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.