Dog Friendly Travel and Vacation Locations

By John McCormick  

For many of us a dog is far more than just a pet; it is a member of the family and, moreover, one with no major college expenses, no weddings to pay for, and with fewer surprises - e.g. we know they will be living at home with us!

But, especially for singles and couples with dog(s) and no kids, vacation or other extended travel is a real problem - many hotels and motels don't want you to bring a dog to their establishment. Those travelling with kids already have lots of problems without trying to take along a dog.

Personally I never had a problem back when I was traveling with my 180 lb. Newfoundland. She was always welcome at hotels; perhaps the desk clerks recognized the breed. Perhaps the thought of trying to say no to a 180 lb. dog was what did the trick. Either way, there was never any problem.

But I know from friends that this is seldom the case.

Fortunately, with so many dogs traveling with their families, many hotels and motels actively welcome well-behaved dogs.

Some major chains also actively seek pet-owning vacationers, among them, La Quinta Inns/Suites, Holiday Inn, Motel 6, Red Roof, Best Western, and Marriott.

That list is by no means exhaustive and there are also many non-chain hotels and motels which welcome dogs in particular.

A great way to find many of these, along with tips on traveling with Fido, what campgrounds are dog friendly, and even dog city guides, is www.dogfriendly.com.

Worth printing out is especially any of the Interstate specific lists which might apply to your travels.

And don't forget to check out their Top 10 lists of dog-friendly resorts and cities.

I would personally suggest you start with the advertisers who actually help sponsor the site since they are definitely seriously dog-friendly, but the listings aren't limited to just those who pay to advertise - this is an excellent general resource for those who want to travel with dogs.

I look forward to trying out some of the listed locations next winter when my pair of 75 lb., 5 month-old Great Dane pups are a little older (and MUCH bigger.)

John McCormick is a reporter, /science/medical columnist and finance and social commentator, with 17,000+ bylined stories. Contact John through NewsBlaze.