As I just finished traveling with my dog Lindy from Washington State to Puerto Rico, I thought “why not write about traveling with pets”?! I am not a huge fan of long distance traveling with pets for fun, but in this case, it was a necessity. We, my husband and I, bought a house in Puerto Rico a little over a year ago and have been bringing our dogs out to live as we saw our circumstances shifting to living here full time. So it was that Tango came out first, now Lindy, and we will see how things are going, and decide if Bachata will join us within the next year (for now he is happily living with my parents). These three dogs are senior dogs and of various sizes, which changes their specific abilities and ease of traveling. The next couple of blogs, will be about traveling with your pets in different forms and the challenges and joys it presents.
Traveling with pets can be a great adventure, or a great ruin to your vacation, and their wellbeing. Let us look at some of the ways to travel with pets, and how to make it a great (or good) experience for you and your pet. These articles will specifically focus on traveling with Dogs, though some of the same advice would apply to cats.
Car Travels-
The Car- To me this is the best way for traveling with my pets. For one, it is My car and My rules; pet hair? Don’t care; muddy paws? Remnants of adventures; barking at a passing car? Laughter in harmony of our mutual glee… Now we still take some time to set up safe, fun and caring travel.
- Will your dog be in the back of the car, the back seat, or free to roam about?
- Back of the Car? We recommend making the back of the car as safe as possible. Don’t put your pet in with luggage or other travel accessories that can fall on them, or pin them down. Instead make sure they are comfortable, that they can’t jump over the seat. Set up a baby mirror on the rearview mirror so you can easily see your pet. Make sure they have toys for snuggling and chewing, and their favorite blanket or a shirt with your scent which can help ease any anxiety. For some, and for safety, consider a travel crate; this is also good if you have a crate trained animal already, as this may feel like a den of safety for them. Many dogs tend to find their own safe place in the car, and they usually enjoy seeing out the window.
- Back Seat? For some dogs this is an ideal location. Usually this is a good spot for dogs who are good at staying out of the driver’s way, but even if they aren’t, here are some tips for safety-
- Get a dog restraining belt. This is a leash type clip that attached onto their harness and helps hold them in place. If you get into a car accident, God forbid, this safety clip can save your dogs life!
- Another helpful tool is the canvas backseat safety net. This handy doodad straps into your back seat, protecting the seat from fur, mud and claws, and helps keep them off the door handles and window buttons, and blocks them from jumping into the front seat.
- Turn on child locks- dogs get curious and love to look out the window, sometimes they will roll windows all the way down or open a door accidentally. Using child locks prevents that.
- And I hold to the baby mirror like the suggestion for the rear of the car.
- Free to Roam About? For some owners and some dogs this is a very acceptable way to travel. It is important to know your dog and their impulse control abilities, and their anxiety levels (best for calm relaxed doggos). This is also great for snuggly lap dogs. While dogs are free to roam about, they should still stay out of the lap of the driver, and away from the floor in front of the driver, or any other driver controls.
- Prepare for your dog-
- Install a baby mirror so you can easily see them.
- Have a travel bowl for water and a water bottle for them.
- Keep cleaning wipes (in case of accidents) in the car.
- Have their food in a sealed container (always pack a little more than they will need) and bring stable travel bowls. Consider a travel water bottle for dogs, there are some with a push button that allows you to control how much water comes out at a time and this makes giving water while driving a lot easier.
Things to Consider–
- Some dogs have a lot of anxiety in the car, talk to your vet before traveling to see if there are ways to alleviate anxiety, or if you think it is concerning enough to get a prescription for Trazadone or Aprazolam.
- Start with having your dog wear a Thunder Shirt.
- Drive with them for short trips, i.e. drive through banking, drive through coffee, going to get gas.
- Some dogs get more aggressive or protective when in a car.
- Again, the anxiety methods can help with this.
- Taking short trips allows you to do some exposure training with your dog. Talk to your trainer about how to teach better car behavior.
- Make sure to teach them to sit still and ignore people when they walk by the car.
- Some dogs get carsick.
- Yep! This happens and is one of my reasons, outside of safety first, to keep a dog restrained in a vehicle. Help to contain the mess.
- Just like humans, some dogs get motion sick and you may need to ask a vet what you can do to help your dog’s sensitive tummy.
- Pepto can help.
- Talk with your vet about any medications first, and ask what is available to help your dog.
Wherever your car adventures take you, always make sure your Dog is up to date on vaccinations, taking a regular flea/tick/heartworm prevention, and has all tags up to date. Consider having your dog microchipped with current ID information.
Invest in a good harness and always have your dog on a leash in new locations. This is not only for their safety, it is the law in many areas.
If your adventure is of an outdoor/nature style, consider bringing your dog grooming supplies.
And finally- Remember to check any requirements if you are going to another state, ahead of time.
Happy Tails and Safe Travels
Thank You. I did step away for a while but I am back. I will be posting more in the new year!