Hunter's Heart Brittanys - Pet Friendly Accommodations

Planning ahead definitely makes things go more smoothly when you're traveling with your dog. This section talks about getting your dog ready, how to care for your dog during the trip & places you can stay that welcome pets.

TRAVELING with YOUR DOG

Before you bring your dog on a vacation, visit the vet so that he can have a check up & vaccination update. If he has any ongoing problems, have them re-evaluated, & obtain a supply of any medications he's likely to need. If you're crossing the border into the U.S.A., you may be asked to provide a current rabies vaccination certificate & a health certificate dated within 10 days prior to the crossing. (It's a good idea to be up to date with your rabies vaccination anyway, because your dog is always at risk of catching it through contact with a wild animal, anywhere in North America.) When traveling overseas, check into the requirements of your destination country. Your dog might have to be quarantined for a period of time. To bring a dog into Canada, the Government requires a current rabies vaccination, i.e. a certificate dated at least 30 days before entering Canada. And remember to ask your vet about Heartworm whenever you travel.

If you visit B.C. or Ontario, your dog is at risk of picking up fleas. Be sure to bring a flea spray with you, & use it at the first sign of trouble. If you're away for 2 weeks or less, look for the type of spray that repels fleas. For a longer stay in a flea area, use a flea collar, also available from your vet. When you visit a flea area, be sure your dog doesn't bring home an unnoticed case of the fleas. Fleas are very difficult to get rid of once they're in your home.

When hiking in the mountains, watch out for ticks. They wait on low branches. When you or your dog go by, they hop on & attach to the skin. Apart from the sore created by their bite, they can also spread certain diseases.

When you're traveling, there is a considerable risk of losing your pet, so make sure he has current ID tags on the collar and/or a microchip implant. If your dog cannot be relied upon to stay with you, walk him with a choke chain rather than a buckle collar. (A dog can struggle out of a buckle collar.) Also be sure the pet is securely leashed before you open the doors, to prevent him from being lost.

Consider putting together a first aid kit for traveling with your dog. Include: bandages, surgical tape, antiseptic cream, cotton balls, surgical (disinfectant) soap, a general antibiotic eye drop, ear cleaning solution, an anti-lick cream (e.g. Variton) and any other medications you have at home for your dog.

Remember to groom your Brittany before traveling. This includes combing (or cutting) out any mats in your dog's coat. If you're traveling in the summertime, you might also want to have your dog professionally clipped. (Not only will your car end up cleaner, but your dog will be more comfortable & his coat more easily cared for. And if you'll be hunting, your dog will pick up less burs if he has less feathering.)

Pets who aren't gradually accustomed to riding in a car may become so nervous that they suffer from motion sickness. Many pets only ride in vehicles when they are going to the vet, so they automatically get anxious when you bring them to the car. It is a good idea to get your dog used to car rides at as early an age as possible. But adult dogs can also be conditioned to car rides. Before you go on a long road trip, take your animal on some short rides which end with a pleasant experience e.g. a hike in the mountains. If you know another dog that is relaxed when traveling in the car, bring him along on some of your practice trips. The other dog will be an example to your own; he will soon realize that there's nothing to worry about.

Your dog will appreciate the presence of familiar things when traveling away from home. Bring some of your dog's favorite toys, his usual food & water dishes and his brush & comb.

Dogs sometimes get diarrhea when they're stressed by travel. If you stick to your dog's usual diet, you will decrease the chances of stomach upset. Before a long trip, try missing a meal or feeding a smaller amount. (If stomach upset becomes a recurrent problem when your dog travels, consider talking to your vet about special high fiber diets.) Some dogs have motion sickness when they are young, and grow out of it as they get older. (As a last resort, ask your veterinarian whether sedating medication is appropriate for your particular circumstances.)

It's important that your dog is always under control when he's in the car. An animal that's jumping around may cause an accident by distracting the driver or getting in his way. The pet could also escape when the door is opened, & get lost or hit by a vehicle. Unless your pet is well trained to sit still & doesn't get nervous, it's a good idea to keep him in his crate (or a smaller travel carrier) during the trip. If your dog has been crate trained already, he may just relax in the familiar surroundings & go to sleep. Another option is to install a wire divider to keep your pet in the back of the vehicle. There are also seat belts for dogs, which restrain the dog & protect him in case of an accident.

During a car trip, your dog will need regular bathroom & exercise stops. Please remember to stoop & scoop, so that dogs continue to be welcome in the areas you visit. Offer a drink of water & a small amount of food to your dog during rest stops.

If you're traveling during the summer (or where it's hot), remember that dogs are very susceptible to heat stroke when they're in a parked car. Dogs can't lose heat by sweating because they only have sweat glands on the feet. They depend on panting to stay cool. In a closed car the air quickly heats up & panting becomes ineffective. It's best never to leave your dog alone in the car. If you have to do so for a few minutes, then park in a shady spot & open a couple of windows for ventilation.

Dangerously overheated dogs feel hot to the touch & will pant rapidly. If this happens, immediately wet your dog with lukewarm water & let him dry off slowly in a shady spot. Keep him very quiet & offer lots of cool water to drink. Continue to watch him carefully! If his breathing rate doesn't settle down after a few minutes, you should get him to a vet as soon as possible.

Allowing your dog hang to his head out of the window while you are moving is another risky situation. This can harm the eyes; by drying them and also injuries from any small, flying debris. It's even more dangerous to let your dog travel loose in the back of a pick-up truck.

FINDING PET FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATIONS

It's just too time consuming for us to list all of the pet friendly accommodations we've heard of on our website, and update the list to keep it accurate! So at the bottom of this section are some links to other websites with lots of information about traveling with your pet. Another good source of information about lodgings that welcome pets is clubs in the area that host dog shows. If you don't know any clubs in the area, you could ask the local Humane Society/SPCA, or check the yellow pages.

Some of the accommodations allow pets for free, while others charge a small fee ($5 or $10) to bring your dog in as a guest. Let the hotel know your dog will be staying with you when you make the reservation, since some places have restrictions, e.g. maximum 3 dogs/room. Different services are also available at different places. For example, you may be able to arrange for a hotel employee to walk your dog, or order room service for your dog depending on where you are staying.

Please be a responsible dog owner. Don't leave your dog unattended, or allow him off leash, and always stoop & scoop. Considerate behavior in public places is the only way to ensure that dogs will continue to be welcome there.

If you're looking for hotels, motels, B&B's, campsites, beaches, and ski resorts that accept pets, www.petswelcome.comis our favorite site to visit. It includes listings for most major cities across Canada and France (home of the Brittany Spaniel). There are many listings for the U.S.A. as well. This website is also a valuable resource for looking into what documentation you need to carry to get your dog across the border.

For a listing of hotels & motels in Alberta & BC (only) that welcome pets, go to www.pacificpets.com/pethotel.html (currently offline Sep.02,2000)

For upscale getaways in the U.S.A. where you can bring your pet, check out www.petfriendlytravel.com