We Now Have A Dog (Miniature Schnauzer) Changes In Our Timeshare Lifestyle.

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

We have traveled every year from Rochester to Orlando (1300 miles) with one or two dogs (Cairn Terriers) since 2007. We have found many Hampton Inn's take dogs and are nicer than most. We have found more and more resorts in Orlando accepting dogs (we used to be stuck at the former and fast deteriorating Celebration World but lately have used Wastegate VV & Lakes as well as Vacation Villas on 192 among others). We also took them to Ocean City, MD. Not as many Florida coast resorts seem to welcome dogs but you can find some.

We just make sure to stop and walk them about every 4 hours - longer for older dogs less for pups. It is our need for sleep, not the dogs, that trigger our hotel stops. The dogs are happy to sleep in the car and would drive straight through I think. We're back down to one dog again now and miss our older boy but our daughter just adopted the family 3rd Cairn and he & our little girl enjoyed getting together in Orlando over Christmas / New Years. We stayed for 3 weeks this past January. Enjoy the new family member!

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

I love all animals but my job and then my choice to travel often limits me to cats.

I always thought cats were the way to go as well, but now we have a cat who gets psycho if we're gone more than a week. As in attacks the pet sitter psycho. Our other cats have always kept each other company and are fine, but she doesn't get along with the other cats and has to be kept alone, which I think is part of it. Happily we have a friend who'll take her in while we're gone -- which works great except when we want to take our friend along on the trip!

We have trouble finding reliable care- givers.

We've got a reliable pet sitter, which I do think makes it a lot easier. I dunno what her religious beliefs are, but it's clear she sees her job as a ministry, both to the pets and to her customers. She does charge by the visit, though, so when we've needed her to come twice a day that doubles the cost. Took us a while to find her; now I just hope she doesn't decide to retire before we decide to quit traveling!

[tennisWalt Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tennisWalt]

Do what we did, buy a Florida home for your dog. Ours loves it.
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Of course, you'll still be stuck with 6 weeks of timeshare, exactly what we have.

I was able to sell the 6 timeshare weeks at The Beach Club In 2 weeks while in Florida this year. I still have some other timeshare weeks at other locations that I may try to sell this year or perhaps next year. Paying 6 less MF for next year is nice.

Walt

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I was able to sell the 6 timeshare weeks at The Beach Club In 2 weeks while in Florida this year. I still have some other timeshare weeks at other locations that I may try to sell this year or perhaps next year. Paying 6 less MF for next year is nice.

Walt

Yeah

rub it in

[tennisWalt Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tennisWalt]

Here is an interesting article about health and Dogs. I know I dropped over 20 lbs. in part by walking Maddie.

http://www.ivillage.com/pets-boon-hu...636.5804.69608




Get a Dog if You Want a Healthy Heart

The American Heart Association points to the stress-busting, dog-walking benefits of four-legged friends

By HealthDay - May 9, 2013

That four-legged friend of yours may be more than a companion -- he also may be boosting your heart health, experts say.

An official statement released Thursday by the American Heart Association says there is evidence that having a pet, particularly a dog, may lower your risk of heart disease.

Cardiology specialists weren't all that surprised.

"Pets really might be man's best friend," said Barbara George, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Lifestyle Medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

"Studies have shown people who own pets, particularly dogs, have lower blood pressure, increased mood-related brain chemicals, better cholesterol numbers, lower weight and improved stress response," George said.

Members of the American Heart Association (AHA) committee that wrote the statement reviewed data from an array of relevant studies. They found that pet ownership appears to be associated with a reduction in heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels and obesity -- and improved survival among people with heart disease.

Dog ownership in particular may help reduce heart risk, the statement said. People with dogs may get more exercise because they take their dogs for walks. A study of more than 5,200 adults found that dog owners did more walking and physical activity than those who didn't own dogs, and that dog owners were 54 percent more likely to get the recommended level of physical activity.

"Walking your dog is a healthy chore; it is a great way to exercise without thinking about it," said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, clinical associate professor in the department of medicine at the Tisch Center for Women's Health at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. "Pet owners increase their physical activity simply by walking their dogs."

Pets can also have a positive effect on the body's reactions to stress, according to the AHA. George agreed, saying pets can be "a tool for weight loss, socialization, calming our nerves and easing anxiety and depression."

The AHA stressed, however, that the studies they reviewed cannot prove that owning a pet directly reduces heart disease risk.

"It may be simply that healthier people are the ones that have pets, not that having a pet actually leads to or causes reduction in cardiovascular risk," statement committee chairman Dr. Glenn Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said in an AHA news release.

"There probably is an association between pet ownership and decreased cardiovascular risk," he said. "What's less clear is whether the act of adopting or acquiring a pet could lead to a reduction in cardiovascular risk in those with pre-existing disease. Further research, including better quality studies, is needed to more definitively answer this question."

In the meantime, George said, humans can benefit from the mental and physical rewards of furry companions. "Pets tug at our heartstrings," she said. "But they also improve our health -- both mental and physical -- helping us to live longer and happier lives."

The AHA statement was published online May 9 in the journal Circulation.