Dog Show Friendly Motels

Please make sure you verify that the individual hotle/motel that you
stay at allows a dog or multiple dogs. I had an unpleasant experience
at Jessup, Maryland, Red Roof Inn while attending the West Friendship,
Md. show cluster. Most show folks stay at Red Roof Inns. I spend about
$7000.00 a year at Red Roof Inn when I show.

I have never read the introduction at the front of the Red Roof
Directory Guide. It states that only one pet under 80 pounds is
allowed per room. This may differ depending on the motel. I have
stayed with my two Standard Schnauzers at every Red Roof Inn with no
complaints from management. My beef is that the policy is inconsistent
from RR to RR. Also note that in some states it is illegal to leave
your animal in the car unattended. That certainly puts us in a pickle
in the state of Maryland.

The manager accused us of cheating and being dishonest (those are her
words) when we pleaded ignorance. The only alternative was to rent
another room to stay with the "one pet, one room policy". Well, we
high-tailed it out of there and moved over to the MicroTel. Microtel
required a pet deposit but the dogs love the window seats!!!!

So be careful and avoid an unpleasant confrontation.

wrote in message
...

From: (awoo)

So be careful and avoid an unpleasant confrontation.

No kidding. For past few years I"ve stayed at Days Inn in Tacoma, WA
when trialing in that area. It's had a good restaurant next door, and
has a large, grassy courtyard not accessible by JQP, only the guests.
Made 11 p.m. walking more comfortable. :-)
snipped story of idiot hotel personnel

The next morning, I stomped my way to the front desk to see the manager.
Of course, he/she was not on the premises. The twit behind the desk
charged me a $60.00 _fee, $30.00 for each dog. I was livid. She didn't
even want to give me a receipt, fercryinoutloud. I demanded that she
did, I could just see them managing to 'overlook' my payment the same
way they managed to overlook my guest history, and my telling them about
the dogs.

I used to love that hotel. Hell will freeze over before they see
another dime of my money, and it's been removed from at least three
trial premiums. EG They got my $60.00, but it's cost them thousands
by now.

I was *highly* irritated about the hotel I stayed in while at a herding
trial back in June. It is, to my best knowlege, the *only* hotel in
Yelm, WA. When I called to make my reservation 2 wks in advance, I
specifically requested a pet-friendly room. I pointed out that I had
a young dog that I did NOT feel comfortable leaving in my car over-
night (while I need a new car, I'd like to get something out of it for
trade when the time comes...and I figure an intact dashboard would
be a good thing!). No problems, got everything squared away
over the phone. Well, when I went to check in, there WAS a problem.
I had the name of the girl, but apparently she'd neglected to charge
me a pet deposit, and put me in a pet-friendly room. And, there
were no other rooms available. Apparently, the weekend before
there had been some dog thing in town, and a group of people
had severely abused the dogs in rooms policy, and the hotel
had tightened up the ruled pertaining to dogs. I didn't have the
extra $150.00 to pay the penalty fee if I was caught, and was parked
close to the lobby, so they could see if I tried to "sneak" him in.

To top it all off, I left a note on the "How are we doing?" card, and
never heard back. When I called to speak to the manager, they
weren't in, nor did they ever return my call. Unfortunately, it's
not a chain hotel, but you can be sure I've let everyone I know that
might trial up there again. I'll stay the next town over, even though
it's an extra 15 miles, I'll drive it gladly before they ever get my
money again.
Shelly & The Boys

From:

I was *highly* irritated about the hotel I stayed in while at a herding
trial back in June.

So what did you end up doing? Leave him in the car?

Debbie

wrote in message
...

From:

I was *highly* irritated about the hotel I stayed in while at a herding
trial back in June.

So what did you end up doing? Leave him in the car?

Yes, in his crate. I figured out that if I push the carseats all
of the way forward, the collapsible would unfold in the back
& fit okay. Most likely, he would've been okay & not destroyed
anything, but I wanted to be sure.
I set the alarm so that I could go out & check him
every couple of hours. At the time, I wasn't sure what else to do. I had
this feeling that, because I was so pissed at the desk that they'd
most likely be keeping an eye on me.
Now, thinking back on it, I should've just turned around & driven
home and not paid them anything. I'm pissed at them, and partly
at myself for not thinking of that at the time (I was tired, but most
likely could've made it fine). What I'm really glad about is that
I only had one dog. If I'd have taken Coda, there wouldn't have
been room for them to sleep.
Shelly & The Boys

"Shelly & The Boys" wrote:

Apparently, the weekend before
there had been some dog thing in town, and a group of people
had severely abused the dogs in rooms policy, and the hotel
had tightened up the ruled pertaining to dogs.


