We're going to be getting our first family dog in a couple of weeks (a Boston Terrier) and it will be my first dog ever. I know some people travel with their dog while others use kennels.

I would prefer to take little Milo with us in the future, especially on our big summer beach vacation, however I notice the place we always rent through doesn't allow pets in any of their properties. This seems pretty standard, but I know I see lots of people with their dogs on vacation - are they just sneaking them in? Have you ever done that? Our dog is very short hair so he wouldn't leave a big mess behind.

I realize you can probably rent through individual owners that might allow pets (or find a place through VRBO), but I prefer the assurance of quality you get from a larger operation. Just curious - never having had a dog before, the thought of leaving him behind in a kennel for 10 days seems kind of sad!

A Boston Terrier is so much easier to travel with than a large dog!
Congrats!!
There are websites with hotels that take dogs, there are always places that rent to people with dogs, small dogs being much more welcome than biggies like Pup.
Get him a kennel and get him used to it..it is good for travel as well as some hotels ask that you leave them in the kennel when you are out of the room...
Vacation rentals are not hard, we have done it for 7 years..we managed ok so far...even out of the country!

I try to find a pet sitter who will stay in my home or that has a nice home with fences etc and that he would be safe and well taken care of..nI ever leave him at Kennels..

Since we have 2 small children w/like to get a condo/cabin/house when we travel rather than hotel (more space for your $$). I guess I need to look into VRBO more in the future - I've just read a couple of bad reports and it makes me nervous going through an individual versus a reputable company (like you never know what you're going to get!).

I would also recommend finding the new pup a kennel that he will be comfortable in or a nice pet sitter. It is a big ordeal to travel with a dog on a plane and if you can't carry them on they have to fly with the cargo. I think that is sadder than leaving him in a kennel.

One option that has worked for us is leaving the dog with our friends. My friend's kids love dogs but she doesn't want to get them a pet yet. However, she is more than happy to take care of our dog for a little bit-- that way the kids get to have a puppy for a week, but she only has to put up with it for a little while!

Travelling with a dog has its challengers but none are insurmountable. You are much better off looking for places (hotels, reorts, condos, rental homes, etc.)that accept pets rather than try to "sneak one in". It's not ethical and your chances of getting caught are fairly high. Dogs have a way of barking when left alone in strange places, people will see you coming and going with the dog no matter what time you take your pet for a walk - you can't keep your pet hidden forever. If you are caught at the very least you'll end up being embarassed and at the worse you could be evicted with nowhere else to go and asked to forfiet any security deposits. If that happens you'll be posting a message on this forum trying to illicit sympathy from fellow fodorites because you think your landlord or the hotel management was cruel for not letting you stay with the dog even thogh it was against company policy, after all your dog is so furry and cute and he didn't bark that much!!!!

If flying, you'll have to tell the airline you'll be bringing along a pet. You may be allowed to bring the pet inside the cabin (if it's small and the "pet carrier" you use is small enough to fit under the seat in front of you. Remember, while you may think your dog is cute and loveable not all of your fellow travellers will feel the same way which is why you won't be allowed to take the pet out of the carrier while onboard. Some airlines will only allow one pet to travel in the cabin and that's usually done on a first come, first serve basis. If your pet cannot be accomodated in the cabin it will be put in the cargo hold. Depending on when or whewre you travel some airlines won't take pets during period of extreeme weather. For instance, you'll most likely not be able to travel with your pet to the Caribbean in Summer or places where it's extremely cold in winter as the airlines don't want to take responsibility for the dog's exposure to heat or cold while baggage is being transferred.

Think things through carefully before travelling with a dog. Make sure you bring along some familar toys and you don't put your pet in any streeful situation.

As a pet owner we learned long ago that it's better to leave the pets at home with a pet sitter, let them stay with reputable friends, or bring them to a well respected kennel rather than take them with us while we are on vacation. But that's us, it may not be you.

Don't know specifically about Boston terriers, but I do know that some 'short-hair' dogs shed worse than their longer, furrier cousins. In particular, I'm thinking of labs and rotts who throw off tiny, bristle-y hairs faster than an irate porcupine and make for constant cleanup. Just a thought.

Secondly, I haven't had to read more than a couple of truly bad stories of dogs flying as cargo to make me know I would never do it. Dying from stress/heat or getting loose at airports and never being seen again....uh-uh.

As for VRBO, we've only done it once - in a pet friendly unit - and were extremely satisfied.

Good luck with your new pooch!

We drove across the country with Pup in order to spare him a flight, so I absolutely agree with not flying any pups unless there is no other option.
There are also all kinds of restrictions on dogs with flat noses so a Boston Terrier might not be allowed to fly.

