Still Traveling

By Howard Bayerle

June 7, 2005 4:41 PM | Link to this

We regularly travel with our 7 dogs (actually 8 after this last weekend) and are constantly on the lookout for good hotels that accept pets. Because they are getting harder to find, I recommend that a standard of conduct be created that all dog travelers must follow. First, be courteous to everyone. ALWAYS pick up after your pet. Never let your dogs stay in the room alone if they will bark or chew. Always keep your dogs on lead in public areas. Always remove the bedspread from the bed and store it away from access by your pets. Perhaps hotel/motel chains should formally establish these standards so everyone will know what is expected of them. They should also provide bags to pick up poop and designate specific areas where the dogs can go. My choices for a hotel are greatly influenced by their acceptance for pets but it appears that a hotel’s individual policy is greatly influenced by the citizenship of dog owners in general. Please let your dog be a canine good citizen and follow the rules so more hotels will allow us to stay with our pets.

By Carolyn

June 8, 2005 1:11 PM | Link to this

We try to take our eleven year old golden retriever when we travel as much as possible. It is usually pretty easy with exception to New Orleans. The hotel we were staying at allowed dogs but did not have anywhere for them to go to the bathroom. The nearest place was about 5 blocks away. I will keep that in mind when we travel in the future.

By Amy

June 8, 2005 4:41 PM | Link to this

I hate to travel without my dogs. The only place I have ever had trouble with is Myrtle Beach. There are very few dog friendly hotels & the ones that are, are not the best. Everywhere else has been a breaze, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia.

By Amanda Miller

June 9, 2005 11:37 AM | Link to this

Howard, I can’t believe you’re traveling with seven dogs! Are you by chance showing them at dog shows? What kinds of dogs are they?

Your comments about being a good dog “parent” are right on. We didn’t leave our dogs alone in the hotel room at all — we weren’t sure how the newest member of the family (a neighborhood stray we adopted) would respond to being left alone and we were afraid the response would be with barking and/or chewing. Our other two dogs are very well behaved and very quiet, but Charlie’s still learning his manners.

I can’t imagine trying to travel with eight dogs, even small ones. You must have a van or SUV. The backseat of our old Concorde was full with our three.

By Amanda Miller

June 9, 2005 11:56 AM | Link to this

Amy Where are the best places you’ve stayed? How did you find them — via Internet searches, guidebooks?

The most upscale place we’ve stayed with the mutts was the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, a beautiful, historic hotel. The dogs — then only two of them — were treated like royalty, with their own beds, dog toys and dog treats. The humans had it pretty nice, too.

By debra mcever

June 10, 2005 9:25 AM | Link to this

I went to Myrtle Beach on 5/30/05 with my daughter and my one month old grandson. I had reservations with Springmaid Beach Resort. These people contacted me via the internet with a special they had. Nowhere on the ad did this place say they were not pet friendly. My little dog weighs only 12 lbs. and is more well behaved than most children. When we got in the room, the first thing I read was the information booklet left in the room. Nowhere in the booklet did it say anything about pets not being welcome. The second day of our stay my little dog barked when the maid brought towels. A few minutes later the manager came to my room and demanded that I get rid of the dog or leave. Needless to say I left and got another motel. I lost my money on the rest of the week’s stay at the motel. The manager was very rude and I will never stay there again. He may have gotten my money but I have told all of my friends in Atlanta how we were treated. In my opinion we were treated like dirt. People with pets have feelings too!

By Andi Levine

June 10, 2005 10:48 AM | Link to this

Hey! You guys left out how easy it can be to travel with “Fluffy” too. I travel internationally (Florence Italy) with my Italian-born silver tabby persian (appropriately named “Delta”)Theres a terrific pet carrier on wheels you can order-on line that acts as a kitty carry-on suitcase, bed, carseat & backpack. (The backpack is great for riding around Firenze on the scooter) When traveling internationally you just need a little advance prep notifying the airline for space and getting the proper docs & shots from your vet. (My “Delta” even has her own little kitty passport!) So don’t be afraid to travel with your Puddy-tat. And by the way, “Delta Bella” sezs the in-flight ‘fish dinner’ on Air France is Purrrrrfect!

