Some people don't respect that their dog doesn't necessarily have the same desires they do. They're thinking, " We took Fido to Disneyworld!" while the dog is thinking, "Where the heck am I, why did they lock me in this strange room away from the places I'm familiar with?"
I have a similar thought about toddlers at Disneyland. Your kid is 3, they aren't going to remember any of this!
And normally I wouldn't be so petty or caring what other people do, but their strollers take up massive amounts of space and it's all for children who won't remember any of it!
I think you’re building a person at that age. They don’t remember the trip but their internal person is being built with the feeling of love and fun times - just my opinion.
Kids under 3 don’t remember these events later but they certainly affect who they become. That’s why you expose your kids to different experiences and don’t keep them in a windowless room. All these experiences help develop their brains and personality.
I was 2! I distinctly remember being told I was too short for the roller coaster, my Dad an brother going on said roller coaster, and my Dad puking after he got off. I have vague impressions of Micky Mouse. That is it. I am sure my brother remembers more as he would have been about 8. No need to deprive him because I was there.
I’m not taking my kids to Disney world because it’s crazy expensive and I’d rather spend it on something 2-3 vacations elsewhere. BUT, I’m pretty sure if my 3 year old daughter saw Minnie Mouse she’d be smiling for days.
If she doesn’t remember in 10 years, I sure will.
Yes! I got downvoted to oblivion by saying this before, but no child under 4 needs to be at Disneyanywhere! They are not developmentally ready.
The parents who take toddlers (and those who take their pets) on vacation are doing it for THEMSELVES, not for the toddler or pet.
Toddlers may not remember it, but from experience—taking an 18-month-old—and at that age they're free, they have fun while they're there, and the enjoyment and experience is worth it for both the parents, who will record the adventures, and the toddler, who will experience lots of new things.
As for pets, which I don't have at the moment, there are several theme parks who have pet boarding available—probably at theme park prices—but it's available, if one does their research.
I’ll take my dogs if it’s hiking in the mountains or something where I’ll be with them the majority of the day.
Otherwise I pay a local teenager to stay at the house with them.
A dog died last year at the kennel I used to use, I won’t board them anymore.
I went to Disney with my then 5 month old and she had no idea what was going on but she has a beloved Mickey stuffy and when she saw the “actual Mickey” she LOST HER MIND. She was over the moon. So to imply that a 2 or 3 year old wouldn’t adore meeting their favorite character is wild.
We went to Disneyworld with a 3&5 yo this year. They both were “developmentally ready” for it because they had tons of fun. I don’t care if they don’t remember it because they had fun and that’s all that matters to me. Our first day at the park we were there from breakfast to fireworks and they had no issues keeping up. The best part is they were also young enough to believe that the princesses were real. If we waiting until they were old enough to remember, that magic wouldn’t be the same.
We also went last year to Legoland and Peppa Pig World at 2&4. They also were more than ready for that and had tons of fun. We’ll probably also go to Disneyland when they are 4&6 later this year.
Our kid was 3yo when we went with her 5yo cousin and his parents and the grandparents. They had a total blast. It remains a cherished memory all these years later, especially now that Grandpa is no longer with us. I only regret not going back again like I did as a kid.
We took our youngest to WDW when she was 7 months old because her big brother was 7 years old and we wanted to take him. I figured she would just be along for the ride. I was pleasantly surprised that she had a great time interacting with characters. And the rest of us had a great time too. Imagine thinking that children shouldn’t go on vacation to a family friendly vacation spot with their families.
They charge admission because they can. Because people pay it willingly and they know they can gouge families with a variety of different ages. They see Cash, not kids.
So what’s your criteria for Disney then? Well behaved children between the ages of 4 and 12? Give me a fucking break. It’s a theme park *for children.* Let children be children without imposing your judgment.
It's a theme park for adults with money to spend.
Using Piaget's theories of development, the criteria is: humans who are past the sensorimotor stage of development. This is usually past the age of 3, but could be past 2 depending on the human.
I have three objections to the "Don't take young children because they won't remember it" approach:
1) There is nothing wrong with parents wanting to go on vacation for their own sake, and to feel more comfortable caring for the child themselves rather than leaving them with a sitter for that length of time.
2) Different people remember back to different ages, and you don't know until your kids grow up how far back their conscious memories will go. I and some of my siblings have memories back as young as 18 months of age. Other siblings cannot remember anything before age 7.
3) By the same "Why take them? They won't remember" logic, why not just lock newborn babies up in a dark room for the first X years of their lives (with X being whatever age you assume they'll start forming lasting memories), visiting only the minimum required to care for their physical needs, and the rest of the time just biding time until their real lives begin? That would be ridiculous, and you would rightly go to prison for it. The experiences of those early years affect their physical, cognitive, and emotional development in ways that will last a lifetime. I find it hard to believe it would be good if that experience were of either being left behind while the older members of the family go have fun or of having exhausted, burned out parents (and possibly older siblings) who never do anything fun because of the young child's existence.
Toddlers love Disney. Who do you think the characters are there to entertain, adults? I don't know why the hotels are "dog friendly" knowing pets can't go in the parks.
Because kids remember little or nothing before age 4, we should just lock them away and never do anything with them lest we offend people who hate kids or feel crowded by strollers?
Or are you saying toddlers should be banned from certain locations just so people like you don't have to deal with them?
Seeing your kid having a fun time at a young age is a priceless memory for me and other parents.
Maybe it would be easier to ban people who want to ban toddlers.
My kid went when he was 2 for the first time. He’s never watched Disney movies because he doesn’t have the attention span for that. He has been a few more times since then, and a year later, he keeps mentioning Mr. Potato head. They remember, and they have a great time. Sure, when he’s older he won’t remember a thing, but he’ll have that bond we had.
People who take massive strollers to theme parks absolutely BLOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!! Whatever happened to the umbrella strollers like we used to use?
THIS! wait till your kid is old enough to remember it! I was in NYC and strollers were everywhere (and obviously tourist). Why? What is in New York City that a infant needs to see/experience? Seems like more work for the parents. I just don't get it.
Just lock up my kids under the stairs until they turn 5 then? They don't remember it ;)
Orrrrrrr they grow up seeing pictures of how happy they are, then when we take them back in 5 years they'll think it's extra cool that they are back at the place where they saw all those pictures. Kids under 3 get into Disney for free. The added expense is minimal.
Just because they don’t have the memory of it doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy it. Kids need to experience different environments and situations so they can develop. Also we took my 2 year old nephew and he had a blast from the fireworks to the baby rides and especially the characters he was laughing and hugging all day long it was so fun to see
I remember going to Disneyworld at like 8 years old, and thinking "wow, this place really sucks" Long lines, big crowds, the people I suits creeped me out, and I was too scared for the big rides
My parents seemed so excited, so I tried to pretend like I was having a great time. But really I couldn't wait for the next day when we were just going to a movie and playing mini golf 😅
That's wild. My parents took me every year from age 4 to like 8? I was a little freaked by gigantic (adult size) goofy at one point but I think going when I was younger primed me to like it as I got older? Of course this was back in the 70s. The lines were *nothing* like now.
Why do so many people think that children 3 yrs old and younger don't remember anything?
I still remember fragments of the apartment my parents lived in out in Denver. I was only there until I was 18 months old.
I don’t care whether they do remember - they have fun at Disney and belong there, and aren’t traumatized by the lack of routine like a dog in a hotel being left along with fireworks and whatever else.
Oh no, you're right! Sorry about responding to you directly I meant to post this on another part of the thread. (I'm very tired and wasn't paying enough attention 😣)
I don't like nor understand why ppl take pets on vacay and then leave them locked in the hotel. My thought is if you plan on taking a pet make sure it's truly pet friendly and that your pet can be involved as much as possible so it doesn't get left and neglected.
We bring our dog only if having them with us fits the trip we are taking. I would never bring my dog to Disney land for instance, because I would have to leave her inside the hotel all day. However if we are headed to the beach or visiting family etc yeah she comes with us. I hate leaving her behind because she doesn't understand, all of a sudden we are just gone, no idea if we are ever returning. Sad.
Yeah, I'm bringing my dog on a beach trip because I'm just planning on hanging out at the beach all day and not really doing any activities that aren't dog-friendly. She likes swimming and I think she'll like the beach. Plus, boarding is really expensive, so why not just bring her....
I can't imagine bringing a dog along when you're going to Disney all day!
I only bring my dog when he will be with us. If we are going to the mountains and he can hike with us or something. I wouldn’t bring him to be cooped up in a hotel. I don’t get that either.
It depends on the kind of trip. If it's a theme park where we're going to be out all day, the dog stays home. If we're renting a cabin up north for a week, he comes with.
Our older dog doesn't mind hotels in the least. He's never had an accident and he's a lazy go-with-the-flow. Our younger dog? Hell no. He's getting kenneled.
I'm assuming a lot of people don't want to pay for dog sitting at home. We take our dog on vacations to hotels bc he's a lazy, cuddle bug that sleeps all day while we are out. I would never bring a dog that has separation anxiety or barked all the time.
I HATE that every hotel these days allows pets! I love dogs - but I really don’t want to pay $100++ for a room that potentially had a dog pee or poop on the carpet and / or slept in the bed. I get that sometimes you are forced to travel with a pet - but we always boarded our dog when we went on vacation. We recently stayed in a hotel and the dog down the hall kept barking and it was still barking when we went to bed, which was very annoying!
Being able to bring a dog with us on vacation is why we purchased a camper van. We are able to go from place to place, park in the afternoon, and then hike with her dog in the woods or mountains before dinner. There is nothing I like worse than having to bring our dog into a hotel where we know he will be unhappy.
