What sort of pet etiquette should you adhere to on your creative family beach vacations?

Pet etiquette, or pet manners, are very important on your creative family beach vacations. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Contact your place of accommodation
Inform them that you are planning on staying at their location, and mention that you have a pet. Better still, arrive with your pet. In this way, when they see your well-mannered pet they might make an exception. If fido is not well-behaved, well, call them.... Some properties have restrictions on the number of pets, how big they can be, the type, or even their weight.

Refundable?
Be sure to inquire about any non-refundable fees or refundable deposits that are required at check-in. Why inquire? So you will know how much money you are out in case fido decides to misbehave.

Restrictions
Find out if there are any restrictions at the property, such as the number of rooms available, and their type. For example, in some hotels, pets are only permitted in smoking rooms, or certain areas inside the hotel. Other properties place limits on the time of year, and the number of days that you are allowed to stay with a pet.

Can your pet be alone in the room? Must it be in a crate at all times? Better to check on these restrictions before you book your room.

Oh, and it's much better to get a ground floor room if available. This makes it much easier to take fido on a bathroom break. Be sure to clean up after fido as well...just good pet etiquette.

When you arrive
Ask the front desk whether they use any ant or insect poisons, and where. You want to keep your pet away from these areas.

While in your room
Be sure to cover any beds or furniture that your pet will be allowed to get on. This will help save the item, and your deposit as well. Remember to wipe your pets feet when they enter the room as well...for the same reason.

Put your pet's food and water dishes on a mat in a secluded area, or feed them when you take them outside. Litter boxes should be placed in an area for easy clean-up...usually the bathroom. Newspaper underneath the litter box can also aid in the clean-up process.

Leaving your room
You should avoid leaving your pet alone in your room if possible. Just like people, they don't like being left alone.

If you must leave your pet alone, tell the front desk of this, and leave a radio or TV on for company. They should be securely created so that they don't:

1) Escape when the maid opens the door.
2) Attack the maid.
3) Trash the room.

Oh, if your pet should happen to trash the room, or even a small section of it, report this to the front desk, and offer to pay any costs of repair or replacement.

If you follow these simple pet etiquette tips, everyone will enjoy your creative family beach vacations.

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