By Amanda Miller

June 10, 2005 12:31 PM | Link to this

Hi Debra Sounds like kind of an unpleasant experience in Myrtle Beach. Amy also made some mention of many Myrtle Beach hotels/motels not being pet-friendly. It could be that so many families go to Myrtle Beach, and so many kids nowadays seem to have allergies to dogs and cats, that hotels are reluctant to let pets stay.

I think it’s a good idea to always ask whether the hotel accepts pets; some of the ones we’ve stayed at lately have special rooms set aside for people traveling with pets, usually at the end of a hall, so if your dog barks it’s less likely to disturb other travelers. And when they let the room out again, it’s to another pet owner who won’t complain of allergies.

Some hotels also worry about liability, especially if a lot of their travelers have children. My two long-deceased daschunds were not particularly friendly to children, especially if the kids were at the squealer toddler age; the dogs never bit a child, but there were a couple of close calls and I came to understand that a high-pitched kid’s voice could just send them over the edge (me, too, sometimes).

Still, it sounds like the manager could have handled your situation better.

By Amanda Miller

June 10, 2005 12:39 PM | Link to this

Hi Andi

Delta must be a well-traveled kitty. Next time she needs to go to Italy, I’ll volunteer to take her! Italy’s on my list of places to get to, but the trip keeps getting delayed by pesky house repairs ($3,000 for Italy, or do we want to stop the leaking roof before the ceiling starts falling on us? I vote Italy, but my common sense usually trumps).

Amanda

By Andi Levine

June 10, 2005 2:26 PM | Link to this

Ciao Amanda: …If I could only figure out how to make the airlines give me skymiles for “Delta-Bella”! :) And you are right. I own 1 well traveled kitty. Anytime I pull out a suitcase she jumps inside!

Anyway, I say put a big bucket under that leaking roof & pack up the Pups for Tuscany. (International flights via Delta/Air France/ allow 3 pets per cabin.)I’ve been doing the Florence/Tuscany comute for the past 5 years…..since thats where my boyfriend Raffaele lives. He owns 2 leather shops & a fab restaruant called Osteria dell Olio in Florence. So you just tell me when your’e ready to go & I’ll get ya hooked-up for the most Non-Tourist experience of your life. Ironically, Raffaele’s had to repair leaks in my roof when he’s been here. So maybe we can work out a deal! HA!Anyway,let me know if you need my email to answer any “Italy” questions for you.

By Amy

June 13, 2005 11:39 AM | Link to this

I usually check petfriendlyhotels.com before I go anywhere. The best place I’ve stayed is a place in Helen, Ga, called The Hofbrau House. They are so nice & the rooms are clean & the staff is friendly to both humans & pets. The worse place is an EconoLodge in Kingsport, Tn. The staff was rude, the room was unclean & the roof leaked (and we were on the bottom floor, so the rain soaked through the roof & the floor above us). Lots of hotels in Ocala (where my parents live) are pet friendly and the rooms are clean & the staff is great. Also, St. George, Fl is a great place for an animal lovers vacation.

By Amanda Miller

June 13, 2005 12:26 PM | Link to this

Hi Amy

That EconoLodge had quite a few problems going for it. Rain leaking into the bottom floor! Guest discomfort aside, and in the hotel business that should never be set aside, looks like they’d want to fix the problem to prevent water damage.

The Hofbrau House in Helen is good to know about. I’ve also used petfriendly.com looking for lodging. We took our (then two) dogs to New Hampshire last fall and I found some chain motels to book on the way up and back; we also found a wonderful B&B called the Lazy Dog Inn in Chocorua, N.H., run by a young couple with two Golden Retrievers. They even have a fenced play area for the dogs, and kennels onsite if you need to leave them all day. Dogs have the run of the place as long as owners are nearby — the only restriction is dogs can’t come into the dining area during breakfast (those tempting smells would probably overcome the most well-behaved pet).

By Kelly S.

June 14, 2005 8:49 AM | Link to this

When we travel, we always take our 6 year old Jack Russell Terrier. She is smart and minds well. She is a joy to have with us. I was disappointed when she didn’t like the beach so much but I can imagine how hard it is to enjoy playing with the ball covered in sand!