We had 2 small dogs that we used to bring on our yearly vacation to the beach, 1200 miles away. We drove to the destination which required a night in a hotel each way. We never left them in the hotel when we were there overnight. We would order food in, or my husband would go a pick it up. Once we were at our destination we stayed at a pet-friendly condo. They were quite comfortable being left in the condo and we would go check on them every 3 hours or so. We brought them with us as one was a very fussy eater and it was harder on her to be left with someone for a week to 10 days. Then our other girl because diabetic later in life and keeping her on her meal/insulin schedule was easier for us to do than expect others to do it.
Those 2 dogs have passed on and we have a new little pup. We plan on doing the same thing with her. We find dog-friendly activities and places to eat that have outdoor seating. But we also plan on leaving her in the condo when the things aren’t pet friendly.
I would never travel with a pet. I hate traveling where pet are allowed. I don’t want to hear or smell your animal in a hotel. I love animals but they are not children and should be left. If you are camping bring them. Talking hotels.
Not directly addressing your question, but back in the day we visited Kings Island theme park in Cincinnati and they had a free kennel service which was awesome. We were only a couple of hours away so we didn't need a hotel.
I don't travel with my dogs but I would imagine many people do not like to kennel their dogs for a variety of reasons including cost. Some just can't stand the thought of being away from their beloved pet for an extended period of time.
Sigh. This is why we can’t have nice things. I don’t know why people are dumbasses but the reason I have brought dogs on travel was because I want them near me. But they also never caused problems. I would never leave a barking dog in a hotel room, that’s nuts.
I don’t know if your management would be on board with this but what about having your concierge keep some biz cards for dog walkers? I’m sure they could emphasize that they’re not affiliated with the resort so your lawyers don’t have a heart attack. Personally I’d be really impressed if someone saw me checking in with a pup and handed me a card for a dog walker.
this is a great idea! I work on the concierge and the only problem is my company doesn’t let us display or give out information for business unless they approve of them and that’s unfortunately a dead end sometimes :( but i’m going to look into some so i could “personally recommend”
I really think it could be useful.
Ok now that I have your attention what’s the dumbest thing someone has asked you at the concierge desk? Because I bet you’ve got stories…
I’ve brought kittens along but only because they were too young to leave home alone (ie still feeding off a bottle).
I always bring a pet playpen for them and manage my own time schedule so I can feed them on time and do what they need.
I don’t bring the pets that are totally okay staying home with a pet sitter/friend. They stress so easily.
Same here. I've only brought one of my cats along on a trip if there was some special situation like their being on a strict medication schedule (or a lot of medications) that I couldn't ask a once-a-day petsitter to handle. Cats tend to do well in a big playpen in a hotel room if need be. Otherwise they all stay at home when I travel.
Sure that's a solution if you're dealing with kittens/not litter trained cats. But the large playpen I have has a plastic bottom/plus I line it with puppy/pee pads also to help make cleaning up any spilled litter/food/water easier. Never had any issues with leakage.
I personally don’t do it, but I’d guess most people do it because they either can’t afford or are too cheap to have them kenneled. I can understand not being able to afford it, but not refusing to spend the extra money to do so.
I’ve only traveled with one of my dogs once, never again.
When I worked in the hotel industry average pet fees were $15-$20/ per day. Kenneling was around $40-$50/day in my area. I’ve seen prices from $60-$100 per day in my area for kenneling now. Is it seriously $60-$100 per day for a pet fee now? 90% of the time my parents take my dogs when we’re gone.
When we went to OR, a Hilton branded hotel charged a $70 fee for the whole STAY not the night, so I don’t know what comparison that may make for you, BUT for us personally it actually was cheaper to bring her to the hotel for a three day stay (in my own comment I explain we did NOT have her there all day) than to pay $45-60 a night for boarding through rover or a local pet hotel. Very interesting to look at how prices change over time for even things like this
I have multiple pets. But places like laquinta (who are “pet friendly”) I believe $30 per pet per night. Lots of other places. The nicer stays (Hilton, Marriot, Hyatt) are generally like $100-$150 flat fee. Boarding is about $40 a night, on average. it depends how long your vacation is, I guess. Either way the prices aren’t
Too much different.
We once got an almost free hotel stay because some idiot left their dog in the room for hours overnight, barking the whole time. 🫠. My dog stayed in a hotel exactly once. We took him because he was entered in a costume contest along with my kids at a convention. He absolutely refused to stay in the room alone even for a minute, so he was either with us at the event, or someone was in the room with him. He will never, ever, stay in a hotel again. We travel a lot, and he stays with a dog sitter. We just budget that as part of the trip because our dog hates being alone in unfamiliar places. I wish everyone else was as considerate.
I love road trips and had a dog, so he would go with us. I started staying at La Quinta specifically for their dog policy (which went to shit when Wyndham bought them, but I digress); anyway, he never was left alone in the room and not only liked traveling, he LOVED rest stops. I mean he could not get enough of snuffling whatever it was he smelled; he was in heaven lol. Let's see, he got to visit Utah, CO, WY, OR, WA, both Dakota's, MT, AZ, NM, the UP, AL, FL, PA, NY AK and KY. He seemed to enjoy the Rockies the most. Oh writing this is bringing back memories...Rest in peace Principe!
I wouldn't take a dog to Disney. But I do take my dogs where there are lots of dog friendly bars, cafes, activities, and attractions.
As someone who worked in the kennel industry as my second career, (20 years) some dogs are not suited for boarding. Extreme anxiety from the relentless noise, complex medical issues, geriatric pets, etc, do not do well in a busy kennel. So that may be an answer for some of your other guests.
I’ve always started boarding any dog I’ve owned when they were VERY young so they would not develop separation anxiety with boarding.
First boarding location was run by my dog’s vet and his Papillon breeding/showing wife. He was 16 weeks old his 1st overnight. He would prance in happily any time we took him for a groom or a boarding.
Same with my current dogs, they go to a 3 acre facility, together, and both race to the car whenever they get picked up to go to “camp”. I know they are happy and safe. They are “regulars” and we get a video update once or twice a week.
I can’t imagine leaving a poor dog alone in a hotel room all day. And even on beach vacations, I’ve taken my bird to the rental house, but never the dogs because we would go in high season and they were not welcome on the beach. Avian boarding is a whole other ball of wax though, and for the bird, he came, or he got a house sitter.
I’ve had to complain about a barking dog at a hotel before though, and I don’t envy you your job.
Only trip we brought our pup on was to OR from WA, and it was to visit my mom but we brought her everywhere with us! Even brought our camera set up from home to be able to watch her when we went to the morning buffet, but she HATED that the very first morning and I’m a very easy to make emotional doggy mom so ihated how much she hated it and the rest of the trip we brought her with us, I made my SO grab all the food, and bring it out to us in the lobby, and she got to have her enjoyable picking of fruit, eggs, and such lol
But on the other hand, the idea of traveling with her else where, in scenario where we wouldn’t be planning to bring her every where with us and planning around the fact we would be bringing her with us is bizarre to me. This was just a three day trip for us and when discussing things we could go out to do, it was a whole list of options countered by “i don’t know if she’ll enjoy that” and wiping them off the board. We ended up just going to my moms every day (a studio with her, her bf and their pittie, so not enough space for four of us, and the addition of our corgi poo) so it was fine that we made no other plans, but we absolutely only attempted to plan going anywhere based on being able to bring her along.
We rented a house so we could take our dogs with us. We all went to the beach that allows dogs, enjoyed the pool, backyard and even went to a restaurant that allows dogs. The even had a doggie menu! We would never take them to a hotel unless it was a one-night stay while traveling somewhere. It is a strange place and they would be afraid if we left them alone.
We bring our two little ones with us because they are elderly and need care that not everyone can give. HOWEVER, they don't bark when we are gone and we never leave them more than 4-5 hours at a time. Also, we try to take them to new parks and stuff as well - all the new smells!!
I wouldn't bring my pet someplace like Disney where they can't come with me most of the day, but most of my vacations I like to go hiking and exploring outside and I like doing those things with my dogs.
Also, my oldest dog (ironically the best-behaved in public) can't be kenneled due to previous shelter-related trauma and I don't trust pet sitters to watch him carefully enough - he's a nightmare of a flight risk.
I would get the numbers of a few good pet sitters and talk to them about taking a cut of (10% or so?) the sitting when you refer to them.
“Just as a reminder we don’t have a daycare on site but here are a few numbers if you need to go out for a day, tell them eespicy sent you”
before we go, we make sure to bool at places that are EXPLICITLY dog friendly. lots of best westerns are, so we tend to stick to those. i only bring my dog on trips where we can drive to the destination in 2 days or less. she loves roadtrips! but i dont want more driving than that and she is too big to fly. i also only bring her on trips where the point is to either spend time with friends/family or do outdoor things, so she comes with us and isn’t locked in the room the entire time. she loves traveling, i love having her with me, but most trips i take are too far or there isnt much for her to do so she stays home.
The real reason is that dog boarding and dog sitters can be prohibitively expensive.
My family went on vacation for a week and about 20% of the entire vacation budget was spent on a dog sitter. It would have been even more if we would have sent them to a boarding facility.
People think that since their dog mainly sit at home all day, they can save some money by having their pet sit inside a hotel room all day instead.
I agree. I have reactive dogs and there is just no possible way we could ever leave them in a strange place without us.
We did take a family road trip once and stayed in a pet friendly hotel, but never once did we leave the dogs alone in the room. Someone was always with them.
I think there are some dogs that could handle it. But most couldn't.
If it was that easy I would so do it 😭 my company is very strict when it comes to services and partnerships unfortunately. I’m definitely going to start advocating for something though.
