Most of the time, your dog is probably at home. But on occasion, it might be necessary for you to stay in a hotel with your dog. Particularly this time of year, if you’re traveling to see loved ones, you might find yourself having a night or two in a hotel with your pup.
But if you’ve not stayed in a hotel with your dog before – or even if you have – the thought of doing so might be a bit daunting. You might know full well how to travel with a dog, but never in a hotel before.
Don’t fear, however – as certified dog trainer Melissa Goodman of Mission Pawsitive has outlined what you need to remember in a recent Instagram post.
Introducing the video in the caption, Goodman begins, “Traveling with my dog is my favorite thing to do and I love that so many hotels these days are pet-friendly. Here is an example of how some common life skills make for great hotel etiquette.”
She explains that, while the hotel in the video is pet-friendly, not everyone expects to see dogs while they’re in a hotel, nor is everyone comfortable with them. She says that she wants to give people pushing or carrying luggage extra space, to keep both them and her dog safe, and she says that your dog can find people doing this somewhat off-putting too.
“The primary skills I am using in this video all have to do with impulse control, which is one of the harder concepts for dogs to master, especially young dogs,” she says. Therefore, it’s a good idea to practice your dog's impulse control skills in different environments before your hotel stay.
Goodman brings up the example of her dog, Aspen, being interested in the glasses guests had left outside, which had alcoholic drinks in them. “While it is mildly funny,” she says, “That’s a major safety issue if they weren’t empty and Aspen didn’t know how to disengage from something tempting on cue.”
She also asks Aspen to “hold a sit” when they’re waiting for the elevator, and to hold the position as the doors open and people come out. She continues, “I use my release cue when it is okay to go in. I do the same thing when we exit an elevator, because sometimes people are surprised when they see a dog and to give extra space in case people have luggage with them.”
And, Goodman gets Aspen to stop and wait when they approach a blind corner, so she can go in front and check if anyone’s coming before they continue on their way.
With some basic training skills under your belt, staying in a hotel with your dog doesn’t have to be as scary as it might seem. The likelihood is that you’ll have a happy and peaceful stay with your pup, and that they’ll have a great time! And if you’ve never taken your pup to a hotel, but you’d like to, here are the 33 best places to take your pet on vacation.
