[.ca] Vacationing with Your Pet: Eileen's Directory of ... (ISBN 1884465242)

From Amazon.com:
Most pet lovers will buy this book for the extensive listings of more than 23,000 pet-friendly accommodations in the United States and Canada. As a bonus, however, they'll be getting nearly 100 pages of terrific advice on everything from training your cat to walk on a leash to packing for your dog to determining which common plants are toxic to animals. There's even a recipe for homemade dog biscuits at the end! Filled with helpful hints guaranteed to make traveling with your pet a relaxing and positive experience for both of you, Vacationing With Your Pet is an indispensable guide for anyone planning on hitting the road in the company of a four-footed pal.

Vacationing With Your Pet:
I was very surprised to read all the negative reviews of this book. I am online now to order the updated version, as I have been working from the 3rd Edition for the last 5 years. I guess I have had no trouble because I always doublechecked by phone before appearing somewhere with any of my pets, mastiffs, all of whom weigh from 100 to 180 pounds. Many hotels change their policies about pets as they encounter difficulties; such as adding weight restrictions, refundable deposits, non-refundable deposits or simply revoking their pet policies altogether. It is always best to double check by phone before appearing. However, even despite this, this book has never steered me in the wrong direction. As a person who trains, shows and travels extensively all over the country with large animals, this book has been an invaluable resource and I recommend it very highly.

Outdated, incomplete information:
Finding a place to stay with your pet is frustrating - but even more frustrating after trying to use this book. The information is outdated, the listings contain minimal information (name, address and telephone numbers), and many of the places that I called didn't even take pets anymore. There are a number of other ways to get far more detailed and comprehensive information on pet-friendly places to stay. I am sorry to say it, but this isn't one of them.

Hitting the road:
This is a great book! As a freelance worker, I take spontaneous road trips with my four-legged buddy Sam. I leave the book in the glove compartment (where it fits perfectly!) so it's always handy and off we go. It makes traveling with Sam a breeze! It's the best book out there.

Excellent Resource:
I, too, am amazed to read the bad reviews. An "autobiography of the author"? "self-serving"?, are we looking at the same book? Mine has pointers about traveling with your pet, training tips, road tips, kenneling, tips for vacationing with your pets, etc, certainly nothing related to the above quoted comments from other reviews. I always call ahead for reservations and tell the motel/hotel I have a large dog (60+ lbs.). I have never had a motel listed in this book say they did not take pets, there is generally a small additional charge at the motels for having a pet, not unexpected nor unreasonable. I travel frequently (although not cross country) and this guide has been invaluable. Perhaps mine is a later edition than others reviewing here have, however, I have nothing but praise for this book. It is much better than other similar books I have used when traveling.

Essential for Glove Compartment:
GREAT BOOK!!! As an avid road tripper with my buddy Sam, I highly recommend this book. I keep it in my glove compartment, where it happens to fit perfectly. That way, I always know where it is and it's always where I need it. Whether I'm taking off spontaneously for a weekend or a week this book has never let me down. If you travel with your pet, this is the book that will make your hotel nights hassle free.