Family trips with the furbabies
Do you ever see couples or families going on vacation with their furry babies right by their side? I have! And every time I was jealous!
This summer my husband and I attempted a get away weekend to a cabin with our precious furry children. Despite our concerns for the first road trip and overnight stay at a house that was not ours with our babies, we learned a lot and consider the weekend to be a success overall!
Starting off with the road trip portion of the vacation, we were grateful we had bought a special car seat cover from Costco a few days before. For the purposes of this trip, the Costco model we bought worked very well. It protected our beige seats and door handles from dirty paws, easy to install, and even allowed us to use the foot space underneath for storage without concerns that the dogs would fall off the seat and hurt themselves.
Turns out our Scooby-Doo is the MOST drooly and uncomfortable traveller I have ever seen! While our baby Sky enjoyed her nap, Scooby-Doo remained actively moist throughout the trip. Noting for next time to feed him some kind of calming treat to keep his nerves down during the trip.
At first we weren't sure how long the dogs would last confined to the backseat without a pit stop. Turns out they managed to stay calm throughout the whole 1.5 hr trip.
For two medium to large dogs, it's important that they get along well in such a confide space. If not, you might find yourself with to dogs budding heads the whole way there.
Once we arrived, both babies were happy to stretch their legs! I highly recommend that if possible, bring long yard leashes so you can comfortably attach your dogs outside while you unload your luggage. If not possible, be sure to at least take a moment to walk your furbaby and let them relieve themselves before unloading.
In my helicopter mom brain, I also wanted to be sure my furbabies wouldn't destroy or have accidents in the cabin. While the babies were outside, I went in and covered the sofas with bed sheets, closed any rooms I could, and placed their personal blankets in the common area with their toys nearby. I feel it's important to give them a familiar smell or items that they recognize and would feel comfortable on.
Once we were unloaded and in the house with the dogs, I let them loose and followed them as they explored the space. With any new area, a dog will always want to explore and get familiar with the surroundings. This can also help prevent later problems, like startling them if you come out of a room or space they didn't know was there. But it is important to monitor them so they don't try and mark their territory indoors. Obviously, with two sneaky pups, things happen. I always like to be sure I know where the cleaning supplies are right from the get go. And just like at home, try and catch it as soon as you can! Lucky for me, Sky has no issues coming to ask me when she needs to relieve herself. Another reason why finding a way to communicate fluently and consistently with your pet is important!
In the end, our babies enjoyed the time away and so did we! I was definitely worried bringing my furry young kids to someone else's home overnight, but I hope my experience allows you to feel more secure in bringing your furbabies along for your own family adventures!