Last Updated on July 30, 2022 by Dogs Vets
How To Prepare Your Dog For Long-Distance Travel
Going someplace new is a fantastic way to decompress from life. New sights and experiences remind us that there’s more to life than our usual daily hustle.
However, while some prefer to travel alone, many would think otherwise and rather have company.
Although having people along the ride is a perfect opportunity for bonding, you might find human interaction too taxing. So, instead of inviting people, why not bring your pets on the trip?
Now, despite how simple pets are as companions, the process of having them on might be challenging. Luckily, for dog owners, all you have to do is follow these tips to make sure your trip with your furball goes without a hitch.
-
Do A Check-Up
Like the one at https://www.dogfriendlyretreats.com/, you’ll see how many dog accommodations there are all over the globe. But just because you have these places listed down, it doesn’t mean you should drop everything to pack your bags and take your dog with you post-haste. Not when you have no idea if it’s suited for traveling.
Make sure your dog’s vaccination shots are updated. If you go someplace with too many people, it can be extremely stressful for dogs and trigger them to get defensive.
Also, be sure your dog is chipped in case it gets lost in the crowd—or at least have it wear a collar with complete contact details so it can be returned to you safe and sound.
Now, as mentioned earlier, traveling means too much stimulation is about to bombard your dog’s senses. If the stress gets too much, no amount of delicious dog treats can stop it from either lashing out due to panic or going into cardiac arrest.
Therefore, dropping by the veterinarian is a must to check if it can handle stressful situations.
In addition to that, if you’re traveling by plane, airlines require health certifications proving your dog’s suitable for flights. So, there’s no ifs or buts when your fur ball’s health is clearly on the line.
-
Check On Regulations
Many first-time travelers didn’t know pets weren’t allowed to board the plane unless they had health certifications.
Otherwise, you might have to cancel your flight or quickly pull some strings to find someone to take your dog back home. You can probably imagine how stressful both situations would be for you and your dog.
So, if you want to avoid complications springing up on you like that after days of preparation, be informed. Because not only will you need health certifications, but you also have to check your dog’s weight if you’re traveling by train since they have a regulation that only allows dogs below 25 pounds (or 11.3 kilograms).
Without knowing that rule beforehand, you might have to come back home with your big dog and your plans pushed back.
Besides that, some hotels require an additional pet fee estimated at around USD$200. So, if you’re going through this trip on a strict budget and you got hit by this hurdle, you mind find yourself short on cash in the end.
Be thorough in your research. Plan out how your trip will go from start to finish to have it fool-proof as much as possible. This way, both of you can have fun the entire time.
-
Practice Makes Perfect
Much like most things, easing yourself into something new is one way to keep the shock factor at bay. And doing something drastic as traveling somewhere completely foreign has culture shock lingering right around the corner. The same goes for your dog.
Since it gets by based on familiarity, throwing your fuzzball in a car or plane and expecting it to behave for hours won’t bear promising results, especially if it’s still new to traveling.
However, leaving it back home might not be good for your dog either since separation anxiety is common for pets.
So, before forcing your dog to dive into an overseas trip, make a habit of bringing it somewhere close by your home first. Having it join you in grocery shopping or a quick road trip can help ease your dog into the thought of traveling. Of course, doing so will also prepare you to handle them in this situation.
Here, you can have a feel on what your dog might do while traveling, so you can prepare everything it’ll need and do damage control if necessary.
-
Be Attentive (comfort)
Dogs are very sensitive creatures and connect with their owners on a deep level. You might notice this if you’ve ever raised your voice at someone before. Because of your change in behavior, your dog could either hide out of fear or go on the offensive against whatever’s upsetting you.
As such, if you even show the slightest indication about your discomfort, your dog might pick up on it and be nervous as well. Therefore, you must power through and put on a brave face to assure your fuzzball it’s okay. Even if you’re scared inside because this is your first time traveling, always remember your dog’s counting on you for the entire trip.
Packing It Up
Although dogs make for great company, you should be mindful of the risks you’re about to encounter when you’ve decided to take one on a trip. Remember what you need to do before making hasty plans for long trips.
See also: Can Vetmedin Kill My Dog?
Facts Check:
We hope you enjoyed this article… What are your thoughts on How To Prepare Your Dog For Long-Distance Travel?
Рleаse let us knоw yоur thоughts in the соmments seсtiоn. Feel free to share with us in the comments section below.
