Summer is here, and that means summer vacation! However, if you’re a dog owner, you know all too well that the excitement of packing up for a fun summer trip can be tempered by the big, sad eyes of your canine companion who has to stay home or go to the kennel while you’re gone. Unless you’ve luckily found a wonderful pet sitter, have family or friends that are happy to have a canine couch-surfer, or have a wonderful boarding kennel that is a vacation for your dog in its own right, planning your own fun summertime adventures can have a bit of a downside. However, more and more places are becoming dog-friendly, so it is possible to plan a fun summer vacation that you can bring everyone on, including the dog! You might not be touring Paris for a week, but there are so many fun places that you can visit and include your dog in that you’ll be able to find something to suit everyone’s summer wish list.
Camping
Camping is one of the oldest, most pet-friendly vacations there is. Many national parks across the U.S. and Canada and beyond are pet-friendly, offering campsites, RV sites, and day activities such as hiking, fishing, swimming, and more that you can include your dog in. With many, dogs need to be leashed and with their owners. But if you look a bit harder, through sites such as www.petfriendlytravel.com , there are many parks and campgrounds that are very dog-friendly, offering leash free campsites, parks, trails and beaches for your pup to frolic on. Even Disney has a pet-friendly option; dogs are welcome at the Fort Wilderness Campground, and even offers Doggy Day Camp so you can still enjoy the parks!
Rent a cottage
Renting a private, pet-friendly cabin or cottage on a beautiful lake or in the woods can make for a relaxing, fun-filled vacation for the whole family. With the prevalence of rental sites such as www.airbnb.com, it’s easy to find rental properties for a weekend, week or longer that are pet-friendly. The privacy a rental property can afford you can make for a great getaway the whole family can enjoy. You can enjoy water and land activities on your own schedule without having to worry about finding pet-friendly parks or beaches.
Road-tripping
If your dog loves going for car rides, head stuck out the window, a cross-country road trip might be the best choice for your summer vacation. Along with dog-friendly campsites, more and more hotels are becoming dog-friendly. Sites like www.takeyourpet.com and www.petswelcome.com can help you find pet-friendly accommodations across North America. Others like www.bringfido.com can help you find hotels, dog parks, beaches, dog events and more in cities all over the world, along with helping you to find the most dog-friendly cities to visit.
Pet-centered resorts
Not only are many accommodations becoming pet-friendly, some are even becoming pet-centric! Hotels and resorts all over the world are starting to cater to canine guests, offering their own room-service menus, doggie spa and massages, on-site dog sitting, comfy dog beds, and more. Just because your idea of a good vacation is a luxurious, relaxing resort with fine dining and spa treatments doesn’t mean you have to leave your pooch at home, or that they can’t enjoy the same luxuries as you!
Pet adventure vacations
If your pup is the competitive type and loves the water check out www.dockdogs.com for a listing of dock diving events all over Canada and the U.S., or dogadventures.com.au/dockdogs-australia if you’re in Australia, for events that could make for a great, fun, summer destination for the whole family, giving your dog center stage. Dock jumping or diving is a fun, performance sport for dogs, where they compete in jumping for height, speed or distance, into bodies of water, with dogs of all sizes able to compete in various divisions.
There are so many options to choose from when looking for a vacation you can bring your four-legged friend on with you, you’re sure to find a summer vacation that is exactly the type of vacation you’re looking for, with the bonus of being able to take your dog. With any of these pet-friendly summer vacations, the whole family is sure to have a blast!