DOG-EARED
Essential
Books on Traveling with Canine and Feline Companions
by Bill Strubbe
If you’ve always dreamed of romping
in New England’s autumn leaves with Rover or strolling
the banks of the Seine with your whippet at your heels,
then take heart; where there’s a will there’s
a way. For anyone who’s spent hours trying to coax
Peaches out from under the driver’s seat after a
trip to the vet, or arrived at a “pet-friendly”
hotel to discover the new owner would rather roast your
beloved mutt than put him up, you know that exploring
Route 66 with Peaches and Rover isn’t always that
simple.
One of the greatest relaxing pursuits
on vacation is to curl up with a good book on the beach
or by the fire. A little pre-departure reading can make
a big difference too. The bookshelves and internet are
chock full of tomes on traveling with pets—especially
dogs, though several are devoted to cats. Check the
year of your updated edition, as some accommodations
may change pet policies or be out of business altogether.
With all listings in all books, ALWAYS call beforehand
so you and your pet will not be disappointed after a
long day on the road. With careful planning you can
avoid some common mistakes and maximize the journey’s
enjoyment for you and your pet.
DogFriendly.com’s
United States and Canada
Dog Travel Guide
2003 DogFriendly.com. $15.95
Whether traveling with a big or small dog, this
guide with thousands of dog-friendly listings will help
you find that perfect getaway spot. Over 30 City Guides
are available with attractions (boat rides, carriage
rides, museums, stores), outdoor restaurants (cafes,
upscale dining), parks (city parks, hikes, beaches)
and lodging. Highway Accommodation Guides feature over
20 major highway and interstate routes in the U.S. and
Canada. Special road trip sections include “Preparation
for a Road Trip” and “Etiquette for the Traveling
Dog.” In the series: California and Nevada, US
and Canada.
Great Vacations for You & Your
Dog, USA; 2003-2004
Martin Management Books. $19.95
This guide offers an excellent selection of places
to vacation for every person, dog, and their budget.
Special descriptions list major recreational activities
in 50 States, plus hotel minimum rates and dog policies.
Choose among ranches, self-contained resorts, hotels
in big cities, or a vast array of smaller resorts, inns,
cabins, lodges, and motels. Included is a chapter on
dog camps, family camps, and forest and park information.
Pets Welcome
Nadine & Hugo Gerst
Four Paws Press, 2001. $16.95
With nearly three times more information than the
first edition, this travel guide is a great source for
finding the perfect accommodation for you and your pet.
Listings include motels, hotels, inns, and resorts with
current contact information, up-to-date pet policies,
and a brief description of each property.
petswelcome.com: The Complete Guide
to Traveling with Your Pet
Fred N. Grayson and Chris Kingsley
Howell Book House, 2001. $13.99
The internet’s comprehensive travel site (www.petswelcome.com)
has now brought to the printed page a convenient companion
book. Chapters include: Truly Cool Spots to Go with
Your Pet; Before You Leave Home; Where to Stay; When
You Have to Leave Your Pet During a Trip; Emergency
Veterinarians; Campsites, Beaches, Festivals, and Amusement
Parks.
Fodor’s Road Guide USA:
Where to Stay
With Your Pet
Andrea Arden and
Emmannuelle Morgan
Fodor’s Travel Publications, 2001. $12.60
Long-trusted guidebook company Fodor’s tackles
the question of where to find the most welcoming pet
accommodations. Covering 2,169 cities and towns in the
50 states, they have amassed a list of 5,219 places
that allow you and pooch to lay your head. Great effort
has been made to include listings for all budgets.
Traveling With Your Pet –
AAA PetBook, 5th Edition
AAA Publications, 2003. $11.17
You already depend on them for maps and roadside
assistance, so if you’re hitting the open road
with a furry friend in tow, why not depend on the Automobile
Club of America for pet-friendly recommendations? Over
10,000 AAA-rated lodgings in the US and Canada are listed
alphabetically by locale. Beyond the scope of where
to stay, this guidebook also lists the nation’s
off-leash parks, National parks and their pet rules,
and a helpful list of emergency animal clinics—just
in case.
The Well-Traveled Dog
Sandra Gurvis, TFH Publications, 2001. $12.95
Like humans, dogs love to travel and they relish
new scenery and car rides - especially when they’re
with their favorite people or families. The book covers
all aspects of the journey, from hiking back roads to
staying at luxury resorts. Along with helpful tips on
preparing for a trip and the basic rules of pet etiquette,
it provides useful information about pet-friendly destinations,
requirements for domestic and international travel,
keeping your dog healthy and happy while you’re
away from home, and helpful canine travel accessories.
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USA: REGIONAL
Dog-Friendly New England:
A Traveler’s Companion
Trisha Blanchet, Countryman Press, 2003. $18.95
The author has scoured six New England states with the
aid of trusty Sadie to locate establishments that don’t
just accept pets, but welcome them with open paws. Recommends
accommodations ranging from high-end hotels in Boston
and country B&Bs in Vermont, to campgrounds on the
coast of Maine and every level in between. Also lists
restaurants with outdoor service, dog-friendly bookstores,
historic sites, tourist attractions, hiking trails, and
dog parks.
