Thinking of making some memories with your pupper on an exciting trip out into the great wide world? New environments can be just as exciting for your pooch as they can be for you. After all, they’ve got their best friend alongside them. However, to make sure your trip together doesn’t end in disaster, it’s important to make sure that you’re prepared.
Make sure they’re fit to travel
First of all, it’s essential that you check in with the vet to have your fur baby looked over. You want to ensure that they’re in a good condition to travel, and to know if there could be any issues with your transportation method of choice, whether it’s plane, car, or otherwise. The vet might even have some tips to make the trip go easier.
Check with the airline and the accommodation
This can’t be overstated. You want to make sure that the airline allows for dogs on their flights (or the train, if that’s how you’re going) and any guidelines or rules they might have on restraining them. Most will request a dog crate. Check to see that your accommodation is dog friendly as well, so that you don’t have to keep them locked up all the time when you’re going to bed.
Bring plenty of chow and water
If you’re driving, you absolutely must make sure that you have a way of supplying your dog with plenty of water. Of course, bring enough food for every meal and snack of the day. You don’t want to chance their diet with local food that might different dietary needs or regulations, so bring pet food UK options with you and make sure they meet their nutritional needs. Your pup’s going to expend a lot of energy exploring a new place and you want to fuel them adequately.
Get ready for accidents
Expect your dog to get a little more excitable on a trip to a new place and, in the process, for all that house training to vanish out the window. This is a crucial part of picking a dog friendly place that’s more likely to understand that accidents happen. Still, even if you haven’t used them in years, bring some pee pads.
Be prepared for a little travel anxiety
Even with you by their side, your dog is likely to feel a little anxiety during the journey, and perhaps for the first night and morning when you arrive at your destination. Bring toys and familiar smells from home that can help keep them calm and try not to leave them alone for too long in a new place.
Keep them secure through the trip
Even if you believe that you maintain perfect control without a leash (which is never advisable),.you should make sure you have a harness to keep hold of your dog when travelling abroad and to consider having them chipped if you haven’t already. Dog-napping is a very real threat, though in most cases they tend to wander off if you’re not careful.
It’s entirely possible to have a fun, fulfilling, and safe trip with your dog when you next take a holiday. Just make sure that you put in the work and prepare so that they’re well-looked after and accommodated for.