My Friendly Pets

More and more families today are choosing to include their dogs in their vacation and travel plans. There are many reasons for including your pet when you leave home. Bringing your dog with you will solidify the dog’s role in the family in all types of situations. Exposing your dog to various travel situations will help to socialize the dog and allow him/her to accompany you almost anywhere he/she is allowed. More and more hotels/motels are now considered pet friendly and will accomodate your pooch for a nominal fee. As with any member of the family, leaving your dog at home can cause a void in the total enjoyment of the trip, especially if you are concerned about the care your dog is receiving in your absence.

If for some reason you can’t bring your dog with you when you go away or choose not to because of the travel plans, a local kennel or doggie motel is probably available in your area. However, thanks to a new website called www.care.com, you can hire a pet sitter to walk your dog, groom him/her or hire an in-home caretaker of your pooch while your away. This is a great option for dogs who have difficulty adjusting to the kennel environment and truly enjoy being in their own comfortable surroundings.

For a $15.00 registration fee and a monthly subscription fee, you can access all of the benefits. The payment of actual fees for the services you require are set up between you and the service provider on an individual basis. If you are concerned about the quality of the person you are hiring, Care.com has background checks, references and contact information necessary for individual interviews on all of their providers.

The website is very inclusive and does not only serve clients in the US, but all over the world. Its definitely an option to consider when you can’t always have your dog by your side.

Traveling with pets can be frustrating, to say the least. Aside from the usual hurdles when it comes to traveling with pets, dogs and small cars don’t usually mix well. Lucky for you, fellow dog lovers, I’ve found a website (actually a blog) that reviews cars, mostly SUV’s according to their usefulness as “dogmobiles.” I have never bought a vehicle according to how many dogs I can fit into it comfortably, but with three dogs in the family now, it’s not sounding like such a bad idea!

dogs, pets, animals, car reviews, dog mobile, travel

With springtime upon us, lots of people are probably starting to plan vacations. What do you do with your dog while you’re away? Boarding or pet sitting services are always an option, and you could always leave fido with a friend. As for me, I’d much rather take my furry friend along for the ride. This poses a new problem - finding a hotel or resort that allows dogs. And what about air-travel?

There are many pet-friendly beaches and hotels out there. Here’s a few hotels that allow dogs:

- Candlewood Suites
- Clarion Inn & Suites
- Comfort Inn
- Holiday Inn
- La Quinta
- Mainstay Suites
- Quality Inn

The list goes on.. there are also many Bed & Breakfast Inns, Cottages, and Ski Resorts which welcome furry friends.

Pet Friendly Airlines:

- ATA Airlines
- Agean
- AirTran Airways
- American Airlines
- Delta
- Northwest Airlines
- United

Before you leave home, be sure your pet is up-to-date on all vaccinations, and wearing an I.D. tag. Take a portable water bowl with you, and plenty of food and water. Always keep your buddy on a leash.

Happy Trails!

dog, pet, travel, pet travel