How to travel alone: B&B-ing with your dog (Or how to ensure you both eat!)

Ffion loves animals – particularly her dog Kiah.
She and Kiah hit the road together on a regular basis and have discovered some of the challenges
this presents as well as solutions. Every month she’ll share another post about traveling with pets.

“What d’you think, pup – time for dinner?”

My beautiful black lab/border-collie perks her ears at the word “dinner”, wags that long tail and looks excitedly at her bowl.

“Yes, you’re hungry too, aren’t you? Trouble is, where do we both get to eat? I can’t leave you here by yourself and there’s lots of places won’t take dogs… ”

No, I’m not an over-protective dog owner (I prefer the word guardian, not owner) but I am traveling solo with my dog, and, through lack of other places, I’ve stayed in a B&B that doesn’t allow me to leave her alone in the room.

So, for dinner we have some choices: find a place with an outside patio, settle for al fresco dining in the park with a bottle of wine for me and a shared sandwich for us both, or leave her in the car while I dine in a comfortable restaurant. The first two options are fine, even fun, when it’s a warm summer evening; not so lovely in late autumn when the sun is setting and a cold wind is rising. And ever tried eating at a park bench in the rain? Soggeeeee – human, dog and food.

As wonderful as it to travel solo with your dog, and share the beaches and long country walks with her, there are definitely some unexpected complications that can trip you up, and cause some awkward problems.

For instance, how do you go to breakfast if you can’t leave the dog in the room by herself, and animals aren’t allowed in the breakfast room? Do you have to take her to the car and leave her there until you’ve finished eating – gulping food because you feel so guilty leaving your companion in the car while you wolf down delicious bacon and eggs?

Traveling solo with your dog can either be wonderful fun, or a tense – and hungry – outing.

Here are some tips to make sure of a wonderful time:

When traveling solo you need to plan ahead.

Check the B&B dog policy – they may be fine with accommodating you and your dog, but may have that awkward “cannot be left in room alone” policy. It’s almost impossible to get around the breakfast problem if traveling solo, so plan ahead and make sure you find places that welcome you and your dog. Usually, they will give you extra towels for muddy paws, leave some tasty dog treats on the pillow (yes, along with human chocolates), and just generally be doggie people. Often there is a resident dog (or two) in the house already.

And yes, they won’t be horrified when you save a bit of sausage from the breakfast for her.

Car stuff
If you’re tempted to leave her in the car for an hour or so, be aware that some super-vigilant people will scream blue murder (and call the police for possible dog cruelty) if they spy a dog left alone in the car in the summer, even if the windows have been considerately left open for air. They do have a point – on a 22°C day, the heat inside the car can climb to 38°C in minutes. And dogs can’t take off that fur coat they wear.

In the winter, I’ve seen dogs shivering despite their fur coat, and a blanket. How long can you sit in the car without heat in the middle of winter?

Food
That dinner problem? If you’re staying in a B&B, you’ll have to have dinner somewhere else anyway. Here are some options:

• If it’s raining, cold, wet and damp: some pubs may allow dogs in eating areas, especially in less busy times, such as between 6 and 7 pm. You may have to eat earlier than normal, but it’s supposed to be better for you anyway. Scout out these places before you go away.
• When it’s dry, but cool: buy hot food from a takeaway, and eat in that sheltered park area you scouted out earlier in the day.
• On a beautiful sunny day: put together a picnic, with dog-sharing food: bread, cheese, ham, wine – and don’t forget water for your dog. Then find a lovely spot by the river (free water and cool wading for puppy paws and human toes), or in a sweet-smelling meadow.
• For a real treat: go to a remote beach, collect some (dry) wood, and BBQ sausages and chicken fingers.

Remember it’s your dog’s holiday too, so pack her favourite bed and toys, some extra special treats, and her holiday collar and lead.

Have fun!

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