How To Stay in A Hotel With Your Dog?

We love our dogs and we love to travel. Sometimes, they don’t necessarily go together, but as much as we can, we’ll take our dogs on our vacation. After all, they are our family members!

However, bringing your pooch along on a trip can provide several unexpected challenges. If you're going to be driving to your hotel, it's a good idea to do some research on local vets along the way, prepare for dog-friendly rest stops, and make sure that your pet's comfort level is maintained at all times. And you’ll need to do all of this should be done before you even get to your hotel! Read more about the best tips to transport your dog!

The good news is that pet-friendly travel has taken off in recent years. You can find out ahead of time which hotels have doggy play areas so you can walk your dog, or gated compounds so you can let your dog run off-leash.

Not everyone wants to send their dog to a boarding facility or hire a dog sitter, which means that they are stuck caring for their dog at home and potentially sacrificing vacation time. Thankfully, gone are those days! 

For many travelers today, choosing accommodations and places that are pet-friendly is of the utmost importance. In fact, more than half of the dog owners going on vacation are bringing their animals with them. 

If you’re thinking of embarking on a road trip with your dog, this blog post is for you. We’ll cover all the essentials you’ll need to ensure that your pooch is kept comfy, and some precautions you can take before your trip. 

With some preparation, you’ll be able to enjoy a much-needed vacay with your canine buddy!

1. Always Pack The Doggy Essentials 

Your canine packing list will be different depending on the length of your stay as well as the kind of transportation you use. Ask ahead of time if the hotel you plan to stay at provides a dog bed, some snacks, and a bowl as part of any pet fee. 

However, while it would be nice to pack less stuff for your pooch, keep in mind that you should carry tons of your dog’s stuff that will make them feel at home, such as their bed, favorite toy, and crate. If you are strapped for space and luggage weight, you can also purchase pet food at your destination to free up some room.

If you frequently plan to take your dog with you on trips, you should equip your vehicle with a foldable water bowl, a travel bed, pee pads, an additional leash, and plenty of tasty goodies. When you are transporting dog food, you can portion the meal size out ahead of time and place each meal in its own plastic or freezer bag.

Always remember to bring your pooch’s favorite toy or object from home, as this is one of the nicest things you can do. Your dog will feel more at ease in the hotel room if you bring along an item that has a scent that is familiar to them. Last but not least, always inform yourself with the best dog-friendly vacations in Europe.

2. Have an ID Tag Or Microchip In Case Your Dog Gets Out

Even if you take all of the necessary safety precautions, there is still a chance that your cherished canine companion will get loose from its leash or run out an open door. Don't lose your cool! The ID tags you attached to your dog's collar could save his life.

If anyone finds a dog with tags on it, they will know that the dog actually belongs to someone and is not a stray. If a dog is wearing a tag, people may be more likely to approach it and offer assistance in locating its owner.

Include a phone number that you check frequently and will probably answer when someone calls. The most obvious option is to use your cell phone, but you should also have a secondary phone number just in case. 

If your pet goes missing, you should ensure that the ringer on your phone is turned up to its maximum volume and that the function that muffles calls from unknown numbers is disabled. You won't want to miss the call informing you that someone has discovered your dog, so set your phone to ring at maximum volume! 

The ID tag should contain your dog’s name, address, your phone number, and a backup phone number. Some people do believe that putting your dog’s name on the ID tag might be detrimental and leave your dog vulnerable to being stolen if someone calls his or her name. 

ALSO READ: Requirements of Travelling with Dogs - in Europe

3. When You Leave The Hotel Room, Crate Your Dog

When you go out for something as brief as a trip to the shop or as long as going to a formal meeting where you can't bring your dog along with you, the first and most important thing that you should do is to crate your dog. 

The majority of hotel rooms are not cleaned thoroughly and properly, and your dog could have something dangerous like medication or other items hidden under the bed or couch, which could result in toxicity or poisoning.

If you use your dog’s crate, it’ll give them a nice place to retreat to even when you aren’t around. In addition, it will prevent your dog from having a bout of separation anxiety and tearing up the hotel room when you leave, resulting in many costly repairs that YOU are liable for.

4. Prevent Separation Anxiety

Your dog might suffer from separation anxiety when you leave them in the hotel room for some reason while traveling. Here are some suggestions you can follow to prevent or lower the level of separation anxiety.

A sign reading "Do Not Disturb" should be hung on the front door of your room while you are absent. It is far simpler to forsake daily housekeeping rather than to be concerned about a stranger's appearance upsetting your dog. 

Unexpected sounds, such as footsteps in the hallway, slamming doors, and moving elevators, can all trigger anxiety in pets. A white noise machine can cover up these sounds so that pets don't have to hear them. If you forgot to bring a white noise machine with you, you can try leaving the television or radio on in the room while you are gone.

Bring along a very special gift that they very infrequently get, such as a giant Kong stuffed with peanut butter or a food puzzle, so that he has something to do while you are gone.

Practice at home first! Crate your dog for short periods while you move around the house and gradually increase the duration, so that your dog can stay quietly crated for say, one or two hours at a time in case you have to dash to the grocery store on your trip and do some shopping.

5. Prevent Nasty Hotel Repair Bills 

A dog that has separation anxiety will exhibit behaviors like chewing, digging, scratching, and all kinds of stuff that will easily rip a hotel room to shreds. He may scratch at the door and damage it, chew on the bed linen or furnishings, and get into all kinds of trouble. Read more about aggressive behavior in dogs.

Crating your dog when you go out, even just for a few minutes, is strongly recommended. However, if you aren’t going to crate your dog while you are out, there are a few things you can do to try to prevent poochie from going absolutely ballistic in a strange place. 

Because dogs are creatures of habit, it is essential to maintain the same schedule for your pet even when you are away. They should be given lots of exercise, fed at the same time every day, and their bed should be placed in a location that is similar to where it is at home. 

It's not cool to have the hotel housekeeping sweep up mud and dog fur all the time. If your dog is a heavy shedder, keep their grooming sessions regular and brush him outdoors before he goes into the room. In addition, clean your pooch’s muddy paws before he goes in, especially if he is sleeping on your bed.

If you have your dog on your bed, you might want to bring a blanket or sheet to cover the bed and furniture before your dog claims a spot of his own.

6. Pooping And Peeing 

Don't forget to keep the outside neat as well; you will undoubtedly be taking your dog out to the hotel grounds to potty at some point. Make sure that you have a sufficient supply of biodegradable poop bags for gathering up waste, and then locate an appropriate container (outside, ideally!) in which to dispose of the bags.

Take your pooch on a comprehensive tour of the hotel on the first day and acquaint them with the surrounding area and the structure. The goal is to get your dog feeling calm and secure in the hotel as opposed to frantically running from place to place, damaging things, or becoming hostile toward others due to their anxiety.

Be sure to take plenty of potty breaks to allow your dog to do its thing. An accident in the hotel room will be difficult to manage and might result in a hefty cleaning fee. If your pooch is unable to hold their pee that long, you might think about using puppy pee pads. 

Because they may be disoriented or distressed, they may pee in inappropriate places, which will result in an unhappy hotel and a potential cleaning fee.

Final Thoughts

Having your canine best friend with you on a road trip is a lot of fun, but also can have its own set of challenges that make it trickier than simply checking into your hotel and going to bed.

However, with some preparation, you can ensure that you and your pooch have the best time on the road and avoid pissing off the hotel management. Hotels that have hosted badly trained and badly behaved dogs might not remain pet-friendly for long!

ALSO READ: #10 Packing List For A Long Road Trip With Dogs

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