Vacations with Dogs!

[lovebugs2003]

Ok, so we just got back from a quick weekend getaway that was not as relaxing as we thought it was going to be. There was not much to do in regards to having a Dog, we went on a couple of hikes, where we stayed wasn't fenced so our poor pup couldn't run free and play. So we basically left early and came home where he could enjoy his freedom.

So my question is, now that you have a dog, where do you vacation?

It was definitely a big eye opener for my DH and I as to how prepared we have to be and what we have to look for.

[ManteoChik]

It's been a while since we've been on vacation with our dog. Usually, when we take a trip we're going home to visit family. Luckily, we always stay with family and both our families have fenced in yards with pools and other dogs so our Duchess is happy...lol.

The last vacation we took with our dog was to the FL keys. We stay at SO's boss' vacation house in Marathon. The yard isn't fenced in but we let Duchess run around anyway - she won't go anywhere. We take her our on the the boat with us and she swims in the canal. Also, we usually go down to Key West for a day and walk around. She goes with us and we all walk around town. The Keys are VERY dog friendly and many restuarants that have outside seating where you can have your dog sit under your table.

A great website that I'd suggest checking out is www.petswelcome.com. This site has been a lifesaver to me. It has listings of all hotels all over the country that allow pets....chains and privately owned. It also lists B&B's and resorts. You can find private rental homes in just about every state from the mountains to the beaches.

I'm not sure what types of place you like to vacation but I found the cutest B&B at Pet's Welcome. It's called The Paw House Inn (www.pawhouseinn.com) and its located near Killington, VT. We used to ski at killington for our anniversary. Anyway, this B&B is totally decided to people vacationing with their dogs. Instead of having to take your dog everywhere you go, they have on side care for your doggie and lots of open land to walk and play with your dog.

[lovebugs2003]

Wow thanks ManteoChik, that is awesome. I live in Canada, so it is great that the website offers info in areas that we do vacation.

I never thought of B&B's, i will have to look into those more, as well as Doggie Daycare in the area that we may go.

I really appreciate your help.

[TazLuv]

We haven't taken Molly on any of our vacations unless we're just going to see family or driving. My IL's don't have a fenced yard so she doesn't understand why she can't just go outside all the time, so that is hard on her but at my parents she LOVES it - they have a 250 acre farm and she just runs and runs.

More and more hotels are becoming pet friendly but you'd still have the yard problem. If we're going a long ways away and we're flying she stays home at the kennel, which she loves. If we're driving somewhere we can usually find somewhere to stay that will let us keep her. B&B's that take pets are a great idea, I know we're getting several more around us that allow pets. We have also used the kennel in our destination city for a couple of days, that way we know she is close and we can enjoy some alone time.

When it comes to vacations I think dogs are harder than children. :)

[boilermaker]

We take our dog with us all over the country..and even to Canada :)
But we are outdoorsy people, so going on hikes, taking him for a run on the beach, etc are right up our alley. We also do a lot of camping and the dog loves that. We have also taught him to stay within about 30 feet of us, so we don't have to have fences, etc to keep him "contained".

One thing we have found is that if we take the dog out and tire him out, then we can leave him at the hotel or rental for a few hours while we are dog free. But our dog is not a barker, so it's easier to do.

As a side note, dogs are not typically allowed in national parks, but are allowed in almost all state parks.

[beachlvr]

We just finished a 3 week vacation with our dog. We took him with us whever we could, and left him crated in the hotel or campground when we couldn't. We took a 16 foot lead and kept him tethered outside of our campsite when we were there, just so he couldn't run away. At the hotel, we took him on long walks so he'd get some exercise.

Just because I like to share, here's a link to Zeus's vacation pictures:

http://community.livejournal.com/boston_buddies/1180906.html

[ABirney]

We are planning on going camping next week (if SIL has her baby by then) and have decided to take our Boxer with us. Should be interesting! We've camped there several times in the past before we had our dog and we've seen lots of other campers there with their dogs, so I don't think it will be too bad. Only thing is, he's kind of lazy.. lol... and we wonder how he'll do on the hiking trails.. (we're not in the best shape ourselves so they are fairly easy trails.)

[ManteoChik]

bump

[lovebugs2003]

Thanks for all the tips ladies, i think if we had been more prepared, we could have had more fun. We could have left him crated at the house, but i just couldn't do that, the house was dirty and i didn't like being in there so i didn't want him there. And he is just a pup (3 1/2 mos). We took him for that 2 hour hike, and it tired him right out, we couldn't go anywhere else, cause he was so pooped. But i think now we know what to look for.