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Friday, July 1, 2016

Traveling With Large Dogs.

My Public Awaits Me.

"Yes, you may kiss my golden paw." ~ Princess Ziva
Life After Our Move.

It's been crazy! What else can I say!
And like previously mentioned in our last post: "ZiwiPeak For Adventure Dogs!"    Treats and games have been our saving grace since we've been taking the dogs nearly everywhere with us.

Did you know La Quinta has no breed restrictions!


Don't get me wrong. I LOVE big dogs, but small dogs definitely have their advantages.

Having two large dogs, traveling can be a challenge and you often have to get creative or tag team it with a partner. Sometimes I wish they were small so I could just pick them up and carry them around in certain situations.

Hot Car Problems.

This is a topic where everyone tends to flip a lid. But in some cases it's necessary. During our move we spent a lot of time on the road and in-between cities. If I could have left them with a sitter I would have, but sitters are few and far between! Especially for overnight trips.

So here is the challenge...

  • We couldn't leave them at the hotel, it's against policy and frankly irresponsible.
  • We don't have a house yet.
  • It's a new city, no friends to leave them with.
  • Haven't found a doggy daycare yet - I don't trust DogVacay.

Oh, and they are not small dogs.
Having large dogs I can't just walk them both into a non dog friendly store and get away with it - unlike many small dog owners I see with their pet dogs (not service dogs) tucked under their arms in the checkout line.

You try hauling this girl around in a store!
So that means sometimes they get left behind in the car, generally only if i'm traveling by myself which is pretty often. We're like the three amigos, wherever I go they go too! Preferably I park in the shade, they ALWAYS are left with a water dish and windows down (but not enough that they can get out), and NEVER for longer than I have to. I definitely monitor my time and it's only for necessary trips not mall shopping.

Running in to use a bathroom counts as a NECESSARY stop, at a cafe or a vineyard however we'll keep going if the dogs aren't allowed.

Moral of the story. Not all dog owners who leave their dogs in cars are irresponsible jerks *to put it nicely..*  I don't want to get too much into this, it's a whole topic in itself but please have patience if you see a dog and don't just jump to conclusions that the dog is "dying".

Found a great local park to walk in!


Exercising on the Road.

Since where we are staying doesn't have any fences and wild things like deer and turkeys abound, it means the dogs aren't getting quite as much running exercise in as they would prefer. Plus it's doggone hot and already hitting triple digits which we are still acclimating too.

The river is one option, so far we've found two crowded places we could bring them to but I'd like to find something a bit more secluded and not so busy.

Dante loves to swim! Ziva on the other hand wouldn't get in on this occasion. 
She loves the heat and I think she thought the water was too cold, it was pretty cold!



Since our move we've been diligently hunting for good places to take the dogs and learning which businesses are dog friendly.  So far we've found a couple restaurants where we can sit outside with the dogs, cafe's, as well as some vineyards and local breweries.




Do you have a favorite local hangout to take your dogs?

7 comments:

  1. Traveling with dogs is always scary and a little patience with a lot of planning ahead will make it a great time for all. Great post!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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    Replies
    1. Yuppers you're right! Lots of planning ahead is key!

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  2. We have 3 big dogs and 1 tiny one so I understand your issues. I would also leave a note taped to the window where people can see it, saying there is water in the car, and this is the time you stopped, just so you don't get someone breaking into your car or calling the police. We do that when we're on the road with our Goldens. If you are in need of a dog sitter start with the vet you will be using in your new town, and see if they have anyone there that does that on the side or someone they can reccomend with checkable references. Is Laquinta a decent place? We have always found it difficult to find a place that allowed big dogs, when we say we have 3 big dogs and a little one they act like we are crazy. I hope you find a place to move into or a spot to build on. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We liked our La Quinta, it was a very pleasant stay for us. :-) The only catch is that they have a 2 dog limit. But no size or breed restrictions which is something we run into sometimes.
      I've heard of the note idea..the only issue is that it also tells thieves when to expect you back. But you could get around that by probably just saying, "Mom will be right back!" as opposed to a time.
      I haven't found a new vet yet, but that's a great idea! I love my family here but my dogs aren't exactly "country smart" and I don't want them outside unsupervised - they wouldn't runaway but I don't want them chasing any livestock and getting into other forms of trouble.

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  3. The challenges of traveling with big dogs is why we rented a RV recently to camp with them. We could easily have them and everything we need in one portable place!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RV...check! Got one but we're living it in fulltime and it's not very big. It does have A/C but no thermostat so when it's on, it's ON until someone turns it off again. And boy does it get cold!

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  4. Thank you for pointing out that not all " dog people are jerks" I often travel alone with my three large dogs and one little because I am an independent, alone by choice female. I need to make bathroom breaks just like my dogs do and I am not allowed to pee outside (I would if I had too) and they are not allowed inside. That is the conundrum that follows single humans who travel with big dogs!

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