Traveling with our furry baby is a dream for all of us, But what if they don’t like to travel, or what if they are not comfortable with the weather of the destination or the way of transport? We need to take care of everything. And that’s why we are here with a complete guide to travel with your dog.
Things To Take Care While Traveling With Your Dog
Always follow this list before going for a holiday with your four-legged friend.
1. Health Check
Go to your veterinarian and have a proper check-up of your dog to make sure that he is fit and healthy before your trip. Check if he has all the vaccines, and consult your veterinarian to know if your dog’s mental condition is good for the trip.
2. Food Medicine And Safety Arrangement
Bring regular food, bottled water and medicine for your dog along with you on the trip to take care of his health. Keep yourself prepared for emergencies, and have a set of all the injections needed. Apart from that, check online if the place you are traveling to has veterinarians nearby. Find a veterinarian closer to your hotel who is available 24x7.
3. Carry All The Important Documents Of Your Dog
Either carry all the documents of your furry baby with you or at least have pictures of them. Have a snap of their medical documents, as these can be useful in the time of a medical emergency.
Tip 1: There are a few states that can ask for specific documents like an Official Health Certificate, Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and proof of rabies vaccines.
Tip 2: If you are traveling to Europe with your pet, get them their own EU Pet Passport.
4. Identification
What would you do if you lost your pet in the crowd? Microchipping your dog can help you in finding them easily. It is a permanent solution to the identification problem. Also, try to use a collar or lease with an identification tag like your name, your dog’s name, and your contact details, along with your address and the place you are staying.
Tip: Also, always carry a recent picture of your pet in case of any emergency.
5. Traveling By Road
If you are traveling by car, you must take care of a few things like taking them for a long walk before your journey, as that will make them tired, and eventually, they will sleep. Take care of their comfort and like to provide them with a blanket or cushion. In addition to that, follow the given steps before initiating your holiday.
- Let your dog sit in the car every day so that they will get comfortable and familiar with it.
- Also, take them for short rides every day.
- To avoid car sickness, keep your pet traveling with an empty stomach.
Note: Empty stomach means don’t feed him, but let his stomach fill with water.
- For the safety of your dog, purchase a dog car seat or dog seat belt.
- Stop your car for the potty breaks.
- If you have children, instruct them not to irritate the dog at the time of the ride.
- Don’t allow him to travel in the back of the open truck, as they can try to skip sometimes, which can be extremely dangerous.
- Please don’t allow him to take his head out of the window, as sometimes it can lead to serious injury.
- Don’t leave your dog alone in an unventilated, closed car.
6. Carry Crate
Carry crates with you. Though crates are compulsory for airline travel, for safety purposes, you can carry your pet in the crates while traveling by car also. It will keep your pet away from every problem.
Whenever trying to buy a crate, purchase one which is:
- Tough grips and handles.
- Big in size so that your pet can stand, lie down and turn easily.
- The bottom needs to be leak proof.
- Ventilation should be provided, on both sides, with exterior knobs.
- Have a stock of comfortable mats, his favorite toy, a water bottle and something to eat.
- An arrow with the identification of “Live Animal” on it. Along with the owner’s address, name and phone number.
7. Traveling By Flight
When you decide to travel with your pet by plane, you need to take care of a lot of things, including their comfort and security.
- Go to your veteran for the check-up and certification before your holiday. You have to submit the health certificate at least ten days before your date of departure to the airline you are flying with.
Note 1: The pet must be of 8 weeks or above.
Note 2: Carry your pet’s vaccination and rabies certificates with you.
- When you go to the veterinarian, ask them if your dog is able to fly.
Note: Check the flight's temperature at the time of departure and arrival to know if it is comfortable for your dog, too hot or too cold.
- Go through the airline portal and ask them about their rules, regulation and pet policy. Every airline has its own pet policy that you need to fulfill to let them allow your pet to travel with you.
- While booking a ticket, book a ticket for your pet as well. Ask them at the time of reservation about the number of animals allowed with one passenger and if they follow the first come, first serve rule.
Note: If the airline follows the first come, first serve rule, you have to reach the airport as early as possible on the day of departure.
- Carry a cage or crate for your Pet that fits under your seat.
8. Traveling With Train
To travel with your pet on the train, you have to book AC first class and first-class compartments only that too with at least two berths or four berths. To travel in second class, passengers have to carry a crate or cage with them. However, some trains provide dog boxes.
9. Pet-Friendly Hotel
Search on the internet about the hotels that provide, pet-friendly environment before booking a room. Check what facilities they provide, how is room ventilation, the garden, and if there are any pet get-together places. And also what are the charges they are asking for. Ask if they allow pets to use the furniture.
Try to grab a room on the ground floor, to make it easy for you to take your dog for a walk. Purchase a pee pad, as precautions can save you from paying extra charges.
Conclusion
Remember, traveling with your pet can be stressful, but it is fun also, as you are going to see the world with your furry baby. It is a different feeling. But before traveling, you have to teach your dog, with a different environment, and for the change of environment, you can try a dog boarding center like Another Home. We are a dog boarding center in Dwarka. We give our best in boarding your pet and pampering your four-legged baby, that too in a hygienic environment. Contact us to know more.
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