We took a Florida road trip for 10 days for our 10 year anniversary and booked all our rooms in advance using petswelcome.com for resources. Our first stop was Universal Studios. All of the resorts in the park are Loews Resorts (http://www.loewshotels.com) that know how to take care of our “dogchild” (all Loews Hotels are pet friendly and hi-end hotels). They brought a goody bag with home made treats, water and food dishes, a “placemat”, and Loews trinkets. We took the boats to the parks and left her in her crate (which she loves) in the room. We came back every 3 hours or so and took her for a walk, played ball or just hung out and recouped for more park action. We did not use the kennels.

Our worst experience was when we went to Cape Canaveral expecting to use the kennels. They were AWEFUL! There was no one on staff when we got there. When they finally arrived, and we went in, it was filthy and we hated to leave her there. We put her in the kennel inside her crate and took the “express” tour of Cape Canaveral worrying the entire time.

We ended up in Key West and stayed at a lovely place called Center Court Historic Inns & Cottages. (http://www.centercourtkw.com/) They too had a goody package for Marxie and the suites are fabulous with some having jacuzzis on a private patio which was GREAT after a day of walking on Duval St. (Cindy was SO helpful!) They knew it was our 10 year anniversary and really took care of us.

If you love your dog, travel with them. It is a wonderful experience you will never forget!

By Charlotte Gregg

June 14, 2005 9:25 AM | Link to this

Our westies are 5 years old and every year it’s been easier to get hotels with them. In June 2005 we had to go to Milan Georgia and got a room at Holiday Inn Express Vidalia Georgia, it was a suite $93. and the dogs were $7 a night. Last March we flew to Exuma with the dogs and stayed at the Four Seasons. The dogs were treated like movie stars, little sponge letters of their names, Toby and Casey, laid out on the coffee table in the suite with a bowl for each and a little tray of treats. When we sat on the veranda of our room hotel personal moving about the complex would walk up and visit the dogs for a moment. Other guests would comment “we miss our dogs and next time we’ll bring them with us”. Yes everywhere we go there is more consideration for our pets. I will say the better the hotel the easier it is.. we were in Sun City Florida in March 2004 and the only hotel in that area that would take dogs was the Sun City Inn… they were very gracious. The rest areas have dog walks.. and Home Depot will let you bring your dog into the store … our local Ace Hardware has dog treats by the cash register and encourages you to bring them in… especially when it’s warm out.. one employee at our Ace Hdwe actually takes a treat out to them if I don’t bring them in. The banks all give you dog bones at the drive up teller. Yes it’s much easier. Also remember us baby boomers are retiring and we have pets. Boomers are empty nesters and treat their pets like family members so I believe it’s a follow the money sort of thing… those who make it easier to bring pets will get the business. Enjoyed your article. Thanks for the opportunity to tell my recent experience with our pets. Charlotte

By Amanda Miller

June 14, 2005 11:24 AM | Link to this

Hi Charlotte

I went on line and looked at the Four Seasons in Exuma and it looks wonderful, as are all Four Seasons properties. They’re known for pampering pets, and I believe all of the hotels managed by Four Seasons are pet-friendly. There’s even a photo of a veranda on the site, and it’s very inviting.

I think the Boomers have done a lot to change the attitude of hotels/motels about accepting pets, and there is a huge element of accommodating people who have more freedom and money to travel.

But I also think the hotels that have pet-friendly policies have discovered that most pet owners who love their pets enough to travel with them usually have well-behaved pets, and the hotel’s fears of chewed up (or clawed up) furniture, incessant barking or meowing and/or accidents on the carpet are for the most part unfounded. So they accommodated people who have more cash to travel, and found that there’s no downside — the rooms may even be quieter than those with families traveling with infants and young children!

