Vacationing With Your Pets
Today, we're diving into a topic that's close to my heart – VACATIONS!!! I take many vacations with my x-large pups and have packing, safety, and traveling must-haves down to a science! Pet Parents are traveling with their four-legged family members in record numbers post-pandemic, so I hope this helps many of you!
Essential Travel Gear for Your Furkids From A Pro
Leash and harness (I like to bring a 2nd leash like this one for eating at restaurants. Hands-Free!)
Food bowl
Enough food for the entire trip
Treats: daily cookies and high-reward treats
2 water bowls (1 can be left in your walk-around bag, and 1 is for the hotel/ Airbnb)
Water jug filled with clean water (in case you have car trouble, if you’re flying, no need!)
Medication with the Rx listed on the bottle
Toys (I bring 3. Be sure at least 2 are safe if playing with them unsupervised.)
Favorite blanket or dog bed (for the Home vibe smells)
Basic 1st aid kit (that includes Benadryl in case of an allergic reaction)
Calming collar or spray, like Adaptil.
Seatbelt & Crash tested Harness (Sleepypods is the highest rated and I do love it. You’ll want this even if you’re flying because of auto travel at your destination.)
GPS Tags: I use Eufy Smartlinks for our Furkids Inc. clients AND my own furbabies. New places with loud sounds can cause weird behaviors, like darting and running. Apple Airtags also work great.
Muzzle for Reactive or High Anxiety Dogs. I need to just say this: muzzles are not a bad thing. A muzzle is simply taking an extra step of precaution to ensure YOUR furkid is safe. Safe from incidents and safe from ridicule. You’re taking the risk factor out of the situation. Think about how often another pet parent has allowed their dog to walk right up to other dogs, proclaiming, “They’re friendly!”? That pet parent likely has never had a reactive furkid. I use one for Willa Mae anytime we travel into public spaces where we can’t avoid other dogs, like a hotel. I really, really like the Baskerville Ultra Dog Muzzle. It is spacious enough that they can drink water and get treats with no problem while still providing a barrier of protection for your furkid. You will have to get your pup used to the muzzle by conditioning them to it with high-reward treats well in advance of your trip. This is essential to them being comfortable wearing it on the trip.
I gotta say, at first I was a little self concious of my baby wearing the muzzle in public. I didn’t want people to think she was a vicious Cujo. I thought we would get lots of stares and comments but ya know what? We’ve only ever received big smiles, knowing eyes and quite a few “What a good girl”!
Finding Pet-Friendly Accommodations
Major hotel brands are investing a LOT of money into marketing and upgrades for pet parents seeking pet-friendly accommodations. Super cute Pets Are Welcome (PAWS) programs are offered at nearly every major hotel brand now. These range from pet spa or SPAW services to luxury dog beds, check-in gourmet treats, and partnerships with local pet care companies (Like us! We’re even listed on Bring Fido!).
The Dodo put out a good list of pet-friendly hotel brands. Marriot BonVoy, Kimpton Hotels, and the Hilton Family are my personal favorites. They always seem to go the extra mile for the furkids.
Even with all these cool new options, I do recommend calling or messaging ahead. Online pet policies are pretty vague and can change from hotel to hotel, even in the same hotel brand family. It's always a good idea to confirm the details with a real human, like whether you are allowed to leave them in the room/ home unattended and if the hotel, Bed & Breakfast or Airbnb has weight limits, which many have.
What to Do When You Need to Leave Your Furkid Alone While On Vacation
If you need to leave your furkid in the room or vacation home unattended, here are some tips. Reality is that most furkids are gonna freak out a little bit. It’s a new space, with new smells and weird noises you and I can’t even hear. This can mean a LOT of different behaviors as each pet is totally different. Some may just be anxious when they aren’t normally, and some may become a little anxiety-induced destructive. As a general rule, it is better safe than sorry.
Provide them with lots of fun activities prior to your departure to release unspent energy.
Give them a good long Sniff walk and make sure they go potty.
Most hotels have music channels. Leave music on while you’re away to help drown out scary hotel sounds. Dogs and cats both respond calmingly to classical music and, of course, Sade. Because EVERYONE loves Sade.
Pet-Proof the Space if you won’t be crating them. Remove any hazards, like toxic plants, small objects that could be chewed on, and pillows. Again, better safe than sorry.
Leave out their unsupervised-safe toys.
Turn on a couple of lights.
Be sure to leave a full water bowl.
Give them a big kiss and promise them you’ll return by X time.
Hang a DO NOT DISTURB sign on your hotel door so housekeeping doesn’t scare your furbaby and you don’t scare housekeeping or worse, your furkid slips out.
Notify the front desk you are leaving and have your furkid in your room in case of a hotel emergency.
If you are going to be gone for an extended time, I would suggest considering hiring a local, reputable, certified, + insured pet caregiver/ dog walker to spend some quality time with your furkids. They’re on vacation, too, after all. You’ll want to interview your potential caregiver or dog walkers to ensure they are the best fit. Here’s a great list of questions you can ask.
Vacation Clients are slightly different as you don’t live where you need the services, so you’ll want to do your research. You can also ask the Concierge service or property manager if they have a partner program. These programs matter as the reputation of their hotel or vacation home is on the line. Also, be mindful that many pet care companies work on strict schedules and might not be able to fit you in last minute, so be sure to try and book these services when you book your Human adventure. We like to Zoom with our Vacation Clients ahead of time so you can meet us and ensure we are the right fit for you and your furry family, well in advance. This also allows us to plan out the purrfect Adventure for your furkid based on what you will allow, their breed, activity level, socialization level and the weather.
Happy & Safe Travels Pet Parents!!!!
