Traveling with Your Dog

Our dogs are family members. It is great when they can come along with us on our vacations. Traveling with your dog can be complicated or easy. The trick is to plan ahead and make a few inquiries. Some of the research can be done online, some by phone or email.

Take your time to ensure each of your stops and stays will be dog-friendly as well as provide you and your people family members with the most enjoyable experiences.

Traveling with Your Dog — National Parks

1. Grand Canyon: “Dogs are allowed on the South Rim trails which include a 2.7 mile scenic walk along the rim. And, well-behaved pooches are allowed on the Geology Walk, a one-hour park ranger guided tour which consists of a leisurely walk along a 3/4 mile paved rim trail.” dogfriendly.com
2. Yosemite National Park: “Dogs are allowed on the paved trails throughout the Yosemite Valley.” dogfriendly.com

Traveling with Your Dog — Hotels

1. La Quinta Inns & Suites: Pet-friendly. This is our hotel choice and the one we always use when possible. “Whether you’re traveling on business, a leisure getaway, or a family vacation”
   La Quinta Inns & Suites and LQ Hotel by La Quinta have the right hotel accommodations for you and your pet.
2. Choice Hotels: “Choice Hotels® is comprised of 11 different pet-friendly hotel brands, including popular chains such as Comfort Inn®, Quality Inn®,Econo Lodge®, the upscale Ascend Hotel Collection®, and many more. Choice Hotels® offers more than 2,500 pet-friendly hotels where your pets can stay with you.” google.com
3. Loews Hotels and Resorts: “With a pet program called Loews Loves Pets, is there any question that the brand—with hotels in 18 cities in the U.S. and Canada—has a serious soft spot for animals? Fees vary by hotel, but a one-time service fee of $25 is common. Amenities (for up to two pets per room) include pet mats, food and water bowls, treats, beds, and even litter boxes. There’s even a room service menu with vet-and-chef-developed recipes for cats and dogs.” usatoday.com

Traveling with Your Dog — Beaches

Beaches have varying pet-friendly policies. Some are open to pets all day while others have designated times your dog can accompany you to the beach. For a comprehensive list of beaches visit http://www.bringfido.com/

Practice Traveling With Your Dog

This may take some imagination but it is well worth the efforts. Make a list of specific experiences you and your dog will have while traveling. From this list devise a series of socialization training. Think of sound, color, light, movement, tastes, smells, and textures of the experiences you will practice with your dog before you go on vacation. This added step in the process of planning and preparation for your vacation will ensure you have had time to put your dog’s mind at ease and build her confidence in the upcoming experiences. There will be fewer surprises for her, and therefore, fewer surprises for you as well.

Have a great vacation!

Billy and Debbie

Traveling with Your Dog — Services NOTE: We have selected services and made suggestions we believe to be reputable and high quality based on our own, or close friends, experience with them (with the exception of BringFido.Com ). Please do your own research as well to ensure they are currently still great services.

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