I worried she would get us kicked out.
I stayed overnight at a hotel with my dogs recently. While my small dog traveled frequently in the past, this was my younger dog's first time away from home for a night.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
My Top 3 Concerns
Although my young dog, Lucy, and I attended several training courses, our training progress is improving slowly. She is quick to learn commands, but I am obviously poor at training her.
My biggest struggle is teaching her to be "quiet." Since she foiled an attempted break-in at my home last year just months after I adopted her, Lucy has been overprotective and vocal. My top concern is her barking while in a strange hotel room.
Despite her bark, she is not a biter. Lucy primarily barks when someone gets too close to the house or SUV while she is in it. If someone is near the house or SUV, she barks constantly until they move away. She sometimes barks at commercials.
Lucy's barking is the main reason I hesitated to stay in a hotel with her. I worried she would bark at every person, dog, and mysterious noise. I worried we would be asked to leave because of her barking. I worried she would be considered an aggressive dog because of her loud, deep barks.
My second concern deals with my inability to consistently get Lucy to respond to verbal commands and hand signals. She is well-behaved and responds quickly at the dog park for some reason, but her responsivity is hit-or-miss everywhere else.
She is more responsive to verbal commands and hand signals outdoors, but I have so far failed to handle her well in stores and at the veterinary (vet) clinic. For example, Lucy would sit immediately if I told her to do so at the dog park, but often refused to do so in a store or vet clinic because she is overly excited.
I worried she would be too excited to be in a new place to listen to any of my commands. On the other hand, what if she would not feel excited to be somewhere new?
My third concern stemmed from a fear of Lucy negatively reacting to change. It was one thing to visit a new place for a short time, but I worried she would become fearful or anxious staying somewhere overnight. Lucy has only known my house and the humane society I adopted her from (assuming she remembers her nights in the humane society).
What challenges would I face with Lucy's first time staying in a hotel room?
Lucy's First Hours in a Hotel Room
For my birthday last week, my Dad treated me to a mini vacation in another city. He made reservations for a one-bedroom suite at a Residence Inn I frequented when my first dog, Shadow, was still alive. It was an unexpected, yet greatly appreciated treat since we have not been on a vacation in years.
Lucy was fine and well-behaved when we entered the hotel room. Lucy and my small dog, Rascal, left no corner un-sniffed. Rascal claimed his spot in the living room and fell asleep. Dad and I relaxed on the couch and chatted about the day. Lucy waited by the door.
After a half hour, Lucy nervously whimpered and whined. She paced back and forth from where I sat on the couch to the door. I tried to distract and calm her, but she continued whimpering and whining.
We then left to get takeout for dinner. Lucy dragged my Dad through the hallways to get outside quickly. For some reason, she refused to get into the SUV on her own. Dad had to carry her and place her on the back seat.
We returned to the room with food and our overnight bags. Things were going well until I needed to use the bathroom. Lucy insisted on going with me. While many dogs follow their owners to the bathroom, Lucy has never done so. I realized then just how clingy she became because of our new environment.
We decided to head out one last time to buy a few things from a nearby pharmacy. When Lucy realized we were leaving, she grabbed my overnight bag and ran to the door. When I took my overnight bag away from her, she grabbed my laptop bag and ran to the door. I took that bag away from her, too.
Lucy once again dragged my Dad through the hallways to get outside quickly. Dad had to carry and place her on the back seat again. Fortunately, she did not drag us back to the hotel room when we were done with our last outing.
Overnight
We brought a brand-new toy to keep Lucy preoccupied. It worked! She focused on playing with the toy and tearing it to shreds. When she pulled all the stuffing out of the toy, she relaxed for the first time and watched TV.
Other guests checked into their rooms around ten that night. We heard footsteps, mumbled conversations, and doors opening/closing for several more hours into the night. Lucy let out some quiet growls. She was never loud enough to fear an eviction.
Dad suggested that Lucy sleep in the living room with him (he took the sleeper sofa) while Rascal and I slept in the bedroom. Dad offered to handle any unwanted behavior from Lucy so I could sleep peacefully.
The second I closed the bedroom door separating myself from Lucy, she barked constantly. I heard Dad's failed attempts to keep her quiet. She was clearly frustrated.
About five minutes (which felt more like five hours) after I closed the bedroom door, I decided to bring Lucy into the bedroom. I guess she needed to be by my side. She was quiet for the remainder of the night, but I am certain she was on guard.
Check-Out Day
Overall, Lucy was well-behaved during her first night in a hotel room!
She barked at a TV commercial in the morning, but she responded to the "quiet" command quickly. I only wish she would respond as quickly at home or in the SUV, but at least she was well-behaved where it mattered most.
When we headed out, she did not drag us to the SUV. My Dad still had to carry her and place her on the back seat, but otherwise she was a happy dog.
Lucy slept for most of the drive home. She apparently did not sleep at all during the night.
I am more optimistic about future trips and hotel stays. My friends were right. We had to give this first night a try to identify and address any challenges that arose. I was lucky the challenges faced were minor.
What's Next?
Lucy has yet to participate in a July 4th celebratory event. I believe that could be a great time to attempt an overnight hotel after a full day of fun and night sky filled with fireworks! Now I am worried about how she would react to those colorful explosions in the sky.
Comment below to share how your pet's first experience in a hotel went!
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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