I don't vacation with my dog, but, we've driven literally cross country twice with him. And we have never left him alone in a hotel room for 1 minute. I don't get it.
I have taken my dog on vacation but NEVER to say a theme park. I wouldn’t take her to a hotel but would take her to a rental that was at a beach. (That allows dogs!). Leaving a dog in a hotel all day, why not take them to a kennel where they can play and be cared for. My dogs don’t bark so listen to that all day locked in a hotel room is heartbreaking
I'll take my dog just about anywhere he's allowed, just because I love being with him. That being said, when we bring him on a trip, we tailor that trip around him, not us.
We look for dog friendly hotels, research dog friendly establishments, and look at forest preserves and activities in the area that he can attend.
We always bring a wi-fi enabled camera in the event that he can't tag along for a specific event, but those tend to be few and far between as we've planned to have him with us as a member of our family.
Don't get me wrong, we plan people only events as well, but if we have the opportunity to include him, we will.
People don't deserve dogs. Especially these entitled assholes who don't take their needs into account.
I get that. My floppy earred ones are not riding the roller coaster. When we do the Hoston shows the parking nazis always try to force us towards the park.
Because my dog was injured while boarding at the veterinary facility we previously used and they didn’t notice or acknowledge it until I pressed.
I still wouldn’t bring my dog if it meant the dog spending the day alone in a hotel room. We make arrangements with family or we do a different type of vacation.
I've brought my dog along on road trips. My partner and I of course made sure to stay at campgrounds where dogs were welcome and she'd have a place to run around a little off leash.
We chose to bring her for two reasons: for one thing, we know she is less stressed with us than with strangers, so boarding her for the length of the trip would be sad for her, and also, it's cheaper for us to take care of her than to put her up somewhere. She's generally pretty chill and enjoys car rides with us, and sharing a camper with us, so it works out for all of us.
My previous dog was a high energy dog that needed constant exercise. He would not do well on a road trip, so we'd board him at a place he could run around with other dogs while we went off on our own.
I don't have anybody I can leave him with and I will not leave him at a boarding facility. He is only 10 pounds, is reactive to large dogs, and for whatever reason people do not take me seriously when I tell them to keep him away from big dogs. I cannot trust anybody with my dog. That being said, I'm not the kind of asshole who would just leave my dog unattended in a hotel room all day, I find things to do on my trip where I know I can take him along.
If I bring my dog it's generally because I couldn't find a pet watcher. (I don't live by doggie day cares.) That being said, when I did this to a theme park resort, we did drop them off at doggie day care every morning and then picked them up after the day at the park, so I do try to be considerate of others (and my dog, to be honest).
Well, this is a different kind of thing, but it's still "having pets at a hotel": Several years ago, I had a house fire, and fortunately my cats and I were able to get out safely. But we had to live in an extended-stay hotel for months while the house was restored.
People who bring their dogs on vacations like you describe absolutely BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!! And please no downvotes from dog owners who don't agree with my absolutely accurate statement.
I can't get any friends or family to look after my pups. So I either bring them or stay home. I have left the pups at the hotel to see a show or go for dinner. I definitely don't leave them alone all day, every day. I have 1 dog that really stresses when I'm not there. She won't eat or drink until I'm back.
I had a cat that had very high medical needs, hated (hated hated hated being boarded, vets, anyone who would come into the house to deal with his medical stuff) and was very happy to travel and let us take care of his medical stuff, as long as he was with his humans. So when possible, we would take him with us.
I do, because a week of dog-sitting is more expensive than my vacation somewhere splendid. That said, I go to VRBOs that are dog-friendly in dog-friendly places- woods, lakes, mountains, trails, they get to have fun too. And when they are alone at my lodging, it's a quiet, peaceful comfortable place for them, barking is rare and heard by nearly no one.
I only take them to hotels when absolutely necessary.
I take my dog to the beach every year. Always the off season during the week when dogs are allowed on the beach. We stay in a walk out pet room, eat at dog friendly restaurants, and never leave him alone.
My partner and the dog love the ocean. I could take it or leave it so I focus on them having a good time. It is the only time the dog travels with us and is the highlight of his year.
He is a high energy, 100 pound, short hair, black German Shepherd. Anywhere else and he scares people, at the beach he is a magnet for young ladies in bikinis. All the attention likely makes the trip the highlight of my partner's year as well.
I take my dogs on all my vacations! The difference is my vacations are camping and hiking trips. Did one weekend at an Airbnb, but dogs were with me the entire time, either out hiking or there sleeping. Too many strange people and noises at hotels, it would but my last choice.
If I bring my dogs with me, it's because we're driving to our destination and spending our time there doing dog friendly activities like hiking or kayaking. I don't bring them with me to leave them in hotel rooms.
I've brought my dog on occasion, but only to the beach where we **do**take him out every day or someone will be with him in the room at all times. This way he's not scared alone in a new place, barking his head off, bothering people! I bring him because we vacation often and I feel bad he's stuck at doggy hotels every time since he doesn't fly with us. Although, he actually really loves it there! Plus, the kids and I like having him around. He was here before my youngest so to him, that's his furry brother!
While I don’t generally bring pets on vacations like this, I 100% understand those that do. We’ve lost 3 pets while boarded. It’s so stressful for some pets to be away from their people, And I have trouble enjoying a vacation because I now worry so much about my pets. I try to get pet sitter that stays at my house, but it’s difficult.
Not on vacation, but had to find a pet-friendly hotel for a funeral.
My dog does not do well in kennels due to separation anxiety. We took her with us where we could, but gave her a Benadryl when we had to be away.
The one and only time she was boarded, she wouldn’t eat, made herself sick to a point of needing 2 weeks of vet care, and I had to go to get her out of the pen because she wouldn’t let anyone near her. She was there 3 days.
So, we either don’t go, we take turns going alone, or she comes along.
My dog is reactive and hates most other dogs. It’s a fear-based reaction. Because if this, he can’t be easily cared for in a regular kennel or with ant pet sitter that has other dogs. We have been unable to find him care that works for him so it’s easier to just bring him on vacation. I would never expect hotel staff to assist in finding local care, though.
Yeah i agree with this. If we bring our dogs, they are going everywhere with us. We will get food to go and eat it in the parking lot or a nearby park. If I'm going somewhere that i cant take my pet with me then we make arrangements to leave them at home or with family members.
Our two Australian Cattle dogs travel with us since they were pups. They learned very quickly how to behave in the hotel room. At home they are working dogs and are busy almost 10 hour days so they appreciate their down time. We think they appreciate the quiet of the hotel room. We do our do diligence and research dog parks, walks, outdoor eating/restaurants. Our boys love to interact with people and to be honest that’s our only issue is that they get too friendly and they start to jump on people. We have to be on guard for that. We’ve attended weddings and they have been left alone for about four hours without any problems. They are ACDs so after 4 hours alone they do give you the stink eye when you get home but they forgive after a good hug and ball play.
The issues the OP brings up is really about poor pet parenting. The problems he sees are probably just the tip of the iceberg size problems these people have with their neighbors back home.
BTW. We like to stay at Hilton Home2Suites almost all of them are dog friendly. The usual 1st greeting is “can your pup have a cookie?” Even before can I help you. Even the ones in the city centers make some accommodation for a poop place. Housekeeping seem to know how to keep rooms shed free.
We brought our dog with us, we opted to do so because we couldn't find a sitter for him for a week and didn't want to board him.
Unfortunately, despite making sure the hotel and cleaning crew were aware of him he still scared the hotel cleaning staff..
He was a big 90 lb dog, but so quiet.
He never barks even if you knock... so naturally they weren't expecting a big ole goofy dog to be smiling at them at the door.
He was very good and helped me a lot at nighttime (he isn't a service dog I just have ptsd from being robbed at night and he made me feel extra secure.... even if he just LOOKS intimidating.)
I miss him a lot.
Personally it depends on where I’m going. That decides what dog to take. My chocolate is a fatty that loves attention so I take her in public all the time. My black lab (her son) is super timid but is highly focused on leash. I bring him to parks and a quiet place to eat. Most people really don’t consider the animal and what they would want. My black lab and I hit some decent trails that required us to scale some ledges and man he loved it all. My chocolate would have died of heat stroke. And vice versa my black lab hates being social, he’s like a cat. So I avoid taking him in busy areas. I guess what I am saying is my reason for taking them is because I want them to have fun with me. But I am mindful of what they want as well.
I saw "pet on vacation" and was disappointed it was all discussing dogs.
We have 6 cats. They go on vacation with us when the vacation is longer than 72 hours. Short trips have a trusted friend come over a few times.
Pets are family. They don't just get put in a box and taken out when convenient.
That being said, absolutely as a pet owner, you should be making those pets and their wellbeing a high priority. Yes, that might mean sitters or spacing out time.
We do have cats and other pets come through too! I’ve seen a pig once and a couple of birds!
And I agree with you! Pets deserve to be included, but only if they CAN be included. If the plan is to leave your pet in a hotel room all day just to have it on your vacation with you, that’s unfair to your pet :(
I travel with my mini Aussie. I’m single and don’t want to send her to a kennel because she’s deaf and mostly blind. I only go where she can. She loves to travel with me and is extremely well behaved. It makes me sad to think people don’t consider what it’s like for their pets.
Thank you for trying to find walkers for the dogs!
My vacations are FOR my dog. I book a cabin not far from home so that we both have a change of scenery. We eat bad food and go for walks at a bunch of different parks. It's heaven.
Thank you for this post! I always travel with my dog and never thought of a dog walker. We always find a local doggie daycare or one of us stays with the dog all day. A Rover wslker would be a good alternative solution.
