How To Travel With Your Pets, Comfortably

If you are like me, you think of your dog as family. You love to be around them, and they make you smile daily. Something just doesn't feel right leaving them behind while you are on vacation; however, bringing them along can be quite the hassle if they are a large breed. Even still, choosing to board your large breed can present its' own problems such as separation anxiety, and high costs. Opting to rent a vacation home can help solve many of the problems in having a large breed dog while traveling.

An option available for pet owners is to stay at a resort or hotel, but be prepared as they can have have pet restrictions on weight or breed, or worse-charge exorbitant pet and cleaning fees. Some hoteliers choose to simply ban animals altogether, reducing the pet owners options while traveling. Further complicating your resort or hotel stay is the accommodations size. Most resort rooms are 400-500 square feet; making your stay with your furry friend cramped and uncomfortable. Personally, my family travels with our 112 Goldendoodle and 95 pound German Shepherd and I can tell you-a hotel night stay is far from a vacation with our big boys! We spend our time bumping and tripping over our pets in the limited space. Further, finding a good, grassy potty spot can be tough in many hotel/resorts amongst the elaborate decorative landscaping. Our dogs need room to roam to find the *perfect* spot, a 10 by 10 grass square is not going to cut it!

Some pet parents choose to board their companions, but this does not come without its' costs either. In Jacksonville, Florida the cost for one night of boarding costs approximately $38 per night, and $25 for a second dog. This includes one-on-one playtime three times per day. Should they need a bath before coming home (Let's be honest, after a day of boarding-they STINK!), that is going to run you another $15 per dog. For a weekend getaway, you are looking at a whopping $91 for one dog! In my families' case, $156! If your dog has separation anxiety when placed in a boarding facility, that makes it even harder to digest this expense as you may feel you are literally paying for your dog's trauma.

A better option is to stay at a vacation home rental. My family uses Vrbo to find great homes for rent at affordable prices. Vrbo provides private owners a place to showcase their rental property on the market for short and long-term stays. Their platform makes it easy to find the perfect rental home through a customizable search. Want a home with a fenced yard and a pool? Vrbo's got you. Need a home with a real crib, not one of those flimsy pack and play disasters? Vrbo is the spot. Recently, my family traveled to Orlando, FL to visit Orlando Metro Skate Park. We planned to bring our WHOLE family, including the doggos. The thought of staying in a hotel room with with my two kids, two dogs, and my husband horrified me! It also didn't seem fair to leave my fur boys alone when we were at the pool (Would we even go to the pool? At this point, I am very leery of public outings due to Covid). In comes Vrbo to the rescue!

We were able to secure a four bedroom home with a private pool-all for the same price as a resort stay! Let me tell you about this house, ya'll! It accommodated us ALL comfortably, but that was just the start. This home had a game room with air hockey and table tennis for the kids (and big kid, ahem, husband). It also came equipped with a full kitchen; including a waffle maker, blender, and even a tray for breakfast in bed to be served! A special touch the owners added were pet bowls, but my favorite feature was the poolside lanai, complete with a BBQ grill. We spent every afternoon at the pool, grilling up dinner and relaxing with our dogs at our feet-all for the same price as a resort and with a ton more room!

If you are looking to travel with your pet, do it the comfortable way so you can truly vacation. Your pets and family will thank you!