You may remember last year when I wrote about the absurd policy we encountered in an RV park’s laundry facility. Honestly, I didn’t think anyone would EVER top that … until today. We arrived at a “pet friendly” campground to learn that Buster and Ty were – in effect – CONFINED to our campsite. Yes, you read that right.

Admittedly, I should have dug a little deeper before driving two hours to check in. I was lulled into a false sense of security when the first paragraph on their website touted pet friendly rental trailers and cabins! As we drove up to the office, Rod and I noted it was a big park and we’d have PLENTY of places to walk the boys. We were going to stay for a couple of days.

This sign was our first clue of trouble:

We looked at each other in confusion, “No walking of pets … what could that possibly mean?”

The staff let us know that, while pets were welcome, their paws wouldn’t be allowed to touch the roads in the campground. The best part is that they have a really nice off-leash area … located about a half-mile from our campsite. To get the dogs there we had two options: (1) disconnect the Winnebago, DRIVE over to the park, and reconnect everything when we got back or (2) rent a golf cart for $59 per night, plus a $200 security deposit, and convince the boys to ride on that. Not happening.

Why not just say that pets aren’t welcome. Their policy, which I found after poking around their website a bit, makes their feelings pretty clear. (The color and emphasis is theirs.)

The explanation we received for the inordinately restrictive policy was a concern that dogs would bite people and that owners would not pick up after their pets. To their credit, the staff let us know that they are trying to get the pet policy changed, but some circumstances are slowing the process. A bit of online research revealed the park might be in bankruptcy and that could explain the red tape.

If you travel with your pet you know that not all “pet friendly” places are created equal. Businesses just paying lip service to the pet friendly movement broadcast their feelings in a number of ways, including charging exorbitant fees or enforcing weight restrictions that only permit the smallest dogs. In my opinion, this campground’s policy takes things to a new level – they clearly wanted to attract pet travelers, but then go out of their way to make the stay unpleasant.

We’re outta here! But not before we stopped for a romp in their dog park!

What do you think – am I making too much of this?

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Preparing for your pet’s first trip can be a bit overwhelming. Where to go, what to do, how much to take? Today’s guest post by Audrey Porterman, researcher and writer for doctoralprograms.org, offers some advice on how to keep it simple … which will build your confidence and acclimate your pet to vacationing. 

***

When my husband and I decided to get a puppy for our children we knew it meant a lot of extra work, and a definite change in our lifestyle. If we were going to get a dog, we wanted her to be part of the family and be included in as many family activities as possible. We didn’t like the thought of boarding or leaving her alone with someone to check on her twice a day. So, that meant that when Maggie came to live with us, we needed to rethink our family trips and find ways to include her in our plans.

You're gonna share that hotdog, right?

Finding Pet Friendly Destinations

For our first family trip with Maggie, we decided to keep it simple. We knew that there were pet friendly hotels in almost every city, but we wanted to have a bit more freedom on our first trip as a family. We decided that camping was a good option for us. We looked up a campsite and made sure that bringing dogs was okay, checked the rules regarding pets, and then started planning and preparing for our trip.

Preparing Dogs For The Trip

Maggie was already used to traveling with us to our Saturday adventures that included hiking and exploring outside. We were comfortable with the way she would act on a walk, and she was fairly calm and patient in the car. If we hadn’t already taken her hiking with us, I would have planned a few excursions with her just so that she could get used to the car and adjust to a new environment. Also, if she’d gotten carsick on a regular basis, we would have visited the vet for some advice on dealing with that.

Packing For A Dog

Since this was our first trip with Maggie, we weren’t sure just how much we should pack for her. We went with the basics: her food and water bowls, the bed she usually sleeps in, and a couple of toys. We put on a fresh flea and tick treatment right before we left, because we knew that her exposure was going to be higher than normal. Finally, I packed a bit more food for her than I normally would, since I didn’t know how hungry she would be each day.

Enjoying the Trip

The camping trip went very smoothly. We stopped a few extra times so that Maggie could get out of the car and stretch her legs. The rest areas were great for this. The kids loved the chance to get out and move around as well. While at camp we made sure that her water bowl stayed full and kept her in the shade, so that she didn’t overheat. We spent some time hiking and some time just hanging out.

The best part was having Maggie sleep with us in the tent, because she helped the kids settle down for the night much more quickly than usual. Taking Maggie with us made the family vacation better, because it included the entire family!

Audrey Porterman is the main researcher and writer for doctoralprograms.org. Her most recent accomplishment includes graduating from Ohio State, with a degree in business management. Her current focus for the site involves psychology doctoral programs and online accounting phd programs.

