Pet Auto Safety

As a website owner, I am constantly bombarded with SEO marketers trying to get me to hire them. It is really annoying. But Visible.net took a different approach. They didn’t try to sell me services I didn’t need. They actually reviewed my website and pointed out a few issues. They even told me things I could do myself to fix them. But of course, they were hoping I’d hire them for something. Knowing my websites weaknesses, I gave in and hired them for things which I knew I could not do myself. One service I needed was a professional Pet Auto Safety.com video.

Here is the video they did and I must say I am extremely pleased. When I hired them I thought it would just be a slideshow with music and a bit of commentary. But the person who did my video took an extra step and filmed cars on the roadway. He even added a few other images which fit the theme. Every penny I paid Visible.net was worth it.

Watch and tell us what you think of our Pet Auto Safety.com commercial video.

According to DogFriendly.com, Chicago, Illinois is a great place for dogs to visit. There are a number of pet-friendly hotels and even a couple of pet-friendly guesthouses, such as the Guesthouse in Historic Oldtown. But your dog doesn’t have to stay in a hotel. Take him with you when you go sightseeing.

The Antique Coach and Carriage Company will take you and your dog on a scenic carriage ride through downtown Chicago. The Mercury Skyline Cruiseline has dog-friendly cruises on Sundays in the summer. You can also take the Paws Around Chicago taxi service to take your dog to all the pet-friendly places.

Several stores in Chicago are pet-friendly too. Take your dog to shop in PetSmart, Petco, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, The Down Town Dog, Uncle Dan’s, Bloomingdale’s, and more. DogFriendly.com also lists almost 50 restaurants in Chicago which allow dogs. So shop and stop for lunch.

Take your dog to visit the Navy Pier. Your dog is allowed in most of the outdoor areas, but not the indoor areas. Your dog is also allowed in the Shakespeare Garden at Northwestern University. Or take your dog to Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park (pictured above). My Labrador Maya would love that! Dogs must be on a leash, though. And you must pick up after them.

Want to just chill for the evening, maybe play some pool? Take your dog to Of Mutts and Men. According to DogFriendly.com, this place charges $3 per dog and your dog can roam around inside for free while you watch TV, play pool, play chess, or just relax and read with a cup of coffee. There is also a practice ring so you can play or work directly with your dog in a secluded area.

The Chicago area also has a number of dog parks and dog beaches. Montrose Harbor Dog Beach is one such place where your dog can swim Lake Michigan. Please note that a permit may be required for your dog to play in the dog parks or beaches. Call the city of Chicago to get this permit in advance. You must also be able to furnish your dog’s proof of vaccinations.

If you are going on vacation this spring or summer, consider taking your dog and visiting the pet-friendly Chicago. Find out more places to visit and more information on DogFriendly.com. And don’t forget to have your dog wear a dog seat belt or other pet travel safety device.

Spring is almost here! Since the grass is turning green again, flowers are blooming, and the air is warming up, it is a great time to go on vacation. If you want to take your dog, get ideas of some pet friendly cities you can visit from DogFriendly.com – “Doggone Fun! DogFriendly.com’s 2011 Top 10 Dog-Friendly Cities to Visit In the U.S.”

The ten cities listed are Portland, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; San Diego, California; Seattle, Washington; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Austin, Texas; Alexandria & Washington D.C.; New York, New York; and Indianapolis, Indiana. Of these ten places, we have visited two. Check out our previous articles by clicking on Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas.

If you are thinking of other pet travel destinations, DogFriendly.com is a great website resource to check out. They list several pet friendly accommodations, veterinarians, dog parks, pet friendly shops, and pet friendly tourist attractions in various places all over the United States. They also have listings in Canada, Europe, and all over the world.

Do you live in a great dog friendly city? Feel free to share your experience here! 

AAA has done a pet travel safety survey in conjunction with Kurgo pet products. Since we sell Kurgo’s products, we decided to share the interesting pet travel safety information with you. This survey was done by interviewing 1,000 dog owners who travel with their pets.

But first, let’s share some scientific study information regarding unrestrained pets in the car. A dog weighing 10 pounds will exert about 500 pounds of force in a 50 mph car accident. Likewise, an 80 pound dog will exert about 2,400 pounds of force in a 30 mph car accident. Knowing this information, why do only 160 people out of the 1,000 asked use some form of pet restraint for their dogs in the car?

