To ensure fun, stress-free travel with your canine pal, follow these 5 simple tips:
1. With experience, most dogs get over the tendency to become sick when riding in a moving vehicle. However, some will almost always get queasy. In such cases, you should ask your veterinarian to prescribe a motion sickness pill or a sedative.
2. Do not try to sneak your dog into a motel or hotel. If you are caught doing this, you will just make it very hard for people with dogs who come along after you. There are many great places that accommodate well-behaved dogs. An extensive directory of motels and hotels that accommodates pets can be obtained online or from your preferred travel agency.
3. When aboard trains, dogs are usually permitted in private room spaces, sleepers, or parlor cars – so long as they are kept either in a carrier or leashed up (muzzled in some cases). Otherwise, on most trains, dogs have to ride in the baggage car, where owners are permitted to look after them.
4. Major passenger airlines carry dogs to foreign countries or across the country. If you are traveling by ship, you’ll be glad to know that many ocean liners provide private cabin-like areas for canine passengers. For an added touch of luxury while traveling by sea, there may also be trained attendants on hand to feed, groom, and even play with them.
5. When shipping a dog, it will be necessary to make arrangements with the ship line, airline, or railway express. Some airlines use their own crates while others have them available for rent. The crate must be large enough to permit the dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down. The crate should also have enough room for your dog’s water and/or food bowl. And, depending on the length of travel, the following should be printed on the crate and on a tag attached to the dog’s collar: your name and address, the dog’s place of destination, and his “call command” name. Any instructions for attendants should also be clearly printed on the crate.
Final Dog Travel Tip
Finally, keep in mind that no matter which method you choose to go by, whether by car, by sea, or by air, your fellow travelers will happily accept your dog’s company if he behaves like a “lady” or a “gentleman”.
More than likely, a well-trained dog who does not cause serious problems at home – as the result of proper training and loving care – will be a pleasure to travel with as well.
