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My dog Daphne is always up for jumping into the car to go "bye-bye."

And lots of readers take their pets with them on vacation, to the dog park or just around town. There are good ways to do it and better ways to do it — especially in the summertime.

If the weather is 80 degrees or higher, never ever leave a dog in the car, even with windows open. The car becomes an oven in literally minutes.

Leave the dog home when you go to the store or another location where he can't get out of the car.

If you are taking a longer trip, feed the dog only lightly. Take a collapsible dish to give water at regular stops — and don't forget to stop for potty breaks.

Most rest stops along interstates have designated areas. In emergencies, I have pulled off on country roads.

ALWAYS, always have a leash in the car for such emergency stops. And make sure your dog has current ID on the collar.

For long trips, take a familiar bed or blanket, favorite toys and chew items, and enough food to last the trip.

You don't want to have to change food because you ran out, and take a chance on having a dog with an upset stomach in the car.

There are several great Web sites that list pet-friendly locations. One of them is Petside.com.

The Web site recently came out with its Top Five Pet-Friendly Hotels, which offer lots of amenities for pets, from spa services to gourmet menus and in-room training.

They are:

1. The James Hotel in Chicago, Ill.

2. The W Tuscany in New York, N.Y.

3. The Hotel Monaco in Denver, Colo.

4. Bowen's By The Bays in Hampton Bays, N.Y.

5. Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, Calif.

The Web site also features summer travel tips, vacation ideas, how to fly, reviews of the best cars to buy or rent, and the latest must-have pet travel products.

Reader Julie O'Brien also writes that "every once in a while you mention places to stay while traveling that are pet friendly.

"La Quinta motels are good places to stay. There are places to walk your dog and even supplied us with a water bowl when we accidently lost ours.

"Everyone made over our sheltie and we felt very welcome. We wouldn't stay any place else while traveling," O'Brien said.

The fifth annual Woodland Woof Walk will be Aug. 2 from 9 a.m. to noon.

The walk will be guided by Woodland Tour Guides and is for all sociable dogs and their owners.

The walk is 1.1 miles long and includes the history of the famous and infamous people who are buried at Woodland.

The event is free. Dog owners are asked to clean up after their dogs.

Registration for the event begins at 8:30 a.m. and the tours start at 9 and 10:30 a.m.

You may also register at the cemetery office at 118 Woodland Ave. or by phone at (937) 228-3221.

The week of Aug. 4 starts a new session of classes at Gem City's training center on Springfield Street in Dayton.

The agility classes are at the land facility on Valleycrest Drive.

Obedience classes are held Tuesday through Thursday. Agility is Monday through Friday, and rally and freestyle are on Tuesday evenings.

For earthdog information, contact Curt Givens at curtis.givens@fuse.net.

For more information, visit www.gcdoc.com.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2248 or ldenger@DaytonDaily

News.com.