Having a dog can be like having a small child all the time, you always will have to find a good sitter and worry about it, and then trying to find somewhere that will accept them when they come along.
There are many good websites that help..I used one when mapping our trip from NY to Fl then from Fl to Or..and of course, cannot remember it now ..

Google and pet owner websites will help..as will all the Fodorite Pet owners here..

Most rentals that accept dogs have less than glamorous furniture and floors and will ask for a higher deposit for security against dog damage.
We had a cat that had his claws and he was turned down from more rental beach houses than pup..

snowrooster, you are gonna love having a dog in the family , there is nothing like it

We leave our dog with his "grandparents" when we travel but if they didn't live close we'd leave her with our friends that also have a dog. Once you get your dog take him to the area dog park and befriend other pet owners. Then you can trade pet sitting.

Most of the beach property rental places in the Carolinas do not allow dogs, and I have personally seen them evict people who violate that rule. You have received some excellent advice here- either get a dog sitter or find a reputable kennel. Our little spoiled 4 legged family member stays home with a nice dog/house sitter.

The first year we had our puppy she stayed with Grandma and Grandpa. Until she got to old to travel, our golden retriever/husky mix went with us in one kind of RV or another. She was a pretty good traveler, but since she wasn't allowed on trails in national parks, we would have to leave her behind in either the trailer or motorhome...which meant we couldn't be gone for long periods of time. When we drove to Alaska we had to find a kennel for her while we did an all day boat tour. The last year we took her on vacation with us, we had to change our itinerary because the heat was to much for her. There were many times we couldn't do an activity that we really wanted to do because she wasn't allowed and we couldn't leave her behind. In her last few years she stay home with our grown sons.

Utahtea

The only time we bring our dog is when we're driving and not staying in hotels. (examples - staying in cabins that permit small pets or camping) Dogs are great members of the family but can be challenging to travel with. If you really want to be with fido you can alter your family vacations to become more "dog friendly" and minimize trips that require air travel. We have had some bad experiences with kennels, enough so that we won't do it again. We have had good experience with kennels that are associated with reputable veterinary clinics. Our dog befriended all the staff and loved playing/going on walks. They had a VIP upgrade package available that included additional one on one attention from the staff. We upgraded to VIP to ease our guilt and help our pet with the temporary accomodations. It wasn't that much more than the usual rates. He was healthy and happy when we picked him up.

We usually rent a beach cottage every year on the Outer Banks and there are plenty which accept pets. Some of them are also actual oceanfront places. But finding the right one can take time.

If you ever DO decide to use a kennel I strongly suggest you INSPECT it first and do so UNANNOUNCED. If you walk in and the place will not allow you to inspect it on the spot then look elsewhere.

Please don't try to "sneak" your dog into a rental house. The people you see are likely owners of units or they are in pet-friendly units.

Yes, some people sneak. My parents own beach rentals and this happened to them. The dog must have had fleas, leaving them in the house so that the next rentals were eaten alive.

Places that accept dogs charge an extra fee, and are prepared to clean and spray for fleas. Places that do not accept pets aren't checking for this, or hair, or imperfectly cleaned up "accidents" (really dogs marking territory in a new place.)

You could ruin someone else's vacation who follows you. It isn't a question of how good of an owner you are, but that dogs will be dogs!

And, yes, any dog can get a few fleas, even if you are extremely careful, especially at the beach.

I do travel with my dogs occasionally, and it is rewarding. We rent cabins or single-family houses that accept dogs (look for the paw print on VRBO).

My dogs do bark in unfamiliar places, so we avoid condos where they would disturb others.

Some things to keep in mind when you travel with a dog:

Stopping to eat or explore on roadtrips can be difficult: You can't leave him in the car if it is at all warm out or he could die from the heat.

Will you eat in the car? Avoid roadside attractions? Most places don't allow dogs, so you are stuck. Your fun has to take a backseat to your dog's well-being.

At the hotel or beachhouse: Do you want to get up early every morning on vacation to walk the dog? Just because you are on vacation doesn't mean his schedule changes.

In non-vacation life, I walk my dogs at 5:30am before work. They are better than alarm clocks and really need to go at this time because their bodies are on a schedule.

Do you want to return to the house/room all through the day to check on the dog? Walk him? Etc.?

Note that there are hardly any beaches that allow dogs on them during the day in the summer, so he probably can't come with you to the beach. Even if he could, would he be comfortable in the hot sun all day?

If you are determined to take him with you (and I do find it rewarding when I travel with my dogs), you might have to change your vacation style and even location.

