Traveling With Your Pet Made Easy

Today, owners don’t need to change their plans in order to bring their pets along. Many short term rentals, 5-star hotels, and even lovely bed-and-breakfast properties offer pet accommodations often at no additional cost. With all these options available, next you go on vacation you may want to bring pets. We wanted to make you aware of some hotels that offer your pets the luxury and fun that you enjoy when traveling.

Top 10 pet friendly hotels across the US:

1. Canopy by Hilton Washington DC – This DC hotel sits along the wharf and offers pet owners a welcome package with treats, a ball, and a guidebook to showcase dog-friendly places in Washington. Your room key alerts housekeeping when your dog is in the room so they won't disturb his nap. The stunning location is perfect for long walks along the water. Best of all, there is no additional pet charge. 2. Equinox hotel Chicago – This hotel is an extension of Equinox gym and offers exceptional amenities for all your fitness needs: a massive gym including a snack bar and spa. These rooms are all soundproofed so you and your pet's sleep or nap won’t be disturbed. 3. Aloft Hotel Philadelphia – This modern hotel welcomes all dogs and includes a bowl of dog treats with their stay. This hotel is in a prime location with a nearby dog park and close to dog-friendly restaurants. 4. SoHo Grand Hotel New York City – If you are looking for a luxury experience, this hotel is the perfect option that includes a private dog park, complimentary organic treats, food, and water bowls. 5. Wine Country Inn and Cottages Napa Valley – This Inn welcomes pets under 30 pounds. It has a fee of $100 per pet. Napa doesn’t offer many pet-friendly options, but the breakfast and walking trails make this place a great option. 6. Paséa Hotel & Spa Huntington Beach – Not only is this hotel pet friendly, but so is the town. Paséa offers the Paw-séa Pet Package, which offers three hours of pet sitting and doggie spa treatment, toys, a leash, and bowls. The hotel has its own dog park and the beach in Huntington Beach is dog friendly. 7. Four Seasons Resort Orlando – In the heart of the amusement capital of the United States, the Four Seasons offers a pet-friendly stay at no additional cost to the pet owner. At check-in your pet will receive complimentary treats, a bed, and a water bowl. They also have a list of doggy daycare facilities that you can contact, should you want to spend the day at one of the amusement parks. 8. InterContinental Hotel Austin – The interior architectural details of this hotel alone are worth the visit. This hotel has a pet weight limit of 60 pounds and there is an additional cleaning fee. The location of this hotel is in the heart of downtown Austin which offers miles of window shopping with you and your pet. 9. 21C Museum Hotel Nashville – This property offers a music-themed stay and there is no additional fee for pets. Several local restaurants that offer complimentary entertainment offer outside seating so you and your pet can enjoy the music together. 10. Kimpton Hotel Denver – This hotel offers a luxury option for you and your pet at no room charge. Treats, and a dog bed is offered in each room, and dogs are invited to the daily complinentary happy hour.

It is important to remember that when researching hotels that some do not permit you to leave your pet unattended in your room. Many of these hotels offer assistance in finding restaurants, dog parks, walking trails, and doggy daycare facilities. It is recommended that you research and reserve any daycare facilities beforehand.

Here is a list of items that you should bring when traveling with your pet:

• Leash

• Collar with tag or cell phone number

• Blanket or bed

• Food

• Water and refillable water bottle

• Food and water bowl

• Toys and chew Items

• All medication and supplements

• Brush

• Puppy pads or disposable litter box

• Waste removal bags

• Old towels and disinfectant sprays

• Pet first aid kit

• Vaccination records

• Treats

Traveling can be an exciting and now easier experience for you and your pet. Enjoy!

Hearing Fireworks? What You Can Do Today To Calm Your Pet

During the first week in July, all across the US, cats and dogs run away, hoping to never

hear and see those flashes and loud sounds again. They hate, loath, and disdain this

day. It’s a fun event for humans but hated by pets. There are a few solutions that will keep

your pet safe and hopefully a bit calmer.

SOLUTIONS:

1) Five to seven days before the 4th of July, provide a Safe spot for your pet to hide. This

can be a bed with blankets in a corner of a dark room, a crate in a bathroom or laundry

room covered with blankets, even under the bed. Make this Safe spot inviting by adding

a favored bed, blankets and spray lavender on stuffed animals. Introduce this area with treats several times a day so your pet will remember. Say “Let’s go to the Safe spot!” or “Safe spot” in a gentle reassuring voice and always with a smile. They will eventually understand if you are consistent. Make sure the curtains and blinds are closed in this room but always leave a light on so the pet will not see the flashes of fireworks.

2) Introduce CBD and other medications at least 5-7 days before the 4th of July.

Purchase CBD not from a big box store but from a reputable location online or in person

that specializes in pets. Many stores do not have quality control measures in place to

make sure that what you see online is what is delivered. Veterinarians

may not be able to answer your specific questions regarding dosage, or side effects

therefore purchase this product from a store that has access to veterinary professionals.

