Traveling with my Yorkies

[aweitzm1]

I am going on a family vacation to Maine July 4th weekend. I plan on taking Boomer and Thumper. The traveling is not a big deal to me as I rented a car and they love car rides.

My concern is that there will be 7 adults two small children and another Husky all in one cabin. Yikes! I am staying with family who is very nervous about me bringing my dogs. This is a trip I need to take and there is no way for me to stay in a hotel because she lives about an hour from anywhere.

I will be sharing a bed with her as we are both the single ladies and there is no where else for me to sleep. When I mentioned that Boomer and Thumper sleep with me and like to snuggle she said no dogs are allowed on her bed. This is her house so I want to be respectful of her and not demand too much. Boomer and Thumper will not sleep in a crate or on the floor if they see me. They like to snuggle right next to me. How can I start to prepare them for this 3 day visit?

One suggestion I made to her is that they sleep in their carrier as they love it in there. Its pretty big and they are comfy. I will also be using Belly Bands the entire trip just as a precaution. She is against Pee Pads and believe all dogs need to be house broken and walked.

She has already hinted that she would prefer I leave them at home with a dog sitter but I firmly told her not happening if they aren't allowed then I am not visiting. She is also worried how they will interact with her Husky who likes to play with all dogs. He is the most friendly dog I have ever seen. Unfortunately, Boomer and Thumper are not social; they prefer humans over animals. I have had them off leash before and they seem to do fine. They just ignore the other dogs. Its when they are on leash that they like to bark and be the alpha. I am trying to work with everyone but it is getting overwhelming.

I could use any advice people have had before when visiting overnight with family and your dogs.

[Cindy_17]

Oh wow, it sounds like you and your babies are going to need a vacation from your vacation . I'm 100% with you, if my pups aren't welcome I wouldn't be going either. Family can be peculiar and fickle to deal with. Have you thought about an air mattress that you could use at night so you and the babies could be together? They easily deflate so you could put it away during the day. Another word of caution is do NOT leave your two alone with the husky at all for any reason. Huskies are beautiful, powerful, sweet and devoted dogs, BUT they will kill smaller animals in a heartbeat. My family has had two huskies and they both have killed neighbors cats...be very careful. I wish you luck, again I don't blame you one bit for refusing to leave your babies behind

[lovestiny]

Oh wow. This is hard. Not sure exactly what you are asking? I don't think I could spend three days somewhere where my dogs weren't welcomed. I feel for you but this sounds hard, especially since she already suggested you not bringing them.

[aweitzm1]

Yeah I am not looking forward to this trip but its one of those things I have to do. Its the only time a year my entire family gets together as we all live in different areas of the country. If I needed to take them on an airplane that would be a different story but having them ride in a car is easy enough for me to take them.


I like the idea of the air mattress. That is what I originally thought I would sleep on before she mentioned to me about sharing the bed. I will mention it again to her when we speak.


I don't plan on leaving them with her Husky alone, not that he isn't a good dog, but I am afraid Boomer will decide to snap at him because he like to think he is the alpha in ever situation. Togo is a big scardy cat. When he went to visit my sister her cat actually attacked him and he stood there crying not understanding what happened to him.

[mybellababy]

How about an air bed on the floor. I would take a dog stroller for times you want them near but safe.

At Christmas time we took Bella for santa pictures and there were two huskys, we were all on lead but those two dogs looked at Bella like she was food it was scary. I would never trust any big dog around Bella and Lily and never a Husky.

It seams like a hard decision If I had someone I could trust I would leave them at home or not go at all.

[Scoobstersmom]

This might not be a popular opinion, but if you absolutely can't avoid going on this trip, I'd start right now lining up a reliable dog sitter, friend, kennel or my vet to keep my dogs for three days. Your hostess has a right to choose whether or not to welcome your dogs into her home and she has suggested that you not bring them. That would be good enough for me. I wouldn't feel comfortable bringing my dogs someplace where I knew they weren't welcome and it doesn't sound like you would enjoy the trip much if you had to be constantly worrying about their behavior and safety anyway. Your pups might not be too happy about staying in a kennel but they would be safe and it's only three days.

Diana

[lilgidget]

This is a tough situation. My Gidget is my therapy emotional support (not officially) every day. I tell people that she is with me 24/7 and keeps me on track emotionally. People who won't accept her are only there for me occasionally. Why would I want to trade 24/7 for occasionally. This is not always easy to make that decision. Bless you in making the decision that is best for YOU.

[Piddle Place]

Originally Posted by aweitzm1

I am going on a family vacation to Maine July 4th weekend. I plan on taking Boomer and Thumper. The traveling is not a big deal to me as I rented a car and they love car rides.

