Follow these quick tips to ensure a smooth, stress-free stay with your furry friend.
When traveling, getting lost in the relaxation of it all is easy. But, with pets in tow, you should always respect the rental you’re in. This goes for all rentals, especially those where you, the renter, get a rating. After all, establishing a solid relationship can help ensure you’re allowed back. Plus, being a good pet owner can encourage rental owners to continue allowing pets in bookings.
We always talk about how being prepared as a pet parent is the best, which is even more necessary when traveling. Make sure you know who to turn to when it comes to your pet—whether it’s an emergency or not. Know the name, addresses, and contact information for the emergency vet, regular vet, groomers, etc. where you’ll be visiting. You never know when you’ll need their services. Luckily there are directories to find local vets and groomers, but we recommend doing your own research to know which is closest/best for your pet relative to the location of your rental.
👉 In general, you should have your pet’s records handy in digital form, especially when vacationing with them. Also, be aware of any required health certificates and ensure your pet is up to date on all needed vaccinations.
In general you should keep any rental clean, but being tidy during your stay is more so important when there are pets involved. With hefty pet fees and fines for damages, you want to clean up any spills or accidents promptly and with haste to ensure you don’t leave any stains.
Beyond this, you should tidy up the space as often as possible so the task doesn’t seem as daunting come check out day.
🚨If your rental has hardwood floors, pay attention! You do not want to use chemicals like vinegar or baking soda on them, and leaving any standing moisture on them can cause cracks in the wood. Always triple-check that the cleaner you use to tackle a mess is hardwood floor safe. If you do cause damage, don’t hide it. Let your rental owner know immediately.
Rental owners have the rules they have for a reason. Observing them is essential to being a good guest and making sure that the host continues to let pets in their rental. This usually includes things like breed restrictions, weight limits, and the number of pets that you can have on the property at a given time. However, there are also some other rules that owners can make based on their location. For example, owners in Death Valley, California may caution renters of the wildlife that lives around the property and the risk it poses to pets.
Others may note that their backyard fence has gaps in it, which pets can slip through if not kept on a leash.
Others still may have pet restrictions concerning the number of pets, size, and breed.
Two-way communication ensures that your rental stay goes smoothly, and that starts before you even get there. If you have anything you need to share with the rental owner ahead of time about your dog—potty training, special needs, a puppy who might howl, etc.—you should do so.
While there, any damage should be communicated, not hidden. So if your pet accidentally knocks over a lamp or scratches the couch, tell the rental owner as soon as you realize. But, not every little incident needs to be shared, so we have a table to help you understand when to reach out.
👉 Invest in pet insurance ahead of time so you’re covered in the event of an emergency and understand your liability as a pet owner.
More and more places are pet-friendly, so when on vacation take advantage of that and bring your pet with you. Vacationing with your pet can be great, but leaving them at the rental for long periods of time may increase their stress levels and thus, increase the likelihood of any damages occurring.
As best you can, maintaining a routine when traveling with your pet can keep them calm and make your trip pleasant rather than filled with anxiety and fear of the unknown.
“Keep things as routine as possible so as to provide less confusion, stress, and anxiety for the pets. It’s really important that pets that are closely attached to their family members interact more "as usual" to make things easier. Playtime is important similarly to playing with children to keep them relaxed and feel needed.” - Dr. Bruce Armstrong
Unfortunately, not all pets are well suited to travel and even the ones who are might have trouble with being left alone in unfamiliar places for long periods of time. It can be difficult to determine ahead of time if your pet is one of those that needs that extra attention, but we have a few things to look out for when making that determination.
“Pets that tend to be calm, well-socialized, trained, and that readily accept changes in housing, travel, and environment beforehand will be more ideal for these situations.” - Dr. Bruce Armstrong
As we mentioned before, try keeping your rental as tidy as possible throughout your trip to lessen the cleaning burden on your final night. As always, make sure you follow the check-out cleaning tasks but go above and beyond to earn that great rating.
Being a good guest has positive benefits that go beyond your visit. Each time you take your pet to a pet-friendly rental, your actions help determine whether the owner continues to rent to other pet parents. Use that responsibility wisely!
Plan ahead of time. That means getting them a health check-up, researching travel requirements, and having their health information on hand. After that, you’ll want to keep them on their normal schedule as much as possible and take regular breaks to help them manage their anxiety.
There are a ton of them, but you might be thinking of BringFido!
You should ask your vet for your pet’s rabies vaccination certificate.
Yes! You can take pictures as long as it's clearly legible and has all the necessary information, including your vet's signature and contact info.
It starts with maintaining their routine. Feed them, take them out, and play with them around the same time you would at home and bring familiar, comfortable items they know and love like toys, bedding, etc.
