Episode #110 Planning a Dog-Friendly Vacation

We are getting ready to head to Park City in a few weeks and Baxter is coming with us! So today I want to share with you how I get Baxter ready to go on a vacation. Hopefully these tips will help you prepare your next dog-friendly trip.

Transcript

Hi everyone! How is your week going? We are getting ready to head to Park City in a few weeks and Baxter is coming with us! So today I want to share with you how I get Baxter ready to go on a vacation.

But before we talk about that, did you know we have a Junior Training course just for kids? We help thousands of clients train their own dogs from home and recently created a puppy kindergarten class for kids! We are having so much fun teaching it. Parents are of course encouraged to attend, but we are teaching concepts on a kid-level and really enjoy seeing the kids make progress with their dogs. Some have brand new puppies - 8 weeks old while others come with a dog who is older. We take them all! Don’t worry adults, we also teach Basic, Intermediate and Advanced training for you - but I wanted to highlight our kids course today for anyone interested! We will start new rounds of our courses in August so watch for the updated class schedule.

Okay, so you want to take your dog on a trip. Where do you start? First, find a pet friendly place to stay. There are many great options out there. My family likes to camp but they really love staying in a home away from home. Because of that, I am a fan of VRBO (ver-bo). You can filter for pet friendly places only. Most have an additional fee for pets, but some do not. Be sure to look into the details and choose one that works for you. Are you roadtripping? Camping? There are many good options for bringing your dog along. Do your research and you’ll find something that works for you and your family. For our Park City trip we are staying in a condo that allows up to four dogs. That is more than sufficient for Baxter - in fact we are sharing the condo with another family and they are bringing their dog as well. Baxter has no idea the fun he is in for with this vacation. 

On that note, because another dog is coming - here are a few tips on that. Make sure the dogs get along before you go if possible. If the family lives nearby, ask them to bring their dog over for a playdate. Use a barrier like a fence, gate or pen to allow the dogs to greet one another on opposite sides of the barrier. Watch their body language and wait to put them together until both dogs appear loose, happy and relaxed. Then let them play for 1-2 minutes, interrupting if necessary if either dog becomes tense. If the dogs seem to enjoy being together, you’ll all enjoy the vacation more. If you can’t get together beforehand, do the same type of greeting with a barrier when you arrive at the vacation home. Also plan on keeping the dogs separate when unsupervised using crates or a pen. Let them play if they are friendly - but plan on being able to separate them as well throughout the day. 

It is good practice to not leave your dog in a vacation rental alone. Plan on taking them with you when you leave the condo, campsite or hotel room . It helps to know the area where you are traveling so you can look into dog friendly restaurants and other pet friendly experiences too. Then you can make arrangements as needed without any unexpected surprises. It’s a good idea to have a back-up plan in mind when traveling with your dog. For example, I know my daughter will want to go shopping when we are in Park City. Baxter is not a service dog and will not be able to go in most stores. There are several of us going and I know I can stay outside in the shade with Baxter while the others shop if needed. We plan on eating at dog-friendly locations or getting take-out for the park rather than long sit-down dinners at fancy places. That will work for us for this trip - something to think about and how it affects the rest of the family before deciding whether or not to bring the family dog along. We of course adore bringing Baxter whenever we can and are excited to explore Park City with him. I already have a list of dog-friendly trails to explore and a self-serve grooming salon in case he’s a mess when we are done! He lives life to the fullest and I mean fullest when hiking. 

For sleeping, I like to bring a crate with me. The vacation home will be an unfamiliar place to Baxter and having his crate will provide a familiar space where I know he can be comfortable at night. The crate may also come in handy when riding in the car, especially if you have several kiddos or if you have a young puppy without a lot of training yet, the crate makes a wonderful place for your dog to spend time while you are eating a picnic at the park, hotel room, vacation home, etc. With a new dog joining the party, the crate offers a great separate space when they need a break or for when you want to take a nap. If you can take a crate with you, I highly recommend it. 

Food-wise, measure out their meal amount for the days you are gone and store in a gallon-size zip lock bag. Don’t forget the scoop as well as food and water bowls. I also bring Baxter’s favorite treats and a good chew for him to work on while away. I bring a backpack with Baxter’s things in it for easy access. I put his harness and leash, poop bags, shoes (if needed for hot pavement), a collapsible water bowl or portable dog water bottle, long line, two squeaky toys, a fetch toy he enjoys, hand sanitizer, wipes, and tick spray - we use Wondercide - so I can grab the bag and go. I don’t want to waste any time exploring - having everything in a backpack makes it easy to get out the door quickly. 

Make sure to plan activities your dog will enjoy too and be mindful of hot temperatures. Bring plenty of fresh water for your dog and do most things in the am or pm if it gets hot where you are traveling during the day. Never leave your dog alone in your car - especially when it is hot outside. Have someone stay with them in a cool place instead. Remember to pack out what you pack in - leave no trace behind you. Pick up after your dog so our communities remain dog friendly. Obey local leash laws - you can look into those before you go. In general, plan on your dog remaining mostly on leash with you. I always look up areas where I can take my dog off leash too because they LOVE it! Park City has several options and I’m excited to try them out with Baxter. As with any off leash activity, know your dog and recognize the risks involved. We use a long line when training a solid recall or if our dog is struggling with attention in any given location. A good recall is a must in my book and I work really hard to build trust between me and my dog before ever letting them off leash. Again, use a long line if needed as your dog will get the feeling of being off leash but you’ll have reinforcement if needed. 

We are driving by car. Baxter rides in the back with his Sleepypod Click it Sport harness anchored in. I like to line the back of my car with a dog mat - it covers the entire cargo area and is really handy when we are done hiking and Baxter is wet or muddy. I always bring extra towels for him too. I haven’t decided if we are kayaking or not in Park City, so I’ll probably toss in his life jacket just in case. Better safe than sorry! Baxter adores the water and I know he’d love a visit at the lake. 

That’s it for today you guys! I hope you learned something new to help you plan your next trip with your dog. Enjoy your week and happy training!