Too often, rules are in place because the human/canine parties who visited before caused trouble or annoyance to management or other guests. Remember that it’s a privilege to stay at a hotel with your dog, not a right. Here are our guidelines for being a good guest.
1) Always pick up after your dog. That’s always and right away. Do not forget to bring pick-up bags. Do find out ahead of time where to take Daisy when she needs to go.
2) Do not let your dog water the flowerbeds. Gardeners and property owners take great pride in their landscaping and do not think highly of people who allow their dogs to raise a leg on their carefully tended plantings. Lead your dog to an unobtrusive corner of the grounds when nature calls. Please.
3) Keep your dog off the furniture. Some people allow dogs on beds and couches at home, some do not. Yes, that “pet fee” you pay for Fido to share your room is assessed due to the pet hair factor. But really, that doesn’t give you license to let your dog paint the linens with muddy paw prints. Bring a sheet and cover it up if you insist on letting Rover catch some z’s anywhere but on a dog bed, in his crate or on the floor. Some lodging properties, such as Mendocino’s Stanford Inn, provide not only treats, but sheets to cover the furniture.
4) Cleanliness is next to . . . you know. Doggie odor, as well as ticks and fleas, are easily left behind, which is why so many hotels designate only a few of their rooms as pet-friendly. Make sure your pet has been bathed and is free of parasites before bringing him to a hotel.
5) Bring pet food from home, or feed a widely available brand. An abrupt change of diet will most likely irritate the gut and bring on the canine equivalent of Montezuma’s revenge, which can last several days. You don’t want to deal with this, and it’s easily avoided.
6) Know the rules and respect them. Ask before you go and confirm at check-in what restrictions apply to guests with dogs.
7) Say thank you. Make a point of complimenting the management of a dog-friendly hotel. Show your appreciation by letting them know that you chose their property over others because of their canine-accommodating policies. And, if you found the hotel on dogtrekker.com, please tell them that too :-).