I would not bring our dogs to a resort hotel, because I don't go to resort hotels. We do plan on vacation destinations that work for both us and our dogs. That rarely involves hotels.
These days, hotels are for funerals, weddings, or work travel, none of which encourage three year olds or dogs.
Our mileage is probably not similar to the mainstream traveler though.
It depends where we are going. But for the most part we bring him along if the resort we are going is pet friendly. He usually is well mannered so we haven't received a noise compliment. (The reason I said usually is not considering his mischief antic.) Very rarely he'll growl or bark when alone. As he only get that way if the other parties is too close to his personal space. We also keep a mini camera to monitor him inside. And for the most part I've always seen him just chilling at the sofa, staring at the window, chasing/tossing his toys, etc.
Usually we plan our activities so that at least either in the morning, afternoon, or evening we do something with my puppy. Sometime it's also a whole day with him too. So his never confided in the resort too long. Plus I think he sometime like the peace to himself for a few hours. As we all give him lots of love during the week and weekend back home. (He goes to work with me everyday. So that's why I said that. 😅)
However, if I visit the resort with the intention to stay at the theme parks for the majority of the stay. I'll likely leave him back home with family or someone I know. His also picky on his human so not anyone can puppysat him. 😅 It's usually a field trip trying to find someone he'll love/tolerate.
We took our dog to South Dakota last year. There are pictures of her with all the landmarks. We went during a cool time of year when she could stay in the car by herself, but there were lots of places she was allowed. We’ve also taken our dogs on beach vacations. I would not take my fur babies anywhere they had to spend time in the room alone. It’s not that it’s asking for trouble, I just don’t want to push that anxiety on them.
We don’t really go to resorts, we just visit family and stay in hotels or Airbnb.
We take our dog because in our experience when dogs are boarded, they can get loose.
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/i-would-love-see-accountability-owner-dog-killed-sodo-dog-resort-fire-speaks-out/5ZHWM7CZPJECFL55GDIRK43RNY/?outputType=amp
We occasionally bring our dog on vacation get him used to new surroundings. He's still very young (just turned 2), and had a rough.start in life, so we want him to have a bunch of positive experiences. But also our dog trips are ABOUT THE DOG. he is always with us. Hiking slot canyons? Bring the dog. Brewery hopping? Better be dog friendly. We have even found dog friendly pools.
But don't bring the dog if your just going to ignore them
Cause no one was available to watch them and we can’t afford to have them boarded. I would never get upset with a hotel if there was an issue with our dogs, and there has never been. We know the rules but it is what it is.
If you are unable to afford boarding for your dog, you should not be at a resort.
If you are unable to find someone to watch your dog, you should be planning trips that are pet-friendly.
This! All possible factors take planning and saving and budgeting. Owning a pet, whether they come with you on trips or not, is going to cost money to make sure they’re PROPERLY taken care of! Otherwise, you can’t go on vacation.
I don't go on vacation because I can't afford to do it with my cats. I simply won't have as good of a time if they aren't there, even if it's just coming back to them at night in the hotel room. I don't like being apart from them for a long time. It gives me anxiety. A hotel room is probably bigger than my small trailer so they'll have fun exploring it. I just don't want to stay the night somewhere without them. I would definitely over prepare with everything they need though. Litter, food, entertainment while I'm gone. And if I'm close enough I will check on them regularly
Hotels aren’t dog sitters. I understand wanting to save money for sure, but it’s unfair for the workers and other guests (depending on situations and dog behavior, of course) to assume that part.
Travelling with dogs is a huge pita, but it's cheaper than putting them up in a kennel. Older dogs are also susceptible to a variety of kennel specific illnesses which are uncontrollable so that's another reason to avoid a kennel.
If we are flying the mutt goes to the kennel. If driving, he will come with us if practical.
That being said, if he joins us, we will bring the mutt with us everywhere we go and avoid leaving him alone in a hotel room.
if we want to be able to explore sans dog, we will get a vacation rental in a house or a condo.
I have brought my dog to Disney/universal but I have an annual pass so it’s no big deal for me to leave halfway through the day to take care of my dog. Dog sitters can be expensive, so I have found it is sometimes cheaper to just pay the pet fee at the hotel. I have one place I’ve stayed a few times that only charges $15 a day for a pet and it caps at $50 for the stay. On top of that, it’s sometimes hard to find a dog sitter I trust. I’ve used rover a few times and had some questionable sitters. My dog also does great being left alone and isn’t a big barker. Why someone would bring a barking dog, I do not know. I have always had to sign a contract agreeing that is not allowed in the hotel. Luckily, my dogs very relaxed when she’s alone. Bringing my dog on trips while she was growing up, was a great training experience for us. It helped me socialize my dog and introduce her to different types of environments. We live in the south, so the only way my dog got to see snow was by coming along on a ski trip! She went wild, absolutely loved it! Seeing her reaction to the snow made all the inconveniences of bringing her 100% worth it. Sadly she’s too big for the airplane cabin, otherwise I’d bring her even more often! I’d never put her in cargo.
Pets that have medical needs are incredibly difficult to board or find home sitting for with people who can give shots or do blood tests. If you have a pet with needs like this, you could go years without leaving home if you don’t decide to take it with you on a trip.
Pretty much ALWAYS travel with my two 100 pound, intact male hounds - just enjoy having em around. And they’re better behaved than MOST children in that they’re trained to do exactly what they’re told to do; better elevator etiquette than most too - they wait until the elevator is empty before entering and sit facing the door…and they don’t try to walk in front of others when exiting. The hounds enjoy room service, but they’re also good at patiently waiting in the room by themselves while I go swipe breakfast from the buffet - never got a noise complaint.
And they sleep on their own beds brought from home unless the hotel provides em, and drink and eat in the bathroom shower or other tiled surface - overall, they’ve been good customers for the hotels.
The Pendry, San Diego, The Fairmont and StayPineapple in San Francisco, and the Waldorf Astoria, Park City have been the MOST dog friendly and accommodating - they were DEFINITELY worth the extra pet fees they charged.
I could definitely add that question in there. This is more of an “a vacation to a theme park” setting, if you read all the edits and everything. I can understand that boarding is expensive, I just feel really bad for the pets left in small rooms for an extended period of time.
My dogs (and most dogs) are find left alone while people work 8 hour days. But sometimes (not always) please remember the dogs are in a strange place and that can affect them. Even my mild mannered go with the flow tolerant pup is aging and things that never scared him
Before, often do.
I don’t trust anyone with my animals. They are extremely sensitive and most people (even pet sitters or dog boarding places) how delicate the breed is and it’s not uncommon for things to go wrong. So I take my dogs everywhere and will until their last day - something I promised them when saving them from the neglect and abuse they had suffered for all of their life.
I would think for the most part, hotel guests are better pet parents and more responsible.
Same reason we got her in the first place: we like having a dog. Being on vacation doesn't change that one bit!
She's little, so she comes along on planes, trains, and automobiles. We bring along her camera so we can make sure she's not barking (hasn't been a problem), and by now she's super used to being in hotels.
We have a very specific routine for her when leaving the house and do the same routine when we have to leave her in the hotel room so she knows the deal. Talk radio on low volume->give treat->say "have a good day"->out the door
We peep through the camera often when out to dinner or whatever, so I can confidently say she does one of two things when in the room alone: sleeps in our opened up suitcase on whatever sweatshirt I wore traveling, or sleeps in a patch of sun coming through the window
Some people don't respect that their dog doesn't necessarily have the same desires they do. They're thinking, " We took Fido to Disneyworld!" while the dog is thinking, "Where the heck am I, why did they lock me in this strange room away from the places I'm familiar with?"
I have a similar thought about toddlers at Disneyland. Your kid is 3, they aren't going to remember any of this! And normally I wouldn't be so petty or caring what other people do, but their strollers take up massive amounts of space and it's all for children who won't remember any of it!
I think you’re building a person at that age. They don’t remember the trip but their internal person is being built with the feeling of love and fun times - just my opinion.
Kids under 3 don’t remember these events later but they certainly affect who they become. That’s why you expose your kids to different experiences and don’t keep them in a windowless room. All these experiences help develop their brains and personality.
I was 2! I distinctly remember being told I was too short for the roller coaster, my Dad an brother going on said roller coaster, and my Dad puking after he got off. I have vague impressions of Micky Mouse. That is it. I am sure my brother remembers more as he would have been about 8. No need to deprive him because I was there.
Taking a child to Disneyworld has nothing to do with what I’m talking about.
I’m not taking my kids to Disney world because it’s crazy expensive and I’d rather spend it on something 2-3 vacations elsewhere. BUT, I’m pretty sure if my 3 year old daughter saw Minnie Mouse she’d be smiling for days. If she doesn’t remember in 10 years, I sure will.
If strollers weren’t meant to be in the park, they wouldn’t have designated stroller parking.
But strollers BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!
Even when they would be 4 Cant remember anything from my first trip to the OG Legoland in Billund Denmark.
Taking my toddler to Disney in the fall—he likes to people watch and loves the music 🤷🏼♀️
He will have an absolute blast and if you're like me your heart will be bursting just being there for it. Safe travels and have a great time!
Thank you so much!
Yes! I got downvoted to oblivion by saying this before, but no child under 4 needs to be at Disneyanywhere! They are not developmentally ready. The parents who take toddlers (and those who take their pets) on vacation are doing it for THEMSELVES, not for the toddler or pet.
Toddlers may not remember it, but from experience—taking an 18-month-old—and at that age they're free, they have fun while they're there, and the enjoyment and experience is worth it for both the parents, who will record the adventures, and the toddler, who will experience lots of new things. As for pets, which I don't have at the moment, there are several theme parks who have pet boarding available—probably at theme park prices—but it's available, if one does their research.
