Alternatives to Kenneling

Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.

~Alexander Pope

In our area, we have three local kennels available to board your pup at if you need to travel and cannot take them with you. I myself have only used the services of one of them on only one occasion, years ago, when my husband and I went to Canada. They are the old fashioned type of kennels that basically have an indoor portion with a doggie bed then a run to the outside with a doggie door in between.

When I scheduled my visit to one of the kennels prior to arranging to leave HoneyDew there, it was clean and the staff led me to believe that they took turns with the dogs playing with them and walking them on the spacious grounds. In fact when I arrived for the visit there were several staff members doing exactly that. I was also encouraged to bring her own food, toys, snuggly blanket and dishes, which I did. However, when I returned from our trip I was not very happy with the results of her stay. HoneyDew lost 10 pounds in a week, got an eye infection, and smelled like she had been kenneled next to a male dog that kept lifting his leg on her the hole week, peeewwwe! Needless to say, I have never boarded her again or Sampson for that matter and have been fortunate to be able to take them both with me wherever my husband and I travel to.

My Aunt in New York and others that I know are fortunate that they have more up to date, home style kennels to board their dogs at and they seem terrific, almost like a doggie hotel or camp!

You are probably asking why I have shared this story. Well because since that time I have from time to time for friends and family, kept their dog(s) here in our home while they traveled or in the case of owners of cats, gone to the home daily to check and feed them, rather then have them boarded at a kennel.

Such will be the case for the next two weeks. HoneyDew and Sampson are going to play host and hostess to a friends' dog named Bombee! She is an older dog who has never been away from her owners but is fast friends with me. I will be posting pics of this on our blog during the next two weeks, so please stop by to meet this wonderful ole' gal and see the antics the three of them get into.

How about you? What do you do with your pups when you need to travel? Please leave a comment and share your ideas, alternatives, and suggestions that have worked for you.

Happy Dog's On Thursday,

Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson too!

Where to?

Things sure have changed in the last few years. Used to be if you saw a dog in a vehicle it was either the dog catcher's wagon or the bed of a farmer's pick-up. Now it is a common occurrence that our pals travel with us not just to the local dog park or hiking trail, but to work, vacation, etc. We want to have them with us and it's great for us and them.

Now at least one automobile manufacturer is starting to catch on and use this as a selling point, with "Dog Package" options available when you buy Honda Element.

Comes with: Rear car kennel, Kennel organizer, Pet bed, Stowable ramp, Dog-pattern seat covers, All-season “Dog-Bone” floor mats, Spill-resistant water bowl, Electric fan, Dog Friendly emblems (3)

Also included are these Dog Friendly Extras:Tote bag, Leash and collar in size small or large, Paw Print dog tag, and Bag dispenser.

One can only hope that this is the start of a trend so we dog lovers can have more options. As an owner of two bassets (and one of them having a little more junk in the trunk being a little more healthy then the other), my back I would really appreciate and utilize a ramp that was build in.

As for the picture above, technology has come a long way and while we aren't quite to the point of having our pups drive us about, I wouldn't rule it out!

Happy DOT's,
Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson too!

Traveling with Dogs

I know most of the "travel season" is behind some of you, for us however it seems it never ends with children, parents and relatives spread out all over the place. Take today for instance. We have arrived in North Carolina to visit my son and his girlfriend.



My pups always look forward to the trips. They know something is up the moment we take the padding out of the kennel in preparation to folding the kennel up for the trip. They beat us to the door, leash in mouth...well almost anyway, more like with tongue hanging out and slobber starting to form!



I always do a double check to make sure all ID tags are in place, as well as latest booster tags, that the collars/harnesses and leashes are all in good condition so as not to have an unexpected break in them when traveling. I put together a goody bag with treats, toys, water bottles, food for the trip/stay and doodoo bags plus their kennels.



Here are some other good travel tips from about.com:

1. Lists of rest stops and veterinary hospitals along your trip (if driving)
2. List of veterinary hospitals near the location where you are staying
3. Crate / kennel
4. Leash
5. Water and Bowls
6. Dog Food
7. Treats
8. One or two toys
9. Blankets and/or dog bed
10. Bags to pick up waste
11. First Aid Kit
12. Grooming supplies, if necessary
13. Medications, if applicable
14. Your dog’s medical records (including vaccine history)
15. Health Certificate (obtain from your vet

We will be posting pictures of our mini-vacation here and at the beach later. For now however we want to say, Happy Dogs on Thursday, wherever you may be!

Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson too!

Dogs on Thursday...summer is here.

Welcome to this weeks Dogs on Thursday post.

Please welcome two new members this week Cynthia and Rachael. Please go over to their blogs and welcome them to the group.

Since summer has come to many of us I figured I would talk about travel sites. First off I hope that all your non-fur babies are all safe over the summer holidays. They will be out of school and this time of year makes me miss teaching but not enough to go back. :)

Ok...our first site is a great place to find pet friendly hotels and travel information. I know that my brother when he was driving across country with his dog Apollo used this site to find places to stay along the way. The site is called Petfriendly.com. You can search for petfriendly hotels by state or city. This site is only for the US and Cananda but many of the tips and tools will help international people as well.

The next site I've used personally many times to find dog parks in areas that I lived in and also to find places that allowed dogs for camping! Abby is the only one who has camped with us so far but there are hopes to plan a camping trip that they all get to go on! This site is called Dogfriendly.com. This site has resources for city living, attractions, off leash dog parks, dog friendly beaches and campgrounds. It's a great place to start when thinking about vacationing with your dogs.

Well, I hope you like this sites. I know they have come in handy so many times!

Have a great DOT day!! Dont' forget to check out people's DOT blog posts!

Natalie, Jackjack, Abby, and Frankie.