My Dog Has Got to Go

Traveling without your best four-legged friend happens most often to meet restrictions at destination locations, "No Pets Allowed.
" We have taken trips on many occasions to find the adventure did not bring the enjoyment anticipated.
Regardless of the wonderful surroundings couched with unique places to visit, the trip inevitably ends early due to missing and or worrying about our pet.
If you have read to this point and do not have that relationship with a dog that is surprising but also indicates, you probably should explore that side of life.
In our case, we have a full-grown seven pound Maltese.
The breed developed as personal companionship including travel.
Small, smart, easy to train (if done early) and deposed to use absorbent pads for relief of all body needs.
Dog walks done for fun not for release periods for the pet.
Our dog is Daisy Belle.
Daisy is a dog and as such prone to bark if frightened or teased.
Though the bark is not loud, it does disturb some non-dog appreciating folks.
That is a concern for us when we take her on trips.
Control of barking requires she knows that is not acceptable behavior.
Treats work better than threats in this education.
While that is a start she is still a dog and sometimes it is going to happen, bark, growl and all.
It is what dogs do.
Because our pet is small, we use a harness in lieu of a collar when walking.
A choke collar on a small pet is difficult to justify and not necessary.
It also can damage their trachea as this small breed is predisposed to collapsing trachea without inducement of a choking collar.
One advantage of a small pet is if things get out of hand pick them up.
Easy to do when the pet is seven pounds, not so easy if they are 80 pounds.
Staying at a condo, a rental home or hotel is little concern for a family with small animals as these pets take up little room, are well behaved by nature, leave a very small footprint in eating and disposal functions.
Normally dogs require a substantial amount of sleep time during the day.
Leaving them alone in the room for a period is no big decision as it allows time for important slumber by your pet.
Bottom line is this.
There are certain places you will not be able to travel with your pet.
In those cases you make the call, is that place worth what you will miss by leaving that family member home? Is another place just as much fun, probably more fun as you feel more relaxed, more complete, happier as you are not worrying about what is happening at home, at the kennel, at the vets? It took us a while to answer that question.
If the question still lingers with you, let it be answered naturally, one day it will no longer be a question, it will be an answer, "My Dog Has Got to Go.
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