Kohls Shopping

We haven't been traveling much lately and when we have, we've gone back to places we knew were pet friendly. Today, I decided to see how Kohls would accept Seymour in their store. To make him a little cuter, I dressed him in his "Good Dog" tee. How could anyone deny entry to a self-proclaimed "good" dog? You're thinking that they did, aren't you? Well, when I asked if he could come in the store, there were 2 girls working check out. One say "Oh, yes" immediately and the other didn't appear to be sure. I went with the "Oh, yes" answer and carried Seymour throughout the store for close to an hour. I passed many sales associates and even had to go to the customer service counter and no one said we had to leave, but then no one was exceptionally friendly toward Seymour. So, I'm going to count Kohls as "pet friendly" but I would recommend checking at each store. I'm not sure there is a national policy. This Kohls was in Kyle, Texas.

Now the Kohls shopping carts aren't conducive for holding pets, but I have found that at least 2 stores asked me not to put him in their shopping carts - probably due to the worry of people complaining about dog hair - and I understand that. But they did say I could carry him around. I have also been told at Ace Hardware that he was not allowed to walk. Again, good information.

This time, as I was carrying him, about a 1/2 dozen customers stopped to either pet him or talk to me about their pet. I did not go into the dressing room but I don't think that would have been a problem.

After all the time we spent shopping, Seymour knows he gets a treat of taking a long walk all around the parking lot. As you can see, a long day or shopping, being held, and walking tired him out.



I am always so happy to discover more pet-friendly places to go with Seymour. We'll keep you posted on other pet-friendly and not-so-friendly places we find.

Dogs Welcome

Someone sent me this and it's perfect to share here.


A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town he planned
to visit on his vacation.

He wrote:
I would very much like to bring my dog with me.
He is well-groomed and very well behaved.
Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?



An immediate reply came
from the hotel owner,
who wrote:

"I've been operating this hotel for many years.
In all that time, I've never had a dog steal towels,
bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls.
I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night
for being drunk and disorderly.
And I've never had a dog run out on a hotel bill.
Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel.
And, if your dog will vouch for you, you are welcome to stay here too.

Doggie Day Care

I just started a new job and since I was going to be away from home for at least 10 hours a day, I decided to look for a Day Care for Seymour. What surprised me, when I mentioned this to people at work was how "odd" this seemed to them. They couldn't understand why he couldn't just stay at home. Ten plus hours?? So, if you are like me and don't want your dog staying alone all day, here are some things to consider when looking for Day Care:

1. What hours they are open? - I found a few places that seemed to have a good reputation but when I checked their hours, they were only open from 9 am to 4 pm daily. I can't see how anyone with a job could use them, but maybe that was the idea. They must be catering to vacationers who just want to board their pets for a few hours while they tour around.

2. How are the dogs kept - cages, runs, together, alone? I know that most places that board dogs seem to keep them in kennels or cages. Since Seymour was a rescue and was in a caged area and frightened when I saw him, I just couldn't think of putting him back into that kind of environment. He has his crate at home and he loves it but I also keep it open so he can go in and out as he chooses. I found a place that is basically a house where all of the dogs are free to roam together - if they get along - or put in large rooms, if they don't. It is a bit scary to see Seymour at 7 pounds roaming around with a 200 pound dog, but he's been there for 2 weeks and it seems to be working.

3. Do they give discounts? Some places that board pets give discounts to seniors and for longer stays. I paid for 20 days, that I don't have to use consecutively at a discounted rate.

4. What do they feed the dogs? Some kennels will ask you to bring your own food and some will feed your dogs. If they feed them, what quality of food do they use? The Day Care I am using, feeds Seymour the same kind of food he is used to eating. I brought is favorite treats that I requested they give him once a day. He's not a doggie biscuit-type of guy. It has to be protein.

5. How flexible are they? Do they allow you to keep them at the kennel longer some days, or even overnight if there is an emergency? I usually call and let them know when I'm coming, or if I'm running late. There would be no problem with letting him stay overnight, if needed. That flexibility is important to me.

6. Do they discipline the dogs, and if so, how? This kennel uses a spray bottle of water, which is what I also use, if needed.

7. Does your dog want to go to their Day Care? If your dog hides when you take him to Day Care, there may be a problem. Seymour was great the first week and jumped out of the car when we got there. By the second week, he wasn't as enthusiastic and I was starting to worry. But by the middle of the second week, he was again interested in going. I think that if he had a choice, he would want to stay home with me, but since we don't have that option (no lottery winnings yet), this is his second favorite choice.

8. Check references - Some kennels have on-line reviews you can read; some even have cameras in their kennels where you can go on line and see what they animals are doing. I have a good friend who has used their kennel for over a year, so I was pretty comfortable giving it a try.

Doggie Day Care may not be for everyone, but it gives me peace of mind to know that Seymour is not alone all day.

Opal Divines

While shopping in Austin a few days ago, I decided to stop for lunch and had Seymour with me. My first thought was Opal Divine's. They have a sign at the entrance allowing people with "four legged" friends to enter through the patio. It was exceptionally hot already but they had large fans and misters covering the patio so it was comfortable.

As soon as I sat down, they brought my menu and an extra large bowl of water with ice cubes for Seymour. If the bowl had been empty, Seymour could have used it to take a nap. If you notice from the picture below, I happened to have a Christmas towel with me - in June!