And right there, guys, is the REAL source of your problems. I've been
doing agility for more than six years now. And in those 6.5 years, over and
over and over again,
I've heard horror stories about what large numbers of AKC breed people do
while staying in motels, which causes the rest of us to lose the ability to
stay there. These aren't rumors or hyperbole, either- it's behavoiur
*witnessed* by friends of mine who also do breed.
Poop left all over the place. Dogs allowed to pee wherever they want,
including on things INDOORS. :-P Dogs bathed in the hotel's bathtubs,
clogging up the drains. Dogs groomed in the rooms, hair left all over the
place. Dogs left unattended in the rooms, barking and barking... and so
forth. :-(
And they don't just see a few people doing this sort of thing- the
responsible ones are in the minority.

"Shelly & The Boys" wrote:


It just happens that the sheer numbers of them is probably
more than other events.

Well, part of the issue around here is that the agility people- AKC
included!- don't GROOM their dogs in the motel. IOW it's not "AKC people",
per se- it's BREED people.

Now, while I'm not going to argue this, I've seen it elsewhere as well,
however this particular time was a different herding event (an ASCA
event, actually) and a horse people event (who happen to oftentimes
have dogs with them) at the same time.

In that situation, my bet's on two issues: Aussies barking, and the horse
show people generally being careless. My point wasn't so much to blame AKC
breed people- though they *are* the main offenders around here- but to point
out that you really can't blame the hotels for reacting to bad experiences
with irresponsible dog owners.

Luckily, in this area, *agility* people (all venues, AFAIK) have managed
to maintain a good reputation, and so far are known for being more
responsible than most.
In addition to stating up front in the premium that complaints from motels
can get you excused from trials, some clubs are now putting
guidelines/requirements for behaviour AT motels in the premiums.
In addition to the obvious "clean up after your dog", the rules include
"don't leave dogs unattended or let them bark", and "bring a cover for the
bed".

--
Sarah
Brenin, CGC, AD, O-EAC-V, O-EJC-V, EGC
Gwydion, Handy Cat
Morag Thistledown, Novice Triple Superior, S-OAC, S-OJC, O-OGC, EJC
Robyn Meezer, Inspector of Human Activity
Rocsi Cadarn, S-NJC, NAC, NGTG, OGTG

wrote in message
...

From: (sionnach)

I've heard horror stories about what large numbers of AKC breed people
do while staying in motels, which causes the rest of us to lose the
ability to stay there.

It's not only the AKC breed people. The field people I've witnessed
haven't helped any. I've been at hotels a couple of times where the
field people show up, they didn't pick up after their dogs, didn't
_leash their dogs, and the dogs barked their heads off all night long
in the parking lot. But the worst barking from hotel rooms, IME, has
been at NADAC trials. Rooms full of Aussies barking their damned heads
off for several hours at a time while their handlers go off to dinner.
At least with AKC, there's remedy for offenders, as AKC makes hosting
hotels part of the show site, irregardless of where the actual
trial/show is held. To my knowledge, neither NADAC or USDAA has that
rule. Heck, one of the worst dogs-left-in-rooms barking offenders I've
witnessed were two NADAC judges. It ain't just AKC.


Or JRT people! The worst AKC trial I go to each spring is in conjunction
with the JRTCA National in St. Louis. Imagine reams and reams of
hysterically barking JRTs being allowed to run around the hotel parking lot
AT WILL, nary an owner, much less a leash, to be seen. I can't leave my
hotel room without being assaulted by a pack of hysterically yapping
terriers.

I do agree that some conformation people are a problem. But there IS a
remedy for that, because if it's an AKC show you CAN call a bench committee
hearing for conformation handlers who abuse hotel grounds.

From: (Robin=A0Nuttall)
Imagine reams and reams of hysterically barking JRTs being allowed to
run around the hotel parking lot AT WILL, nary an owner, much less a
leash, to be seen. I can't leave my hotel room without being assaulted
by a pack of hysterically yapping terriers.

Yikes. It's amazing how inconsiderate and thoughtless some people can
be. I wonder... are they _that inconsiderate in their every day lives?
Or just when they're out of town, away from their real neighbors and
friends?

Debbie

Or JRT people! The worst AKC trial I go to each spring is in conjunction
with the JRTCA National in St. Louis.

Um- it can't be. The JRTCA Nationals are held in October, in Havre de
Grace, Maryland. Do you maybe mean the PRTAA, which used to be the JRTAA??

--
Sarah
Brenin, CGC, AD, O-EAC-V, O-EJC-V, EGC
Gwydion, Handy Cat
Morag Thistledown, Novice Triple Superior, S-OAC, S-OJC, O-OGC, EJC
Robyn Meezer, Inspector of Human Activity
Rocsi Cadarn, S-NJC, NAC, NGTG, OGTG