Sorry, it’s been awhile but I was just in the hospital and found out that I had blood clots in my lungs. Not fun. cici had to be taken care of by a friend who pampered her, which was great and a real relief. And the hospital stay of six nights was not fun. I am a sick puppy and we REALLY REALLY REALLY need a NEW HOME NOW. If you are in California and would like us to visit, be your roommates, or know someone who does, then please let us know.
Cici and I put together our top list of pet peeves when traveling with a dog. She does not like it when:
1. a “pet friendly” hotel that does not offer enough green space for my Cici to do her business. And I do not like it when there is no bags or trash cans around to put the business inside and throw away. why should i have to carry it around with me? That is the hotel’s business to provide guests with what they need.
2. when a pet friendly hotel charges ridiculous fees and nickels and dimes you for your pet, (a small refundable pet deposit is ok but a nonrefundable fee for $50 or more? Nope). And these types of hotels usually discriminate on the dogs they will accept such as only dogs under 10 pounds, few breeds, as if they are saying, we will deign to allow you to bring your pet but only if it is not going to be a real dog who will do doggie things. If you have pet restrictions based upon weight, height, breed, we will breeze right by you. We do not like places that discriminate against our dogs based upon the color of their fur, the shape of their heads or their canine qualities that make them lovable to us.
3. dogs like to roll around in the dirt but pet owners do not. We cannot stand “pet friendly” hotels that put you in a dirty, worn carpet, overused room with smelly bedding just because you are traveling with Fido. This is hardly a pet friendly attitude. We do not have to paws up with it either.
4. Pet rules that say that your pet cannot be in the lobby (how are you supposed to enter and exit the place)?, pool, golf course and other areas. If there is no place for the dog to go to the bathroom, are they supposed to hold it in for three days? Maybe you should list where dogs are ALLOWED to be instead of all of the no no’s of where they cannot be. Makes a dog feel kinda unwelcome and does not seem exactly pet friendly to us.
5. Many places tell that you cannot leave the dog in the room unattended even when your dog is quiet, gonna go to sleep, is crated. Are you supposed to pet sit or hire a pet sitter while you are traveling? On some occasions, maybe but if you are just going out for some fresh air, to move the car, or get something from the gift shop, and if it is very hot outside, you are not going to bring your dog with you.
6. When we look at websites of some hotels and B&B’s it is not clear whether they are pet friendly or not. Why make it so difficult for travelers to figure out whether you allow dogs or not? If you have nothing on your website that indicates pet friendly (photos of dogs, pet policies and such), we will whiz right by you and assume you are not the place for us to stay since you did not bother to say.
7. Did your staff miss the memo or staff meeting that told them how to interact with guests with pets? If we ask about your fur friendly amenities, local pet stores, dog parks, vets, and/or activities then we expect your staff to respond with knowledgable answers not treat us as if we asked a terribly embarrassing question or present them with smelly burden of a task. Or tell us to google it ourselves. Hospitality is supposed to be YOUR business. Catlike it. And if you are a person at a Travel WELCOME center, visitors center or some such, then it is YOUR JOB not ours to tell us what the local activities and places are.
Any hotel that offers a pet welcoming committee, no fees, restrictions on weight or breed, has afternoon Yappy Hours, a “dining with pooch” option with room service menu for Fido and some pet amenities like treats, bowls of water, and toys is a really pet friendly place and just the kind of dogitude we LOVE to stay at.
What are YOUR pet peeves about “pet friendly” places???
Cici at the park with my friend Angela while I was in the hospital. Cute as a love bug, huh. Thank you, Angela, for taking care of my polka dot princess!!!! (She fed her grass fed beef and turkey burgers and more).