Of course I ordered something we could share - a really good turkey Reuben with real sliced turkey, and something I didn't share, their excellent french fries. To me, their french fries are one of the two best in Austin. The others are at Hyde Park Bar and Grill, but I'm not sure Hyde Park is pet friendly - I'll have to check.

Seymour is not an "ice cube" dog but since it was so hot, the ice melted quickly and he enjoyed periodic drinks between his bites of turkey. It was a relaxing lunch for both of us.

If you are ever in Austin, Texas with your dog, stop in at Opal's - and try the fries!

Pet Tips for Hot Summer Days

It's getting hot here in Texas and I've been looking for tips to keep Seymour comfortable on our walks.

1. Water - obviously. I found a smaller version of the pet water bottle. I have to say it feels a little cheaply made but so far has worked. It's the one piece bottle and troth that makes it simple to pour Seymour a quick drink. This version has a little cord attached instead of the belt clip. I think I will change out the cord to put on one long enough that I can carry it over my shoulder like a purse.

2. Wet neck-kerchief (my new word). Drench one and wring it out and tie it around your pet's neck. It works just like it does with us. It adds a bit of coolness to their bodies and I'm sure feels great if a slight wind is blowing.

3. Brush your pet before you go out. Getting the loose hair off of your pet and fluffing the hair up a little will allow more air to get to their body. I can't imagine walking around in a fur coat in 100 degree weather but Seymour still wants his walks!

4. Carry a portable fan. I have 2 kinds; one is on a long string and I can carry it around my neck. It's small and battery powered but it gives a bit of a breeze that helps cool Seymour and me a little. The other is a fan that is attached to a small spray bottle that gives off a nice moist breeze. Unfortunately, it's a little bigger so I mostly use that one while we're in the yard. I also have to be careful because I use a spray bottle of water to deter Seymour from barking so I don't want him to start enjoying the spray!

Final Comments on This Trip

First, as you can see, for Seymour traveling is hard work! Seriously, he really seemed to like it and didn't mind the driving part. He reminded me when it was time to stop and walk him. I hear about people who have pets that get car sick - I'm really glad Seymour isn't one of them.

As I've said before, traveling with a pet is much more enjoyable to me than traveling totally alone. I would not have walked as much or talked to as many people by myself. There are downsides, such as not being able to do the NASA tour and not being able to go into restaurants. I mostly did take-out meals and ate in a park or at a camp ground.

While driving through each State, I wondered which allowed the use of cell phones. I know it's best to use a hands-free phone but I haven't quite figured out how to set that up yet. I will research and put the info on this site so others can print it and have it when traveling.

A few more tips:

1. When camping, don't forget to look for the Corp of Engineers parks. I have a book that lists them and I noticed that some of the State maps include them in their list of State and National Parks. I want to get a National Park book because I have a Park Pass that allows me to pay 1/2 price for camping. That pass also gives the same discount at the Corp of Engineers parks. So far, the only State I have found that gives a discount with the National Park Pass is Louisiana. I hear that there are more - I just haven't found them yet.

2. I was told that Motel 6 will give a 10% discount to pet owners now. I don't know how long this will last, but if you are driving, this may be a good deal. I would be curious to know what the rooms look like that they give you. The last time I took Seymour into a Motel 6, my room was pretty awful. I hope they have upgraded.

3. Don't be afraid to ask at shops if you can bring in your pet. I've only been turned down a few times. Mostly, I just carry him and try to be unobtrusive. I am sure that one complaint by one customer could curtail their open pet policies.

4. Although I'm told that many Walmarts allow campers to park overnight in their parking lots, I never needed to do that. I also checked each Rest Area I stopped in and only found one that allowed trucks to park for 8 hours, no mention of campers. I may have just not been at the right Rest Areas yet.

I expect that our next few trips may be to various Texas Parks but I am already planning my next one - possibly to the west coast.

Hot Springs Arkansas

I have fallen in love with this place and with the National Park. This is out second night here in the park. At Hot Springs National Park, you just drive in, find a spot and go to their automated machine to pay. Their are spaces with electric and water and spaces with no electric. If you have a National Park Pass or Senior Pass you only pay 1/2 price for the spots. The discounted rate is $5.00 for the non-electric spots and $12.00 for the ones with hook-ups. Although I could use battery power for my lights and fan, it was too warm here to not use the A/C so I got the space with the hook ups. Many people have dogs here and there are great hiking trails. They have restrooms but no showers. There is also a creek running on one side of the campground but those spots either have no hook ups or the ones that do are already taken. The only other problem here is the the campground is right beside a busy park road but I got used to the noises. Overall, it's a great place to camp.

The town of Hot Springs is about 5 miles away and we spent about 4 hours there. I took Seymour into many of the shops and found that he was allowed to go with me on the Duck Tour. That's a vehicle that goes on land and in the water. It was only $18 for a 1 hour and 15 minute tour. Well worth it. There is also a place in the center of town where you can fill water jugs with hot spring water. It is cooled a little but it's still very warm. It would have been great to have bathed in it but I think I might have drawn a crowd. Seymour again opened doors of conversation that would probably not have happened, otherwise. I love traveling with him - except for his occasional gas problem :)

I will definitely come back and feel very comfortable bringing Seymour.