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Welcome to our weekly photo challenge … where we post a pet travel picture and you guess the dog friendly destination!

Last Week’s Winner

Thanks to everyone who played, and congratulations to Jill R. of Chandler, AZ – she won last week’s challenge for correctly identifying this location as Balboa Park in San Diego, CA. We hope you enjoy your “Travels with Ty & Buster” calendar, Jill!

This Week’s Photo Challenge

Thinking you’re not going to enter because you never win anything? Well, we hear that all the time when we contact the winners! This week it could be your turn … if you know where the photo below was taken, submit your answer in the entry form. If you’re stumped try checking some of our older posts – there’s a good chance the photo appeared previously on the blog.

For the winner …

Each week we randomly select one winner from the correct entries to receive a “Travels with Ty & Buster” 18-month wall calendar.

And the photo is …

Do you know where this photo was taken? Hint: it’s the deepest lake in the United States.

Contest Entry …

The Fine Print

This week’s contest closes on Wednesday, May 30th at 11:59 pm EST. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents over the age of 18, except were prohibited. All correct submissions will be assigned a number and the winner will be selected using www.randomizer.org. Winners will be notified by email, announced on our Facebook page, and mentioned in next week’s Friday Photo Challenge. The decision of the judges is final. The winner has 3 days to claim the prize. If the prize is not claimed by the winner within 3 days, an alternate winner will be chosen from the pool of correct entries. The winner of the prize is responsible for any and all applicable taxes on the prize. Employees and relatives of GoPetFriendly.com are not eligible to win.

Planning a pet friendly trip of your own? We’ll make it easy:
Pet Friendly Hotels | Pet Friendly Destinations | Pet Friendly Activities

Memorial day weekend is almost here, and summer is in the air. More people than ever are reportedly planning pet friendly vacations, and that’s exciting news for us! Pet owners are a dedicated bunch, and though it may take a little more preparation to make the arrangements, bringing your furry companion along for the fun is definitely worth the effort. Here are a few tips to get your trip off on the right paw …

Buckle ‘em up! Ty and Buster are part of our family. In fact, we probably love them more than some of our relatives (you know what I’m talking about). And that’s why it’s so important to buckle them up. Whether you prefer a seat belt harness or a secured pet carrier, protect yourself and your pet from serious injuries every time you get in the car.

Obey Leash Laws Just as we deserve to include our pets in our lives, there are people (and other pets) who prefer not to have our animals foisted upon them. Whether your dog has the perfect recall is irrelevant, if the sign says leash him – do it. It shows respect for everyone else. Not to mention, being approached by an off-leash dog can cause leashed dogs to feel vulnerable and that can result in a fight.

Patronize Pet Friendly Businesses Pet friendly establishments go out on a limb to open their doors to our pets, and it’s important to repay that kindness by spending our dollars with them. Whether it’s a hotel, restaurant, or other business, choose the pet friendly option – when your pet is with you, and even when he’s not.

Under-Estimate What You Can Accomplish When you travel with a pet, everything seems to take more time than when you’re traveling alone. And that’s a good thing! It helps you remember to slow down and “sniff the roses.” But, when figuring the distance you can travel or the activities you can knock out in a day, be conservative in your estimates. My general rule is to make the plan … and then divide by two. If you accomplish more than that, it’s a bonus.

Scoop the Poop We’ve all experienced it, and nothing spoils a day faster than stepping in poo. Abandoning your pet’s waste reflects poorly on all pet owners and is the primary reason that parks and other locations chose not to allow dogs. Always carry plastic bags with you and find an appropriate receptacle to dispose of it.

Sniff Out Fun GoPetFriendly.com has listings for all kinds of pet friendly activities … from dog parks and beaches to wineries, restaurants, and even some golf courses! You can also fetch the locals’ perspective by reaching out on Twitter or other social media site. With a little digging, there’ll be no shortage of entertaining options for all to enjoy.

Be Prepared Having your pet’s veterinary records with you could be critical in the event of an emergency. Rather than lugging around a large file, pack a paper copy of their current vaccination records and scan the rest of the information to an easy-to-pack USB drive.

Flexibility Saves the Day When you’re traveling, unexpected things will happen. Weather is often the culprit, but other obstacles pop up as well. On a recent trip to Boston, we ran into crowds of people enjoying a festival. Walking the dogs amid the throngs was stressful for us all, and we decided it was better to scrap our plan and see a different part of the city. Anticipating speed bumps allows you to maneuver around them with ease – either by rearranging your schedule or recognizing that some activities might have to wait for the next day or your next visit.

