We know firsthand how difficult it is to navigate a new city, especially one in another country. And that’s doubly true if it’s not just you but you and your dog.

But it’s hard to imagine what it would be like to navigate a new city without sight. Tomorrow night on our Dog Travel Experts radio show, we hope to learn more about the special challenges of traveling with a guide dog when we talk with Gil, our guest on Wednesday’s show.

Gil travels with his guide dog Satch to teach people around the world how to use a handheld GPS device for blind people. Satch is Gil’s third service dog; he flew over 100,000 miles with his previous service dog Evie, and today Gil and Satch travel around the world by all modes of public transportation.

Tracie and Paris will be talking with Gil about his experiences, challenges, and tips for traveling with a service dog.

We’d also love to hear YOUR experiences traveling with a service dog or your questions for Gil about traveling with his dog; call 888-627-6008 during the show to be on air! Dog Travel Experts airs from 8-9pm ET. You can listen on RadioPetLady.com.

Win a Trip to the Prize Kennel! Every week on Dog Travel Experts, we’ll select one caller at random to win a visit to our terrific Prize Kennel to select the dog prize of their choice! Last week’s winner was Jennifer R….congratulations!

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Summer Splash Event hosted by Life With Two Boys and With Our Best! We’ve joined in this fun summer giveaway hop…because we know that summer = travel for so many of us! Below you’ll find a whole giveaway hop; each blog is giving away at least $25 worth of prizes, plus we have an awesome grand prize for one very lucky winner. Be sure to hop along to each of the participating blogs because the more giveaways you enter, the more chances you have at winning the Grand Prize!

Grand Prize Giveaway

So what’s this Grand Prize we’re talking about? Thanks to Trex Outdoor Furniture, one very lucky winner is going to win a Yacht Club 3-Piece Rocker Set valued at $1,317! Made in the USA and constructed of durable HDPE recycled lumber, this Rocker Set is sure to help you slow down and relax this Summer and for many years to come!

Our Giveaway

Summer means shedding season for our dogs…and, if you’re traveling with your dog, we know that you’re going to want to make sure your dog isn’t shedding on hotel furniture! One of the biggest concerns we hear from hoteliers when they consider four-legged guests is pet hair…so it pays to make sure that loose fur is gone before you check into that hotel, resort, or rental RV. Your pet deposit may depend on it!

We’ve got a FURminator Medium Yellow Deshedding Tool with 2-2/3-Inch EdgeFURminator deShedding Tool (value $54) for one lucky Dog Travel Experts reader!

How to Enter

We’ve got several ways to enter in the Rafflecopter below; you can enter with as many or as few entry methods as you like. This giveaway, which is open to US and Canada mailing addresses, ends at 12:01am ET on May 28, 2013. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

More Giveaways!

Here you’ll find a whole blog hop filled with great summer giveaways…

Disclaimer: Please note that the Summer Splash hosts and participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prize. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation that they will fulfill their prize in a timely manner. While we are not responsible, we will make every effort to assist the winner in obtaining their prize.

Last night on DOG TRAVEL EXPERTS, we had a special episode and discussed a topic of great importance to dog-loving travelers: pet boarding. Although we all love to travel with our pets whenever possible, it’s not always possible (or not in the best interest of your pets) so it pays to have the name of a reliable boarding facility handy. We talked with Andy Smit, founder of Furlocity.com, the world’s first search and booking engine exclusively for pet facilities. Along with discussing pet boarding with Andy, we spoke with three unique pet accommodations that are members of Furlocity about what makes them unique in the ever-changing world of pet boarding.

If you missed last night’s broadcast, you can download the 5-08-2013 podcast (and you can always visit the Dog Travel Experts podcast page on Radio Pet Lady for all the downloads.)

Do you dream of taking your dog to the beach? This week on Dog TravelExperts, we’ll be discussing our recent trip with Irie and Tiki to the Texas coast plus we’ll be taking your calls live about all things related to dog travel! Our Dog Travel Experts radio show is on Radio Pet Lady Network from 8-9pm ET. Give us a call at 888-627-6008 to talk live with Paris and with Tracie Hotchner!

