Travel With Your Dog: Vermont's The Paw House Inn

by Jo Piazza (Subscribe to Jo Piazza's posts): Mar 5th 2010 @ 1:00PM Filed Under: Dogs, Traveling with Pets

Vermont The Paw House Inn picture Paw House Inn

As the owners of a large and needy pooch, going away on vacation is always a struggle for my boyfriend Benny and me.

Lady, our 11-month-old Rhodesian ridgeback mix, can't bear to be owner-less for more than half a day. So when we decided to go on an impromptu ski trip to Vermont, putting Lady in a traditional kennel or leaving her with friends just wasn't an option. We found our salvation in the Paw House Inn, a bed-and-breakfast only two miles from the ski resort Mount Snow.

The Paw House Inn -- motto: "No Dog Left Behind" -- not only allows dogs, but caters to them and their human owners. After being frustrated for years with the difficulty of traveling with their two pooches, Mitch and Jen Frankenberg opened the Paw House in West Rutland, Vt., near the Killington ski resort. They later expanded to include the location at Mount Snow.

Benny and I packed our skis (and Lady) and drove the four hours from New York City to Vermont. Paw House is not kidding when they say dogs have their run of the place. Pets are allowed all over the hotel (except for the dining area, due to health codes). Lady was able to sleep with us in our antique four-poster bed, and cuddle by the fireplace in our room.

When we went skiing the next day, we left Lady (along with instructions written out for the staff about her needs) in Paw House Inn's playhouse, where she had her own run. She was taken out for playtime in the heated doggie gym, and was given supervised play in the large enclosed yard. We all discovered during this trip that Lady loves running through tunnels, jumping over hurdles and, most of all, snow!

Frankly, Lady did not want to leave to return to the concrete jungle of Manhattan after two days of romping in the white stuff and playing with her new buddies.

Rates at The Paw House Inn at Mount Snow vary but, for example, in March 2010 they begin at around $175 a night. If you're planning a B&B vacay outside of New England, other, similar facilities may be available to you. You may want to check out The Ruby of Crested Butte, Colo. where dogs stay free, are given comfy beds and blankets, and are given walks on the Crested Butte "Poop Loop." Or look into the Crystal Wood Lodge in Klamath Falls, Ore. where the resident chef makes homemade dog bones and crates come with every room.

Tags: dog friendly hotels, DogFriendlyHotels, skiing, travel with pets, TravelWithPets