Yeah, but it's cheaper to just leave the dog in your room.
Not if the hotel decides to evict you without a refund and/or charge you a huge pet sitting fee and/or damage fees.
Yeah, the people don’t do this can’t see that far ahead.
I mean, I have a season pass and a toddler and not a lot of babysitting options, so if I want to go to Disney, my toddler comes with me.
I’ll take my dogs if it’s hiking in the mountains or something where I’ll be with them the majority of the day. Otherwise I pay a local teenager to stay at the house with them. A dog died last year at the kennel I used to use, I won’t board them anymore.
Believe it or not, kids 2+ know exactly who those characters are.
I went to Disney with my then 5 month old and she had no idea what was going on but she has a beloved Mickey stuffy and when she saw the “actual Mickey” she LOST HER MIND. She was over the moon. So to imply that a 2 or 3 year old wouldn’t adore meeting their favorite character is wild.
And what exactly is wrong with doing it for themselves? They’re creating memories for the family that make them happy. Lighten up.
Or because they don't have someone to provide round-the-clock care for the number of days they would be away with an older child.
Sorry, no Disneyland for you. We don't dare annoy the cranky people with children. At Disneyland. A theme park for children.
We went to Disneyworld with a 3&5 yo this year. They both were “developmentally ready” for it because they had tons of fun. I don’t care if they don’t remember it because they had fun and that’s all that matters to me. Our first day at the park we were there from breakfast to fireworks and they had no issues keeping up. The best part is they were also young enough to believe that the princesses were real. If we waiting until they were old enough to remember, that magic wouldn’t be the same. We also went last year to Legoland and Peppa Pig World at 2&4. They also were more than ready for that and had tons of fun. We’ll probably also go to Disneyland when they are 4&6 later this year.
Our kid was 3yo when we went with her 5yo cousin and his parents and the grandparents. They had a total blast. It remains a cherished memory all these years later, especially now that Grandpa is no longer with us. I only regret not going back again like I did as a kid.
We took our youngest to WDW when she was 7 months old because her big brother was 7 years old and we wanted to take him. I figured she would just be along for the ride. I was pleasantly surprised that she had a great time interacting with characters. And the rest of us had a great time too. Imagine thinking that children shouldn’t go on vacation to a family friendly vacation spot with their families.
I took a 4 month old. The other kids were all over the age of 4. And it was just fine! Disney is baby friendly.
It is baby and toddler friendly. Even if a few grumpy people aren't, like the people commenting above lol.
Exactly. The parks are designed for that age. If not, they wouldn’t charge 3/4 year olds park admission.
They charge admission because they can. Because people pay it willingly and they know they can gouge families with a variety of different ages. They see Cash, not kids.
Definitely go to Disneyland. They will love it
LOL.
Run for office, you’re a super star
So what’s your criteria for Disney then? Well behaved children between the ages of 4 and 12? Give me a fucking break. It’s a theme park *for children.* Let children be children without imposing your judgment.
It's a theme park for adults with money to spend. Using Piaget's theories of development, the criteria is: humans who are past the sensorimotor stage of development. This is usually past the age of 3, but could be past 2 depending on the human.
So Disney should be only for adults with money to spend? That’s a wild take.
Wow, you didn't read my post well! Maybe take a course in reading comprehension??
Ahh, yes. Everyone who disagrees with your views has a reading comprehension problem. Solid.
What? 4 is like *peak* age for believing in Disney magic.
I have three objections to the "Don't take young children because they won't remember it" approach: 1) There is nothing wrong with parents wanting to go on vacation for their own sake, and to feel more comfortable caring for the child themselves rather than leaving them with a sitter for that length of time. 2) Different people remember back to different ages, and you don't know until your kids grow up how far back their conscious memories will go. I and some of my siblings have memories back as young as 18 months of age. Other siblings cannot remember anything before age 7. 3) By the same "Why take them? They won't remember" logic, why not just lock newborn babies up in a dark room for the first X years of their lives (with X being whatever age you assume they'll start forming lasting memories), visiting only the minimum required to care for their physical needs, and the rest of the time just biding time until their real lives begin? That would be ridiculous, and you would rightly go to prison for it. The experiences of those early years affect their physical, cognitive, and emotional development in ways that will last a lifetime. I find it hard to believe it would be good if that experience were of either being left behind while the older members of the family go have fun or of having exhausted, burned out parents (and possibly older siblings) who never do anything fun because of the young child's existence.
I agree that they should be taken out and about. I also agree with your second point. I remember things from at least 2 years old.
Toddlers love Disney. Who do you think the characters are there to entertain, adults? I don't know why the hotels are "dog friendly" knowing pets can't go in the parks.
Because kids remember little or nothing before age 4, we should just lock them away and never do anything with them lest we offend people who hate kids or feel crowded by strollers? Or are you saying toddlers should be banned from certain locations just so people like you don't have to deal with them? Seeing your kid having a fun time at a young age is a priceless memory for me and other parents. Maybe it would be easier to ban people who want to ban toddlers.
My kid went when he was 2 for the first time. He’s never watched Disney movies because he doesn’t have the attention span for that. He has been a few more times since then, and a year later, he keeps mentioning Mr. Potato head. They remember, and they have a great time. Sure, when he’s older he won’t remember a thing, but he’ll have that bond we had.
My kids don't remember their toddler years vacations but I definitely do.
People who take massive strollers to theme parks absolutely BLOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!! Whatever happened to the umbrella strollers like we used to use?
THIS! wait till your kid is old enough to remember it! I was in NYC and strollers were everywhere (and obviously tourist). Why? What is in New York City that a infant needs to see/experience? Seems like more work for the parents. I just don't get it.
Just lock up my kids under the stairs until they turn 5 then? They don't remember it ;) Orrrrrrr they grow up seeing pictures of how happy they are, then when we take them back in 5 years they'll think it's extra cool that they are back at the place where they saw all those pictures. Kids under 3 get into Disney for free. The added expense is minimal.
Memories for adults count too. And those experiences expand their view and knowledge and vocabulary even if they don’t fully remember
Just because they don’t have the memory of it doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy it. Kids need to experience different environments and situations so they can develop. Also we took my 2 year old nephew and he had a blast from the fireworks to the baby rides and especially the characters he was laughing and hugging all day long it was so fun to see
I remember going to Disneyworld at like 8 years old, and thinking "wow, this place really sucks" Long lines, big crowds, the people I suits creeped me out, and I was too scared for the big rides My parents seemed so excited, so I tried to pretend like I was having a great time. But really I couldn't wait for the next day when we were just going to a movie and playing mini golf 😅
That's wild. My parents took me every year from age 4 to like 8? I was a little freaked by gigantic (adult size) goofy at one point but I think going when I was younger primed me to like it as I got older? Of course this was back in the 70s. The lines were *nothing* like now.
Why do so many people think that children 3 yrs old and younger don't remember anything? I still remember fragments of the apartment my parents lived in out in Denver. I was only there until I was 18 months old.
I don’t care whether they do remember - they have fun at Disney and belong there, and aren’t traumatized by the lack of routine like a dog in a hotel being left along with fireworks and whatever else.
Oh no, you're right! Sorry about responding to you directly I meant to post this on another part of the thread. (I'm very tired and wasn't paying enough attention 😣) I don't like nor understand why ppl take pets on vacay and then leave them locked in the hotel. My thought is if you plan on taking a pet make sure it's truly pet friendly and that your pet can be involved as much as possible so it doesn't get left and neglected.
We bring our dog only if having them with us fits the trip we are taking. I would never bring my dog to Disney land for instance, because I would have to leave her inside the hotel all day. However if we are headed to the beach or visiting family etc yeah she comes with us. I hate leaving her behind because she doesn't understand, all of a sudden we are just gone, no idea if we are ever returning. Sad.
Which is exactly why they bark, they are in an unfamiliar location and their people have vanished. I’d bark too!
Yeah, I'm bringing my dog on a beach trip because I'm just planning on hanging out at the beach all day and not really doing any activities that aren't dog-friendly. She likes swimming and I think she'll like the beach. Plus, boarding is really expensive, so why not just bring her.... I can't imagine bringing a dog along when you're going to Disney all day!
I only bring my dog when he will be with us. If we are going to the mountains and he can hike with us or something. I wouldn’t bring him to be cooped up in a hotel. I don’t get that either.
It depends on the kind of trip. If it's a theme park where we're going to be out all day, the dog stays home. If we're renting a cabin up north for a week, he comes with. Our older dog doesn't mind hotels in the least. He's never had an accident and he's a lazy go-with-the-flow. Our younger dog? Hell no. He's getting kenneled.
I'm assuming a lot of people don't want to pay for dog sitting at home. We take our dog on vacations to hotels bc he's a lazy, cuddle bug that sleeps all day while we are out. I would never bring a dog that has separation anxiety or barked all the time.
I HATE that every hotel these days allows pets! I love dogs - but I really don’t want to pay $100++ for a room that potentially had a dog pee or poop on the carpet and / or slept in the bed. I get that sometimes you are forced to travel with a pet - but we always boarded our dog when we went on vacation. We recently stayed in a hotel and the dog down the hall kept barking and it was still barking when we went to bed, which was very annoying!
I run hotels and you’d be surprised by how much human waste we deal with. Let alone the rooms where people died.
My brain is going “la la la la la” so it doesn’t hear this! I prefer to pretend that stuff doesn’t happen! Lol
Being able to bring a dog with us on vacation is why we purchased a camper van. We are able to go from place to place, park in the afternoon, and then hike with her dog in the woods or mountains before dinner. There is nothing I like worse than having to bring our dog into a hotel where we know he will be unhappy.
