Traveling With Your Dog: What You Need to Know

Kaan Çağlar

Your best friend wants to go with you on your next trip, and you're considering making it happen. Traveling with dogs is a joy, but it's also an activity you need to consider carefully before you do it. Here's what you need to know to make sure your trip with your dog is the best it can be.

Photo by Devon Janse van Rensburg on Unsplash

 

Before you leave

These are major things to handle before you go on your trip. These will help you determine if your dog is healthy and ready enough to travel with you.

 

Photo by Andrew Shiau on Unsplash


Consider your dog's health

Before you travel with your dog, you need to make sure your dog is healthy enough to travel. A healthy dog can better handle the stress of travel, and knowing your dog's health is clear helps prevent on the road emergencies.

 

A healthy dog can handle travel and stress much easier, so be sure your pet has regular vet checkups, even if you aren't planning to travel soon.

 

Prioritize identification

Your dog may be well trained, but a lot can happen on the road. You'll need to be sure you have the best chance of finding your dog if something happens and that people know what to do if something happens to you.

 

You should always have proper information available for your pet just in case you are incapacitated. That way, those handling your dog will be able to make the best decisions until your emergency contact arrives. Likewise, if your dog is lost, proper identification ensures the best outcome in an emergency.

 

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Have a practice round

If this is the first time you're traveling with your pet, you should consider practice rounds to help your dog get accustomed to the process.

 

It's so important to manage expectations and help ease your pet into new situations. That can go a long way to having a great first trip.

 

During your travels

As you travel with your dog, there are things you can do to ensure your dog remains comfortable. You may have gotten over the initial hurdle, but you still need to stay on top of things.

Take the time to research the rules at your destination and keep your pet in your presence. Your pet may be nervous, and being without you could make it worse.

Special considerations for traveling

As you're making your preparations, you should think about these special situations. Your dog needs to you handle all the safety and security concerns and relies on you to have a plan. Here are a few things to think about.

 

 

Is my dog safe while flying?

If you plan to fly with your dog, you'll need a good plan. Only the smallest dogs will be ok flying in-cabin with you, and even then, your dog will have to be ok in a seriously confined space for long periods.

If your dog is larger, you might consider a relocation agency to ensure your pet's safety. If it's a short trip, read up on your airline's safety record flying pets and ensure your pet's crate follows all airline regulations for space and water.

You can request to know your pet's status once on board to ensure they've loaded the crate onto the plane. Talking to employees about your dog is an excellent way to make sure everyone knows that a dog is on board the plane and traveling with you.

Once you land, check your pet out for any injuries or signs of distress. Make sure your dog has immediate access to water in case they didn't drink anything during the flight, and allow the dog time to walk around outside to reorient.

 


How do I find dog-friendly lodging?

The internet makes it much easier to find places that are amenable to dogs. Check the hotel or lodging website to see if they have regulations for dogs, and it never hurts to call and talk to the hotel directly.

Be aware that hotels may have individual size or breed restrictions, and even if your hotel allows dogs, excessive noise may compromise your reservation. Ensure your dog truly is comfortable staying in the hotel and never leave your dog unattended in an unfamiliar place.

 

What tech tools make travel easier?

Exploring the latest tech tools to keep your dog safe while on the road may help keep things going smoothly. A few good ideas could be:

 



Can my dog take medications?

There are a few different medications you can keep on hand to make your dog's travels easier.

 

Having the best vacation with your best friend

Traveling with your dog can be a rewarding experience for you, no matter how long you're gone. With good preparation and some research, you have the best chance of helping your dog learn to love traveling just as much as you do.

Use these tips to plan your trip with your dog and ensure safety and security from beginning to end. Your dog wants to be with you, and the more prepared you are to care for your best friend, the better.

Kaan Çağlar

Co-founder of Atdaa, Inc. Product & UX Designer based in Berlin.

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