By Amanda Miller

June 14, 2005 11:54 AM | Link to this

Hi Kelly

Thanks for the warning about Cape Canaveral’s kennel — they should know better! I had one of the more memorable bus tours of my life at the space center some 30 years ago, courtesy of a clueless young couple with a toddler who probably shouldn’t have taken the bus when they did (nap time) and definitely shouldn’t have had a child in the first place. The poor baby was whining and fussy when the trip began and that progressed to whailing when they started slapping him to try to quiet him down (outstanding parenting technique!). After about 10 minutes of crying, he settled down for a few minutes and became fascinated with his father’s keys — and clueless dad snatched them out of the child’s hands, resulting in instant, nonstop whailing. The child’s crying was so loud nobody could hear the tour guide’s commentary, and when the guide got to a restroom stop about half-way through the tour, he put the couple and child off the bus and called for someone to come pick them up. It was a terrible experience for all onboard, and I’ve often wondered how that child turned out. I hope he overcame his poor start in life.

But I digress. Your mention of Center Court Historic Inns & Cottages sent me to the Internet. The place looks like a real winner; it goes on my list when I get to Key West.

By Mike

June 14, 2005 3:21 PM | Link to this

Im just curious everyone. When you take a vacation it is for rest and relaxtion (no kids, dogs, etc.) Why in the world would you want to have to deal with trying to find animal friendly areas? Just pick a nice kennal prior to departing and have fun with your mate. Your vacation is for you and seems to me if you spend half your time trying to accomodate your pets…it would only add the daily frustrations that your trying to get away from. I am very much an animal lover, but I’m going to drag my 100lb Rottweiler no where. I don’t think he would enjoy it either. Also, I’m not much on pets in the house so personally I have to say that I would not stay in a Hotel where an animal sleeps in the same bed I do. Maybe that’s why not all places accomodate. To each his own i guess. This is America.

By Chris

June 14, 2005 3:25 PM | Link to this

There are several web sites that I check before going on vacation such as petswelcome.com and petfriendlytravel.com also vrbo.com which stands for vacation rentals by owner, has a pet paw by the pet friendly rentals. AAA has a book that lists pet friendly hotels by city and state,thats good to take with you if you’re traveling and don’t know where you are going to stay. Always ask even if something is listed as pet friendly because the policies sometimes change, and please, please be responsible pet owners and clean up after your pets and make sure they are clean and have been treated for fleas. Also Cape San Blas Florida has pet friendly beaches. Thanks for the tip about taking the bedspreads off, I didn’t think about that. Maybe the hotels should have a list of rules.

By Amanda Miller

June 14, 2005 5:04 PM | Link to this

Ah, Mike, it’s the great divide. I bet your Rottweiler is somewhat young and healthy. We often left our dogs when they were younger, on the theory that they wouldn’t mind and they had each other for company (the vet puts them in the same kennel cage).

But now that the oldest dog is 17 going on 18, and she’s almost blind and practically stone deaf, it’s hard to leave her caged. However, our latest trip to Florida was probably her last — she didn’t do all that well with the disruption of her routine and we’ll probably keep her home from now on. And since we don’t want to put her in the kennel, it looks like we won’t be going as much in the next few months, or one of us will travel while the other stays behind. Yuki’s been an excellent dog, the best, so we don’t mind catering to her in her old age. And since she was always the alpha dog, she thinks it’s her due!

I can see why you wouldn’t want to sleep on a bed someone else’s dog has shared â€â€? I don’t either. Most pet owners I know don’t allow their dogs on the bed. And most hotels know many pet owners and non-pet owners feel exactly as you do, and they make sure to have pet-friendly rooms and rooms where pets aren’t welcome. Just as nonsmokers don’t particularly want a room that smells of stale cigarettes, any number of people don’t appreciate a room with the faint smell of dog or a little uncollected cat dander or dog hair. I’m just glad hotels are willing to accommodate those of us who want to travel with our dogs/cats, or those of us who have to.

By Wally

June 15, 2005 8:55 AM | Link to this

One vacation arena not mentioned so far is camping. Many state parks don’t allow dogs (or pets in general)but the worst experience was in Seminole County, Florida. They literally will call the police without warning and have you evicted. My cockers were quiet, on leash and are well behaved. We were the only ones in the camp site even, but that sure didn’t matter. Stay clear of Mullet Lake Park.

