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Traveling with your Dog

With some planning and forethought traveling with your dog can be safe and rewarding.
Plan each nights stop ahead of time. Many large motel chains accept dogs, but not all. 
There is nothing  more frustrating than arriving at your hotel , after a long drive, to find
 out they do not allow dogs.
It is safest for your dog to travel in a crate. But these take up  a lot of room. 
There are also harnesses they can wear which are attached to the seat belt. 
This will prevent your dog from being thrown around in the event of an accident.
Never leave your dog in a hot car. Drive through restaurants for lunch will get you 
through the hottest time of the day. 
Even cloudy days can be deadly. If you must leave your dog, take a spare set of
 keys so the car can be left running with the AC on. If this is not feasible, then forget it. 
The risk is too great.
Stop every couple of hours to exercise, water and relieve your dog. He will travel 
more comfortably and be more settled. It's good for you too.

At the hotel/ motel, relieve your dog away from the bushes at the entrance and rooms. 
Try to find an area near the parking lot. 
Some hotels have a designated dog area. Ask at the front desk when you check in. 
Always clean up after your dog.

Leaving your dog alone in the room is debatable. Many hotels will not allow this

 because of constant barking and destruction of property. You know your
 dog best so you will have to make this decision. I don't like to leave a dog alone 
 but occasionally I've had to go for a meal. When I've had a new dog, 
 I've left him and walked down the hall then waited for awhile to see if he was going 
 to bark.
Put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door. This should prevent hotel staff from 
entering. Unfortunatley I read an article about two dogs being stolen from a hotel room.

No one plans to lose their dog but you should plan for the worse. Always have a tag 
on your  dog that contains all relevant information. Many people travel with cell phones  so
 include this number.
 This will be the best way for anyone to contact you in the event they find your dog. 
Turn it on immediately when the dog goes missing

In one bag pack your dogs’ ID number, immunization and health records, 
and medications. 
If your dog does not have an ID go to the Vet and have a microchip inserted. 
This will allow for easy identification in case of a dispute or if you have to prove
 ownership. There are many wonderful sites on the Internet which list dog friendly 
parks and even restaurants If you are not on line then go to your local library and check them out.

You know your circumstances and your dog best so think of every " what if” and plan ahead.
Happy Travelling