Wednesday night our Dog Travel Experts radio show returns to a live broadcast!

We’re on from 8-9pm ET, and we’d love to hear YOUR questions about dog travel or hear about your recent travel experiences with your dog! Give us a call at 888-627-6008 to talk live with Paris and with Tracie Hotchner!

To listen to the show live, visit Radio Pet Lady Network (and, if you’re not at your computer Wednesday night, you’ll also be able to listen on podcast later in the week.)

Between your calls, I’m looking forward to talking about our trip with Irie and Tiki to the Texas coast last week and sharing my tips for taking your dog to the beach this summer!

On our trip to the Texas coast this week, we stayed in a dog-friendly property in Port Aransas, Texas: A Laughing Horse Lodge. Just two blocks from the beach, this property features small cottages offered either as a duplex or as a stand-alone cottage.

We opted for a two-bedroom cottage, Horse Sense (here’s the property’s photo gallery of our cottage). The cottage was a great size for us and the girls:

The cottage included all the essentials with a full kitchen:

…an adjacent living room/dining room, bath, bedroom with a king-sized bed, and a second bedroom (which Irie and Tiki seemed to think was a good hangout)…

With its bright colors and beachy decor, the cottage, like the whole property, had a fun, kitchy vibe…

A no-frills property, the rooms don’t include maid service and guests must take out their own trash and clean up and wash the dishes before leaving as well. Although not for those looking for pampering extras, the dog-friendly atmosphere of the property was a huge plus to us (and Irie and Tiki.)

The dog-friendly extras included a complimentary ID tag for each dog…

…an adjacent large field (and complimentary poop bags)…

…and even a self-service dog wash (great after a sandy trip to the beach!)

Our room also included food and water bowls, a list of dog-friendly restaurants in town, and a list of area veterinarians. We especially liked their dog policy — they accept all sizes and breeds of dogs (and even welcome more than two per room!) The pet fee is very reasonable: $25 for one dog, $35 for two or three, and $50 for more than three. The fee is per stay.

Room rates vary by season; we fell into “Off Season” rates of $135 per night for a weekday stay. The same cottage would have been priced at $110 during the winter months. Summer, of course, is the most expensive season on the Texas coast; rates for the same cottage would be $199 per day during this time of peak demand.

For more information:

• visit www.alaughinghorselodge.com

Disclosure: We booked and paid for our room ourselves; all opinions are entirely our own and those of Tiki and Irie!

Prior to the first pitch, every four-legged fan will receive a goodie bag from AvoDerm, Nylabone and Bio Spot at the pre-game Pup Rally and have the chance to promenade with their pet parent on the warning track.

A happening with heart, a portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit Dogs4Diabetics and the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF).

Tickets: $12 Plaza Reserved ticket for person
$6 Plaza Reserved ticket for a dog
$12 Plaza Reserved ticket for an extra fan without a dog

When: June 28, 2013 (Pup Rally begins at 5:20 p.m.)

Where: O.co Coliseum at 7000 Coliseum Way in Oakland, California

Photo Credit: ClipArt

HomeAway, a company that features nearly half a million vacation rentals, put together this excellent infographic covering trends in the pet travel world as well as information specifically on vacation rentals, a popular option with many pet travelers:

Travel Ideas infographic from HomeAway

As much as we love traveling with our dogs, we know that not everyone shares our enthusiasm. One reason some travelers don’t like the idea of sharing a destination with dogs: dog poop. Inconsiderate dog owners who have neglected to pick up after their dogs put everyone’s right to travel with their dogs to a particular hotel, park, or other destination at risk. With complaints about dogs at a destination (let’s face it: no one wants to step in dog poop!), destinations can change their pet policies.

Please take a moment to clean up after your dog! The infographic below from Doody Calls Pet Waste Removal shows the importance of picking up after your dog, not just to protect travelers’ rights with their dogs but also for public health reasons!

Marriott hotels (a company with over 1200 pet-friendly hotels across their family of brands) sent us this infographic about pet travel with some excellent tips (and, as publishers of DogTipper.com, you know how much we like tips!)