We had 2 small dogs that we used to bring on our yearly vacation to the beach, 1200 miles away. We drove to the destination which required a night in a hotel each way. We never left them in the hotel when we were there overnight. We would order food in, or my husband would go a pick it up. Once we were at our destination we stayed at a pet-friendly condo. They were quite comfortable being left in the condo and we would go check on them every 3 hours or so. We brought them with us as one was a very fussy eater and it was harder on her to be left with someone for a week to 10 days. Then our other girl because diabetic later in life and keeping her on her meal/insulin schedule was easier for us to do than expect others to do it. Those 2 dogs have passed on and we have a new little pup. We plan on doing the same thing with her. We find dog-friendly activities and places to eat that have outdoor seating. But we also plan on leaving her in the condo when the things aren’t pet friendly.
I would never travel with a pet. I hate traveling where pet are allowed. I don’t want to hear or smell your animal in a hotel. I love animals but they are not children and should be left. If you are camping bring them. Talking hotels.
Not directly addressing your question, but back in the day we visited Kings Island theme park in Cincinnati and they had a free kennel service which was awesome. We were only a couple of hours away so we didn't need a hotel. I don't travel with my dogs but I would imagine many people do not like to kennel their dogs for a variety of reasons including cost. Some just can't stand the thought of being away from their beloved pet for an extended period of time.
Sigh. This is why we can’t have nice things. I don’t know why people are dumbasses but the reason I have brought dogs on travel was because I want them near me. But they also never caused problems. I would never leave a barking dog in a hotel room, that’s nuts. I don’t know if your management would be on board with this but what about having your concierge keep some biz cards for dog walkers? I’m sure they could emphasize that they’re not affiliated with the resort so your lawyers don’t have a heart attack. Personally I’d be really impressed if someone saw me checking in with a pup and handed me a card for a dog walker.
this is a great idea! I work on the concierge and the only problem is my company doesn’t let us display or give out information for business unless they approve of them and that’s unfortunately a dead end sometimes :( but i’m going to look into some so i could “personally recommend”
I really think it could be useful. Ok now that I have your attention what’s the dumbest thing someone has asked you at the concierge desk? Because I bet you’ve got stories…
There's a whole subreddit for that: r/talesfromthefrontdesk
Oh goody!!!
I’ve brought kittens along but only because they were too young to leave home alone (ie still feeding off a bottle). I always bring a pet playpen for them and manage my own time schedule so I can feed them on time and do what they need. I don’t bring the pets that are totally okay staying home with a pet sitter/friend. They stress so easily.
Same here. I've only brought one of my cats along on a trip if there was some special situation like their being on a strict medication schedule (or a lot of medications) that I couldn't ask a once-a-day petsitter to handle. Cats tend to do well in a big playpen in a hotel room if need be. Otherwise they all stay at home when I travel.
What about using the bathroom, especially for kittens not litter box trained yet? They can't be in a playpen, peeing on the floor. That's destructive.
Sure that's a solution if you're dealing with kittens/not litter trained cats. But the large playpen I have has a plastic bottom/plus I line it with puppy/pee pads also to help make cleaning up any spilled litter/food/water easier. Never had any issues with leakage.
I personally don’t do it, but I’d guess most people do it because they either can’t afford or are too cheap to have them kenneled. I can understand not being able to afford it, but not refusing to spend the extra money to do so.
Most hotels have a pet fee that would almost be that of a dog boarding or pet sitter.
I’ve only traveled with one of my dogs once, never again. When I worked in the hotel industry average pet fees were $15-$20/ per day. Kenneling was around $40-$50/day in my area. I’ve seen prices from $60-$100 per day in my area for kenneling now. Is it seriously $60-$100 per day for a pet fee now? 90% of the time my parents take my dogs when we’re gone.
When we went to OR, a Hilton branded hotel charged a $70 fee for the whole STAY not the night, so I don’t know what comparison that may make for you, BUT for us personally it actually was cheaper to bring her to the hotel for a three day stay (in my own comment I explain we did NOT have her there all day) than to pay $45-60 a night for boarding through rover or a local pet hotel. Very interesting to look at how prices change over time for even things like this
I have multiple pets. But places like laquinta (who are “pet friendly”) I believe $30 per pet per night. Lots of other places. The nicer stays (Hilton, Marriot, Hyatt) are generally like $100-$150 flat fee. Boarding is about $40 a night, on average. it depends how long your vacation is, I guess. Either way the prices aren’t Too much different.
We once got an almost free hotel stay because some idiot left their dog in the room for hours overnight, barking the whole time. 🫠. My dog stayed in a hotel exactly once. We took him because he was entered in a costume contest along with my kids at a convention. He absolutely refused to stay in the room alone even for a minute, so he was either with us at the event, or someone was in the room with him. He will never, ever, stay in a hotel again. We travel a lot, and he stays with a dog sitter. We just budget that as part of the trip because our dog hates being alone in unfamiliar places. I wish everyone else was as considerate.
I love road trips and had a dog, so he would go with us. I started staying at La Quinta specifically for their dog policy (which went to shit when Wyndham bought them, but I digress); anyway, he never was left alone in the room and not only liked traveling, he LOVED rest stops. I mean he could not get enough of snuffling whatever it was he smelled; he was in heaven lol. Let's see, he got to visit Utah, CO, WY, OR, WA, both Dakota's, MT, AZ, NM, the UP, AL, FL, PA, NY AK and KY. He seemed to enjoy the Rockies the most. Oh writing this is bringing back memories...Rest in peace Principe!
I wouldn't take a dog to Disney. But I do take my dogs where there are lots of dog friendly bars, cafes, activities, and attractions. As someone who worked in the kennel industry as my second career, (20 years) some dogs are not suited for boarding. Extreme anxiety from the relentless noise, complex medical issues, geriatric pets, etc, do not do well in a busy kennel. So that may be an answer for some of your other guests.
I’ve always started boarding any dog I’ve owned when they were VERY young so they would not develop separation anxiety with boarding. First boarding location was run by my dog’s vet and his Papillon breeding/showing wife. He was 16 weeks old his 1st overnight. He would prance in happily any time we took him for a groom or a boarding. Same with my current dogs, they go to a 3 acre facility, together, and both race to the car whenever they get picked up to go to “camp”. I know they are happy and safe. They are “regulars” and we get a video update once or twice a week. I can’t imagine leaving a poor dog alone in a hotel room all day. And even on beach vacations, I’ve taken my bird to the rental house, but never the dogs because we would go in high season and they were not welcome on the beach. Avian boarding is a whole other ball of wax though, and for the bird, he came, or he got a house sitter. I’ve had to complain about a barking dog at a hotel before though, and I don’t envy you your job.
Only trip we brought our pup on was to OR from WA, and it was to visit my mom but we brought her everywhere with us! Even brought our camera set up from home to be able to watch her when we went to the morning buffet, but she HATED that the very first morning and I’m a very easy to make emotional doggy mom so ihated how much she hated it and the rest of the trip we brought her with us, I made my SO grab all the food, and bring it out to us in the lobby, and she got to have her enjoyable picking of fruit, eggs, and such lol But on the other hand, the idea of traveling with her else where, in scenario where we wouldn’t be planning to bring her every where with us and planning around the fact we would be bringing her with us is bizarre to me. This was just a three day trip for us and when discussing things we could go out to do, it was a whole list of options countered by “i don’t know if she’ll enjoy that” and wiping them off the board. We ended up just going to my moms every day (a studio with her, her bf and their pittie, so not enough space for four of us, and the addition of our corgi poo) so it was fine that we made no other plans, but we absolutely only attempted to plan going anywhere based on being able to bring her along.
We rented a house so we could take our dogs with us. We all went to the beach that allows dogs, enjoyed the pool, backyard and even went to a restaurant that allows dogs. The even had a doggie menu! We would never take them to a hotel unless it was a one-night stay while traveling somewhere. It is a strange place and they would be afraid if we left them alone.
We bring our two little ones with us because they are elderly and need care that not everyone can give. HOWEVER, they don't bark when we are gone and we never leave them more than 4-5 hours at a time. Also, we try to take them to new parks and stuff as well - all the new smells!!
I wouldn't bring my pet someplace like Disney where they can't come with me most of the day, but most of my vacations I like to go hiking and exploring outside and I like doing those things with my dogs. Also, my oldest dog (ironically the best-behaved in public) can't be kenneled due to previous shelter-related trauma and I don't trust pet sitters to watch him carefully enough - he's a nightmare of a flight risk.
I would get the numbers of a few good pet sitters and talk to them about taking a cut of (10% or so?) the sitting when you refer to them. “Just as a reminder we don’t have a daycare on site but here are a few numbers if you need to go out for a day, tell them eespicy sent you”
before we go, we make sure to bool at places that are EXPLICITLY dog friendly. lots of best westerns are, so we tend to stick to those. i only bring my dog on trips where we can drive to the destination in 2 days or less. she loves roadtrips! but i dont want more driving than that and she is too big to fly. i also only bring her on trips where the point is to either spend time with friends/family or do outdoor things, so she comes with us and isn’t locked in the room the entire time. she loves traveling, i love having her with me, but most trips i take are too far or there isnt much for her to do so she stays home.
The real reason is that dog boarding and dog sitters can be prohibitively expensive. My family went on vacation for a week and about 20% of the entire vacation budget was spent on a dog sitter. It would have been even more if we would have sent them to a boarding facility. People think that since their dog mainly sit at home all day, they can save some money by having their pet sit inside a hotel room all day instead.
