Dog bathroom options away from home

Traveling with a dog can be fun, exciting and memorable, but it can also be a bit of a challenge if its idea of bathroom etiquette is finding the nearest patch of grass that smells like home. What is a road warrior to do when it comes to bathroom options away from home? Using these time-tested traveler tips, your dog will be handling the pit stops of life&rsquo-s highways and byways with ease.

• Plan properly. Accustom your dog to urinating on a variety of surfaces, including grass, gravel, rocks, wood chips and cement. From experience, there is no greater road trip joy than a rainy day, a slab of concrete and a code word to initiate the process (e.g., &ldquo-Go, go, go!&rdquo-).
• Check in. Ask the front desk of your destination where relief areas are located on the property grounds. Once on the allocated areas, let your dog sniff and mark, and say the &ldquo-Go&rdquo- command associated with its relieving duties. On future walks/pit stops, reinforce with the code word as your dog realizes these are its stomping (and marking) grounds for the time being.
• Use portable potty systems. Eco-friendly, self-draining toilet systems for dogs have made their mark on the marketplace. Allowing dogs the freedom to relieve themselves without having to worry about carpet stains, this product serves a purpose for high-rise and upper-floor clientele, as well as canine travelers.
• Be prepared. Accidents are bound to happen, so packing piddle/training pads in a roaming bag makes for a must-have travel item. Also handy to have: baby wipes, a favorite stain remover, an enzymatic odor-removing eco-friendly product, and plenty of paper towels to blot.

Remember that hotels and bed and breakfasts appreciate when we clean up after our dogs. Good manners mean people and their dogs get invited back and pet policies remain open.

Carol Bryant is the Social Media and PR Director for Fido Friendly magazine. A frequent media contributor, Carol is a two-time nominee from the Dog Writers Association of America, and she maintains her own dog blog, Fidose of Reality. Her articles have previously appeared in The Dog Daily.