Traveling with dog, the complications

 

I was planning a trip for just me and my dog.

First of all finding accommodations that will allow him was a challenge. There are now several web sites that can help in that search and I was able to find a few places that would accept the dog by using these searches.

 I used

bring fido

pet friendly

pets welcome

trips with pets

pets can stay

 So once I found a place there was the next hurdle.

 

 

 Most of them have a restriction that you cannot leave a dog alone in the room, or if you are allowed to, you have to keep your dog in a kennel in the room if you leave the dog alone.

I found one place that allowed you to leave the dog for an hour only (they suggested- while you eat)

Well if you are travelling alone you can see the problem.

Ok, maybe if you have a small dog, and it is used to being in a kennel, and you can get the kennel in the car, all is well. My dog has got out of practice of being in a kennel (another story about kennels- funny now but not then). Also, bringing his hard sided kennel along would take up too much room in the car. Not enough room for me and him then, so that was out.

 

I did find a place though that said they would supply the kennel, if my dog was kennel trained. I have noted that one for my next trip, as I have some work to do to get him used to kennels again. Seems this would be a very good idea for any place that had the “leave in a kennel” requirement.

 

 

So, if I can’t leave him alone in the room, where can I take him? Well, I like to take my dog most places but of course that is not at all possible.

Where can you take a dog, and where can’t you take a dog, and what is safe. And in what country can you take a dog out for dinner? -Another story.

 

 

For my trip, I wanted to enjoy a bit of the warm summer we are having, and go for a swim in a lake. While there are swimming places near me (within an hour) none was what I wanted.

I researched many lakes in areas I wanted to go, and most either did not allow dogs on the beach area, or they had a separate dog area, and when you read the description of it, it was – right beside the garbage, or on the stony part of the beach, or some sort of thing. (Though I did find one that sounded quite nice in Osoyoos.) -Yet, really not so easy to find nice places.

Also, it seems after end of August dogs are allowed. (where I live it is much later)

 

I found that most provincial parks allowed dogs but only in certain areas, and not on the beach in most cased, as least not in the summer.

Where I live dogs are not allowed on the beach in the summer. We do have a couple of dog friendly beaches, both the salt water and the fresh water kind. The salt water kinds are very nice areas, yet the water is not so clean. Well, I would definitely not swim in it. The fresh water one that I now is very nice, yet it is so busy in the summer you can’t get near it.  And, no, I would not want to swim with all the dogs, but at least he could enjoy it.

And that is why I started my search for a lake where I could swim with my dog.

Well, I say swim, yet my dog does not even swim. He does not go out in water deeper than he can stand.

 

All I want to do is go for a swim in a clean safe lake, and have my dog with me.

 Sounds easy enough.

Yet it seems not.

Well, if one thinks about it, most dogs have fur, and are not people.  Really, would you want to swim in the same water your dog, and lots of others do!!

And the summer, here it is hot, and in my opinion taking a dog out in the hot sun is not a good idea. So if I go out, and of course if I were traveling to a place to swim in a lake, it would be hot- then I would need to leave him in the room- or not take him on this trip.

I also wanted to go on a bike ride on this trip, some safe and scenic trails. And there re lots, but I would never feel, safe taking my dog along. There are special leashes and such for bike riding with a dog, though and you may have a dog that would do well with one.

 

For this trip, after many hours of research (the armchair traveler now), and a lot of help from a vacation by owner person, I found a place that would allow me to have the dog with me, and allow me to leave him in a safe place on their property (not in a kennel) while I went out to a lake for a  swim in the hot sun, and or rode my bike.

 

As it turns out I could not go after all, but now I do have one place to go where I can take my dog and have someone even help me when I am there.

 

It seems to me that it a service that is rare and is missing. So, what to do!!

 

I recently joined a club for affordable travel.

My web site offers an option of affordable pet sitting.

Why not join and help me build my network of pet owner and pet sitters that are either looking for someone to help them when they work late, go away overnight, or when they are traveling. -Even when they are traveling with their pet.

 

Pet sitting exchange at   www.bowwowwowmeow.com

 

You can also check out the listed pet sitting service on my site as well as some service I have found that offer pet sitters for a fee and or exchange.

 dog home sitter

pawshake

 

 

It is best to have many options. Whatever you chose make sure your sitter is reliable, and that you get a signed contract.