by Sonya N. Nikadie

Everything is perfect: you’ve wrangled a good slab of vacation leave from your boss, and you’ve spent many delicious hours planning where you’ll be going on your annual holiday. But what to do with Rover, your trusty mutt? You're too in love with him to leave him at a boarding kennel while you’re away, but is it really possible to have a somewhat decent holiday with doggie in tow? You bet.

Getting Prepped

Weeks before departure, talk to your vet to make sure your pet’s vaccinations are up to date and relevant to the area of the country you’ll be traveling to. Those traveling in the northeast, for instance, are advised to protect their dogs against Lyme disease, which is endemic to the area. If your dog is vaccinated against rabies, make sure he wears an identifying tag. If he does happen to bite someone, that tag will at least ease the victim’s mind. Don’t forget to also put your telephone number on your dog’s collar, just in case you get separated somewhere along the way.

Vacations aren’t only about where you’ll be sleeping, naturally. Before leaving for your trip, the Internet is the surest way of finding out what attractions and activities you can participate in once you reach your destination. But once you get there, be sure to pick up a local paper or two to find something local going on that the whole family (including Rover) can enjoy.

Where to Stay?

Accommodation is generally the first thing people worry about when considering traveling with their pets. But luckily, you don't have to stay in campgrounds just because you have a furry friend with you. Visit petfriendly.com or pettravel.com to draw up a list of hotels that'll accept your canine pal, molting hair and all. More and more establishments are starting to accept pets as guests and it’s now surprisingly easy to find accommodation. It’s best to book ahead, but if you’re a more casual sort of traveler, take along a good list of hotels (and back-up hotels, pet-friendly hotels fill up too) you can try along the way.

Don’t be alarmed if the area you’re traveling to doesn’t have a hotel that describes itself as pet-friendly. Some hotels, even high-end ones, may accept smaller pets on request, but they’ll usually require you to pay a deposit first to insure against any pet-related damage that could occur. (CONTINUE...)