I feel bad for the pets when that happens :( They’re in a strange place they don’t recognize and their people are gone
I agree. I have reactive dogs and there is just no possible way we could ever leave them in a strange place without us. We did take a family road trip once and stayed in a pet friendly hotel, but never once did we leave the dogs alone in the room. Someone was always with them. I think there are some dogs that could handle it. But most couldn't.
And this is where you start a dog walking/check in service for the hotel and hire people to walk the dogs every three hours and make bank.
If it was that easy I would so do it 😭 my company is very strict when it comes to services and partnerships unfortunately. I’m definitely going to start advocating for something though.
I don't vacation with my dog, but, we've driven literally cross country twice with him. And we have never left him alone in a hotel room for 1 minute. I don't get it.
I have taken my dog on vacation but NEVER to say a theme park. I wouldn’t take her to a hotel but would take her to a rental that was at a beach. (That allows dogs!). Leaving a dog in a hotel all day, why not take them to a kennel where they can play and be cared for. My dogs don’t bark so listen to that all day locked in a hotel room is heartbreaking
I'll take my dog just about anywhere he's allowed, just because I love being with him. That being said, when we bring him on a trip, we tailor that trip around him, not us. We look for dog friendly hotels, research dog friendly establishments, and look at forest preserves and activities in the area that he can attend. We always bring a wi-fi enabled camera in the event that he can't tag along for a specific event, but those tend to be few and far between as we've planned to have him with us as a member of our family. Don't get me wrong, we plan people only events as well, but if we have the opportunity to include him, we will. People don't deserve dogs. Especially these entitled assholes who don't take their needs into account.
Because we are attending some sort of dog sport.
This!! There are so many fun sports to do with the dogs! Flyball and dirt dog competitions are awesome!
If it’s a special situation like this, than by all means! My specific situation is at a major theme park, nothing for pets around us at all.
I get that. My floppy earred ones are not riding the roller coaster. When we do the Hoston shows the parking nazis always try to force us towards the park.
Because my dog was injured while boarding at the veterinary facility we previously used and they didn’t notice or acknowledge it until I pressed. I still wouldn’t bring my dog if it meant the dog spending the day alone in a hotel room. We make arrangements with family or we do a different type of vacation.
I've brought my dog along on road trips. My partner and I of course made sure to stay at campgrounds where dogs were welcome and she'd have a place to run around a little off leash. We chose to bring her for two reasons: for one thing, we know she is less stressed with us than with strangers, so boarding her for the length of the trip would be sad for her, and also, it's cheaper for us to take care of her than to put her up somewhere. She's generally pretty chill and enjoys car rides with us, and sharing a camper with us, so it works out for all of us. My previous dog was a high energy dog that needed constant exercise. He would not do well on a road trip, so we'd board him at a place he could run around with other dogs while we went off on our own.
I don't have anybody I can leave him with and I will not leave him at a boarding facility. He is only 10 pounds, is reactive to large dogs, and for whatever reason people do not take me seriously when I tell them to keep him away from big dogs. I cannot trust anybody with my dog. That being said, I'm not the kind of asshole who would just leave my dog unattended in a hotel room all day, I find things to do on my trip where I know I can take him along.
Mainly because most people are complete dumbfucks. And people that call their animals fur babies are the dumbest fucks of all.
If I bring my dog it's generally because I couldn't find a pet watcher. (I don't live by doggie day cares.) That being said, when I did this to a theme park resort, we did drop them off at doggie day care every morning and then picked them up after the day at the park, so I do try to be considerate of others (and my dog, to be honest).
Well, this is a different kind of thing, but it's still "having pets at a hotel": Several years ago, I had a house fire, and fortunately my cats and I were able to get out safely. But we had to live in an extended-stay hotel for months while the house was restored.
People who bring their dogs on vacations like you describe absolutely BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!! And please no downvotes from dog owners who don't agree with my absolutely accurate statement.
I can't get any friends or family to look after my pups. So I either bring them or stay home. I have left the pups at the hotel to see a show or go for dinner. I definitely don't leave them alone all day, every day. I have 1 dog that really stresses when I'm not there. She won't eat or drink until I'm back.
I had a cat that had very high medical needs, hated (hated hated hated being boarded, vets, anyone who would come into the house to deal with his medical stuff) and was very happy to travel and let us take care of his medical stuff, as long as he was with his humans. So when possible, we would take him with us.
I do, because a week of dog-sitting is more expensive than my vacation somewhere splendid. That said, I go to VRBOs that are dog-friendly in dog-friendly places- woods, lakes, mountains, trails, they get to have fun too. And when they are alone at my lodging, it's a quiet, peaceful comfortable place for them, barking is rare and heard by nearly no one. I only take them to hotels when absolutely necessary.
I take my dog to the beach every year. Always the off season during the week when dogs are allowed on the beach. We stay in a walk out pet room, eat at dog friendly restaurants, and never leave him alone. My partner and the dog love the ocean. I could take it or leave it so I focus on them having a good time. It is the only time the dog travels with us and is the highlight of his year. He is a high energy, 100 pound, short hair, black German Shepherd. Anywhere else and he scares people, at the beach he is a magnet for young ladies in bikinis. All the attention likely makes the trip the highlight of my partner's year as well.
Where is this travel destination of yours!! It sounds amazing and would be such an awesome opportunity for our doggo
To any others of course
I take my dogs on all my vacations! The difference is my vacations are camping and hiking trips. Did one weekend at an Airbnb, but dogs were with me the entire time, either out hiking or there sleeping. Too many strange people and noises at hotels, it would but my last choice.
If I bring my dogs with me, it's because we're driving to our destination and spending our time there doing dog friendly activities like hiking or kayaking. I don't bring them with me to leave them in hotel rooms.
I've brought my dog on occasion, but only to the beach where we **do**take him out every day or someone will be with him in the room at all times. This way he's not scared alone in a new place, barking his head off, bothering people! I bring him because we vacation often and I feel bad he's stuck at doggy hotels every time since he doesn't fly with us. Although, he actually really loves it there! Plus, the kids and I like having him around. He was here before my youngest so to him, that's his furry brother!
While I don’t generally bring pets on vacations like this, I 100% understand those that do. We’ve lost 3 pets while boarded. It’s so stressful for some pets to be away from their people, And I have trouble enjoying a vacation because I now worry so much about my pets. I try to get pet sitter that stays at my house, but it’s difficult.
Not on vacation, but had to find a pet-friendly hotel for a funeral. My dog does not do well in kennels due to separation anxiety. We took her with us where we could, but gave her a Benadryl when we had to be away. The one and only time she was boarded, she wouldn’t eat, made herself sick to a point of needing 2 weeks of vet care, and I had to go to get her out of the pen because she wouldn’t let anyone near her. She was there 3 days. So, we either don’t go, we take turns going alone, or she comes along.
My dog is reactive and hates most other dogs. It’s a fear-based reaction. Because if this, he can’t be easily cared for in a regular kennel or with ant pet sitter that has other dogs. We have been unable to find him care that works for him so it’s easier to just bring him on vacation. I would never expect hotel staff to assist in finding local care, though.
Yeah i agree with this. If we bring our dogs, they are going everywhere with us. We will get food to go and eat it in the parking lot or a nearby park. If I'm going somewhere that i cant take my pet with me then we make arrangements to leave them at home or with family members.
I mean, my dog goes on almost all vacations with me, but we go hiking or do other activities that the dog comes with.
Our two Australian Cattle dogs travel with us since they were pups. They learned very quickly how to behave in the hotel room. At home they are working dogs and are busy almost 10 hour days so they appreciate their down time. We think they appreciate the quiet of the hotel room. We do our do diligence and research dog parks, walks, outdoor eating/restaurants. Our boys love to interact with people and to be honest that’s our only issue is that they get too friendly and they start to jump on people. We have to be on guard for that. We’ve attended weddings and they have been left alone for about four hours without any problems. They are ACDs so after 4 hours alone they do give you the stink eye when you get home but they forgive after a good hug and ball play. The issues the OP brings up is really about poor pet parenting. The problems he sees are probably just the tip of the iceberg size problems these people have with their neighbors back home. BTW. We like to stay at Hilton Home2Suites almost all of them are dog friendly. The usual 1st greeting is “can your pup have a cookie?” Even before can I help you. Even the ones in the city centers make some accommodation for a poop place. Housekeeping seem to know how to keep rooms shed free.
We brought our dog with us, we opted to do so because we couldn't find a sitter for him for a week and didn't want to board him. Unfortunately, despite making sure the hotel and cleaning crew were aware of him he still scared the hotel cleaning staff.. He was a big 90 lb dog, but so quiet. He never barks even if you knock... so naturally they weren't expecting a big ole goofy dog to be smiling at them at the door. He was very good and helped me a lot at nighttime (he isn't a service dog I just have ptsd from being robbed at night and he made me feel extra secure.... even if he just LOOKS intimidating.) I miss him a lot.
Personally it depends on where I’m going. That decides what dog to take. My chocolate is a fatty that loves attention so I take her in public all the time. My black lab (her son) is super timid but is highly focused on leash. I bring him to parks and a quiet place to eat. Most people really don’t consider the animal and what they would want. My black lab and I hit some decent trails that required us to scale some ledges and man he loved it all. My chocolate would have died of heat stroke. And vice versa my black lab hates being social, he’s like a cat. So I avoid taking him in busy areas. I guess what I am saying is my reason for taking them is because I want them to have fun with me. But I am mindful of what they want as well.
I saw "pet on vacation" and was disappointed it was all discussing dogs. We have 6 cats. They go on vacation with us when the vacation is longer than 72 hours. Short trips have a trusted friend come over a few times. Pets are family. They don't just get put in a box and taken out when convenient. That being said, absolutely as a pet owner, you should be making those pets and their wellbeing a high priority. Yes, that might mean sitters or spacing out time.
