As if they needed to ask. Of course the dogs were coming, that’s why we were driving! New Mexico is a beautiful state, and as it turns out, very dog-friendly. Here’s a recap:

Vehicle of choice: We rented an Isuzu Rodeo from Avis. The 10-day rental ran us about $420 after taxes, which we felt was a good deal. We would have liked a little more room in the back for all of our luggage but opted for the sunroof on the Rodeo, rather than the more spacious Trail Blazer, which was our other option for that price.

The dogs (a Golden Retriever, Hannah and Labrador, Cobi) were very comfortable in the backseat, often opting to use each other as pillows rather than spread out in the entire back seat. We put some luggage down in the foot area of the backseat, and then covered it all with comforters to give the dogs more space to sleep.

Carlsbad, New Mexico: Carlsbad is the home of the Carlsbad Caverns, some incredible caves just south of town. Feel free to bring your dogs to the Caverns, as there is a kennel you can keep the dogs while you explore the caves. The room is air-conditioned and the cages the size of your typical travel crate.

Cobi and Craig enjoy some rest and relaxation in Brantley Lake State Park, just north of Carlsbad, New Mexico

The cost is $4 per dog, and the dogs must be picked up by 4:45 p.m. That gives you plenty of time to do the walking tour of the caves as we did, and shopping in the gift shop. Unfortunately the kennels are closed when the bats come flying out of the cave in the evening, so we had to find a shady spot for a few minutes in the parking lot for the dogs. We traveled in May, and it gets cool in the evenings in the spring.

For lodging, we chose to stay at Brantley Lake State Park, which is about 20 minutes north of Carlsbad, and 40 minutes from the caverns. It’s a beautiful state park, and each campsite had a covered area with picnic tables where the dogs loved to hang out. We spoke with a ranger, and she said it was no problem to take the dogs swimming in the lake down in the primitive camping area.

We weren’t traveling during peak travel times, so nobody was there which helped. The dogs loved swimming in the lake, and spent most of their stay at Brantley Lake State Park off their leashes. Our campsites were $14 a night, with electricity and water. For more information on the park, call 505-457-2384.

Ruidoso, New Mexico: This is a beautiful resort town tucked away in the mountains, a short 2-hour trip from Roswell. Ruidoso offers skiing in the winter and incredible scenery all year round. It’s a very dog-friendly town.

As we drove through town, we noticed that many of the rental cabins welcomed dogs, as did the Days Inn downtown. We opted to stay at a Bed and Breakfast, just outside town called Monjeau Shadows Country Inn (tel. 505-336-4191).

If your dogs get along with Lady, chances are they are welcome at Monjeau Shadows Country Inn, a Bed and Breakfast just outside Ruidoso, New Mexico.

We spoke with the owner Dennis upon arriving into town and he said our two dogs were welcome at his B & B if they got along with his dog Lady. For those who own Golden Retrievers or Labs, you know chances are they get along with anybody, and that was the case.

Dennis cooked as a wonderful fish dinner when we arrived and sent us off with a fantastic eggs, bacon, sausage and biscuit breakfast in the morning. The dogs explored the house as well as the fenced-in backyard. It was by-far their most luxurious stay of the entire trip. We were treated to an off-season price of $65 before taxes. Be sure to visit historic Lincoln, New Mexico after Ruidoso to learn all about Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War. We walked the dogs up and down the historical main street of Lincoln, peaking inside the old buildings.

Sante Fe/Albuquerque: Once again, dogs were everywhere in these New Mexico cities. We weren’t surprised to find a napping Husky in an Old Town gift shop in Albuquerque, nor to find a great upscale doggie boutique (Teca Tu) on Montezuma Avenue in Sante Fe. Even when dogs weren’t allowed, as was the case at El Patio, a great restaurant near the University of New Mexico, there is an apologetic sign explaining why (blaming the health department). We stayed at Hyde Memorial State Park in the Sangre de Cristos, which is right in the thick of a forest 20 minutes outside Sante Fe. The cost was $10 per night, but beware: There aren’t any sinks or showers that we could find.

Our Rodeo doubled as a driving billboard for Doggie Deliveries, although there weren't a lot of potential customers in the forests of Hyde Memorial State Park, in Sante Fe. That's Hannah, our Golden, peeking in front of the rear tire.

It was fine for the dogs, but a little too rustic for the owners. Also, in the camping loop near the front of the park, the gates close at 11 p.m., a lesson we learned the hard way. We had to park the Rodeo and walk to our campsite in the dark.

When it was time for some recreation, (Whitewater rafting with the Sante Fe Rafting Company, strongly recommended; Also a trip up the world-longest tram in Albuquerque, again strongly recommended) we checked the dogs into Country Boarding Kennels (505-471-2444) off Frontage Road near I-25, as this was the only boarding place the local humane society recommended. The folks there were great, offering an indoor/outdoor run for Cobi and Hannah for the night. Dogs must be up to date on all their shots, and it’s up to you to provide the information. The cost was $55 for the night for the two dogs, which we gladly forked over since we felt so comfortable leaving our dogs there for the night.