Friday, June 28, 2013

Dogs on Vacation

In the past month the boo and I have explored two of America's greatest cities:  Chicago & Boston.  On our travels I pined for Harry.  As we walked around, at least every 20 minutes I'd comment how Harry would like this or that or worse if I saw a dog I'd have to say hi and also talk to the parents about my Harry at home.  
Farewell for now friend!
Because of this, on our 6 hour drive home from Boston I researched where we could actually take Harry on vacation with us.  Although he probably wouldn't be able to accompany us internationally (I'd love to take my little gentleman to foggy London town) there area  lot of long weekend options available across our US of A.  Cities, like Boston & Chicago, in fact, are increasingly dog friendly offering up dog friendly hotels and a multitude of dog parks.

You can find dog friendly hotels in your city of choice here.

Better than a dog friendly hotel is renting a dog-friendly apartment or home for your stay.  Most rental sites like vrbo and airbnb will tell you whether or not their home is pet-friendly, and in that case you may be able to come and go as you please; taking your pet where he/she can come with.  

When Harry came camping with us, there were stipulations regarding his presence.  He had to be on leash at all times, and we couldn't leave him alone - he had to come with us everywhere.  Luckily they had rafting activities where he could be included.  If you find that you can't accompany your pet 24/7, a local pet sitter may be able to handle your pooch while you sight see.  

That said, DogVaycay is a website connecting thousands of pet sitters from all cities.  Unlike kenneling, dog vaycay is more of a vrbo site for pets.  Your dog stays in the comfort of their sitters home and in most cases has company all day long.  Your pooch may share their sitter's attention with a resident animal or could be hosted solo; either way it's a much more comfortable transition vs kenneling.

We used DogVaycay in our hometown of Philadelphia while we vacationed in Boston.  Harry stayed with his sitter for 2 overnights and one day.  Not only was it convenient, it was affordable, and we received updates from our sitter throughout each day (some via picture below).  We were able to meet our sitter before making a reservation and read reviews from others who have left their precious pups with her.  Harry even got to interact with the resident animals so we could ensure they'd get along.   The site is great for last minute reservations, and since payment and reservations are handled directly through DogVaycay, your dog is covered during their stay with DogVaycay insurance.  Of course, Harry came back happy and tired - thanks to his awesome babysitter.




Our next long weekend we fully intend to include Harry.  He's proven his stamina in car rides these past 3 months - we're on a barf free streak - so we think he might be good for a road trip.  I'd love to take him to some dog-friendly beaches in the South.  I hope you found the info above helpful and can use it to include your hound on holiday! 

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