Traveling with your dog: Tips for Trips
With advance planning, thorough training, and the right tools, anyone can travel successfully with a dog. There are three basic areas of concern:
- Have ways to keep your dog under control so he is safe and you can be a responsible pet owner.
- Bring the pet travel products, accessories and supplies needed to keep your dog comfortable and healthy.
- Choose transportation and lodging to make your stay enjoyable.
Drawn from my long experience as a dog trainer and cross-country traveler, here is how to make travel with dogs enjoyable and easy.
The most basic basics: Collar, leash, tags and bags
Traveling dogs must be leash-trained, because you may be walking them in unfamiliar, distracting and heavy traffic situations. Good leash manners make it safer and more fun to do exercising and potty walks.
Bring a sturdy leash and collar, plus a spare collar just in case one breaks or is lost. In addition to a regular leash I recommend having a retractable leash for potty time.
Check the contact information on your dog’s tags. It is current? Does it include your traveling cell phone number, with area code? If not, your lost dog might be found yet have no way to be reunited with you. The spare collar should also be correctly tagged.
Pooper-scooper bags are also a necessity with traveling. Many places now have laws that require owners to pick up their pet’s waste. Mostly, it is just the responsible thing to do.
Well-trained dogs are good travelers
It goes without saying that your dog should be fully housebroken before you travel, but remember that housebroken at home may not mean housebroken on the road! Dogs may need several trips to generalize the “never go inside” rule. Part of housebreaking dogs is getting them to go on cue. This makes traveling so much easier on them and you.
Reliable obedience commands are vital for traveling, especially “Quiet,” “Come,” and “OK.”
In cars, RVs, planes, or staying in hotels, there is nothing more annoying than a dog that barks at everything and doesn’t stop. Who wants to be on a plane with your dog barking and a bunch of soon-to-be-angry passengers cramped in the sky? If your dog is not already trained to stop barking at “Enough” or “Quiet,” there are training methods and bark collars that can help get problem barking under control.
A good “Come” command is essential for traveling. Far from home, in unfamiliar territory, a dropped leash can be a disaster. A dog who responds to the voice command “Come” can be retrieved before he disappears into the crowd.
Release commands are also important. For your dog, learning to wait at doors until released can prevent many accidents. When you open a house or car door, teach the dog to wait for their name, or a release command like “OK,” before exiting.
Food and health take-alongs
A changing diet on the road can cause digestive problems. Nothing ruins a vacation like cleaning up after an ill dog in the middle of the night, outside or even worse on a hotel carpet. This is no time to experiment with new foods. Bring along enough food, medication, and any supplements you use for the duration of the trip, unless they are brands you know you can buy anywhere. Some people use homeopathic calming treatments with lots of success to help reduce stress with all the changes to the pet’s routine.
Don’t forget the bowls!!! I think the no-spill bowls are great. I also take water if there will be a drastic change in the water supply (city versus well water).
Some travel (including flying and crossing country lines) requires health certificates. Make sure you know about any such requirements before departing on your trip. But even if rules don’t require it, it is smart to bring records of your dog’s vaccines, your vet’s contact information, your dog’s medical history in case of an emergency, and even a photo. Some new electronic pet ID tags can keep this information conveniently on the dog’s collar.
A crate is your dog’s home away from home
Crates or portable dog kennels are mandatory for air travel, and they can make auto travel easier too. Be sure to introduce the crate well in advance, so your dog is accustomed to it and feels at home. You may even want to make the crate your dog’s primary space at home. For traveling, furnish your dog’s crate with familiar toys and other comforting objects. For a dog, traveling in a comfortable crate is like taking his own room with him. It gives him a sense of stability and security.
When change happens to a dog’s schedule, it is comforting to have something remain consistent and stable. Having a crate where he feels secure will help make travel less stressful. It takes training to have a dog comfortably accept a crate but its value in housebreaking, the ability to prevent chewing damage, and the reduction in separation anxiety with traveling will be worth any time invested.
Automobile travel
Now let’s talk about being in the car. Your dog needs to be well behaved or restrained in the car. You need to focus on the drive and it’s hard to do that with a dog that crowds you or is barking madly at the windows.
You can choose a crate, safety belt, dog seat, barriers, etc that fits your dog’s needs. Remember potty walks! If you need to stop and hit a restroom, the dogs probably do also.
Never, ever leave your dog in a hot or even a warm vehicle. There are fans, cooling mats, and barriers available so you can leave windows down, etc. Carelessness about this can ruin more than your vacation.
Dogs on a plane
If you are flying to your destination, you have more work on your hands. First you must research the rules of the airlines about transporting pets. Requirements change, and there are seasonal differences. Make sure you know the requirements of health certificates and how long they take to obtain.
Some small dogs will be allowed to fly in the cabin in airline-approved pet carriers, but most dogs will be required to ride in another part of the plane. Make sure you contact the airlines before reservations to confirm the rules, weight restrictions, size requirements for how a dog fits in its travel kennel or airline-approved pet carrier, etc.
Even if your pet carrier is labeled “airline-approved,” make sure you confirm the specifics with your airline. Many people get to an airline to learn their dog doesn’t properly fit in the pet carrier to a particular airline’s specifications. This can ruin a trip quickly.
Since most dogs do not ride in the cabin, weather restrictions can happen. In very cold or very hot weather, pets may not be allowed to travel in cargo. Go over the rules with the airline more than once. You cannot negotiate their rules, so make sure you follow them exactly!
Lodgings
Now you’ve arrived, where are you and your dog going to stay? Don’t wait until arrival to find dog-friendly lodgings. There are many books, websites, and email groups to help find pet-friendly rooms. And even if you have done all that homework, always ask specifically about the pet policy when making reservations. You don’t want to get somewhere to find a place has changed policy on pets or certain breeds are not welcome and have to find a new hotel/RV park/etc in the middle of the night.
Bon voyage!
Easy traveling with dogs takes planning, training and the right stuff. But your preparations will be repaid in happy memories...not to mention no kennel fees for leaving the dogs at home! Taking your dog on vacation can be good for you and your pet. Happy vacationing!
This article was co-authored by America’s Pet Store and Michelle Blount-Jordan and may not be reproduced without permission. It has been written to provide general information on product selection and training. It is not intended to be a substitution for the information that comes with your product. If you have a dog with behavioral problems and particularly with fear or aggression issues, you should contact a reputable and local trainer who can assist you with your dog.
Michelle Blount-Jordan
www.doghuman.com