According to the pet travel safety survey conducted by AAA, about 42% of the 840 people who do not use a pet restraint said they didn’t think their dog needed a pet restraint since they were calm in the car. 39% said that they never considered a pet restraint for their dog. 29% of the people said they didn’t think their dog would need it since they only go on short trips. And the remaining people said they wanted to let their dog put their head out the window, a restraint is too much trouble, they want their dog to have fun in the car, or they want to be able to hold their dog.

About 560 of these same 1,000 people said they travel with their dog at least once per month. And approximately 290 of them admitted that their pets were sometimes a distraction in the car. With a pet restraint, your dog is less likely to be a distraction and he will be less likely to become a dangerous projectile. The various pet restraint types to consider are dog car harnesses, secured pet travel crate, car seat for dogs, and pet barriers.

This is just a small sample of the information gathered in the pet travel safety survey conducted by AAA. For more information, visit the AAA Newsroom.

I have always wanted to go to Branson, Missouri for the winter holidays. Silver Dollar City has a great Christmas festival. The problem with visiting Branson, Missouri is that there are not many dog friendly places for tourists to visit, especially in winter. If we go the Branson, Missouri for the Christmas festival, Maya will not be able to go.

Maya can, however, stay in a dog friendly hotel. There are a number of dog friendly hotels in Branson, Missouri. I can always count on the Red Roof Inn allowing Maya to stay. Days Inn, Quality Inn, and La Quinta are also usually dog friendly.

There is an especially nice dog friendly place to stay, the Emory Creek Victorian Bed & Breakfast and Gift Shop. This bed and breakfast also has a special pet friendly room called the Dogwood Room (pictured above). It has its own private porch and overlooks the gardens. Talk about a pampered pup!

Since it is winter, there won’t be many outdoor activities anyway so Maya will be perfectly comfortable in a hotel room for a while. We can still take Maya for walk. And we can even take her walking at the Shoppes at Branson Meadows. Maya probably won’t be allowed in any of the stores, but she will be allowed in the common areas of the mall.

Also near the mall is a Humane Society Thrift Store. It is a thrift store like any other thrift store with clothes, furniture, etc. for people. But it benefits the humane society.

I can also take Maya with me to the Stone Hill Winery. She’s not allowed inside but she can be on the patio while I taste test a glass of hot mulled Hermannsberger wine.

I wish there were more dog friendly places to go in Branson, Missouri but this will have to do. At least there are a number of pet friendly hotels and Maya won’t be completely bored.

No words, just whining.

Maya does this for at leat the first 15 minutes of every trip! And see how much she moves around? She is wearing a dog car harness for safety but it allows her some ability to move around. Imagin what she would be like in the car without her dog car harness.

Blog Hop for Wordless Wednesday to see other great dog photos.

Anyone have trouble getting their dog to get in the car? This is a great video by the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan. I agree with most of it but I am not too sure about how he pulled the dog into the car in the beginning of the video. The step up was a good idea and so was the refreshing blanket. I also agree that it is a matter of trust, not respect.

But rather than force her into the car, would it have been better to help her associate the car with good things first rather than force her in? Perhaps if they sat on the edge and coaxed the dog in with treats and the ‘kissy’ voice? Or if they went inside and called the dog in? If the dog only put his front paws up, then give treat and praise lavishly. After several successful trials, move the treat further back and eventually work up to get the dog to come all the way in. Any thoughts?

If ever I get a chance to visit Florida, I’d like to travel with my dogs to Tampa Bay, Florida.  There is so much to do here, and not just for you… Your dogs can come and enjoy too!!!

There are more hotels which allow dogs in Tampa Bay, Florida than you can shake a stick at!  La Quinta, Holiday Inn, Hilton, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Ramada, Red Roof Inn, Sheraton Hotel, are just a few of the pet friendly hotels.  If you want to stay in a resort, guess what?  There are plenty of pet friendly resorts as well, and even RV parks and campgrounds.

There are a few great pet-friendly state parks including Honeymoon Island State Park, Oscar Scherer State Park, and Caladesi Island State Park.  Other pet friendly parks include Flatwoods Wilderness Park, Lake Park, and more.

