We love our dogs! Who doesn’t adore their fur babies. When we make a short weekend trip somewhere the dogs would have fun like the Oregon Coast, why wouldn’t we bring them?! After traveling with my dogs a few times, here are a few tips to help you out!
The Oregon Coast happens to be super dog Friendly which makes it easy when looking for a place to stay. However, when we went up to Portland we had a harder time finding pet friendly places to stay.
Tip Number 1: Double check that the hotel is pet friendly
Dont take Expedia or Priceline’s word for it. Over half of the hotels I called on that were listed as pet friendly weren’t actually pet friendly. Also calling to check how much they charge per stay or per night. Some hotels its free, others charge $10 – $25. The last thing to check in with is how many pets they allow or weight limits.
Tip Number 2: Read and Reread the pet policy you sign
I cannot stress this one enough. Some hotels will let you leave pets in the room alone, others won’t. Everywhere I have stayed has had us sign a pet policy. The policy states where to walk your dog, how much extra if any you are paying, areas of the hotel where they are and aren’t aloud and if they can be left unattended in the room.
Tip Number 3: Pack a Bag for your pet(s)
Don’t forget to bring the essentials: dog food, doggie bags, water and food bowls, a toy or two, treats and leashes. I always like to bring a blanket or bed from home so they have something that smells familiar. Most dogs do not like to stay in strange places, so something to make them feel at home helps. I also throw in a couple water bottles for the car ride.
Tip Number 4: Keeping your Dog calm for travel
My dogs get so sad watching us pack suitcases, I know they love when they get to come with us, however, they HATE the car. Our corgi is the worst, she gets very anxious. She will shake, pant and drool which can be agonizing in a long drive. When we moved to Oregon from Idaho we used a prescription from the vet. We explained to the vet how she was in the car and that we were going to have her in the car for ten hours and she happily wrote her a prescription we could pick up the same day. For a shorter drive to Corgi Beach Day, and to try something homeopathic, we tried CBD Dog treats, sometimes called Hemp oil dog treats. No THC is in the treat so your dog will only get calming effects from the treats. A great option if you are on the all natural kick! We bought ours at a natural pet store that was local in town.
Photos by: Smile N Shoot Photography
So adorable photos! Thank you for posting this 🙂
These are very helpful tips! Thank you for sharing them.
Great tips! I never thought about finding pet friendly hotels! I know we have found air bnb’s that are, but I’d love to be able to take our pup with us when we travel!
We no longer have a dog, but I remember it was stressful traveling with her! When we first started traveling with her we used her crate in the back of our car (she was a lab). That seemed to calm her down. It also kept her out of the front seat with us, which is always where she wanted to be!
Jessica recently posted…Greek Quinoa Salad
Ah it can be so dangerous when dogs try to get up front with you! Especially a big dog like a lab. Crates are a great idea.
Traveling with dogs is like traveling with kids. Pack some of the same things.
candy recently posted…Honey Cake, Natural Sweetness
That is so true! haha
We are always traveling with our dogs. I couldnt agree more with this. My dogs love the car ride!
Great tips. I especially like the one about the treats to use to calm the dogs, that’s not something most people would think of or be able to search for unless they knew exactly what they were looking for.
I think my dog was stressed out for years in the car until a client at work suggested trying the treats!
If only i read this post earlier it would’ve saved me so much time.
I have a Labrador and i somehow missed the sign about no pets allowed.
Wasted a full day trying to find a new hotel that accepts pets :3 .
Ruff days!!
Continue the good work
adel recently posted…Best places to hunt during the rut
oh no! I hope you were able to find something quickly!
Thank you for a great guide! Travelling with a dog isn’t easy but it’s definitely worth the effort!
We used to travel with our old dog all the time. We haven’t taken our newest two anywhere, although we are going to try camping with them tonight.
Mama Writes Reviews recently posted…March Simply Earth Box
sending these tips to my inlaws, I believe they want to travel with their dogs more
Jasmine Hewitt recently posted…Amazing All-Natural Beauty Products with The Wholesome Hive
Our little pup is 14, blind, and diabetic (ha, poor lady!) so traveling with her takes a little extra prep! Luckily she is a min pin so we don’t have a lot of issues with other people being unhelpful or friendly since she is so tiny. Understanding pet policies is really important tho! When we first got her a friend of ours actually gave us a dog car seat (HAHAHAHAHA) which we used until we ran out of room in our car (kids…). She isn’t as high strung about car travel now that she’s blind but when she was younger the car seat was great because she was able to sit up higher and see out the window. It feels crazy but I actually recommend it for anyone with a teeny pup.
I love that you used a car seat! Our does have slid off seats while driving and I feel like the car seat is much safer! but like you I won’t have any room after this summer!
Good tips! What cute traveling companions, too! I haven’t yet taken a trip with our new dog, but hope to soon!
Great tips! I haven’t traveled with a dog as an adult but I’m sure my parents tried to make travel as comfortable as possible for our doggo. They all loved riding in the front seat but as I got older and wiser to pet safety we got a crate instead.
I love these tips! We haven’t traveled with our dogs much but are hoping to do so this summer
Bailey recently posted…What to Expect at the Maundy Thursday Service (And Why It’s My Favorite Church Service of the Year)
I haven’t traveled with my dogs yet so this post is really helpful! Tip number 4 is especially helpful because I know my dogs get antsy when they’re in the car for too long. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
When I had a dog I learned to put a towel on her seat. Then I could pack all around the towel and knew she had plenty of room to sit up or lay down.
Annette recently posted…Teaching Highschool with Outside Classes
Also keeps dog hair off of everything!