There is a lot of discussion (and often angst) among vacation rental property managers and owners about whether to allow pets at vacation rental homes. As a family that likes to vacation with our yellow lab, we appreciate when we are allowed to bring our dog. We also understand our responsibility as pet owners to take extra care to make sure we don’t ruin that privilege for others.

This past weekend, we packed up the whole family to head to a Lake Tahoe vacation rental. In addition to each person’s suitcase, I packed our dog a bag containing items we use to ensure the rental home remains as we found it.

In addition to her food, our dog’s “suitcase” includes:

• A leash: Required for most areas.
• Two large beach towels: Great for wiping dirty paws after a day at the sledding hill or beach, and for unexpected rain or snow showers.
• Two portable dog bowls: Collapsible bowls for food and water are ideal for pit-stops on the drive to and from a destination, as well as for dining on non-carpeted, kitchen floors in the rental home.
• Extra clean-up bags: Absolutely necessary for proper disposing in appropriate places when nature calls. And like camping, with a rental home or condo, it’s sometimes necessary to “pack out” with it. Extra bags make this task easier and more sanitary.
• A crate: An ideal way if your pup was crate-trained to make him/her feel comfortable and contain them in the house when you go someplace for a short time, and can’t (because of time or temperatures) have them wait in the car.
• A dog bed: Pets, like children, are more comfortable when they have familiar objects when they travel. The dog bed also helps to minimize hair on the rental home’s carpet.

Once we arrive at our vacation rental, we follow the rules of common courtesy for other people’s homes:

• No animals on the furniture, including the beds, couches and chairs
• No ’special surprises’ in the driveway or yard—and definitely none left in indoor receptacles
• Immediately wipe up any paw-prints
• Vacuum when leaving

If you’re fond of traveling with your pet, vacation rental homes are an ideal alternative to hotels. But before you pack up your pooch, make sure you can honestly and confidently answer “yes” to each of these questions:

1. Is your dog well-behaved enough to stay in someone else’s home? (If he/she’s a chewer, probably not.)
2. Does your dog have accidents? (Both puppies and older dogs can have bladder issues, and it doesn’t mean they aren’t great dogs, it just means you should think twice about taking them to a rental home.)
3. Is your dog comfortable in unfamiliar places? (If your dog will spend the whole time stressed out, and possibly barking at unfamiliar sounds at the rental home, you might want to consider a pet-sitter or kennel at home.)

To find pet-friendly vacation rentals on PickPackGo, simply type in your location and “pet-friendly” on the home page search box to get a list of homes in that area that will consider allowing you to bring your pet.