For exmple, I had a great roadtrip to Maine with my dogs- doing outdoorsy things, eating at roadside stands with picnic tables outside,etc. I wouldn't take them to me to New Orleans for Jazzfest though, since they would be stuck in a hotel, scared and barking, while I was out trying to have fun at the festival all day. Not fair to them.

They stay with my parents if possible, and we have found some good kennels that give play time and other treats so they do fine. Good kennels aren't cheap, but neither is dog ownership. I consider it part of the cost of vacation.

One tip I second from above: get your dog used to being in a crate, so if you do visit friends or hotels with your dog, you can crate him for his own protection. In unfamiliar surroundings a dog might slip out the door when the maid comes to clean, or do damage to a friend's house because he is scared and alone in a new place. Again, dogs will be dogs, but a crate ensures their safety.

Also, get the dog used to going to the kennel. I had one dog for years who was wonderful, but had never stayed at a kennel, always with family. For a family wedding, we all went, so there was no one to watch her. Despite leaving her at an excellent kennel, the stress of being in "dog jail" after 12 years without experiencing it caused her to stop eating and start making herself ill. My dogs who have gone since I got them are fine and dandy.

Good luck with Milo and your travels. Just remember, a pet adds duties extra responsibilities to your trip!

Well I'm a European dog owner. Two dogs here, (rare)breeds you will never have heard of. Congrats on the arrival of Milo.
I took our two on holiday once - to the UK. Went to all the expense of getting their PETS certifaicates etc etc. The trip to the UK was no fun for them or us, we couldn't go out for long day trips because of the heat and the need to find someplace to walk them. If we left them behaind at the cottage we were worrying about them, and aware that we had to get back to feed them etc. As we also travel to the US and Africa they need a good home while we're gone. They now go to a great kennel (which I inspected, unannounced first) when we go away. We get dragged into the kennel by them when we leave them there - they love it, they can just be dogs, with other dogs.
And it is also my experience that short haired dogs shed more than long haired and do it all year - long-haireds tend to have moulting periods and then it's over and done with.

We haven't had any problem finding rental houses in the southern Outer Banks that take dogs, and--where we go--dogs are allowed on the beach, but our little guy isn't wild about it, so he snoozes in the beach house. Because we adopted him at 12 from a friend and he had never been in a kennel, I won't start doing so now because of his age. And, yes, you do have to make adjustments, and not just on vacation. But it is so worth it!

Yes, the Outer Banks are the only NC beaches that allow dogs. We brought our dog there once. But the traffic? Unbelieveable!! I will never go to Duck, NC in the summer again!

snowrooster, whenever you travel by car, your dog should be seat-belted in. For small dogs, you can accomplish this by getting a raised car seat so he can see out (try "lookout 2" from www.hunterK9.com ) The rear seat shoulder belt anchors the car seat. Buy a harness to fit over his torso, and a quick-release clip goes from the shoulder belt to his harness to keep him in place in the car seat. Our dog loves it because she can see out and is not restless.

We travel with our dog, an adopted mutt (German sheppard lab mix), all the time. He has been to many states and moved across country with us. He has been to big cities and smaller towns and handled everything just fine.

There are many hotels that accept dogs. You can use websites like petfriendly.com to help you find accommodations that take pets. If we are staying in hotels we often use websites like travelocity.com and click on "pet friendly."

We have a collapsable kennel for him that has been invaluable (and only cost about $50 at Target); we always bring it with us. We also bring his bed and a few of his toys so he is comfortable.

Overall he is a terrific traveling companion and we love bringing him along. Next stop: DC!

Tracy

We have traveled with our dog, an 80 lb. Lab mix, through most of the Western states and Canada. It has been no problem finding "pet-friendly" motor inns; our AAA travel guides show us which places allow dogs (although I have to say that these places are rarely the ones we would have chosen if we were traveling dog-less.) We tend to travel in cool weather so there is no problem if we leave him in the car for an hour or so while we dine or sightsee. We have many pictures of him...on the beach at Carmel, in the redwoods, at Lake Tahoe, even in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater!!!...which we treasure. For our trips further afield (the East Coast and Europe) we have left him with neighbors whom he loves. Our major problem now is that he is getting old, and I am becoming afraid to book long-term, long-distance travel for fear he will become ill and cause us to have to cancel our travel plans. As far as I know there is no travel insurance that protects you against cancellations due to pet illness!

Just wanted to add, I just used VRBO for a villa in Cozumel and couldn't have been happier. If you pick a place that is part of a large condo community, there is always someone around who is in charge.