With the holiday season fast approaching, many people are planning their travels along with their load schedules - and bringing along Fido and Fluffy! Be sure to plan ahead and take all the necessary precautions to ensure that your pets' travels during the holidays are happy and safe.

 Pet Etiquette

For many, these journeys mean staying at a pet-friendly hotel. It's important to make sure that you and your pet are prepared. Following some simple tips will help to ensure that your hotel stay with your pet is an enjoyable one.
  • Try to book a room on the ground floor, near an exit. This will make it much easier for you to take your pet out for bathroom breaks. 
  • Make sure to always clean up after your pet when you take them outside.
  • Be sure to exercise your pet often, as you may not have the chance when you hit the road again! Ask hotel personnel about the best places to walk your pet, and if there are any dog parks nearby. 
  • Treat the hotel room with respect, and think of it as though you’re staying with a friend that does not own a pet. Cover any furniture (including chairs or beds) that your pet may be allowed on at home, as they may get up on them when you leave the room. This will prevent any hair or dirt from their paws from getting on the furniture, and make everything easier to clean.   
  • If traveling with a cat, place their litter boxes in the bathroom. This will make cleanup much easier.
  • Try to not leave your pet unattended in your hotel room whenever possible. Even the most well behaved pets can bark or become destructive when in different surroundings. If you must leave your pet alone, be sure that it's for a very short time. Alert the front desk that your pet is alone in the room, and try putting on the TV or a radio to make your pet feel more comfortable. If your pet travels with a crate or kennel, place them in it when leaving the room. In addition, place a note on the hotel door indicating that your pet is in the room.
  • Don't leave any pests behind. Before leaving home, be sure to give your pet a good cleaning and de-flea/de-tick them with a good bath and the appropriate soaps and cleansers. Leaving behind a stinky smell in your room, or worse, fleas and ticks is the kind of thing that makes accommodations change their pet-friendly policy. In addition, if a deposit is required carelessness like this could prevent you from getting it back.
  • Accidents happen! Even pets that have never had an "accident" indoors may do so under stress. Bring along a disinfectant spray and a rag in the event that you have to clean up after your pet. Avoiding a quick cleanup could also cause the loss of your deposit.
  • Remember to keep your pet on a leash during your stay, and avoid taking them into dining rooms and other restricted areas.
Following some common sense along with these tips will help ensure that you and your pet have a happy and safe trip!

Comments (6)

Kim Salerno

Kim Salerno is the President & Founder of TripsWithPets.com. She founded the pet travel site in 2003 and is an expert in the field of pet travel. Her popular web site features pet friendly hotels & accommodations across the US and Canada, along with other helpful pet travel resources. Her mission is to ensure that pets are welcome, happy, and safe in their travels.

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like everything else if you don't respect it you could loose it.good article

December 20, 2014 4:56:31 AM

That's right! Can't forget about our best friend !😉

November 06, 2014 20:36:24 PM

Always clean up after your pet - hotel - truck stop - park is very important.

November 05, 2014 17:37:12 PM

My truck dog Jack was an experienced traveler. For me the big thing was honesty. Jack did not like to be "trapped" in the bathroom. He did like the TV on.

November 04, 2014 6:09:25 AM

Good article. It sometimes is easy to forget that traveling and staying in hotel rooms just might not be as fun for your pet as it is for you.

November 03, 2014 18:07:11 PM

Good article. It sometimes is easy to forget that traveling and staying in hotel rooms just might not be as fun for your pet as it is for you.

November 03, 2014 18:07:06 PM