Traveling With Your Dog

by Mardi Winder-Adams

Dog owners are notorious for wanting to keep their four legged companions with them while they are traveling, and after all hard working dogs deserve a vacation every now and then! Thankfully traveling with dogs either for business, moving or on a vacation is relatively simple and easy provided you do some advanced planning and make sure you kept safety for your pet high on your list of priorities.

Weeks Before You Leave

If you are traveling locally or within the same general geographic area that you live you don't need to be as insistent with this component. If, however, you are traveling more than a few miles from your home area set an appointment with your vet and ensure your dog is healthy and has all vaccinations up to date. Traveling into another state, province, country or area may require additional vaccinations or even a vet certificate that indicates your dog is healthy and fully vaccinated. Your vet may also be aware of health concerns or outbreaks within the area you are traveling that may affect your dog. If there is a serious health risk, kenneling your dog may be the safer option and knowing in advance gives you time to find a good kennel or a pet sitter to care for the dog when you are gone.

Dog Friendly Accommodations

There are a great number of hotels, motels, property rentals, cabins, and even bed and breakfasts that welcome dogs, however there are typically more that don't. If you are traveling in an area for the first time, always call ahead and confirm that dogs are welcome. Some accommodations have restrictions on breeds and sizes that can be in the room, sometimes due to hotel policy and sometimes due to city ordinances and laws. Even if you have stayed at a hotel or motel before, call to check that the policy on dogs hasn't been changed, plus confirm what the charge per room per night will be to keep your dog inside.

Desensitize Your Dog To The Vehicle

Usually a vacation and traveling requires long periods in the car or vehicle, ideally with the dog either in a crate or in a seat belt restraint harness for safety purposes. It is important to gradually increase the time that your dog is in the car so he or she gets used to longer periods of inactivity. You may also have to plan your vacation stops in accordance with how long your dog can go between exercise breaks and bathroom stops. Puppies and high energy breeds will require more frequent stops while older and more sedate dogs can often go much longer between stops.

Use a Collar and A Leash At All Times

Dogs that get lost on a vacation or when traveling are hard to find since they tend to wander aimlessly as everything is new and strange for them. Make sure your dog has a collar with a current identification tag that includes your cell phone number so you can be contacted on the road. Never let your dog out of the vehicle until the leash is attached to the collar and the dog is under your control. This will prevent any running off after squirrels or birds or the possibility of the dog getting out into traffic if you stop by a roadside.

Going on a vacation or traveling with your dog or dogs is a great chance to provide a change of scenery for both you and the dog. Take a few precautions so your vacation and traveling time will be positive for both you and your dogs.