Also, the Helendorf in Helen, GA welcomes pets, with rooms set aside for them, great to know for Octoberfest :)

By Carol and Allan

June 15, 2005 10:44 AM | Link to this

We have 12 puppy’s(1 year to 12 years) and we love to travel.So we bought a 30” foot camper just for the puppy’s. It’s our traveling dog house on wheels!!!!We have been just taking 6 of them and leaving 6 for the dog sitter, but we have so much fun with the 6 we want to take them all! I always worry about the one’s we left behind and start missing them even tho we have a GREAT dog sitter! We are having a problem with camp sites allowing up to just 2 dogs…So we check on the internet and try to find one that just say pets ok, no limit.They are hard to find.

By Sara

June 15, 2005 10:57 AM | Link to this

We traveled last winter to Washington, DC (overnighting in a Holiday Inn Express in VA) with our two cats. The cats traveled better than I expected although one of them spent the last few hours hiding under a seat. I think we were given the worst room in the hotel b/c we had the cats with us, but the girls behaved well and we pre-cleaned the room before we left, so there were no problems. The hotel actually didn’t charge us for the cats even though I was very clear about telling the manager that they were with us.

For the Fourth of July, we are driving to northern Wisconsin with our 76-lb Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy. I refuse to fly him in cargo, so we’ll just have to suffer the hours in the car! We’ve elected to avoid hotels and drive straight through, but he is a good traveler and crate trained (not to mention obedience trained) so we don’t worry about traveling with him. We rented a cabin in Blue Ridge this winter from Black Bear Cabin Rentals (plug), the owners of which are huge dog lovers and they were happy to see us vacationing with our pooch. I recommend them if you’re looking for a mountain getaway with the pets! They’re on the internet.

By Amanda Miller

June 15, 2005 11:51 AM | Link to this

Hi Sara

Black Bear Cabin Rentals sounded so interesting, I Googled it to see. And what popped up but cabins with the same name in North Georgia that also take pets.

So then I Googled “and Wisconsin” and found a lot of Black Bear hotels and inns, but none specifically called “Black Bear Cabin Rentals. There are Black Bear Inn and Black Bear Hotel and assorted others. If other folks want to check them out, do you have an Internet address?

Also, you have my admiration for taking on a Rhodesian Ridgeback to train. They’re very smart dogs, but the get so big I’d feel intimidated. Amanda

By Sara

June 15, 2005 3:29 PM | Link to this

Hey Amanda, The cabin we rented was in North Georgia, in Blue Ridge specifically. The cabin rental place you found through Google is the one we used. www.blackbearcabinrentals.com

We really enjoyed our stay and enjoyed feeling our dog was welcome there!

By Amanda Miller

June 15, 2005 4:19 PM | Link to this

Oops, silly me. I just had Wisconsin on my brain I guess. Hug that puppy for me.

Amanda

By Amanda Miller

June 16, 2005 1:29 PM | Link to this

Hi Carol and Allan

Twelve (12) doggies? That’s more than I could handle on the road, even with an RV, I think. Sounds like one big happy dog family. Are they all the same breed, or different sizes and breeds? I bet you get a lot of comments at campsites, and make a lot of new friends. I’ve found people are much more likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger when there’s a dog along.

My sister-in-law and family are traveling in an RV this year with a dog, a cat, a bird and a crawfish, plus an 11-year-old son, and I thought that was crowded!

Amanda

By Carol and Allan

June 16, 2005 4:58 PM | Link to this

It’s easy! The thing to do is take a grandchild or two to help! We have 8 grandchildren that loves dogs..We have 8 Maltese’s,2 Shih tzu’s,1 westie,1 schnauzer. We rescued several of them..

By Becky

June 17, 2005 10:59 AM | Link to this

I would love to trave with my puppy. But she gets incredibly car sick. Is there anything I can go so she doesn’t get sick out both ends in my car?

By Amanda Miller

June 17, 2005 11:22 AM | Link to this

Hi Becky

I don’t know the answer to that question. I’d guess it’s either anxiety-related or maybe just the motion of the car causes the puppy nausea. And I don’t know if it’s something a puppy might outgrow. Has anyone dealt with this problem and could possibly offer some advice? If I can reach my vet today, I’ll ask him.

Amanda

By Carol and Allan

June 17, 2005 5:02 PM | Link to this

Yes, I have 3 or more dogs that get car sick..The vet told me to get them dramamine and it works! You have to ask the vet how much to give to your puppy. Happy Trails to you!!