Take your dog and visit the Florida Botanical Gardens or the Heritage Village.  Dogs on leashes are allowed in the outdoor areas.  You can visit Adventure Island and Busch Gardens, but dogs aren’t allowed inside the parks.  But if you don’t want to leave your dog in the hotel or RV, these places have a temperature-controlled kennel where your dog can stay for a very small fee.

Dogs are allowed in the common areas of Hyde Park Village shopping center.  Many stores will allow dogs inside and a few even have water bowls ready for your pet.  There is even a Block Pawty in September at this location!

Check out the fenced in dog park on the beach at Davis Island Dog Park.  I think my dog Maya would love to play on beach!  There are a number of other dog parks in the Tampa Bay, Florida area including Mango Dog Park, Walsingham Park Paw Playground, Enterprise Dog Park, Sand Key Park Paw Playground, and more.

There are so many outdoor restaurants which allow dogs that we just don’t have enough room on this blog to list them all.  To find out more information about the pet friendly locations in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, visit DogFriendly.com.  If you drive to Tampa Bay, be sure your dog is safely restrained in a dog car harness or car seat for dogs.  Don’t forget, DogFriendly.com has lots of other great dog travel destinations.

This is where I want to take my next vacation.  After checking around a bit for attractions in Colorado Springs, I found a lot of pet friendly places.  Now, Sephi and Maya can come too!

With so many pet friendly hotels in the nation, it will be easy for us to find a place to stay.  Best Western, La Quinta Inn, and Holiday Inn are just a few of the pet friendly hotels.  There are even pet friendly vacation rentals in Colorado Springs.  Check out VacationHomeRentals.com.

One such vacation rental is near the Garden of the Gods Park.  Garden of the Gods Park is a registered National Natural Landmark.  This is a scenic area with towering red rock formations (see photo above).  And guess what?  It is dog friendly too.  The park even has an off-leash area for your dog.  Check out GardenofGods.com for more information.

Other pet friendly attractions in Colorado Springs includes the Ghost Town Wild West Museum, Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Seven Falls, Manitou Cliff Dwellings Museum, and more!  There are even some outdoor restaurants in Colorado Springs which will allow pets.

We are really excited about our trip.  We all love the outdoors.  It is a bit of a drive (9 hours), but thanks to the Extend-a-Seat and Sephi and Maya’s dog car harness, it will be a comfortable trip for all.

When it is time to take a family vacation, don’t forget your pets.  If you’re travelling too far, leave your pets with a friend, a good boarding kennel, or hire a pet sitter.  But if your destination is a drive away, take your dog with you when you travel.  Here are some great reasons why:

Pet Friendly Hotels
Numerous pet friendly hotels make it easy.  Hotels all over the United States are opening their rooms to people traveling with their pets.  Some charge a nominal fee, some no fee at all.  And many have no restrictions on size or breed.

No Worries
There is no need to worry about whether your dog is being taken care of by your friend, the boarding kennel, or pet sitter.  If your dog travels with you, there will be no need to call anyone to see how your dog is doing.  You can enjoy your vacation together.

No Separation Anxiety or Depression
Your pet being left along for long hours waiting for your friend or pet sitter to come by can be a very depressing situation for your dog.  Some dogs get severe separation anxiety and tear things up.  Boarding kennels can be very stressful to your dog with all the barking going on and the strange smells and strange people.  If your dog travels with you, you will not need to worry about your dog having separation anxiety issues or going into depression.

Easy-going Companion
At least one of your traveling companions will not complain and be willing to do anything and go anywhere you want to go.  If you want to relax by the beach, your buddy is there.  If you want to go hiking or swimming, your dog will most likely want to go too.  If you ever get bored on your vacation, just take a look at your dog.  He is enjoying all the simple pleasures whether it is just taking a nap, enjoying the special time with family, or sniffing the fresh air and seeing the new sights.

Traveling with your dog can sometimes be a chore.  Some dogs don’t do well in the car.  But there are plenty of remedies to help.  Be sure he is secure in a dog car seatbelt or other dog car safety product.  If your dog tends to get car sick, be sure he has a good view out the window.  Small dogs can see out and be secure in a pet car seat.  And the more you take your dog with you when you travel, the more he will get used to it and look forward to more vacations!