Planning a pet friendly trip of your own? We’ll make it easy:
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After two weeks spent visiting family, running to doctor appointments, and attending to various other commitments we collapsed into our hotel in Newport, RI. The next eight glorious (if somewhat rainy) days were spent relaxing, celebrating a decade of marriage, and preparing for our summer tour of New England and Nova Scotia.

Kicking off this travel season in Newport couldn’t have worked out better. Since we were consciously limiting our online time – recharging our human batteries – we spent most days walking around and casing the attractions. Betwixt and between the spring showers we found  there was no shortage of places to stroll with the dogs.

Dog Friendly Cliff Walk

Fort Adams State Park

It’s quite a hike from downtown to Fort Adams, so if time is an issue either drive out (there’s plenty of free parking) or consider catching a water taxi from the warf in Newport. The Fort Adams Bay Walk allows you to enjoy Newport from a different perspective – across the harbor – and the fort itself is something to behold. Built in fits and starts between 1824 and 1857, it is the largest coastal fortification in the United States.

Ocean Drive and Brenton Beach State Park

A trip to Newport wouldn’t be complete without a jaunt on Ocean Drive. Here you can still get a taste of what the island was like in the old days. Now a historic district of it’s own accord, the Ocean Drive area was once farmland. But, as the wealthy summer residents of Newport continued building mansions along Bellevue Avenue, they eventually engulfed this land as well. Due to the rolling landscape, the houses here are smaller – but the views are killer.

At the far western point of Ocean Drive sits Brenton Point State Park. Occupying the former grounds of one of Newport’s grandest estates, it boasts one the most breathtaking views on the Eastern Coastline.

Bellevue Avenue

If you want to do a little window shopping for a “summer cottage” of your own, there’s no better place for it than Bellevue Avenue. One after another, the magnificent mansions line the street on both sides. Built by prominent families like the Vanderbilts and Astors in the 1800s, a fair number remain private residences today. And it’s understandable why those that are open to the public don’t allow pets, so either admire them from afar or take turns touring them with a friend.

Goat Island

Much to the boys’ chagrin we did not run into a single goat on Goat Island. We did, however, get a picture by the light house. I’m not sure how I accomplished this photographic feat, but I swear to you that structure is perfectly straight.

Just to the north of the bridge that takes you across to Goat Island is a little neighborhood of Victorian homes. Compared to the  colossal homes on Bellevue, this area has a sweet, cozy feel. It’s obvious that living in a tiny space for so many months has changed me, because I found this area more enjoyable to explore! And I got a picture of the boys with a cherry tree in full bloom.

What? You can’s see them? Here, I’ll show you …

 Dog Friendly Hotels

We found a nice selection of pet friendly hotels in Newport. Since we were celebrating, we splurged on a two-room suite at The Mill Street Inn. Several things made this hotel special. First, the continental breakfast was the best I’ve ever had … by far. Homemade granola, oatmeal, a nice variety of fresh and dried fruit, and some thick bakery breads for toasting. And the staff was great. Buster and Ty learned quickly about the stash of dog treats behind the front desk and were looking for a friendly face every time we went through the lobby. They were also kind enough to make an exception to their weight restriction and allowed our big boy to stay. Finally, our room (#108) had a private entrance, which made trips outside with the dogs super easy.

Pet Friendly Restaurants

The weather was certainly an issue, but we didn’t see a single dog on a patio or at a sidewalk table. I’m not sure if a local ordinance prohibits doggy dining, but if you know of any pet friendly restaurants please leave a comment below!

Next Time

When you leave a place it’s always good to have a reason to go back … for us that’s a trip to Block Island. From early July until early September the Block Island Ferry runs out of Fort Adams State Park – and pets are welcome aboard. The ferry can also be caught in Narragansett, but with the iffy weather we decided not to make the drive and run the risk getting drenched.

Planning a pet friendly trip of your own? We’ll make it easy:
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The Story of GoPetFriendly.com

Once upon a time, two accountants took their persnickety (yet adorable) dog, “Ty” for his morning walk around Philadelphia.

Who are you calling persnickety?

Upon their return home, a man ran up to warn the couple to watch out for the BIG, BLACK dog he’d just seen near their house.

Can I come in?

After a fruitless search for the dog’s owner, the couple decided to make the dog part of their family and named him “Buster.” It wasn’t long before the couple was preparing to take Ty and Buster on a family vacation.

A vacation? This is going to be GREAT!

But the couple didn’t realize was how difficult it was to find fun places where Ty and Buster could go with them. They spent hours in front of the computer and on the phone  just to find dog friendly hotels … where were they going to play or eat? That’s when the idea hit them … they could build a website that would make pet travel easy for everyone!

