Tips for Travelling with Your Dog

Tips for Travelling with Your Dog

If you’re going on vacation and you want to take your beloved dog with you, there are some important things you need to think about before travelling with your dog. This is true whether you’re taking a road trip, travelling by plane, or any other way. We’re sharing some tips for travelling with your dog.

Here’s our Apollo, hoping to go for a ride when I was actually just getting something out of my minivan. He loves road trips.

Do you love travelling with your dog?

We’ve always hated leaving our dogs behind when we go away, fortunately, we haven’t had to do it often with our previous dogs. Our current dogs Apollo and Cleo have not yet been left behind as Apollo we adopted last year as a puppy and Cleo we adopted just this April. We haven’t wanted to leave them when they haven’t been with us for very long. We love travelling with our dogs whenever it’s possible. When travelling with your dog, organization is key!

Check Ahead of Time to Make Sure There’s Room

Our Cleo, a few days after we adopted her from a rescue in April of this year. She loves people and she too loves to go on road trips or any car ride.

If you are taking your dog with you on a plane, even if your flight has room for you, sometimes there is no room for pets. The day of your flight, ensure there is actually room for your pet. If there is not, you will have to find a new flight. If you cannot change your flight, you will need to find an emergency dog sitter.

Also, when choosing a flight, do your best to find a nonstop flight. The problem with layovers when travelling with a pet is that your dog will stay in the plane’s cargo hold while the plane is stopped. I don’t know about you but I’m not comfortable with that and prefer to avoid it at all costs.

Have Identification for Your Dog

Before going on any long trip, make sure that your dog has a collar and has a microchip in case he or she gets lost. The collar should have a tag with accurate contact information such as your cell phone number and current address. Also, make sure to check with your microchip service to ensure that they have your most up to date information.

Keep Current Vet and Immunization Records on Hand

When travelling, it’s extremely important to be sure you have your dog’s veterinarian records with you. All immunizations should be up to date especially the rabies shot and often times the one for kennel cough. The tag for rabies should be prominently displayed on the collar. Vet records should show the dates of all immunizations, as well as state any conditions to be aware of, whether behavioural or physical. This is an important tip for travelling with your dog.

Take a Mini Trip Before a Long Trip

If your dog has not taken a long trip in the car before, you should take a mini trip or two before going on a long trip. This way you can find out if your dog suffers from anxiety, motion sickness, or some other travel-related problem. During these trips, be sure to take your dog to fun places such as the park and not just places like the groomer and vet. These same issues could come up during flights, as well. This way you know your pet better as he or she travels, so you can be prepared.

Know How Your Dog Eats On a Trip

Also, before you go on a road trip or flight, you want to experiment with feeding your dog before you take a short road trip. Some dogs will do better eating a little bit before the ride, and other dogs do better without having eaten for several hours before the ride. This way you know when to feed your dog around trips and to know how much food to bring with you.

Pack Familiar to your Dog Items

Now that you have these tips for travelling with your dog, it’s time to prepare for lots of fun with your pal. Make sure to pack plenty of treats, toys, and a comfort item or two (such as a blanket with your scent or something that reminds him of home).

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