I hope I didn't come across as rude as I certainly didn't mean to.

I own a large dog, possibly mixed with pit. I've stayed in a hotel once with my dog because I wanted to see if she liked the beach.

I made sure to take the stairs with her, not the elevators so to avoid any possible conflicts. Dog owners can do their best to be responsible but sometimes people too (mostly other peoples kids) get too close to a dog they don't know.

I know in this particular hotel they had a certain number of rooms set aside as pet friendly.

My dog had a terrific time on our mini vacation. We went to new parks and to the beach alot. She did not just sit in the hotel. But this particular trip was all about time for her and me together. I don't think I would take her on a normal vacation because I don't think she'd enjoy sitting in a strange place by herself for long periods of time.

Yes, I think it should be allowed (up to the owner of course) but not all rooms, they should have specific rooms set aside.

Gosh, I read your email and thought it was me and my dog. On Memorial day this year, I took my German Shepherd to a Hilton Hotel in California. They allow dogs to stay in your room for $25 per night. I have to say that my dog, Sable, is very well trained and will obey me both on and off lead. After one day at the hotel, she felt very comfortable and would walk to the elevator, heeling (by my side) and wait for it. When the doors opened, she would slowly enter and "sit". There were a couple of times when she got a little anxious and people where getting out of the elevator and I had to tell her to stay, so that the people could exit. But, she never jumped on anyone.

I did get some looks from people. Not sure what they were thinking. I'm not sure I get your reaction. Why the emphasis on it being a "nice hotel". Should dog owners be limited to Super 8 and Motel 6? I have a nice home and when I travel, I want to stay in nice hotels. In my opinion, my dog's manners, exceed alot of small childen or even adults I see in these "nice hotels."

I would recommend that anyone who doesn't like animals asked, prior to making reservations, if dogs are allowed at a hotel they're considering. Most hotels don't allow pets. Some hotels are becoming more pet friendly.

Also, my experience has been that people that I have met travelling with their pets are very responsible pet owners and their pets are extremely mannered and obedient. People who own mean & neglected animals, who are more likely to jump, growl, or even bite someone, would be more likely leave their animals in their backyard and not bother to pay to have them cared for in a pet resort or take them with them travelling.

Maybe this dog was just not obedient, sort of like the child in the hotel lobby that's having a tantrum. Chalk it up to "life."

Illusion, I'm a dog-lover, but I totally disagree with what you're doing, taking your dog and two ferrets into a property where they are not supposed to be! That's when a problem can arise for someone who rents the property next, thinking no animals have been in the place.......... and they end up with an allergic reaction, and may not be able to find another vacation spot immediately where they can stay. That kind of thing gives pet-owners a bad name!

The original question was: Should large dogs be allowed in hotels?

We've gotten way off course - it is really very simple. If you have a problem with pets in hotels, go to one that doesn't allow them! :-) The problem will not go away.

Children, dogs and heaven knows what else OUT IN PUBLIC?? Where I might have to see or hear them? How horrible! I guess I've been pretty sheltered here in my plastic bubble, but thanks for warning me of the terrors I may face in the outside world.

There is no way that you should have a dog off-leash in a public place like a hotel. How do I know your pet is well-behaved??? Why should I be concerned about safety because you aren't willing to put your dog on a leash?

"We've gotten way off course - it is really very simple. If you have a problem with pets in hotels, go to one that doesn't allow them! The problem will not go away."

But the point is why should we need to ask these kinds of questions since we are checking into a hotel, not a kennel. Why is it necessary to bring a pet to a nice hotel when it is not a service animal?

Hey E -
Did anyone warn you about the deadly cicadas yet?? Heads up!
:-)

I read somemore of the responses to this initial post. I am surprised there are so many opposed to dogs in hotels. How do you all deal with unruly kids. Kids have been known to smell funny, scream, run around, pee in the pool, cry through the night, have tantrums without provocation, etc. I take my furry friend instead anyday!!

I have to say that, no matter how well behaved the dog is, IMO, he should not be off-leash in a public facility! My brother had the sweetest, dearest German Shepherd, a big ray of sunshine........... UNTIL she met my Uncle Clyde, whom she despised, and would snarl and bristle every time he came in sight. She never tried to bite him, but I wouldn't have bet money that she wouldn't -- the only time she ever behaved like that. My brother could not believe it, as her demeanor was sterling with everyone else. So you never can know FOR SURE.

Well, atilla, again, this is where my plastic bubble comes in really handy--the cicadas just bounce off. Without it, I'd be a goner.

MikeT, those who own and manage hotels have decided that SOME OF THEM are for pets, also. It is now a fact of life.

I read the post about the person who doesn't want to sleep in a bed were a slobbering dog has been. You should have seen the show Dateline did exposing how "nice hotels" are so contaminated. There are much worse things on those bedspreads that dog slobber. How about, dried sperm, human feces, dried blood, not to mention the bed bugs that live and mutiply in bateria infested areas that are not steriled, like the bedspreads at hotels.

"How do you all deal with unruly kids. Kids have been known to smell funny, scream, run around, pee in the pool, cry through the night, have tantrums without provocation, etc. I take my furry friend instead anyday!!"

You know how we deal with it - we REMEMBER that are human beings, and animals aren't. No matter what personality traits we like to project on our pets, the simple fact remains that children and part of our species, dogs and cats aren't.

I'm just trying to figure if the people who are comparing kids to animals are serious.
If yes, then I guess they were never children and if they were, their parents never took them anywhere!

thsoe cicadas ... oh atilla, hun. I've waited eons to say that.

