12 Best Places to Take a Dog on Vacation
With summer just around the corner, it’s time for ice cream, outdoor barbecues, and perhaps the best part of the hot season, vacation. Vacations are a great way to unwind, relax and recharge your body for the days ahead. But, as a dog parent, it’s always good to go on vacation with your four-legged family member.
While taking your pup to a local dog kennel is a great idea for a day trip, you may want your dog to be involved in a week-long vacation. So, what are your options? Which places allow dogs and which ones don’t? In this review, we’ll look at several of the best places to take a dog on vacation. But first, let’s look at how to prepare when going on vacation with your dog.
How to Prepare When Going on Vacation With Your Dog
Once you settle on some of the best places to take on a dog on vacation, there are a couple of measures you need to take to ensure your dog is comfortable and happy:
Consider How Your Dog Will Travel
Mobile storage that’s large enough for your dog can ensure comfortability if you want to get a mobile storage unit to travel with.
Ready Your Dog’s Medication
A couple of days before you leave, ensure you take your dog to your local vet clinic for a check-up; you don’t want to have to call an emergency veterinary service while on vacation. If your dog is on medication, ensure you take them with you.
Gather Your Dog’s Belongings
It’s also crucial that you gather all of your dog’s belongings before you embark on a journey to some of the best places to take a dog on vacation.
These belongings include food, toys, and treats. Dog food is a must, especially if you’re going camping, because you might not get a place to stock up.
It’s wise to ensure you have enough treats to last the entire journey to your vacation destination dogs get hungry during trips but treats and toys help keep them busy.
Now, let’s review the best places to take your dog for a day trip or a week-long vacation!
Hike in a Unique Area
Even if you’re not the outdoorsy kind, pets like to go for long walks, so consider embarking on a hiking experience with your furry companion.
A hiking trail is one best places to take a dog on vacation because of the surrounding scenery. It’s also a nice change from the indoors and a good way for you and your dog to bond.<
But you must ensure you have a leash because you might meet people along the way or other pets your dog isn’t accustomed to.
Travel to a Historical Town
Historical towns are some of the best places to take a dog on vacation. Since you’re spending most of your time walking and checking the building from outside, the issue of pets not being allowed doesn’t usually come up. If you want to check out the interior of an old building, ask if pets are allowed; if not, you can leave your dog with a friend outside and take turns going in.
Tip: Check online to find pet-friendly historical towns; you’ll come across websites such as walkli.com, which help you search for the city you’re visiting. You can even send an itinerary to your email comprising points of interest.
Visit Cool Parks
This might sound like a funny suggestion for a vacation, considering most people do it regularly. But for instance, if you live in New York, going for a walk every day in Central Park isn’t the same as going for a walk in Greenwich Park if you’re vacationing in London.
Along the way, you can check out the historical monuments and explore beautiful gardens; ensure your dog has a leash on you don’t want them running off into people’s yards and triggering their sprinkler systems.
Tip: Ensure you double-check the park rules in your vacation destination. Some parks don’t allow dogs. In contrast, some parks are very pet-friendly to the point that you can take your dog off its leash at certain hours of the day.
Try Out a Festival in a One-of-a-Kind City
One of the best places to take a dog on vacation is a festival in a unique city.
While in the streets, you can explore local street art as your dog takes strolls around the streets. Streets are also great opportunities to take photos of your dog just strolling around. Also, in isolated streets, you’re likely to come across hippie cafes and bars that are pet-friendly, and you can get your dog their favorite ice cream or burger as you catch up on remote work.
Visit an Outdoor Market
While on vacation, consider taking your dog to outdoor markets. This is one of the best places to take a dog on vacation because it’s outdoors, and there is a high chance that your dog will bump into other pets owned by other visitors.
Ensure you put your dog on a leash as you stroll around the market, and don’t forget to carry a doggie water bottle and poop baggie. The downside of visiting an outdoor market is that it can get crowded, so you might have to carry your dog, so they don’t get lost.
You can check the timetable of the location you want to visit and know when it’s crowded so that you avoid that. Also, ensure you ask if the outdoor market allows pets; some don’t allow dogs, particularly those that sell fresh meats.
Go to a Dog Festival
Since there are festivals for humans, it’s only fair if there are festivals for dogs, too, right? After all, dogs love to play and enjoy themselves outdoors. So when looking for one of the best places to take a dog on vacation, consider dog festivals.
