Clubs are losing good motel sites on a regular basis due to the lack of motel manners displayed by some exhibitors and their dogs. Help us all keep the motels we have and to add new ones to our list by observing a few good manners that will keep everyone happy. Tenting is only fun in good weather.
Scoop the poop! Carry plastic bags with you that you can fit over your hand, inside out, and place over the poop. Grab the poop through the bag, then turn the bag right side out to enclose the poop. Discard it in an appropriate receptacle, don't leave the poopy bag around for others to pick up. Do not allow your dog to urinate on walls, columns, or potted plants. Take them out to a designated area if there is one, or one that is away from the main traffic areas. If you see poop left behind by others pick it up! The management won't know if it was left by a stray or another visitor not associated with the trial, but the trial visitors will be blamed for it.
Do not use motel towels or bath tubs to bathe your dog. Motel personnel do not appreciate the hair clogging their plumbing or the hair clinging to their towels upsetting other visitors to their facility. Bathe your dogs before you leave home.
Make sure your dogs are flea free. Many motels charge extra for allowing dogs so that they can de-flea the room. Don't leave fleas behind after your visit.
Don't leave your dog alone in the room. Barking dogs disturb other visitors and if left loose they can claw or chew their way through the motel furniture. Plan to take meals inside the room or keep your dog with you. If you must leave them for a short period keep them in a covered crate, hopefully they'll be quiet, and they won't damage the furnishings. You can test this by leaving and then returning making noises outside the room. Did your dog bark? If so, perhaps you should make other plans.
Carry a sheet from home that you can spread over the comforter on the bed. This will keep hair and dirt off of it. You can easily wash your sheet at home after the trial.
If you find the need to brush your dog do it outside the room. Take a plastic grocery bag, or newspaper sleeve and deposit the fur inside to be disposed of later. Fur flying around the grounds does not impress the motel personnel.
Don't allow your dog to bark while walking the motel property, and keep it on leash. The other visitors do not appreciate the "songs" and not everyone likes having a strange dog run up to them.
Do respect the rights of the other motel visitors, if they are unhappy they will complain to management and there goes another dog friendly motel to the other side.
Clubs can assist the motels by making a follow up call after the trial and asking if they had any problems. Some clubs even send out members who perform poop patrols in order to insure that the Motel will be happy with their grounds after the trial. Motels will gladly release the room number and registration information of any guest which caused problems for them.
© 1999 - 2001 Katie Greer. No portion of this material may be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission.
Just a suggestion for anyone whose dog is having stool problems and you're planning on traveling. We all know how hard it is to pick up the slimy stuff so, when this happened to us while in a temporary apartment, I bought a bag of the clay kitty litter. I always carried a zip-loc bag of it with me on the bad days so, when it couldn't be picked up properly, I dumped some litter on it. It prevented people from stepping in something totally nauseating, absorbed the moisture, and was biodegradable. If it happened unexpectedly, I would return immediately and toss some litter on it before (hopefully) anyone could step on it. I think it might be a good idea for those who travel a lot to shows to carry some kitty litter at all times. Pat Knepley
