Traveling with a Dog

Like a member of your family, the dog will want to go traveling with you on all your activities and also on trips. Therefore, it is convenient to get the dog used to travel with you by making it try all the possible ways of transportation. You will enjoy taking your dog on your trips, but you will be also forced to plan the transportation a little bit more.

THE CAR

As wild dogs didn't have to travel on the road, your dog has no instincts that teach it how to behave during the trip. So, you must teach your dog that traveling by car is a nice experience and that it is also possible that some things may happen. You must not forget a good dog car seat or harness for the dog'a safety.

Keeping the dog properly seized inside the car is also very important for security purposes. If the dog can move freely, it may disturb the driver, causing an accident and the dog itself could be in danger to be thrown to the front part of the car and get hurt if you, by any chance have to brake sharply or to be run over by car if the door opens and the dog jumps out in the middle of traffic.

A kennel or cage is ideal, specially if they are already used to use them inside of the house. Another possibility is to use a net or a special separating grill between the rear seat and the trunk and make the dog travel in it. If the dog is going to travel on a seat, fasten a dog's seat belt.

Some dogs won't stop barking during the whole trip and it is usually because they have associated the car with the walks on the park or the visits to friends and they are expressing their impatience by barking. If your dog is noisy in the car, vary the routs as much as you can, even when you go back home, so the dog will learn that not all the car trips will end up where it expects.

VERY IMPORTANT Don't leave your dog, under any circumstance, alone in the car when it is hot. Dogs get hot very easily and they can even die in a few minutes because of a heat stroke. Don't take the risk.

TRAVELING ABROAD

Laws and regulations vary a lot from one country to the other. In countries like Great Britain,Australia and Japan, where Rabies has already been eradicated, a strict period of quarantine is stated for any dog you pretend to get into the country. Some countries demand some kind of canine passport, a document that shows that the dog has received the necessary vaccinations as well as an indelible identification in the shape of a chip (microchip) or tattoo. Get informed before initiating the trip; there may be no problems at all, but if you have to send your dog back right away and that would be a real mess.

TRAVELING BY TRAIN OR BUS

You have to get the puppy used to the bus and the train when it is still young, otherwise you may have a lot of problems due to movements and noise.

Obey the laws valid for each place and keep the dog always seized. It is convenient to be considered like the other passengers. Even when you may be forced to pay half a ticket for the dog, it doesn't mean that it has the right to get on the seats.

WHEN THE DOG DOESN'T GO

If you have decided to go on vacation without the dog, make sure it will be safe during your absence. There is no summer in which the canine shelters don't get really filled because of some irresponsible beings who decide to abandon their dogs in the middle of the street or leave them in a dog pound, just to keep them from paying a canine residence during their trips.

 A good residence is worth its weight in gold, but it is recommendable to look for someone that can suggest one to us (a friend, the veterinary, the trainer, etc.) and also make sure the residence is adequate by visiting it personally. Life inside the residence is not nice for all dogs, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to place your dog in one of them for very short periods of time when it is still young to prepare the animal for the experience when the right time arrives.

 There are currently dog nannies that are willing to move to the owner's house when he has a lot of domestic animals or prefers to leave his dog enjoying the security and comfort of its own home. Ask the veterinary for information.

Dog Hotels If the prices vary, it is normally for something. There are simple canine dog shelters and also real luxurious hotels. You decide! They must guarantee your dog a warm and safe place to sleep, a walk outside for exercising, defecating and urinating. Don't trust the residence if they don't ask you for a vaccination certificate, before letting your dog in. The residence must not be noisy. If the dogs bark too much, it is because they are bored, stressed or because the facilities were not properly designed. Don't forget to leave a name and a phone number at the residence, just in case something comes up during your absence.