Finding And Staying At A Dog Friendly Hotel
Nowadays, you will find plenty of accommodations that welcome dogs. There are lodging options that welcome dogs that range from cheap to downright expensive. You can find dog-friendly hotels and even comfortable and accommodating bed and breakfast places. You can even find expensive and luxurious hotels that offer the same. However, the basic etiquette rules are typically the same everywhere.
Here are some of the best tips that you can use to ensure that you have a quality stay wherever you go with your dog and that you will be welcomed back with open arms.
- Avoid Leaving Your Dog Alone
You don’t want to leave your dog unattended under any circumstance. Leaving your dog alone is a no-no whenever you are in new places. Your dog is not going to be comfortable outside of its home and in an unfamiliar place. It’s not uncommon to see dogs act out and behave differently when they are anxious and uncomfortable. You could come back to the place after a long dinner and find that your dog has chewed through furniture and torn down the drapes. What’s more, your dog likely spent the entire dinner singing their displeasure which can result in serious noise complaints among other guests.
- Only Bring A Dog That’s Housetrained
You cannot bring your dog if they are not yet housetrained. It’s imperative to only bring dogs that have been adequately trained. Think about how you would enjoy it if you had a guest going to the bathroom in the middle of your floors. The fact is, you wouldn’t. You shouldn’t bring a dog along for the trip if they aren’t housetrained yet under any circumstance.
- Ensure Your Dog Is Free Of Fleas
Don’t bring your dog if they are full of fleas. Not only are you going to cause issues with the place you’re staying at, but any future guests are going to suffer the consequences equally.
- Bring Their Bedding
It’s always a good idea to do whatever you can to make your dog feel at home. A good way to ease their anxiety and increase their comfort is by bringing familiar bedding along with you. Bringing your dog’s bed or blanket can go a long way towards getting them to feel more comfortable. It can also keep them from being tempted to jump onto the hotel bed. If your dog does sleep in bed with you at home, it’s best to bring an extra sheet that you can use to cover the bed. You don’t want to allow your dog to sleep on the supplied bedding or bedspread because it’ll make it very dirty for future guests.
- Don’t Wash Your Dog In The Tub
Don’t wash your dog in the tub. It only makes a mess. Their hair can get caught in the drains and cause issues. Your dog can go for a couple of days without a bath. If you must wash them, do it outside.
- Bring Food and Water Bowls
You need to be bringing your food and water bowls. Do not use the ice tub that is provided for guests. This tub is meant for humans. You want to supply your bowls. You can use the water supplied by the hotel, but don’t use the bowls unless they are designated for dogs. Some hotels and lodging places will supply you with dog bowls at your convenience. Ask beforehand so you know whether or not you’ll need to bring your own.
- Keep Your Dog From Barking
You want to keep your dog from barking. It’s best to keep them from barking at all. Dogs tend to get very territorial once they get used to a place. They start to think the place is theirs. Whenever a hotel guest walks by, you may find they tend to bark or snarl. Try to keep your dog from doing this. Otherwise, you could find that you get kicked out of the hotel. There are different ways to keep your dog from barking excessively. If you need help, check out some of these tips.
- Be Transparent About Their Size
A lot of places will prefer smaller dogs. This doesn’t make much sense given smaller dogs tend to be the rowdiest and noisy. A lot of larger dogs and breeds will be much more quiet and calm in comparison. However, that doesn’t change the facts. Many won’t accept larger dogs despite this. If you are going to a hotel that doesn’t accept large dog breeds, it’s best to sell your dog as a very calm and obedient dog. Offer to sign a waiver if needed. This can help, but you do need to be straightforward about the size of your dog. You don’t want to show up and be turned away because you weren’t forthcoming.
- Do Research
You want to do some research about the dog fees that you are going to be responsible for paying for your stay. You don’t want to find these fees out when it’s time to check in. There’s nothing like checking into a hotel only to find out it’s going to cost more for your dog to stay there than it does for multiple people. A lot of hotels and lodging places will charge a set fee for dogs. Sometimes it’s not going to be much and other times it might be an outrageous fee. You want to know these fees beforehand. Do your research and you won’t have a problem.
- Don’t Try To Sneak Them In
While you may have been able to get away with this in the past, it’s not necessary nor recommended anymore. Nowadays, you need to be upfront about your dog staying with you. There are too many lodging places willing and able to accept your pooch anyways. You don’t want to have to worry about getting caught during your stay. It’s easier than ever before to find a perfectly good lodging place that will accept your dog.