They collected information on hotels and campgrounds – including detailed pet policies. They found pet friendly restaurants, and wineries, and dog parks, and beaches … where pets could romp with their people. They even tracked down veterinarians, pet supply stores, doggy day care, and pet sitters in case people needed them when they were away from home. And in 2009, they launched GoPetFriendly.com.

Because the couple loved to take long driving vacations, in 2010 they added a unique feature in their website – a tool to quickly and easily plan pet friendly road trips!

Planning A Pet Friendly Road Trip On Florida's West Coast

One day, the husband said to his wife, “You can’t tell people how easy it is to travel with their pets if you’re just sitting in an office. You’re going to have to get out and walk the walk!” It was the last time he gave her advice without thinking through the consequences … because the wife sold their house and bought them a Winnebago.

Rod, Amy, Ty and Buster with the GoPetFriendly.com Winnebago

Now the couple travels the country with Ty and Buster, looking for more pet friendly places to include on the website. They’ve traveled more than 40,000 miles in their RV and have no desire to “settle down” anytime soon.

Pet Friendly Destinations Visited By The GoPetFriendly.com Team

Many, many people travel along vicariously on their blog, Take Paws, which has become an encyclopedia of travel advice and pet friendly destination guides. The GoPetFriendly.com team is committed to helping you make the very most of the time you spend with your pets – whether it’s a trip around the block or across the country.

Happy birthday, Buster! We’re so grateful you found us and we’re looking forward to many more happy years together. Woof!

Planning a pet friendly trip of your own? We’ll make it easy:
Pet Friendly Hotels | Pet Friendly Destinations | Pet Friendly Activities

Welcome to our weekly photo challenge … where we post a pet travel picture and you guess the dog friendly destination!

Last Week’s Winner

This Week’s Photo Challenge

Now it’s your turn to win. If you know where the photo below was taken, submit your answer in the entry form. If you’re stumped try checking some of our older posts – there’s a good chance the photo appeared previously on the blog.

For the winner …

Each week we randomly select one winner from the correct entries to receive a “Travels with Ty & Buster” 18-month wall calendar.

And the photo is …

Do you know where this photo was taken?

Contest Entry

The Fine Print

This week’s contest closes on Wednesday, May 23rd at 11:59 pm EST. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents over the age of 18, except were prohibited. All correct submissions will be assigned a number and the winner will be selected using www.randomizer.org. Winners will be notified by email, announced on our Facebook page, and mentioned in next week’s Friday Photo Challenge. The decision of the judges is final. The winner has 3 days to claim the prize. If the prize is not claimed by the winner within 3 days, an alternate winner will be chosen from the pool of correct entries. The winner of the prize is responsible for any and all applicable taxes on the prize. Employees and relatives of GoPetFriendly.com are not eligible to win.

Planning a pet friendly trip of your own? We’ll make it easy:
Pet Friendly Hotels | Pet Friendly Destinations | Pet Friendly Activities

Traveling with your pets sometimes means you need to get a little more creative. Discovering that your dog gets motion sickness in the car and STILL finding a way to take him with you on vacation puts you in line for an award in my book. Today Nadia Jones, a blogger at online college shares her family’s experience with their car-sick pup, Milo.

***

When summertime rolled around, my parents would start to plan the next trip through the beauties of the American landscape. We loved going on road trips across the country, and we loved taking Milo, our miniature schnauzer, with us. My parents were “dog people” for as long as I can remember, imparting the passion for canines on me when I was still very young. Milo was, I think, the best dog our family had ever had: he was quiet and courteous around strangers and friends, never temperamental, and always loving to whoever would pet him.

Image Credit: pamperedpuppy.com

Unlike most miniature schnauzers I’ve come across in my day, Milo never yelped at passing dogs or nipped at unsuspecting people; he just played it cool. My parents had him groomed in such a way that it looked like he had a huge beard growing around his mouth. Combine his beard and his salt and pepper hair, and it’s easy to understand why he was dubbed “The General” amongst our family and friends.

He was a doll … well, a doll that looked like a general.

There was just one problem with Milo: he didn’t travel well. Whenever we’d set out on a road trip to a faraway town or distant camping ground, Milo would do the typical dog thing – look out the window, all excited to get going – and before long was sick.

We’d have to pull over and clean up the mess while trying to stay calm so Milo wouldn’t feel like he’d done something wrong. My parents were always very clear not to make Milo feel like he was being punished for something he couldn’t control. The car sickness came and went sporadically, and sometimes he’d be fine for an entire daylong ride!

When it happened though, I felt bad for Milo and would ask my parents to try to solve the problem. We didn’t want to leave Milo at home while we went on vacation, but we didn’t want to make him sick either. It was a tough situation, and one that could really put a damper on a trip, but we didn’t know what to do to help him.

