[TV MAN]

Agree with Barefoot. La Quintas take pets. When we drove down we found the LaQuintas near our route and booked ahead. Never a problem and no pet charge which made it even better.
As some else mentioned be sure to have your dog on a leash BEFORE he /she gets out of car.

[ConnieNonnie]

I, too, traveled w/ 2 min pins from NY to TV. Never a
Problem. Harness always on, only had to attach leash
At stops. I put the back seats down and filled in gap
With soft suitcases,and of course blankets. FYI- exit 33
In Virginia has 24/7 Starbucks, gas, snacks, can walk pups,
Clean & safe.

[Mleeja]

We will drive with our Lab. In the SUV we will fold the back sets down and put her dog bed in. Also have her stuffed toy or something. Will stop every three hours or so. Drury Inns allows dogs.

Good luck!

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by TV MAN

Agree with Barefoot. La Quintas take pets. When we drove down we found the LaQuintas near our route and booked ahead. Never a problem and no pet charge which made it even better.
As some else mentioned be sure to have your dog on a leash BEFORE he /she gets out of car.

Good point, be sure to have your dog on a leash before you open the car doors.
We have tags made up with our cell phone number on one side, and "Reward - $500" on the other side. And our dogs are both microchipped.
If our dogs got lost in transit, we would both be devastated. We'd have to stay in that town until they were found.
Our dogs mean the world to us.

[Rickg]

You can go to ihg.com (holiday inn family hotels). Click "advanced search" below "find a hotel". Then click on "find hotels along a route", click on "dog friendly" and it will give you every hotel along the route that accepts pets.

[lanemb]

This is all good advice. We travel with two Shih-Tzus and have had experience with others. My first experience with medicating them was horrible so I would not do that until it looks like they need it. With two medicated it can make the feel like they are out of control and they may fight each other when they never have before. That was my bad experience. If they have been for rides with you before and did ok they will likely do well on the trip even though long.

[dodaneodwyer]

Originally Posted by deestatham

Like you, I'll be driving to TV with my older sheltie for about 2 days. Plan to talk with my vet about sedation and also plan to stop often to exercise her. Also have to find a motel that accepts dogs which I think is more acceptable in the south then it is here here in the north.

Drury Inns & La Quinta Inns are very dog friendly

[PattyCakes]

When we moved to The Villages in 2002, my mom and I drove from Carson City Nevada to The Villages with her dog Gizmo and my Boston Terrier Dixie. Both dogs were exceptionally well behaved and a joy to be around. We booked motels that were dog friendly...but usually for one dog. I remember walking through the lobby after Ma had checked us in with Dixie and I followed with Gizzy under my jacket....didn't realize his tail was waving behind us for all the world to see! We had a great time and a good laugh over it. Unless your dog has a carsick problem, he'll do just fine. Just give him/her breaks and the baby will sleep most of the way. Enjoy the journey!

[jojo]

Our dog gets carsick. She's great in the golf cart but even small distances in the car are a problem. Would appreciate suggestions.

[gomoho]

LaQuintas are the best. Please don't drug your dog unless it is absolutely necessary. I once drugged my Great Dane because he was terrified of fire works and ended up with a dog that peed all night where ever he was. Frequent stops are the key for you and your fur friends. We recently had to make two trips from northern Georgia to The Villages in 10 days and our fur kids did fine. FYI we stopped at the LaQuinta in Valdosta a few times and they are great. Ask for a room that faces the pool and you will be away from the noise of I75 and have a patio door to let your dog out for a quick trip to do their business. P.S. Outback delivers if you can't leave your fur kid alone.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Rickg

You can go to ihg.com (holiday inn family hotels). Click "advanced search" below "find a hotel". Then click on "find hotels along a route", click on "dog friendly" and it will give you every hotel along the route that accepts pets.

Please be aware that "pet friendly" doesn't mean that pets stay free.
I've contacted motels that portray themselves as pet friendly that charge $80 per pet per night, plus a deposit.

We usually stay at LaQuinta's - they allow two dogs to stay for free!

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by TV MAN

Agree with Barefoot. La Quintas take pets. When we drove down we found the LaQuintas near our route and booked ahead. Never a problem and no pet charge which made it even better.
As some else mentioned be sure to have your dog on a leash BEFORE he /she gets out of car.

La Quintas and Drury Inns allow two pets free. When we switched to them it was the first time in 7 years our Cockatiel was legal. Before then he was a stowaway in-room. Not paying $25 for a 7-ounce bird.

Even as puppies, our goldens would go 4 hours between stops. When we first got them we began tossing them in the car and taking them everywhere. By the time we left for the drive from MI to Key West, the second one was 11 weeks old and riding calmly in a soft crate. By the time we came back he was 45 lbs and had outgrown the crate but rode like a champ in the backseat.

Start early to get your dog acclimated to the car.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Rickg

You can go to ihg.com (holiday inn family hotels). Click "advanced search" below "find a hotel". Then click on "find hotels along a route", click on "dog friendly" and it will give you every hotel along the route that accepts pets.

Good to know, Rickg. Holiday Inns are nice because a lot of them have restaurants, and consequently room service. We don't like to leave our dog alone in the room (and the hotels don't want you to), so it's either someone goes for takeout, have pizza delivered, or be lucky enough to have room service.

Going back out after a long drive is a pain, and we don't like to eat pizza en route as it's too heavy. So the Holiday Inns with restaurants are a treat.

[Bonanza]

PLEASE . . . do NOT tranquilize your dog! 99% of the time, it isn't necessary. They will adapt and settle down.
You might want to stop every 4-5 hours to let them go to the bathroom and give them a drink.
We mostly had fast food because it was easier.

We travelled 2,700 miles with our dogs with no problem.
It's usually the humans who are anxious and not the dogs.
There is nothing better than an alert pet when you stop,
as opposed to one who has been drugged.

Please don't do it!!!

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by jojo

Our dog gets carsick. She's great in the golf cart but even small distances in the car are a problem. Would appreciate suggestions.

Withhold food and water for 12 hours before you leave. You might try to conditiion her with very short rides (5 minutes or so/around the block) often to get her used to it.
Give her a treat when you get back home.

I guess you know if all else fails, make sure you have a supply of paper towels, wet-wipes, and a plastic trash bag.
She might do better and feel more secure confined to a crate.