Traveling with dogs can entail a stay at a hotel. There are some things you can do to prepare for taking your dog to a hotel that will make life easier for you and the dog, and ensure that other dog owners are welcomed during travel. Here are some general tips:
1) Be prepared for clean-ups. Take a spray bottle of cleaner, like a mister bottle with a cleaning solution, and paper towels. These can be helpful in the vehicle during trips and in the hotel room for cleaning up messes.
2) Pack your dog’s water and food dishes. If you have a small rug for the dishes, that is a useful way to curtail messes when they are eating or drinking and to reduce noise when you feed on a solid floor. Dogs have a keen sense of smell, and you may need to buy bottled drinking water or spring water during their stay to keep them hydrated.
3) Pack enough of your dog’s food for the full stay. Some foods are not as easy to source on trips.
4) Pack your dog’s medications.
5) Avoid giving unusual treats during travel to reduce the chances of GI distress.
6) After check-in, situate your dog in the room first. Don’t carry armloads, pull luggage and bring your dog in on-leash at the same time. It will be difficult to negotiate getting all through the door at one time without risking injury to the dog. If the dog gets caught in a self-closing door, you may need to see a vet on an emergency basis. Set up its crate first provide water, then take it to the potty area and bring it inside. (and PICK UP ITS POOP so you, your dog and other guests don’t step in it) After your dog is secure in the cooled or heated room, unload your luggage and travel gear. If there is more than one person traveling, one should stay with the dog to reduce the dog’s anxiety about being left in a strange place, so it does not begin barking. The crate will be familiar, so a sheet over the crate may help. Disturbed neighbors may lodge a complaint.
7) Take your dog outside to the relief area frequently enough to avoid accidents inside. For adults, every 3-4 hours may be enough, but for puppies and seniors, more frequent trips will be needed.
8) Always pick up after your dog, and keep bags with you when you walk your dog. It isn’t as easy to find later. This practice is a courtesy to other dog owners, and to you, so people or dogs don’t step in what you leave behind and track it inside.
9) Keep your dog on-leash at all times when you are outside of your room. Dogs can be spooked by noises, can be the target of someone else’s dog that is not on-leash or they can respond to something you don’t notice, like a stray cat, and they may chase in excitement before you can react. Travel can be exciting for dogs too, so the couch potato at home may be more energized than usual. Use a leash that your dog can’t break, and don’t let it go so far to the end of a leash that you could lose control. Pay attention to your dog at all times when on-leash to avoid issues. His cues will let you know when you need to shorten the leash.
10) Keep a travel collar on your dog with identification, the rabies tag and her/his vet clinic. Should your dog break free or get out of your room, this will help anyone who finds him reach you and handle him safely.
11) Should you need to bathe your dog during your stay, there are several DIY services as well as grooming services in well-developed areas. TSC has a $10 bathing station complete with shampoo and conditioner and a dryer in many areas. There are other services, some that charge a flat rate and some that charge per-minute for over-time. Look for one with a large tub for a large dog, and steps to make it easy for it to get in and out. Some auto washes now install dog bath stations too.
12) Some additional, useful travel assets are a King sheet or two for covering the hotel beds, a toy or two from home, a lint roller and some towels for drying off a dog who must be relieved or exercised in the rain.
Relax and enjoy your stay. Dogs can be excited and/or anxious about staying away from home until they learn the ropes. The more relaxed they are, and the better prepared you are, the better their company will be. Then you can look forward to future trips with more ease.