Let the Adventure Begin!

Let the Adventures Begin!

The first time Mugsy traveled to play in the snow.

The first time Mugsy traveled to play in the snow

Whilst it can be argued raising a puppy from six weeks and on is the real adventure. Traveling with a puppy or dog makes for a fun and exciting trip!

That being said bringing your pup along for the ride does require more planning and equipment. You might also want to choose the more dog friendly destinations.

The more you plan the less stressful traveling with your K9 will be. Planning for a vacation there are two questions one needs to ask Where are we sleeping? What are we eating? With a dog both these question get a little more difficult.

Planning before you leave

If you aren’t staying in a tent or with someone who lives in the area you will want to find a dog friendly hotel. Typically a hotel lists this on their website or you can filter down search options on travel sites to include pet friendly only. Once you have found somewhere you have reason to believe is dog friendly call them. Ensure that you will have a room and that your pup is indeed welcome. Some hotels put a limit on the size of the dog allowed so a larger breeds owner will need to confirm that medium and large dogs are also welcome. You also may want to ask about extra fee’s associated with pets. Sometimes calling and asking can work to your advantage. One hotel we stayed at specified dogs under fifty pounds on their website and Mugsy at 5 months old was weighing in close to if not at fifty pounds, turned out the hotel really didn’t care all that much, as was evidence by the German Shepherd also staying at that hotel.

The next question is off course where to eat. If you are traveling with your pup you’ll want to plan this out as well. Mugsys family gets hungrumpy. Knowing where we are going to eat is a must. If your pet friendly hotel doesn’t have a pet friendly breakfast like the Drury inn in flagstaff than you should probably find a breakfast place with an out door patio, or a to go window, Plan out your lunches and dinners too. Just like with the hotel call ahead and ask about their pet friendly patio.

If they do indeed take dogs, ask a few follow ups.

  • If you are traveling somewhere cold ask about the heating on the patio.
  • If you are expecting to be in the snow or rain, find out if the patio is covered. We travel specifically for Mugsy to play in the snow, so this was a lesson learned from experience.
  • If your traveling to somewhere that gets as uncomfortably hot in the summer as Phoenix you might want to find a patio with fans or misters. This is a lesson learned simply by living in Arizona my whole life.
  • Just because someone wrote a patio is dog friendly online does not make it still true be sure to call the places you plan to bring your dog.

If you are in phoenix seriously checkout OHSO you and your pup will not be disappointed.

If you don’t particularly want to battle weather on a patio, or can’t find any restaurant worth taking your dog too, try finding fun local take out. For example Bills pizza in Prescott AZ is very good. A fun activity in Prescott is saying the name like it is spelled. “it’s pronounced  Prescuit” Like as in biscuit?……Mugsy knows what that means.
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Our Experience at the whiskers and bakery in Prescott Az was nothing short of stellar. The prices were better than I had come to expect from a pet store.The employee really went the extra mile filling and letting Mugsy test out the puzzle toys. All treats sold their were made in the U.S.A so they met my approval. Any K9 in downtown Prescott should definitely stop by with their owner. It’s no wonder Mugsy wanted to return during his early morning walk.

More important than planning your trip is packing for the K9. Mugsy gets his own backpack, if we go on a longer trip he gets his own duffel bag. This acts like a suitcase. Everything he will need for the whole trip fits inside. This I term ever creatively the dog suitcase

The dog suitcase consists of:

  • comfort and silent or non squeek chew toys Mugsy fell asleep cuddling his silent squeak toy on the way home in the picture to the right.IMG_1932
  • Dog bones and dog treats
  • Two travel dog bowls.
  • A spare leash
  • a separate compartment or  bag containing kibble and extra water
  • Vaccine records if you don’t carry them digitally
  • Any prescriptions
  • Paw protection if traveling somewhere like hot AZ trails or snow and salty pathways
  • Towel or soft place mat for dog to be rest on
  • cleaning supplies
  • If your dog loves fetch bring along a ball and a long lead
  • The dogs day pack, this is a small bag carried around carrying the things your K9 will need through out the day.

Tips for the actual trip!

  1. Make frequent bathroom stops for the pup.
  2. Carry at least one water dish with you.
  3. Carry the day pack or have your dog carry their own poop bags, water dish, towel to rest on and kibble in a doggy bag,
  4. Find somewhere cool and dog friendly rather it be a pet store, K9 friendly shopping center or awesome hike.
  5. Be aware of your surrounding and any potential threats to your dog, from poison to less than friendly off leash dogs.

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For some reason water from the travel bowl always taste better that regular old dog bowl water according to Mugsy.

Below Mugsy is taking refuge from the chilly weather in a dog friendly shopping center. Flagstaff Az

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Always have fun with your pup when you travel.
Our K9’s love adventure, and bringing them on one is fun not stressful when done right.

Training can go along way in taking the stress from bringing the pup away!