The Dog Lover’s Companion to
the Bay Area:
The Inside Scoop On Where to Take Your Dog
Maria Goodavage, Avalon Travel Publishing, 2002. $17.95
This special breed of guidebook reveals all the
best places for you and your canine pal to “ruff”
it in San Francisco and beyond. Rating each site from
a pooch’s perspective on a one-to four-paw scale,
the authors and their furry assistants, George and Inu,
dig up the goods in the City by the Bay. The series
also includes: The Dog Lover’s Companion to California;
The Atlanta Dog Lover’s Companion; The Boston Dog
Lover’s Companion; The Florida Dog Lover’s
Companion; The Seattle Dog Lover’s Companion; and
The New York Dog Lover’s Companion.
Canine Colorado:
Where to Go and What to Do with Your Dog
Cindy Hirschfeld, Fulcrum Publishing, 2001. $17.95
In this revised and expanded edition, the author
and her faithful golden retriever, Clover, explore every
dog-related aspect of hiking, biking, skiing, camping,
and traveling throughout Colorado. Both resident and
visiting dog owners will appreciate the detailed information
on trails, activities, and accommodations, with such
categories as “Tail-Rated Trails” (outdoor
dog-oriented excursions); “Creature Comforts”
(accommodations that accept dogs); and “Worth a
Paws” (festivals and events for people and their
dogs).
On the Road Again With Man’s
Best Friend:
A Selective Guide to the West Coast and British Columbia’s
Bed and Breakfasts, Inns, Hotels and Resorts That Welcome
You and Your Dog
Dawn and Robert Habgood, Dawbert Press, 1999. $19.95
An extensive appendix of hundreds of dog-friendly
hotels, inns, houseboats, and dude ranches. Includes
web site information allowing travelers to preview many
of the hotels and inns before making a reservation.
The On the Road Again series features: The Southwest,
California, Northwest, New England, The West Coast,
Mid-Atlantic States, The South, and The Best of the
U.S.
INTERNATIONAL
TRAVEL
Globetrotting Pets: An International Travel Guide
David J. Forsythe, Island Publishing, 2003. $21.95
This unique book assists those travelers making
plans to travel overseas with their pets. Information
about preparing, traveling, and returning from over
230 countries is included. This is the only book to
list so many countries and the specific paperwork and
entry requirements for pets.
Traveling with Dogs
Dennis Kelsey-Wood, Nona Kilgore Bauer
Chelsea House Publishers, 1998. $19.95
For anyone even contemplating taking a trip with
a dog, this book is a must. It covers local, national,
and international travel, camping and RV, cruise, and
airline travel. It offers ideas on crating, items to
take along in the dog’s suitcase, emergency care
on the road, and how to properly identify your dog in
case of loss while traveling. Authors discuss travel
with hunting/field trial dogs and show dogs as well.
Travel with
Cats
Cats for Dummies
Gina Spadafori and Paul Pion
International Data Group, 2000. $19.99
This book includes everything you could possibly
want to know about kitties, including tips, techniques,
and suggestions. Choosing the cat who best fits your
lifestyle, understanding his quirks and behaviors, caring
for your feline friend, combating behavior problems
such as clawing, spraying, and avoiding the litter box,
and protecting your cat from common household dangers
are covered. There’s a chapter on travel tips and
safety with your cat. Also a similar book called “Dogs
for Dummies.”
Purr-fect Places to Stay: Bed &
Breakfasts, Country Inns, and Hotels with Resident Cats
Susan Bard Hall and Ken Amundson, Letters Etcetera,
1999. $15. (updates at www.petsetcetera.com)
A comprehensive directory of friendly country inns,
intimate bed & breakfasts, and luxury hotels who
appreciate and support travelers with a penchant for
feline company.
The Cat Who Covered the World:
The Adventures of Henrietta and
Her Foreign Correspondent
Christopher S. Wren, Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing
Group, 2000. $21.
In this travelogue, the über-analyst of international
politics details the real life of foreign affairs by
chronicling the adventures of his traveling cat, Henrietta.
Wren’s often hilarious and sometimes poignant account
of an American family’s adventures crisscrossing
the globe shows them coping with chaos in faraway places
— always with the help of their ever-resourceful
feline. The result is a charming tale about a spunky,
curious pet who is ranked among the world’s most
widely traveled cats.
HIKING AND
BACKPACKING
A Guide to Backpacking
With Your Dog
Charlene LaBelle, Alpine Publishers, 1992. $10.95
While over a decade old,
the valuable information in this book never goes out
of date. Includes information on dog’s health checkup,
signs of dehydration, paw hardening recipe, etc. Contains
basic factoids such as how much a dog can carry, how
much water to bring, proper tethers, dog booties, proper
trail etiquette, and NEVER leave your dog alone barking
at camp!
HOT OFF THE
PRESS
Shirley MacLaine – Out on a Leash
Atria Books, 2003. $23.95
Shirley MacLaine’s newest writing comes from
dual sources, herself and her terrier, Terry. Out on
a Leash is subtitled “Exploring the Nature of Reality
and Love” and is a look at the relationship between
the actress and her “fur-person.” In the introduction,
MacLaine describes the work, “This book is an account
of what Terry is teaching me now that I am taking time
to listen to her. Her thoughts as they come to me are
not articulated in English, but in a purer, more direct
form, in a language I call ‘humanimal.’”
The life lessons are told from both Shirley’s perspective
and in alternating sections “written” by Terry,
referring to MacLaine as her “Mistress Mother”
(MM). This book is a definite must for anyone who has
ever traveled with their pets in this life, or a previous
one.
[Updated:
April, 2008]
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On
the Road, A Mini Gay Film Fest