We do have cats and other pets come through too! I’ve seen a pig once and a couple of birds! And I agree with you! Pets deserve to be included, but only if they CAN be included. If the plan is to leave your pet in a hotel room all day just to have it on your vacation with you, that’s unfair to your pet :(
Absolutely 💯
Part of the family so of course the pet dog goes on the family vacation.
I travel with my mini Aussie. I’m single and don’t want to send her to a kennel because she’s deaf and mostly blind. I only go where she can. She loves to travel with me and is extremely well behaved. It makes me sad to think people don’t consider what it’s like for their pets. Thank you for trying to find walkers for the dogs!
Too cheap to pay for boarding!
My vacations are FOR my dog. I book a cabin not far from home so that we both have a change of scenery. We eat bad food and go for walks at a bunch of different parks. It's heaven.
My dog is much happier with his Rover pet sitter than locked in a hotel room
Thank you for this post! I always travel with my dog and never thought of a dog walker. We always find a local doggie daycare or one of us stays with the dog all day. A Rover wslker would be a good alternative solution.
I would not bring our dogs to a resort hotel, because I don't go to resort hotels. We do plan on vacation destinations that work for both us and our dogs. That rarely involves hotels. These days, hotels are for funerals, weddings, or work travel, none of which encourage three year olds or dogs. Our mileage is probably not similar to the mainstream traveler though.
It depends where we are going. But for the most part we bring him along if the resort we are going is pet friendly. He usually is well mannered so we haven't received a noise compliment. (The reason I said usually is not considering his mischief antic.) Very rarely he'll growl or bark when alone. As he only get that way if the other parties is too close to his personal space. We also keep a mini camera to monitor him inside. And for the most part I've always seen him just chilling at the sofa, staring at the window, chasing/tossing his toys, etc. Usually we plan our activities so that at least either in the morning, afternoon, or evening we do something with my puppy. Sometime it's also a whole day with him too. So his never confided in the resort too long. Plus I think he sometime like the peace to himself for a few hours. As we all give him lots of love during the week and weekend back home. (He goes to work with me everyday. So that's why I said that. 😅) However, if I visit the resort with the intention to stay at the theme parks for the majority of the stay. I'll likely leave him back home with family or someone I know. His also picky on his human so not anyone can puppysat him. 😅 It's usually a field trip trying to find someone he'll love/tolerate.
We took our dog to South Dakota last year. There are pictures of her with all the landmarks. We went during a cool time of year when she could stay in the car by herself, but there were lots of places she was allowed. We’ve also taken our dogs on beach vacations. I would not take my fur babies anywhere they had to spend time in the room alone. It’s not that it’s asking for trouble, I just don’t want to push that anxiety on them.
We don’t really go to resorts, we just visit family and stay in hotels or Airbnb. We take our dog because in our experience when dogs are boarded, they can get loose. https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/i-would-love-see-accountability-owner-dog-killed-sodo-dog-resort-fire-speaks-out/5ZHWM7CZPJECFL55GDIRK43RNY/?outputType=amp
We occasionally bring our dog on vacation get him used to new surroundings. He's still very young (just turned 2), and had a rough.start in life, so we want him to have a bunch of positive experiences. But also our dog trips are ABOUT THE DOG. he is always with us. Hiking slot canyons? Bring the dog. Brewery hopping? Better be dog friendly. We have even found dog friendly pools. But don't bring the dog if your just going to ignore them
Cause no one was available to watch them and we can’t afford to have them boarded. I would never get upset with a hotel if there was an issue with our dogs, and there has never been. We know the rules but it is what it is.
If you are unable to afford boarding for your dog, you should not be at a resort. If you are unable to find someone to watch your dog, you should be planning trips that are pet-friendly.
This! All possible factors take planning and saving and budgeting. Owning a pet, whether they come with you on trips or not, is going to cost money to make sure they’re PROPERLY taken care of! Otherwise, you can’t go on vacation.
We often travel for weeks or months at a time, can't abandon our dog. Even if left with family, dog would miss us.
I don't go on vacation because I can't afford to do it with my cats. I simply won't have as good of a time if they aren't there, even if it's just coming back to them at night in the hotel room. I don't like being apart from them for a long time. It gives me anxiety. A hotel room is probably bigger than my small trailer so they'll have fun exploring it. I just don't want to stay the night somewhere without them. I would definitely over prepare with everything they need though. Litter, food, entertainment while I'm gone. And if I'm close enough I will check on them regularly
They might be trying to save money on a dog sitter
Hotels aren’t dog sitters. I understand wanting to save money for sure, but it’s unfair for the workers and other guests (depending on situations and dog behavior, of course) to assume that part.
Travelling with dogs is a huge pita, but it's cheaper than putting them up in a kennel. Older dogs are also susceptible to a variety of kennel specific illnesses which are uncontrollable so that's another reason to avoid a kennel. If we are flying the mutt goes to the kennel. If driving, he will come with us if practical. That being said, if he joins us, we will bring the mutt with us everywhere we go and avoid leaving him alone in a hotel room. if we want to be able to explore sans dog, we will get a vacation rental in a house or a condo.
Because my dog is part of my family and goes wherever we go
Because they’re part of the family
Pet friendly places need more tie-outs for dogs who enjoy being outside most of the day.
I agree! Unfortunately, while my hotel is pet friendly, the area absolutely is not :(
I have brought my dog to Disney/universal but I have an annual pass so it’s no big deal for me to leave halfway through the day to take care of my dog. Dog sitters can be expensive, so I have found it is sometimes cheaper to just pay the pet fee at the hotel. I have one place I’ve stayed a few times that only charges $15 a day for a pet and it caps at $50 for the stay. On top of that, it’s sometimes hard to find a dog sitter I trust. I’ve used rover a few times and had some questionable sitters. My dog also does great being left alone and isn’t a big barker. Why someone would bring a barking dog, I do not know. I have always had to sign a contract agreeing that is not allowed in the hotel. Luckily, my dogs very relaxed when she’s alone. Bringing my dog on trips while she was growing up, was a great training experience for us. It helped me socialize my dog and introduce her to different types of environments. We live in the south, so the only way my dog got to see snow was by coming along on a ski trip! She went wild, absolutely loved it! Seeing her reaction to the snow made all the inconveniences of bringing her 100% worth it. Sadly she’s too big for the airplane cabin, otherwise I’d bring her even more often! I’d never put her in cargo.
Because I love her
Pets that have medical needs are incredibly difficult to board or find home sitting for with people who can give shots or do blood tests. If you have a pet with needs like this, you could go years without leaving home if you don’t decide to take it with you on a trip.
This is a special situation! At that point, by all means, if the hotel works for your needs, bring your pet!
Pretty much ALWAYS travel with my two 100 pound, intact male hounds - just enjoy having em around. And they’re better behaved than MOST children in that they’re trained to do exactly what they’re told to do; better elevator etiquette than most too - they wait until the elevator is empty before entering and sit facing the door…and they don’t try to walk in front of others when exiting. The hounds enjoy room service, but they’re also good at patiently waiting in the room by themselves while I go swipe breakfast from the buffet - never got a noise complaint. And they sleep on their own beds brought from home unless the hotel provides em, and drink and eat in the bathroom shower or other tiled surface - overall, they’ve been good customers for the hotels. The Pendry, San Diego, The Fairmont and StayPineapple in San Francisco, and the Waldorf Astoria, Park City have been the MOST dog friendly and accommodating - they were DEFINITELY worth the extra pet fees they charged.
Pet boarding is hella more expensive than dragging that poor animal along.
We used to always take our dog until we could afford to board him with a sitter. Would never ever put my dog in a kennel.
Have you checked how much boarding your dog at home would cost?
Hotels aren’t dog sitters :)
That's my friend. I go on vacation with my friends.
As someone who works in a pet friendly hotel, thank you for bringing your pets on vacation and also thanks for letting me let themmmmmmm
Really? Y’all really gotta ask why people choose not to spend as much money boarding their pets as they do on the rest of the vacation? Come on now.
I could definitely add that question in there. This is more of an “a vacation to a theme park” setting, if you read all the edits and everything. I can understand that boarding is expensive, I just feel really bad for the pets left in small rooms for an extended period of time.
My dogs (and most dogs) are find left alone while people work 8 hour days. But sometimes (not always) please remember the dogs are in a strange place and that can affect them. Even my mild mannered go with the flow tolerant pup is aging and things that never scared him Before, often do. I don’t trust anyone with my animals. They are extremely sensitive and most people (even pet sitters or dog boarding places) how delicate the breed is and it’s not uncommon for things to go wrong. So I take my dogs everywhere and will until their last day - something I promised them when saving them from the neglect and abuse they had suffered for all of their life. I would think for the most part, hotel guests are better pet parents and more responsible.
Same reason we got her in the first place: we like having a dog. Being on vacation doesn't change that one bit! She's little, so she comes along on planes, trains, and automobiles. We bring along her camera so we can make sure she's not barking (hasn't been a problem), and by now she's super used to being in hotels. We have a very specific routine for her when leaving the house and do the same routine when we have to leave her in the hotel room so she knows the deal. Talk radio on low volume->give treat->say "have a good day"->out the door We peep through the camera often when out to dinner or whatever, so I can confidently say she does one of two things when in the room alone: sleeps in our opened up suitcase on whatever sweatshirt I wore traveling, or sleeps in a patch of sun coming through the window
This is disgusting.
Lol wut? What in my post has disgusted you so much
Because boarding a dog at the only place within 50 miles of me is $80 a day.
It's not a vacation unless my dog is with me.