Pet Friendly Ski Vacation Rentals

With over 64 million households in America owning pets and over 36 million (more than 50%) of them taking them along for vacations including ski vacations, pet-friendly vacation rentals and Pet-travel has become common. Taking your four-footed best friend along for your North American ski vacation can make your vacation not only more enjoyable for both, but memorable as well. But, as no American downhill skiing area allows non working dogs during its hours of operation, your ski vacation can run into trouble if your pet is not well-prepared to stay away from you while you are skiing down the slopes.

If you might feel that it is a shame to deprive your dog of a chance to frolic in the snow, you can leave your dog at the hand of the expert dog-sitters or investing in the pet day-care programs that offer numerous planned activities for dogs including having fun in the snow and continue to enjoy skiing down the slopes without feeling guilty. And, if you don’t want to leave your pet, then you can enjoy skiing in the Nordic and cross-country skiing trails that allow pets. The only thing to keep in mind is that you should keep them in a leash except in officially off-leash trails, where you must ensure that your dog is well-behaved and trained to listen to your commands.

You can make sure that your vacation remains a vacation and a memorable one at that, by keeping the following general tips for pet travel in mind while planning your vacation.

1. First and foremost, be honest and assess whether your pet is fit enough to travel. Expectant pets, pets suffering some ailments or recovering from surgery, as well as too young and too old pets will be better off in a good kennel or with a pet sitter in familiar surroundings. If in doubt, it would be advisable to check with your veterinarian rather than take a risk and suffer later.

2. Secondly, take your pet for a health-checkup before starting on your trip. To be prepared for your travel from your pet’s heath point of view, just remember to ask your vet the following questions:
a. Inform the doctor about the destination you are planning to visit, the number of days to be spent in commuting, your mode of transport, and the duration of your vacation.
b. If you will be traveling abroad, then ensure that you ask your vet for all the documents that may be required to allow your pet into another country. Some countries may need specific types of health certificates, so call your vet ahead of time and obtain them.
c. Ensuring that his rabies and vaccination records are up-to-date and not older than 10 days old at the time of your travel. Carry two to three copies of these documents with you at all times.
d. Ask the doctor about any occurrences of heartworm, ticks, flea, Lyme disease, giardia, and other diseases at your vacation destination.
e. Also, if you are going to be traveling by car, then check with your doctor for any medications that will help prevent motion sickness and keep your dog calm during the duration of your commute.
f. Ask your vet to help you compile a pet-first aid kit and find out the procedure to handle minor emergencies and illnesses. Also, ask him to refer a vet and a Pet Emergency Room in your vacation destination and keep their contact numbers handy.

3. Check, beforehand, whether the ski vacation rental you will be staying at is pet-friendly or not. It would be too bad if you come all the way looking forward to a ski vacation only to be told that your pet will not be allowed.

4. Also, check whether the airline you will be taking permits pets, and if yes then whether they have to be in crates or carriers.

5. Carriers or crates need o be comfortable for your pet and in case of airlines, have to be approved by them. Even if you are traveling by car, a carrier comes in useful especially to keep your pet safe from accidents, preventing distractions for the driver, and in transporting them from car to the ski vacation rental home. Just keep the following points in mind:
a. Buy an appropriate carrier for your pet, which has a harness for your pet as well as is fitted with seat belts.
b. Make sure that your pet has enough room to sit, stand, and lie down in it comfortably without any internal intrusions to hurt it.
c. The crate or carrier should also be well-ventilated to ensure fresh supply of air at all times.
d. If you are traveling by air, then ensure that the crate or carrier has double latches which don’t jostle open if bounced in transit.
e. If your pet is not accustomed to be in a crate, then let him get used to it by letting him/her come and go out of it for several weeks, before starting for your vacation.
f. And, don’t forget to label the carrier with your as well as your pet’s name, address, and contact number.

6. In the event that you are traveling by car, stop frequently for breaks so that your dog can stretch its legs as well as have a drink of water.

7. Carry enough water for it (at least 2 gallons and more for longer journeys) and offer it often. Water at the local water source may not be the same as it is in your home and may trigger off an infection. Let your dog’s digestive system get slowly accustomed to it by adding some water to the bottle from each local source.

8. Don’t let your dog be alone in the car even for a short time as cars tend to heat up in a matter of minutes and they can suffocate. Taking your pet along with you takes care of the risk of pet-napping as well.

9. And, when you are out of the car, ensure that he is on a leash or better still a harness. Even though your dog may be well-behaved, the people surrounding you may not be comfortable. And, it’s better to have a firm grasp on the harness than run the risk of losing your dog in a high traffic area.

10. Carry his favorite treats, his favorite blanket, and his dishes and bowls so that he has something familiar in the new surroundings. Also, get his favorite brand of pet-food before hand, just in case you don’t get it in the city where you are vacationing.

11. And, make sure, that your pet has a collar carrying a tag with his name, his owner’s name, address, contact number, and any medication he may be taking. You can also invest in the permanent identification tag, in which a microchip is implanted under the skin. This is highly helpful in case your dog is lost. Also carry enough recent photographs of your dog as it also may help in the search and rescue missions for your pet.

Furthermore, while traveling with pets, always remember to take care of your vacation rental home as you would of your own. Responsible vacationers who take care not to misuse the special allowances made by the vacation rental owners for making their homes pet-friendly homes are not just welcomed but invited back. Always remember to clean up after your pets, keep a lint brush handy to remove hair; and keep your dogs in a leash when outside your home in consideration of the safety and comfort of others and not just in areas where pets have to be officially on leash.