It’s a Dog’s World… Doggie Vacation – Traveling with Rover
Summer is a popular time for travel and many people want to include their family dog on vacation. Whether you’re going by car or plane a little planning can make the experience with your pet a happy one. Over the years I’ve learned a lot traveling with my little Yorkie Angel – here are a few tips that you might find helpful too.
- Practice Outings: Dogs that are not used to car rides can get motion sickness from anxiety. If this is the case in your situation, The American Kennel Club recommends that you take your pet on frequent short car rides to get him used to the car. Take him to the dog park or someplace fun so he can associate the ride with good things. It’s amazing how well this works to calm the dog and train him for a longer journey.
- Figure out a feeding schedule: Before you take the long car ride, experiment with feeding Fido before short rides. Some dogs do better in the car not having eaten for several hours before while others need to have a small meal. And remember the key phrase – small meal.
- Invest in a crate: Buy your own crate instead of renting one from the airline. This way your dog can get used to it before the actual flight.
- Go for non-stop: If you’re flying with your dog, try to get non-stop flights rather than layovers. Pets remain in the planes hold while it’s stopped on the ground. Pretty scary, huh?
- Identification is a must: It is extremely important to have identification for your dog, including a collar and microchip. Make sure your cellphone number is on his tag. And, check on your recovery service provider to make sure your contact information is up to date. To enroll your pet in a 24-hour recovery service, visit http://www.akcreunite.org
Recommended Reading:
“Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World”, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