Many pet owners do not realize that lethargy is very common during the first week of

CBD administration. This can be frightening to the pet owner. It is perfectly safe and all

side effects should be provided to you when you receive the product.

3) A few days before the 4th of July, implement a practice run. Start the day with calm

music. Although your kids will be excited, their yelling is not calming to your pet. Make

sure the noise level inside the house is low and calming. Administer the CBD, place the

pet in the Safe spot and reassure the pet with soft a voice. Have a radio with classical

music in the room and place a water bowl next to the ‘Safe spot’ so your pet doesn't need to

venture out. This practice run is for the pet, so they feel more at ease with this routine on

July 4th. In addition, keep a few towels on the floor near the Safe spot in case they

understandably don’t want to use the doggy door.

A few more pearls of info: according to a 2015 poll taken by the Applied Animal

Behavior Science journal, which took into account 5,000 dog and cat owners:

• Dogs and cats are more afraid of fireworks than they are of gunshots.

• 20 percent of them showed “strong or very strong signs of being fearful” during fireworks and only 14% to gunshots.   

• Fear of loud noises increases with age. 

• Of the animals observed, 6 percent were injured on the 4th of July due to jumping out of windows and running into the street.

Exhibiting signs of fear can mean a wide range of things for different pets. For some, it

is shown through barking, pacing, scratching furniture, licking, and shaking. Some scared pets will bite pet owners. This behavior is 100% instinctual therefore keeping young children, friends and other family members away from the pets face during these interactions is very important. If pets want to cuddle let them approach you and keep your face away from their face. Loud fireworks can cause unexpected defecation, vocalization, urination, salivation, trembling, unfocused motor activity, and random destruction. It can take up to 4 hours for the body to return to normal after the threat is gone, which is why so many dogs continue to pant and panic after the fireworks end. Pets with heart disease have been known to experience heart attacks. These pets should not take CBD but instead discuss this concern with a veterinarian.

For specific concerns regarding CBD and your pet, go to the Learn about CBD section at WildLifeRx.com or leave your questions at hello@WildLifeRx.com. Questions will be

answered by a Licensed Veterinary Technician.

On the 4th of July, you’ve got this! Your pet and house are prepped. You pet will be scared but if you have done many of the suggestions, they will be considerably less.

Q and A with Celebrity Dog Behaviorist David Utter 5-3-21

Welcome to the Speaker series at WildLifeRx.

David Utter is busy. He runs a camp for aggressive dogs, trains dogs for the Southern CA Orange Country Police department and works with dogs who have entered the United States via Bunnies Buddies a rescue organization that rescues dogs from the meat market industry in Korea. He is more that eager to share his knowledge so when we had the opportunity to interview him, we did. David is a Master Aggressive Dog Behaviorist who tackles the behavior of aggressive dogs. He will help pet parents with their dogs at every stage of the pet ownership journey but he is a master at specifically working with those that show aggressive tendencies.

Question (Q): What is the name of your business and how can people locate you.

David (D): Dog Evolution is located in Tustin CA but I train all over the United States. Send me an email which can be found on the Dog Evolution website.

Q: Why is so difficult to train dogs?

D: Most pet owners give up or give in well before the dog has understood what is expected of them. In addition, pet owners aren’t consistent as they should be. If the owner is confident and consistent, the dog will eventually want to please them. It takes repetition but this can be achieved with nearly every dog regardless of their age or current behavior.

Q: Tell me about the camps you have?

D: Most of the camps I have are day camps that do not first involve the owner. After I assess the dog to determine their level of understanding, I work on establishing respect, teach rules and challenge those rules until the dogs understand what is expected of them 100% of the time. This is done at my facility and the dogs live there. Once this is established, the owners come and work with me for 3-4 days.

Q: Do you work with dogs deemed aggressive by the county.

D: Yes. After a rescue organizations has pulled the dog from the shelter, the organization will contact me.

Q: Besides consistency, what else should owners do to make sure that the dog continues with what they've learned.

D: In addition to at home training, many owners will schedule follow up at home visits with me 1-2 times a year. I will work with the dog and the owner in their own environment and in environments where there might be issues such as dog parks or around unfamiliar people. I have found that by doing this, aggressive dogs rarely revert to previous behaviors.

Q: Any last minute tips?

D: First, the training of expectations should begin the first day of bringing a new dog into the house. That way the dog is not confused and knows what they can and can not do. Also spaying and neutering the dog will substantially decrease the maternal and territorial drive which often causes aggressive behavior. It is considerably less expensive to do this then to spend the money paying someone like me to fix the dogs already aggressive behavior. Training learned behavior on a non-aggressive dog is substantially less expensive than training the brain of a dog that is already aggressive.