Pets deserve vacations, too!

Fortunately, it wasn’t long until my mom figured out the problem. She had spoken to a friend about Milo, and the friend had suggested that Milo might be sensitive to motion in the car – especially when he looked out the windows. She suggested covering the windows in backseat so Milo couldn’t see out, and that might reduce his chances of getting sick.

It worked like charm!

Not only did it work, but it gave me an excuse to build little forts in the backseat where Milo and I could pass the time as we drove to our vacation spot. I’d start the fort by covering the two backseat windows with blankets, and then I’d build a little canopy with another blanket. Add in a few pillows, and the two of us had a real piece of work going on! I constructed crazy scenarios for me and Milo in the fort, the kinds of things you can only dream up when you’re a kid. I remember building forts with Milo as some of the happiest moments of summer. Not only did I get to spend some quality time with my favorite mini schnauzer … I also knew he was feeling better than before. Those were the days!

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at online college about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.

Planning a pet friendly trip of your own? We’ll make it easy:
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It seems to be common knowledge that rotating our dogs’ food would be a good idea … and yet I don’t. I consider myself a responsible pet parent, but Ty and Buster have been eating Force from The Honest Kitchen for more than two years. The thing is, I’ve never heard a reason that made sense to me. Of course there is a possibility that the boys’ food could suddenly become unavailable, but I deemed it unlikely and figured I’d cross that bridge if I ever got to it.

What caught my attention was the explanation. We all know that pet food manufacturers rely on different combinations of ingredients to provide the nutrition your pet needs. When looking for antioxidants, for example, they might decide between spinach and cranberries. Once they nail down the formula they don’t change it.

The thing is, not all growing seasons are alike – some years will be great for cranberries and other years won’t. In a bad year, the cranberries won’t provide as much benefit as they would in a good year … and if you’re counting only on those cranberries as your pet’s only source of antioxidants, it could be a problem.

But, if you’re rotating between a food that uses cranberries and a food that uses spinach for it’s antioxidants, your pet will be better off. And this logic extends to every ingredient in your pet’s food! It doesn’t matter if it’s bananas, sweet potatoes or pumpkin … the nutritional value is not constant.

So, when the time came to order more dog food, we decided to start mixing things up. Last year the boys did a taste-test of ALL of The Honest Kitchen’s flavors, so we know there isn’t a single one they won’t eat. We decided on a case of Love and a case of Embark. Like Force, both of these formulas are grain-free and the wonderful part is that I’ve been able to switch between them – cold turkey – without upsetting Buster’s sensitive stomach! Our living arrangements don’t allow us to cook for the dogs, but I feel like this is the next best option.

What do you think? Do you rotate your pet’s food – and why or why not?

Disclosure: The Honest Kitchen is a sponsor of GoPetFriendly.com, much to the droolight of Ty and Buster. The opinions expressed here are my honest assessment of the product based on my personal experience using it.

Planning a pet friendly trip of your own? We’ll make it easy:
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Welcome to our weekly photo challenge, where we post a pet travel picture … and you guess the dog friendly destination!

Last Week’s Winner

Thanks to everyone who played, and congratulations to Chad B. of Saint Paul, MN – he won last week’s challenge for correctly identifying this location as Independence Pass in Colorado. We hope you enjoy your “Travels with Ty & Buster” calendar, Chad!

This Week’s Photo Challenge

Now it’s your turn to win. If you know where the photo below was taken, submit your answer in the entry form. If you’re stumped try checking some of our older posts – there’s a good chance the photo appeared previously on the blog.

For the winner …

Each week we randomly select one winner from the correct entries to receive a “Travels with Ty & Buster” 18-month wall calendar.

And the photo is …

Do you know where this photo was taken? It’s one of the snowiest places in the world and our first hike on glaciers.

Contest Entry

The Fine Print

This week’s contest closes on Wednesday, May 16th at 11:59 pm EST. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents over the age of 18, except were prohibited. All correct submissions will be assigned a number and the winner will be selected using www.randomizer.org. Winners will be notified by email, announced on our Facebook page, and mentioned in next week’s Friday Photo Challenge. The decision of the judges is final. The winner has 3 days to claim the prize. If the prize is not claimed by the winner within 3 days, an alternate winner will be chosen from the pool of correct entries. The winner of the prize is responsible for any and all applicable taxes on the prize. Employees and relatives of GoPetFriendly.com are not eligible to win.

Planning a pet friendly trip of your own? We’ll make it easy:
Pet Friendly Hotels | Pet Friendly Destinations | Pet Friendly Activities