bags to their lead so they are always handy. 

7.     Respect the property. Even if the owner does allow pets on the furniture, bring your own blankets. Cover the sofa, chair, bed or anywhere else your pet may be.

8.     Avoid fleas. A natural treatment is geranium oil. Put a few drops on their collar and lead as a repellent or supplement to regular treatment. 

9.     Remember–not everyone loves your pets as much as you do. Don’t let your pet approach others without an invitation. You may be in close quarters on the elevator, the hallways or even on a walk. Respect the personal space of those you encounter and make sure that your pet does too.

The more responsible we are as pet-owners, the more likely that others will respect our desire to take our pets along when we travel. We are good-will ambassador for pet-travelers and our behavior can pave the way for more acceptance in the future.

Deborah J. Thompson is a writer, speaker, artist, marketing consultant, Stephen Minister and Stephen Leader. She got a dog for her first birthday and hasn’t been without a pet (or pets) since. She and her husband are avid animal rescuers and travel regularly with their “angel dog” Jazz and spunky rescue Sophie. “Bark” with Jazz and Sophie on Facebook at: Shore Dreams Pet Adventures.  Join Deborah on Twitter/InspireReflect and Facebook/DailyInspiredReflections for daily devotions. She is also available for speaking engagements--call or email for details and visit her Speaker's Page for references and bio.

Renata Circeo-Loudon is the owner of Shore Dreams Vacation Rentals with pet-WELCOMING properties along the gulf coast and lakeside in north Georgia. She has rescued animals for years and understands the special bond that we share with our pets. She is committed to offering pet-friendly accommodations whenever possible. Book your next vacation at www.shoredreams.net or by emailing petadventures@shoredreams.net.


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Brooks Books- Dogs on Wheels

Hi Brooks here! The book I found for you today is called Dogs on Wheels, Traveling with your canine companion. I can tell you already that I highly approve of this book, since I like traveling with Mom and Dad. Here's Mom to tell you more!

Me: Dogs on wheels by Norm Mort, published by Hubble and Hattie (c) 2012
This book starts with an interesting introduction to the evolution of dogs, and the way people tend to humanize their dogs. This all leads up to the point that we like taking our dogs places with us, and in most cases dogs enjoy it too.

Because Hubble and Hattie is an imprint of an automobile publishing house (Veloce Inc.) you will find plenty of authoritative information  here on which types of vehicles are best suited for dogs, with lots of pertinent details-- effect of heating and cooling for the rear compartments, safety of the passenger area in case of emergencies, and considering the height of the windows for seeing out. Various makes and model cars are discussed in detail. If you're in the market for a new car, this chapter would be of great benefit to you.

Other chapters include traveling safety, airbags, travel accessories, and handling dog fears and phobias such as car sickness, claustrophobia and anxiety. There's even a chapter on traveling with your dog on a motorcycle or in a motorcycle sidecar!

The books ends with a chapter on dogs in art and advertising, including numerous car ads that include dogs, and mentions of books and films that include dogs who like to travel in cars.

While the actual "how to travel with your dog" information in this book isn't particularly new or revealing, Dogs on Wheels is a unique book combining two interests. This book would be the perfect gift for the car enthusiast who also loves dogs.

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Vermont with Dogs, Part Two

We had so much fun in Vermont, I need two blog posts to tell you all about it! This was our first time staying in a hotel with two dogs. We stayed at La Quinta. Even though I reserved a plain old queen bedroom, they upgraded us to a queen bed and a couch. Because of that there was plenty of room for the dogs. And Brooks found the bed very comfy!

There were no fancy amenities for the dogs, but they felt welcome.


We even had a good sized table and chairs, so we could take our free continental breakfast back to the room and not leave the dogs alone. There wasn't a ton of room at the hotel to walk the dogs but....

The hotel did have clean up stations and Scoopy Doo bags!

We spent some time on Lake Champlain. while my son and son-in-law fed the gulls...

Kelly and Brooks checked out the view.

Kate made some cookies in the shapes of hearts, hands and paws (and dogs!) to celebrate my new book.

And here's the happy family! (I love Brooks' tongue!)

Here's the thing. I enjoy getting away, and thought it was fantastic that we were able to take the dogs with us everywhere. We ate in the room or at picnic tables and didn't miss eating out at fancy restaurants. The dogs seemed pretty content, although we were all busy and exhausted. The thing is, when we returned home, both dogs were ill. They had, what I call, intestinal distress. Vomiting, diarrhea. Then, Kelly had bloody stools. It looked pretty scary so I took her to the vet's. Well, after exams, analysis, blood work, (and $300 later) it seems that their symptoms were caused by traveling stress. They didn't seem to be stressed. Just look at Brooks relaxing on the hotel bed! They were at our sides at all times, so it wasn't a high stress situation.

Now here's the thing-- the last time we went away (we don't travel a whole lot!) we left Kelly at home, and our son stayed with her night and day. She should have been pretty comfortable in her own home, with her favorite boy, yet when I returned she had an ear infection and a lick keratosis. Most likely caused by the stress of us being away. So...if it's stressful for us to leave her home, and it's stressful for her to travel with us....what are we to do? Any ideas? Never travel again?!

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