help....driving cross country with dog.....

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:paw:good evening fellow travellers.......i am going to be travelling from Washington DC to Portland OR with my big ol' yellow lab. I have never driving cross country b4 and am looking for advice about routes, dog friendly hotels etc. Does anyone have any advice of places to stay? She is a great traveller in the car so that shouldnt be a problem, but havent got a clue how many days it will take or what hotels are dog friendly.....any input would be greatly appreciated.

thankyou, i feel way more comortible picking up and going now after your info.....motel 6 is about to become my new travel partner!! when you have travelled do you take the highway route I80 to I84? are they all along that route?

I don't recognize I-80 or I-84, but the main Motel 6 website will let you search for locations by state -- it would be easy to find out where they are along your intended route that way.

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Specializes in OB.
thankyou, i feel way more comortible picking up and going now after your info.....motel 6 is about to become my new travel partner!! when you have travelled do you take the highway route I80 to I84? are they all along that route?

Yes they are all along I80. (So am I at the moment - in NV)

Also note - if you are the type who plans your mileage and where to stop each night in advance you can get a few dollars discount at Motel 6 by making your reservation online and picking the "Click6" rate.

If you haven't gone cross country with a dog before, one thing to consider this time of year - it's too hot to leave the dog in the car for more than long enough to run in a convenience store for a soda. I generally plan so that I have breakfast before checking out of my room, get lunch from a drive through and take it to the next rest area so my dog can exercise on her leash while I eat at a picnic table and then have dinner after checking into my room at night. Just one of those things I didn't think about before my first summer cross country drive. Oh - and do not ever leave your dog in a running vehicle to leave the air conditioning on for him - it can result in an embarrassing call to AAA to send a locksmith after your dog jumps on the lock button and you make a total fool of yourself trying to convince him to jump again to unlock it. The voice of personal experience speaks here.

You may also want to consider one of the harnesses that attaches to the seat belt to restrain your dog in case of an accident or to prevent him bolting from the car in a strange location.

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I know this post is several weeks old, but I just wanted to say that La Quinta is really great about accepting pets. My husband and I travel a lot with our two dogs, and we have found that La Quinta is really pet friendly. Our dogs go with us on all of our vacations, and we usually look to see if there is a La Quinta where we are going. They usually do not charge extra for pets, and they don't have size restrictions. They are one of the few chains that are truly pet friendly without tons of restrictions. I have also used http://www.petswelcome.com to find hotels in places where La Quinta is not available. Have a good time traveling with your pet.

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thankyou so mucy for the info...looks like i will be looking out for motel 6 and la quinta's along my route. Leaving in 2 weeks so the count down is on!! thanks again :)

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Specializes in ER/MED-SURG/ONCOLOGY/CARDIAC.

Dog Lover And He Travels With Me Too....motel 6 Always Welcomes The 4 Legged Friends No Extra Cost..you May Have A Sore Back In The Am, Not The Best Beds...but You Will Spend More On A Tank Of Gas Than A Place To Stay With Motel6.

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