Blacktie, you are a dog-gone hoot!:-d

Let's not discrimnate. I'm not saying that animals are more important than children. I'm saying that disobedience is not limited to the "dog" world. Kids can be pretty annoying if not trained how to act. Lack of discipline in a child at a public place is just as unacceptable.

Dogs and kids, who don't know how to behave in public should be left with petsitters & babysitters. As for the adults who don't know how to act, please don't reproduce or own a pet. Can we agree on that.

I'm not trying to compare children to pets, but there are times when I personally would much rather stay in a hotel that accepts pets then to deal with someones kids screaming and running through the halls! My dog can be better behaved than some children I've run across!

We've definitely got off topic. The question was, should large dogs be allowed in hotels? The answer: if the owner of the hotel chooses to allow it, then yes, it should be allowed. Most hotels don't accept pets, as mentioned several times above. If you are that concerned, find one that doesn't.

Grasshopper, AMEN to your message.

happi189, Whoa cowboy, I'm getting a real sense of irony about your screen name.

... and bonniebroad, through it all, slobber and drool, fleas and bile, you've doggedly dogfought without dogma, a dogbane to doggerel, the best defender of a dog's rights I've seen in a dog's age, a veritable do-gooder, and whether one says ok, nien or lies doggo, you are doggone good, so I'll dogleg it on out of here, but will always think of dogs in hotels as I do the dogtrot in my houndstooth. This has been fun!

meow to all the kid haters.
LOL
come on now, that was a good one on my part.

Don't let the screenname fool you. I can get pretty unhappy when my buttons get pushed. I'm just a pet lover who is "happi" to defend our furry friends. This forum started with a comment about dogs at nice hotels with "is this just crazy, or just a sign of the times?"

I suppose I could of responded with yes, times are a changing. Pets in nice hotels, what is this world coming too. Give me a break!

BTW, that's "cowgirl!", thank you very much!

"Kids can be pretty annoying if not trained how to act."

So are yow now suggesting we should make sure kids don't deficate on the carpet by shoving their nose it? Would you also suggest a leash and a few good tugs on it if they, you know, act like children?

Ha, Blacktie, you and the snake were eons too late.

>Don't let the screenname fool you. I can get pretty unhappy when my buttons get pushed.<

No kidding busterina. That was the irony part. Sorry about the gender mixup.

A timely article from the HeraldSun about pet allergens being everywhere! Really interesting.......

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-498586.html

meant to say "in virtually all homes".... not everywhere! Sorry....

Let's not all jump on miss "happi" for her "unhappi" ways.
She obviously has no kids. I remember being totally insensitive and not getting it before I ever had a child.

... The Durham paper does have this interesting article, as bonnieboard says, but best of all is a lovely picture of bonnie and her new baby, her husky dog, and a huge cojo type peering into the camera lens. Apparently Coach K is staying, allergens or no.

I know a lot of people are going to disagree with this - but I think it is a positive move that pets are now allowed in many more hotels - as long as they are under control.

The problem is the same as the problem with children - there are always a number of people who think their little darling - pet or child - can do no wrong - no matter how ghastly their behavior.

I must admit that all of my expeiences with pets in hotels have been positive - while a large number with children have not. Unfortunately, there are not many hotels than bar children - although if there were I would definitely put them at the top of my list.

And don;t misunderstand me - I don;t dislike children at all - and am very fond of individual children - but the number that are out of control (including two belonging to friends of mine) seems to be growing exponentially - not through any fault of the children but through the parents' refusal to give the children the time and attention they need.

Blacktie, geesh! Is that me? Wow, I'm so cute, my baby is precious........... and the dogs are so dog-gone handsome (neither of them has that D**B*** problem that we discussed!) Thanks for pointing me out!:-d

My comment about "training kids" was deliberate. It's symantics. Say it however you want. We train dogs, and teach kids, whatever.

My point is that kids should be "taught" how to act, behave, just like people have to teach, train dogs. Kids don't learn through osmosis! One system that parents of children and dogowners both use is the reward system. This works well with both dogs and children. For example. Fido heels, Fido obeys and gets a scooby snack. Three year old doesn't interupt Mom or Dad when they are on the phone, so he gets a popsicle. Simple.

actually nytraveler i think it's more than a spending time issue.
i think parents nowadays love to TALK to their unruly toddlers. i still believe in a good spanking and THE LOOK (certainly not the same spanking i would get from my parents- although they must have worked because i certainly never thought to talk to my parents the way i see some little ones do these days!).
let me tell you, our 2-year-old knows not to try us when we give him THE LOOK (yes at 2!). and the rare times he's been upset in public is because he's been tired and we just leave from wherever we are, because it's not his fault that he's tired and doesn't know any other way to express himself. i think that's the part that people who don't have kids don't get.
i don't agree with the reward system for kids. a child needs to simply learn how to behave because it's the right thing to do.

... oh, yes, that dreaded ((&)) b***, :&

Caribtraveler, couldn't agree with you more about NOT rewarding kids. My Mom had seven kids who did the right thing because she said to do it that way! She wouldn't have dreamed of rewarding us for doing what we should be doing to begin with. Like kids who expect to be paid for helping clean house.............. Hello! You live there! Mom & Dad do not get paid.........

Oh contrary, Happi has three children. They are all grown up now. When they were young I could take them anywhere. Any hotel, pubic restaurant, grocery store and they didn't crawl all over the furniture and run down the isles and halls screaming. They said, Thank you and Yes Ma'am. They sat on their butts in a restaurant and used utensils to eat. My children screamed and ran around at the park or in our backyard, where it was appropriate.

exactly bonniebroad!