Mina travels with us in our trailer. This summer we will be going to Mt Rushmore and taking the chi. I have purchased a soft side play yard that has a floor,mesh sides and a zipper mesh top,it folds into almost nothing so it doesn't take up much travel space and the two dogs will have a play yard that isn't in the dirt and has a mesh top so nothing can crawl in with them. I also have a new stroller for them, with a mesh inclosure. When I take mina for a walk,either my DH goes with for protection or I carry a sturdy walking stick. If you are staying in Yellowstone I hope that you are in a trailer or RV (bears are no joke). An Rv can be rented cheaper than staying in a hotel and safer than a tent. It would also cost less than a pet sitter at your house all of the time. I have traveled all over the US with toy sized dogs most of my life,even Yellowstone. I was once attacked by a dog not on a leash while walking my tiny poodle in a Nation Forest,this is the reason that I dont go alone or carry a stick.
You can continue to search for a sitter,we are lucky enough to have several grown children that take turns staying with the other animals and Mina if she stays,or you can keep your babies with you and make it the safest environment that you can. My attitude about my family is that they can "suck it up" if she goes with me places. She is MY baby and if I am forced to do something that I am not comfortable with, I am NOT going to be very much fun to be with.
You do what you are comfortable with. Dont let others, that dont understand ,put their ignorance on you. As a motorcycle rider,the saying goes, "If I have to explane it to you, you wouldnt understand".

Thanks for the advice! We definitely have had a bear experience - he just wanted a gatorade out of the ice chest. :rolleyes:

Yes, we will be in a trailer. What is this play yard that you have. I usually take a crate with us, but that would be even better. Mine have went everywhere with me. Including my college classes! LOL. I had once professor that would hold them while she taught. They just sleep in their bags. They're rotten. Luckily, we get to take them. We are making other arrangements to a different place. We've been to Yellowstone before, so my dad suggested something else.

I love Mt. Rushmore! Have a great trip!

not crazy at all Mine do not go to a kennel I find someone to stay in my home with them if I can not take them with. But most of the time they go with. I hope you find someone to watch them

This is the "portable popup,flat down playpen" carried by GWLittle

Dog Crate - Soft Side Playpen

I think that the one I purchased was like the Med. I purchased it at Canton,TX at a First Monday Fair. There might be more by other vendors out there but you can at least see what it looks like.
Good luck

Thank you so much!

Any other advice? I have never taken them both on a vacation. When Bentley was 6 months old he went to Mt. Rushmore with us. He is a bag baby so he would just sleep. Zoey is the total opposite of him. He's so calm and mellow, she's my crazy girl. LOL. She doesn't do bags.

If that is crazy, I have no interest in being sane! Hell will freeze over, pigs will fly and it will rain M&Ms before I ever board a dog. If I can't take them, I don't go. It took a while for my inlaws to figure that out but I have them trained now :). We do staycations, have friends come to us, do local things. Hubby traveled for work for many years and he doesn't mind a bit.

A great place to get the fold down play pens is on EBay. That is how I got mine and I love it. Free shipping and a great cost. If you need help with that PM me. One nice thing about them is you can turn them on the side and they fit through doorways. They are so light you can move them around with one hand and take them upstairs no problem. I do keep the top zipped up, they are not that deep. Angel loves to run circles in it and she can really get it rocking!

Make sure if you are taking the babies with you to see something that you have a sml water bowl, I have a folding one. Bottles of water ,Ive been known to pour one over the dog instead of in,snacks and I think that a stroller is better when it is hot. Putting furbaby in a bag when it is July or Aug is just tooooo hot. We do not go in restaurants while on the road. We stop and eat in the trailer or my DH will go in a fast food place and we will eat in the truck. Im not shy at all when someone with a big dog says "my dog doesn't bite". I just tell them politely "You are confident of that but I am no, please rane your dog in". Ive been attacked when holding a small dog and I have NO problem putting a big dog that is charging to the ground. Be ever on the watch for large dogs,especially ones not on a leash. Be sure to take shot records and your vets number with you.
Also NOONE pets my dog without my permission. This is another reason that she will be riding in the stroller. If you can freeze water bottles and put them in the stroller to keep baby cool or even double two ziplocks with ice.

You are really experienced at traveling with little dogs. I would think the stroller would be a good idea for when the pavement or sidewalks are too hot for their little paws, too. I always pick up Gracie as soon as I see another dog or small children. They can both be quite dangerous to a little dog. Taking a playpen is a great idea but your mention of the stroller really made me think of how hot the ground can get for their feet. Extra water is a must as well and the stroller may be a help in carrying the water. Another item added to my list.

If I wasn't all the way in Cali...I'd do it in a heart beat just for that good old country feeling!

Traveling with small dogs is not really any different than traveling with small children. The only big dog that I have ever had is now 14yrs old. I was the neighborhood groomer/trainer/dogsitter when I was a teen. There weren't really any kids in my neighborhood when I was younger but I knew where every dog for 3 blocks lived and they were my playmates.
I hope that you have a wonderful vacation!! We are looking forward to ours.

You are not crazy at all.. I wouldn't let my Mel stay in a Kennel as well.. but I could always leave my Mel with family or friends when i was on holiday...

nope your not crazy.. we have a family reunion to go to in July in Pennsylvania and we usually go down for a few days, they usually get blocks of rooms all on one floor that is pet friendly, however this year for some unknown reason they decided to change the hotel that isnt pet friendly so we are only going for the day.

I do not understand why family members and friends expect you to just stuff the furbaby in a kennel and leave town. They would NEVER expect that out of someone with people puppies.
Im sorry that you will only get to go to the reunion for one day. Maybe next year you could help pick the hotel.

Well my family is coming in from Cali to go with us, just catch a ride. I'll mail you back :D:p;)

Thanks! I am going to look into them. They will have to be crated in the trailer if we go out to the trails, but I made my dad buy a back up generator in case the circuit would overload and the air flip off. This automatically kicks on if something happens. Also, I think Zoey would demolish anything that wasn't metal. She's a chewer. She chewed the door seal off our BRAND NEW door to get to us... It was so hot outside and they needed a break, so we took them in, but she wanted OUT!

Luckily my cousins are going and they are both pregnant and have young kids, so the only day I'll really be 'away', they will be there with my babies too! No dogs on white water rafting boats. We even looked at the ones that are not so 'wild' - not happening. Can't risk my babies lives. Life jacket or not - they're not going on the river. ;)

I'm feeling better about this already... I also thought, with the dogs, it will keep me out of any shopping center. A bonus for my checking account!!! :rolleyes:

True, sometimes small dogs mind better then small children! :p

Well. Girls... We're here! We left Sunday and have been on the road ever since. We are in Jackson Hole, WY. They did sooooo good traveling! Now, my big test is in the next couple of days... Leaving the babies in the fifth wheel, alone. SCARES ME!

For the future, where in Oklahoma are you? My dad lives there, my husband occasionally does work up there and dog sitting would be great for me to do while he works.... And it would save us on hotel costs and you wouldn't have to pay me as much because of it... Keep it in mind.