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So in a couple of months, my fiance and I are going on our first "real" vacation that doesn't consist of in-town over night stays in a hotel just-to-get-away for a bit type of thing. We will finally go on an actual trip! Disney Land, Universal Studios, Sea World, possibly rent some skie-do's. This will be our first one in years. Think 8 years or more!
Anyways, up until the last few years, what kept us from leaving town was 1. money. We just didn't make a whole lot of Dinero. and 2. Our over hyper Golden retriever/ yellow lab mix dog. Now, we both make more money and can afford to take a nice trip for a week. The only issue now, is what do we do with our dog?
2 years ago we went to Flagstaff and eventually the Grand Canyon. Took us 2 days, so not much of a vacation. Plus, bringing along a 75lbs hyper active dog didn't make things easier either. We always had to plan our activities around her. Find places and hotels that are pet (large dog) friendly. It can be done, but forget about going to a movie or out to dinner unless it's renting a DVD inside that pet friendly hotel or out to dinner at that drive-thru window. So, vacations get kinda bland.
Well, my fiance wants a REAL vacation this time. Heck, who can blame her?! I do too! But we have come to a cross road as to what to do with our doggie for those 6 days of fun filled-finally-getting-the-heck-outta-town trip. I suggested a friend's house, or my mother's. But here's the problem ;it will, and I know it will, be a huge burden on whomever takes her in their care for those 6 days. I know I am not the only one on this board that has come to this impasse.
I have considered boarding her, however, when your looking at nearly $70 a day in boarding fees, that's just too much. I have even considered taking her with us, changing our hotels and finding one that is pet friendly, but then it will make it a very boring trip sitting in our hotel room every day (as I have never heard of a hotel that allows you to leave your pet unattended for any length of time) . I looked at doggie day camps as well. This seems like an option, but then it still requires us to alter our hotel plans. Errr! Any advice would be helpful, cause as I said, I can not be the ONLY one that faces this predicament can I? Anyways, thanks for reading. Advice from pet owners that have faced similar situations, please, anything you can suggest. Thanks again.
$70 seems really high for boarding fees, but I'm not sure where you are located. You might check into local pet sitting services, your vet may have a tech that does it, rover.com and care.com are other resources.
Really if you want a vacation without dog you'll have to take the financial hit to be sure your pup is well cared for. Maybe you can get some Groupon deals on some of the things you want to do on your trip and save some cash there.
It will probably cost you $60/day but better than exposing your dog to all the nasty things (kennel cough) etc. in a kennel setting.
Plus good to have someone to keep an eye on your house.
Just include it in as part of your vacation costs.
I think a dog is far more fun than a vacation which only lasts for x number of days while your dog can give you years of enjoyment.
It will probably cost you $60/day but better than exposing your dog to all the nasty things (kennel cough) etc. in a kennel setting.
Plus good to have someone to keep an eye on your house.
Just include it in as part of your vacation costs.
I think a dog is far more fun than a vacation which only lasts for x number of days while your dog can give you years of enjoyment.
Oh yes, I too, agree. I want to take her with, but fiance wants a vacation with just her and I doing things that don't involve sitting in the hotel room the entire trip. But I was looking into dog day cares at our destination vacation town, and this does seem like an option. We would have to stay in a pet friendly hotel though.
$70 seems really high for boarding fees, but I'm not sure where you are located. You might check into local pet sitting services, your vet may have a tech that does it, rover.com and care.com are other resources.
Really if you want a vacation without dog you'll have to take the financial hit to be sure your pup is well cared for. Maybe you can get some Groupon deals on some of the things you want to do on your trip and save some cash there.
I live in Phoenix, Arizona. The boarding fees is somewhere along the $55 a day thing, but, then you have to also add on the little extras, like taxes and other fees. I always wanted to take my pup to the beach. I know California has super strict rules and laws about their beaches. The last time I was there (1998),they had these giant posters on the beach. I think they were something like 12' tall with all of the rules. And I am pretty sure, on that long list of regulations is somewhere that says "no dogs". I bet there is a beach that allows dogs, I just have to find it AND convince fiance to let me bring Sasha. Oh boy.
I live in Phoenix, Arizona. The boarding fees is somewhere along the $55 a day thing, but, then you have to also add on the little extras, like taxes and other fees. I always wanted to take my pup to the beach. I know California has super strict rules and laws about their beaches. The last time I was there (1998),they had these giant posters on the beach. I think they were something like 12' tall with all of the rules. And I am pretty sure, on that long list of regulations is somewhere that says "no dogs". I bet there is a beach that allows dogs, I just have to find it AND convince fiance to let me bring Sasha. Oh boy.
San Diego! We've got several wonderful dog beaches (Coronado, Fiesta Island, Ocean Beach, and Del Mar, maybe even more), and there are a number of doggie daycare centers. While your pooch is taken care of, you can see the sights, and you'll only be a 6 hour drive from home in AZ. Win-win!
OK thanks! My fiance works for the Radisson hotel, and we will be staying at the Country Inn & Suites. They do have pet friendly rooms as well. So I think that will be an option for us.
San Diego! We've got several wonderful dog beaches (Coronado, Fiesta Island, Ocean Beach, and Del Mar, maybe even more), and there are a number of doggie daycare centers. While your pooch is taken care of, you can see the sights, and you'll only be a 6 hour drive from home in AZ. Win-win!
OK, that's great to hear! San Diego seems a fairly pet friendly area compared to AZ. We stayed at a pet friendly hotel in Flagstaff and Lake Havasu city a couple of years ago and the rooms were nasty! Just an overall bad experience I guess. It seemed, to me anyway, that they reserved all the horrible, delipidated rooms for the pet friendly areas. I think my fiance remembers how that was like and doesn't want a repeat of that experience. I can't blame her. The hotel room seemed subpar, and subtracted from the overall experience of both trips.
I hear you...and don't really have any advice. We haven't been on a pet free vacation for more than 12 years. I won't board them and DH won't go for a house/pet sitter. And we're ok with that. We made a commitment to them and will honor that.
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