
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, August 27, 1995                   TAG: 9508280108
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV16   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: JILL BOWEN
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TIPS ON MAKING TRAVEL PLEASANT FOR POODLE, OWNERS

Q: As my husband is retiring from a state university, we thought we would like to take a holiday trip around the United States. We would like to take our miniature poodle with us. Do you have information on what we need to do to make the journey both safe and comfortable for our dog? Do you have any tips for us on how we might achieve this, please?

A: Six out of 10 owners now travel with their pets, according to a recent survey. To cater to this growing need, a number of pet resorts, pet camps, and bed and breakfasts have opened specifically to serve travelers with pets.

Before checking into any hotel, a few tips can make your stay relatively hassle free:

Tell the hotel management you have a pet when you check in so that they can warn the cleaning staff.

Keep your dog away from public areas, find out where the hotel would like you to walk your pet, and be sure to poop scoop.

Very important - don't leave your dog in a room alone. If it becomes disoriented, it may damage the furniture and disturb other guests by barking continuously.

Plan in advance where your pet will sleep. Bring some familiar bedding. Do not let your pet sleep on hotel furniture or bedding. If your pet must share your bed, bring a cover.

There are a number of publications to help you plan your trip and enable you to take your poodle with you. All it takes is little planning. The following publications are readily available:

"Touring with Towser," $1.25, Gaines TWT, P.O. Box 1007, Kanakee, Ill. 60902. This is a directory of American hotels and motels that take guests with dogs. However, it still is advisable to call ahead.

"The Portable Pet: How to Travel with Your Dog and Cat," $4.95 from booksellers or Harvard Common Press, 535 Albany St., Boston, Mass. 02118. The book covers antidotes for carsickness and has a list of tourist attractions that have pet-sitting available.

"The Traveling Cat and Dog" has general advice on how to prepare a pet for travel and what to expect on car, train and plane trips. To obtain a copy, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Carnation Co., Pet Care Research Center, 5045 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90036.

"Pets R Permitted" lists hotels, motels, kennels, campsites and pet sitters throughout the United States. For information on how to obtain this guide, call (800)274-7297.

If you have a question for Jill Bowen, please write to her in care of the Current, P.O. Box 540, Christiansburg 24073, or send e-mail to Currentbev.net.

by CNB