While moving over the land or exercising a road journey, traveling can be stressful. Vacationing with your dog can attach even more of a responsibility to your trip.
If you want to move a long distance with your dog:
- Guarantee they have all their vaccinations, gather up their essentials and tire them out before beginning your journey.
- If you are moving by car, ensure they have lots of food, water, and shade.
- If traveling by plane, check with your airline to determine what restrictions and guidelines you need to follow.
Getting Vaccinations and Packing Up
- Make sure your dog has all of its vaccinations. It is essential to make sure your dog will be happy and healthy during their travels. Vaccines for canine hepatitis, rabies, and canine distemper are standard.
- Verify if there are any conditions your dog could catch in the cities where you’re traveling.
- Look for reports about ticks or sandflies in the area to see if you need to take special precautions with your dog.
- You would not mind providing your dog medication, except a veterinarian has ordered it.
- Stuff up the essentials for your dog in an easy-to-use kit. Ensure you have your dog’s food, water, two plates, their strap and harness, poop bags, playthings, and treats in a backpack. Keep this bag in an easy-to-reach area while on your journey.
- Ensure to pack any medication enough for the complete tour.
- If your dog has a medical status, get a copy of their medical history from the vet if there’s an urgency.
- Make sure to bring the pets up-to-date vaccination records in case your pet shall bite someone.
- Strain out your dog with a long trail before you begin your journey. It can help with any nervous energy they may have as well.
- Get dog microchipped before you travel so someone can identify them if they run away or get lost.
Traveling in a Plane
- See if your dog is small sufficient to fly in the cabin with you. Check with your airline to see the weight restrictions for your flight.
- When the dog can’t fit in a carrier under the seat, they will have to ride in the plane’s cargo hold.
- When the dog is too large to fly in the cabin, they must pass in a crate in the cargo hold.
- Try to take direct flights, so your dog need not be shifted as much.
- Try to get flights in the early morning or late evening, so your dog doesn’t heat.
- Some airlines don’t let breeds that may have trouble breathing into the baggage hold.
- Double-check with your airline to understand what their pet limitations are.
- Contact your airline to ask about any particular vaccination or carrier elements.
- Most airlines will require you to give evidence that your dog is up to date on its shots.
- Buy a USDA-approved case if your dog will be flying in the baggage hold.
- Stuff it with a miniature blanket so that your dog is relaxed.
- Place an item with your smell, like an old T-shirt, in the crate to support your dog to be more relaxed.
- Buy the travel crate some weeks or months before you intend on going so your dog can become used to going inside of it.
- Print your name, contact number, and “LIVE ANIMAL” on the case. Ensure that your crate can be identified in case it becomes lost or separated from you.
- You may carry a photo of your dog with you in case they flee their crate.
- Take your dog to a pet nursing station before you board.
- You can also utilize the nursing area to give your dog a few moments of exercise before you board your flight.
- Give your dog water at least once per hour. Open crate lightly to furnish the container.
- Carry an empty water container with you in your carry-on and stuff it up after running through security.
- Place a dish of dog feed into your dog’s case. Put a tiny plate of dry dog food in their case to eat if they want to.
Traveling in the Car
- Anchor up a dog seat belt, harness, or crate restraint for your dog in the car. Small dogs can sit in a crate attached to a seatbelt, while larger dogs can be buckled in through their harnesses.
- If you use a crate in the car, make sure it is large enough for your dog to turn around comfortably.
- Ensure harnesses you use have been crash-tested.
- Put down a dog bed that they like to secure them to feel more at ease.
- Putting down a sheet or a bed will help to shield the seats in the car.
- Get plastic pouches and cleaning stocks handily. It will be helpful in case the dog has motion sickness.
- Set up window shades to retain your dog out of the sun.
- When your windows are tinted, you probably don’t need added sun shades.
- If it’s scorching out, keep the windows open or turn on the air conditioning.
- Provide the dog with a plaything or a bone to keep them entertained.
- You can run the radio on if your dog prefers to hear music.
- Stop the car over every 2 hours for a bathroom break.
- Ensure to carry packs to pick up every poop.
- Feed your dog on its regular schedule.
- The dog may not be starving in the car. Allow them meals just in case they want to have them later.
- Offer your dog water once an hour. It’s essential to keep your dog hydrated while they are in the car.
- Depending on the time of your car ride, you may require to bring many bottles of water or refill them as you run.
Final Thoughts
Contemplate getting your dog in the car rather than a plane. Bringing your dog on a plane is stressful for them. So instead, get your dog on a car ride or leave them at a dog boarding whenever possible.