Here’s a shocker: we love having a business that allows us to travel with our dogs so we can research pet friendly places to go and things to do and blog about our experiences … all so we can make it fun and easy for other people to travel with their pets.  It’s a ruff job, but somebody’s got to do it!

And when you travel as much as we do, it helps to have a thick(er) skin. We like to think we’re pretty easy to get along with. Not much fazes us and when something does, we’re more likely to keep quiet than to make a fuss. Life is too short and all that. BUT, there are three pet travel peeves that do faze us, and I am choosing to write about them.

#1 – Not picking up after your pet

Nothing spoils a walk like stepping in the poop left behind by careless pet owners. Really, how hard is this one to fix? Apparently, very hard because we see poop on city sidewalks, hiking trails, parks – pretty much anywhere people walk their dogs. This pet peeve, more than any other, causes people to resent dog owners. And we’ve heard many times on our travels that it’s the primary reason for keeping parks and other attractions from going pet friendly. Amy has a great tweet reminder for this: There is no poop fairy. Pick after your pets. Your behavior reflects on all dog owners.

#2 – Not obeying the local leash laws

People don’t care how well behaved you think your dog is; if the sign says dogs must be leashed – do it. It shows respect for the resident pet owners that are left behind to deal with problems created by people traveling with pets. Here’s another reason: injuries caused by Rover are grounds for a civil suit. You could lose a small pile of cash and, possibly, your dog all because of one moment you couldn’t be bothered with a leash. And sort of a corollary peeve – be present. When you walk your dog, walk your dog – stay off your cell phone. Your best friend deserves your full attention.

#3 – Not restraining your pet while driving

If you’re traveling down the highway at 65 mph, so is your pet. Literally. Crates, carriers, or harnesses prevent Fido from making an unannounced visit to check the view from your lap while you’re driving and keep Kitty from crawling under the brake pedal just when you need to slow down. Restraints also protect pets from injury in case of an accident, which may be caused by your pet being loose in the car in the first place! And don’t get me started about the people who let their dogs ride in the open bed of a pickup truck. If anyone can offer a good reason for this practice, let me know what it is in a comment.

What about you? Do these three top pet travel peeves pretty much sum it up, or do you have something else you’d like to add? Let ‘er rip!