My concern is that there will be 7 adults two small children and another Husky all in one cabin. Yikes! I am staying with family who is very nervous about me bringing my dogs. This is a trip I need to take and there is no way for me to stay in a hotel because she lives about an hour from anywhere.

I will be sharing a bed with her as we are both the single ladies and there is no where else for me to sleep. When I mentioned that Boomer and Thumper sleep with me and like to snuggle she said no dogs are allowed on her bed. This is her house so I want to be respectful of her and not demand too much. Boomer and Thumper will not sleep in a crate or on the floor if they see me. They like to snuggle right next to me. How can I start to prepare them for this 3 day visit?

One suggestion I made to her is that they sleep in their carrier as they love it in there. Its pretty big and they are comfy. I will also be using Belly Bands the entire trip just as a precaution. She is against Pee Pads and believe all dogs need to be house broken and walked.

She has already hinted that she would prefer I leave them at home with a dog sitter but I firmly told her not happening if they aren't allowed then I am not visiting. She is also worried how they will interact with her Husky who likes to play with all dogs. He is the most friendly dog I have ever seen. Unfortunately, Boomer and Thumper are not social; they prefer humans over animals. I have had them off leash before and they seem to do fine. They just ignore the other dogs. Its when they are on leash that they like to bark and be the alpha. I am trying to work with everyone but it is getting overwhelming.

I could use any advice people have had before when visiting overnight with family and your dogs.

Wow, I hope your fur babies tinkle on her shoes.

I think your fur babies will bring smiles to the group, and if your family reunions are like ours, having your dogs there will help relieve stress.

I sort of agree about having puppy pads laying on the floor, my grandkids used to think they were great fun for chasing each other around the house, and in a small confined area, may not be very sanitary.

I think people are more accepting that smaller dogs are not like the Husky, they may have to go potty during the night, and a walk in the woods at night is not a good choice. I bring our indoor pet potty when we travel, it's sets up in the back of the car, it has a cover, so perfect for travel, and no one could complain about how it looks. It might make your travels easier, email me and I can send you one for your trip, and you can donate it to a shelter after your holiday (we only donate to shelters) You can have them settled with it by July, assuming they use puppy pads now. Happy to help.
info@piddleplace.com

Kathy

[Wylie's Mom]

Wow, this other lady sounds just super uptight about the whole situation. Can it be called a vacation..???!!? If it were me under those kinds of demands, I simply just would not go.

I think the best solution you have here is the air bed on the floor. Of course, it sounds like she'll find a reason to disagree with this, won't she...?

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Wow, this other lady sounds just super uptight about the whole situation. Can it be called a vacation..???!!? If it were me under those kinds of demands, I simply just would not go.

I think the best solution you have here is the air bed on the floor. Of course, it sounds like she'll find a reason to disagree with this, won't she...?

I agree.

I absolutely love to bring Jackson everywhere I can with me especially vacations that are outdoors-y, but I agree it would be tough to have someone that's very unwelcoming. I honestly would prefer to get a hotel even if it was an hour away LOL... then just visit for the day etc but have our own place to go back to but that's just how I am.

I am surprised someone with a dog themselves would be so unaccommodating! I am glad almost everyone in my family is a big animal lover so it's not worrisome to me. PS- I agree about Husky's. I love them, gorgeous animals, but I do not trust them around tiny dogs. A ton of prey drive- how they treat a small dog is way different than other medium/larger breeds often times.

[aweitzm1]

I spoke to my Aunt regarding the animal situation. She offered to pay for a pet sitter if I leave them at home. I told her that wasn't an option for me as I planned to stop at a friend on the drive up and visit with the animals.


We agreed that it would be best for me to sleep on an air mattress in the living room as she forgot she will have her cat with her with her as well. This cat is crazy and does not like people or other animals. It has to take daily Prozac to keep her calm. The cat will stay in her bedroom the entire time.


She seems to be ok with this situation and I think it is the best overall. Thank you all for your feedback. This will be the first major trip I take with them. We have stayed overnight at my sisters but that is only a train ride away.

[chattiesmom]

I see both sides of the situation - it is her home and you are just visiting. She has rules that you, as a visitor don't like. She also has a big dog that could present a very real danger to Thumper and Boomer. If it were me (and I've been in similar situations) I would definitely NOT take the furkids and expose them to possible harm from the playful husky and the negative attitude of the relative. My choice was and is to either send my regrets and go on a pet friendly vacation OR find a good, safe, healthy and happy option for the furkids and go to the relative's without negative feelings and have a good time.