You can expect fun-filled activities, amazing demonstrations, and obstacles for your fur baby to participate. Also, dog festivals connect dog owners with dog food brands and care specialists to help you care for your dog even better.
Some of the best dog festivals include Bark in the Park, hosted in cities around the world such as Chicago, London, etc. Remember to bring a doggy poo bag and a water bottle.
Go Swimming Somewhere Unique
If you’re waiting on pool renovations at home, you may not be able to let your dog swim at home. If this is the case, take your dog to a great vacation spot that includes a pool, ocean, lake, or river. Virtually all dogs love to swim just as much as humans do.
Of course, if it’s your dog’s first time, you might have to entice them with treats to get them inside the water, but after the first couple of attempts, they’ll be rearing to take a dip in the pool. In fact, you might have a problem getting them out when it’s time to leave. Also, if your dog isn’t open to the idea of a full-on swim, you can take them to a kiddie pool. Kiddie pools are safe because they are shallow, so they won’t intimidate your pet, and they can get wet and cool off without stress.
Book a Lake Rental for Nightly Boat Rides, Kayaking, and More
Going to a lake for kayaking is another good way to enjoy the water with your dog. Just ensure that both you and your dog can swim. Also, both of you should wear life vests; yes, if you didn’t know, there are life jackets for pets.
Also, when visiting water bodies while on vacation, you can go paddle boarding with your dog. In fact, you might realize that your dog is better at this water sport than you are. Perhaps it’s because they have four feet as opposed to two.
Just like kayaking, taking your dog on boat rides is a lot of fun. Just grab some life jackets and treats to distract your dog, so they don’t jump into the water. Be sure to check with the authorities whether they allow dogs on boats when you book your lake rental!
Go on a National Park Tour
Most national parks are pet friendly as long as they’re on a leash not exceeding two meters in length at all times. But you should check the national park’s rules on their website to see if they allow pets just to be on the safe side.
There are several reasons why your dog should be on a leash in a national park, but the main one is to protect your dog as well as the park animals. To avoid issues, uphold proper park etiquette, such as the right-of-way.
If you want to trek, ensure it’s safe before you and your dog embark on the trail, and remember to bring a poop bag and water bottle. Also, if you’re driving there, check the weather because if it’s muddy and you don’t have a windshield wiper kit, you might be in trouble.
Schedule a Camping Trip
Camping is another great place to take a dog on vacation because it’s outdoors. Just ensure the campsite you plan on going to is a pet-friendly camping ground.
Virtually all government-owned camping grounds allow dogs as long as they’re on a leash at all times or restrained in some other way. But it’s always good to check with the ground authorities.
Also, remember to bring essentials such as food, water, toys, and treats for your dog. Note that since camping grounds are situated outdoors, there isn’t any residential pest control, so you also need to bring bug repellent and portable fences to keep out insects.
Your dog will enjoy camping because they get to sit around the campfire, stretch their legs running around the camping ground, and cozy up with you at night in a hammock or tent.
Go on a Fishing Trip
You can also take your dog on a fishing trip! Be sure to book a cabin rental with a secure patio door so you pup can’t get out and get muddy in the water without your knowledge! In fact, your dog might catch fish before you do when they jump inside the water. In the process, they might scare away the fish you’re trying to catch, but it’s no problem as long as they enjoy the trip.
Dogs love running, so it will be a chance for you to bond if you take runs each morning on your fishing trip before your day of fishing begins.
Ever since your dog was small, you might have realized how much they love to run, so put them on a leash to protect them from vehicles and enjoy jogging around your vacation destination. Also, remember you must have a poop bag and water bottle for your dog.
Visit Backpacking Trails
Backpacking is a blend between backcountry camping and hiking; it’s an experience above what you get when you go camping or hiking with your vehicle. Since you’ll be outdoors, you can go on a backpacking trail with your dog but remember your dog needs to be fit for such an exercise because it’s pretty intensive.
Check with authorities if pets are allowed on backpacking trails and know how to provide first aid in case you or your dog sprain something. On backpacking trails, you don’t need poo bags, but you need to bring a lot of water for you and your dog.
Regardless of where you want to go on vacation, you can take your dog with you. After all, aren’t dogs considered man’s best friend? You can take your dog on vacation in plenty of places, from backpacking trails and camping sites to hiking in national parks and visiting outdoor markets. Just confirm beforehand that the location allows pets.