A Vacation with Your Pet

 A vacation with your pet is just a click awayHolidays for pet owners don't really transpire into vacationing. Most resorts andhotelsrestrict pet entry, and they aren't willing to leave their dog behind - after all, their pet is family. But maybe things could change and that too, in a click.Former journalist Anupama Vinayak, who defines herself as an animal lover, has graduated to become expert in pet travel. She launched her efforts on the World Wide Web with petvacations.in on August 15 in 2008 for symbolic reasons. "I chose this day to celebrate the freedom of pets and pet owners in India, who could never ever enjoy the freedom of holidaying together."Pet owners will agree that of all animal companions, it's the good ol' dog that most places aren't comfortable with. Vocal prowess (read barking), fear of dog bites, or their potty antics earn them less favour among resorts and hotels. Cats are aloof, and don't really desire affection of strangers. They are conditioned naturally even for nature call, digging the ground and burying their mess. But dogs need to be trained for their potty manners, and need to be given a bath to keep them clean. Then they also shed a lot and often leave behind an odour. Their inquisitive nature makes them get close to people to smell them and know them, and not every one is comfortable with close contact with dogs.So, keeping all this in mind, team pet vacations have identified places that allow your pet too andwork outa good deal as per your requirements, budget and temperament of your pet's breed. Currently, the website offers options of over 500 pet-friendly hotels, resorts, bungalows and service apartments.For beginners, closer home will be a better idea. You can choose your pick from Alibaug, Bordi, Dahanu, Dapoli, Ganapatiphule, Mahabaleshwar, Matheran, Panchgani, Murud Janjira, among many others. Kerala, Goa,Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,Assam, Delhi,West Bengaland evenJammu and Kashmircould be the next option!Holiday mindersAnupama advises against going on a vacation with a pup below four months, who isn't toilet trained, as they would fall sick immediately due to weather change.She describes most options that she offers to her clients as simple, with open spaces rather than being plush. "Especially in case of puppies, when they are teething, they have a habit for trying to chew everything they can lay their paws on."She also advises to carry the certificate of the vaccines your dog has been given. "In case your dog bites some one, you can avoid a lot of controversies by presenting the certificate."Dogs love beaches, and need open spaces to run around. Opting to go on weekdays makes more sense, she says.