Traveling with Your Dog: Tips, Tricks, & Prep!
With the fun summer months coming up, you and your dog might be ready to take some time off and hit the open road. And while traveling with your pets can be fun, there is a lot of planning and preparation we pet parents need to do to ensure our dogs are happy and healthy while on vacation. If you are thinking about bringing your pup along on your summer vacations here are some tips to help you set your dog up for relaxed and successful travel days.
Planning is Everything
Whether you’re taking a short road trip or an international flight there is a lot of preparation that needs to happen if you are taking your pup on a trip. If you’re traveling by plane, be sure to check their weight limits onboard to see if you need to crate your pup in cargo or if they can ride with you on the flight. Trains have some restrictions on size and weight as well. Taking a road trip is easier to plan for, but you still have to have a safe riding area for your pup on travel day. Make sure to check that your accommodations are dog-friendly and that your destination has dog activities that are dog-approved. Some hotels offer dog walkers or may have good doggy daycares in town for your pup to enjoy if you are headed off on some human-only activities.
Travel Day Prep
No matter your mode of transport, make sure that your dog has everything they need for travel days by making sure they have plenty of exercise, food, and water before the trip begins. If your dog is a travel pro, you probably have a routine down, but if your pup is new to travel, especially if you’re traveling by plane, it might be helpful to talk to your vet before you leave to see if there is anything you can do to calm their nerves. If they are being crated below the plane, it could be helpful to place a pee pad at the bottom of their crate. Once you’ve arrived at your destination make sure you’ve packed their food and favorite treats and that they’re easily accessible–your dog will be hungry once you land. One of the most important things for pups in new situations is for their pet parent to stay calm, even though traveling is stressful for us humans too!
Travel Anxieties
It’s totally normal for dogs–and humans–to have heightened anxiety on travel days. Be sure to pack your pup’s favorite things; i.e., toys, bowls, blankets, or even their dog bed. If you have to crate them in the plane’s cargo, it could help them to have something that smells like you, like a shirt or sweater, so they can snuggle up and relax while they’re on the plane. If you’re traveling by car or train, it will be easier to keep your dog with you and allow them to take potty and walk breaks throughout your journey. Before you travel, make sure you have ways to reconnect with your dog in the slim chance that you get separated. They should always have their ID tags on them, but your vet can check their microchip and you can get a second location device for them like an AirTag to attach to their collar for up-to-date tracking of their location.
Traveling with your dog is a great way for them to get out and see their big new world, and for you to create beautiful memories with your pup. While there is a lot of planning and prep that has to go into traveling with pets, it is worth it in the end when you see their tail wagging from all of the new sniffs and sights you’ve given them!