Taking the Dog on Holiday Without Telling the Caravan Site… Am I Mad?!

[oceanmountain]

So I’m going away in a couple of weeks and had a dog sitter all sorted… and now they’ve just cancelled because of a family emergency.

I’ve tried everywhere and can’t find anyone else to take the dog on such short notice, and I really don’t want to cancel the trip and upset the kids. So I was thinking of just taking the dog with me and not telling the caravan site.

Has anyone ever done this? My dog’s tiny and doesn’t shed, so I honestly don’t know how they’d even notice.

My friend said I shouldn't do it but I cant see any other option?

No - @Changingtimes81 just no

Aside from the very valid allergy concerns raised, I just wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy the holiday. The prospect of being caught and made to leave would have me on edge the whole time, and if it happened it would be such an awful experience for the kids and very embarrassing. It isn't worth the risk.

I always get a caravan that says no dogs allowed because my DS has severe allergies. He's been blue lighted more times than I can count. Yes he's even allergic to the non shedding dogs because it's not just fur also dead skin and saliva. No amount of cleaning will get all of it and in your case it wouldn't get extra cleaning anyway because you're planning to hide it and no one would know until something bad happens.
Can't you see how dangerous this is?

No! I'm allergic and would react badly if I stayed after you. I specifically book pet free vans. Don't be so selfish.

You have already made up your mind and I do think dogs are actually cleaner than some of the people staying in holiday accommodation. We once smuggled a hamster into a non-pet cottage. Not sure I’d risk a dog though! I think you should ask a friend to have the dog or cancel. That’s the only reasonable solution.

I’m allergic to dog hair and I’ve been in a hotel room that had a dog it in previously. I couldn’t breathe properly and it was so uncomfortable despite it apparently being cleaned throughly be professional cleaners - I had to move in the middle of the night. You will not clean it well enough and your dog definitely sheds. However chances are you won’t get caught which is probably what you are concerned about. There’s a small risk you do and they ask you to leave but you’ll still have had a few days of the holiday. Don’t worry about other people and prioritise yourself, rules are for mugs.

So basically you aren’t going to listen to any of the posters who have told you that your dog’s dander could cause someone with allergies to become ill, and that the perfunctory clean that each van gets will definitely NOT remove the dander or any fur that your dog may shed.

As long as you get your holiday, you clearly don’t give a damn if you spoil the holiday of the next guests who have booked a dog-free van for a good reason!

Selfish, entitled behaviour. Put your dog in the kennels - they will be fine. Or book a pet sitter to stay at your home.

And if you spray febreeze they'll smell it and wonder what little secret you are trying to hide. Then they'll look very carefully in the obvious places ( beds, rugs, tail marks on the cupboards , any trace whatsoever on the sofas). If you've had a dog in a non dog caravan for a week it'll stink of dog

Oh so your children don’t have allergies….. that’s fine then, don’t worry about anyone else…..

FYI it’s not only shed fur that people can be allergic to - animal dander includes shed skin cells.

You are being very unreasonable and I say that as a dog lover with no allergies!

I absolutely would.

Absolutely no way should you do this.

People with severe allergies will use that caravan on the basis of it being pet free. That means pet free all the time. You can’t possibly clean so thoroughly that there will be no trace of dog - allergens can be invisible to the naked eye but still affect sufferers.

There's another trending thread right now about someone with allergies to dogs and the struggle to find accommodation thay doesn't allow dogs. Why would you put the next user at risk like that? People choose dog free for a reason.

Cancel. Use the disappointment for you and the children as a way of emphasising the responsibilities of pet ownership and of consideration to those who cannot be around dogs for whatever reason. In addition to helping them develop resilience.

Another allergy sufferer saying please don’t.
It doesn’t mater that it doesn’t shed. I’m allergic to the dander too. Can you stop your dog losing skin cells? (I react to dander, hair and saliva)
It is getting increasingly difficult to find dog free holidays, easy enough to search for dog friendly but so hard to be sure it’s actually dog free. Please don’t make it worse.
Unfortunately my allergy is getting worse as I am being exposed more just going about my day to day business. As I’m already on double the normal does of antihistamines daily I can’t just take another pill and it will be fine.

My dog is part of my family, I holiday with him 99% of the time but always in dog friendly accommodation.
You absolutely cannot take your dog to a dog free van, it’s an extremely selfish point of view to think that this would ok .
i understand not wanting to cancel but you need to tell the site and ask if you can pay for a deep clean or unfortunately do not go .
You don’t want to cancel as it would upset the kids but I’m sure being asked to leave the site would be more upsetting. Dogs bark, need walked and to do their business - you would not be able to hide the dog although that is not the point anyway

But it's not about your children, it's about all the people who will stay in that caravan after a dog has been in it, it's not just about the hair either it's the drool as well they can react to, lots of people are allergic to that and you might not see every bit of it when cleaning & anyway even a non shedding dog will leave a small amount behind. These vans are kept pet free for a very good reason. When they see you have a dog - and they will, they can boot you straight out without a refund if they want to. Do you want to risk that ?

Please read this @oceanmountain

Chain it to a lamp post while you’re away. It might still be there when you get back.

For a lot of people, it's not the hair that triggers the allergy, but the dander on the skin.

No amount of hoovering will get every speck of dander.

Can't a friend or family member have the dog for a few days? I'd do that in a heartbeat for any of my friends or family.

You cant take the dog then.

This would be a horribly selfish thing to do.

The chances of you being told to leave and then being billed for deep cleaning of the caravan are high.

Aren't a lot of caravans on holiday park sites privately owned? So you'd potentially be shitting on an individual who has purposely chosen to not allow dogs?

No you shouldn't take your dog. You absolutely definitely shouldn't take your dog somewhere it is explicitly not allowed and then leave it alone there either.

Fucking hell, what is wrong with people??

What happens when you have your 2 hours in the arcade at night and your dog barks because he is left alone in a strange place or chews the edge of the furniture because he is fretting. Or possibly needs the toilet and you are not there? How selfish to consider taking a dog when its not a dog friendly van.

I have a small, hypoallergenic, non-shedding dog & my reply is just NO! You can't do this. The site know which vans are dog friendly & quite possibly it's not even owned by the site. Many are sub-let on the behalf of owners.

The site staff might not realise you have a dog, but Doris in the van opposite might & tell her mate that someone has a dog in her van.

It's really selfish, & I can't believe you would leave them on their own at night to go to the clubhouse & expect them to not get upset or bark etc. Even in pet friendly caravans you have to sign to say that you won't leave them unattended.

Depending on the site, there’s a good chance the caravan you’re staying in is privately owned. Which might be why dogs aren’t allowed in that particular van. Don’t take the piss. Your dog will survive in a kennel, it’s a dog not a person.