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How To Travel With Dogs

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Our Dogs are part of our family so we try to take them everywhere with us. Millions of people every year take their pets on holiday with them. The more you research this the easier it becomes. There are companies now all over the world that cater for holidays where you can take your pet.

Our Dogs are anxious and get upset if we leave them alone for two hours, never mind two weeks !! I guess we must be doing something right if they want to spend all their time with us ha-ha. Last year we took them to the North of Spain on a road trip. Although I drove over 1000 miles, we managed to stay in fantastic accommodation everywhere and all tailored for Dogs.

We book everything through Booking.com and with the use of the filters on the search system it is easy to adjust for dog friendly hotels.

Link too booking.com
Click on picture above to go to Booking.com

Should You Take Your Dog?

You may want to take your Dog on your travels but there are instances when this is not possible. If your loved one is very old the experience might be quite traumatic for him as he will be away from his usual day to day activities. I would then suggest he is left at home where his routine will be the least disrupted or with a Kennel that he is used to.

If your furry travelling companion is poorly, pregnant, or gets travel sickness easily then it will be better if he stays at home.

What type of activities will you be doing whilst away? If you are planning on spending a couple of weeks visiting theme parks or water parks etc then the last thing you want to do is leave your Dog cooped up in a hotel room. Your Pet needs to feel comfortable and will want to be with you in its new strange surroundings.

So, prior to booking your Dog friendly hotel, make sure you have planned your holiday to fully encompass your loved one in your activities.

Preparing For Your Trip

First of all you need to ask yourself where are you travelling to?

As I mentioned before, we take our pride and joy’s to lots of places within driving distance so our holidays are not great distances. If I visit family in the UK, then my Dogs stay at home with the Wife. They are happy, and she is even happier as I am away ha-ha.

Pre Holiday Checks –

  • Double check you accommodation is pet friendly. Read the small print. I made the mistake once of booking a pet friendly hotel only to turn up and realise it was only pet friendly if you stayed in the grounds in a camper van or tent. Thankfully, they were very accommodating due to the distance we had travelled and the fact they were not busy.
  • What are the local vets out of hours service? Do you have contact numbers?
  • Make sure your pet is fit to travel. Are its vaccinations up to date? Is he micro chipped and are the details up to date?Does he need medication?
  • Do you have a collar with an ID tag attached with correct contact details? This is very important as he is away from his usual safety zones so could stray if not kept an eye on.
  • Are there Dog friendly activities you can do? Remember you must ensure your loved one feels secure.

Hudson and Nelly whilst staying at Hotel Colores, Zahara de Los Atunes, Dog Friendly Hotel

Taking Your Dog Abroad

There are many rules to follow when taking your Dog out of the country. There are different guidelines for Ferry travel and Air Travel. Attached is a guide provided by the RSPCA. Also, attached is a guide to travelling provided by the American Kennel Club. Please bear in mind with the possibility of Brexit many things could change in the future.

The UK Government provides information on taking your Dog overseas and for bringing it to the UK. They also provide the latest information on the process after a possible Brexit.

Hotel Misiana Tarifa Dog Friendly Hotel

Whilst On Holiday With Your Dog

Remember, your loved one is going to be in a strange place with strange surroundings.

Try to keep to the following –

  • Keep walking and food times the same as usual.
  • Try to ensure their diet is the same as at home. Therefore, you can take prepacked food with you if possible. Just because you are on holiday and might be overindulging it doesn’t mean your Dog can too.
  • Don’t leave them alone in strange surrounding as this may cause anxiety.
  • Make sure your Dog is comfortable and can get a good nights rest.
  • Try to take something familiar to your Dog with you. For example, their bed or if that’s impracticable, a blanket they are familiar with.

Hotel Dos Mares Tarifa Dog Friendly Hotel

Conclusion

Whether you are travelling short distances or long haul it is possible to take your furry loved ones with you. It is easier now, than ever before, and by just spending a bit of time researching the possibilities you can ensure a happy holiday for you and your Dog. There is plenty of advice available and if you are leaving the country you MUST follow the guidelines for the country you are visiting.

Happy travelling

If you have any tips or advice you would like to add please drop me a line.

David

16 thoughts on “How To Travel With Dogs”

  1. Hello David, your advice here is really straight to the point and good. I will really love to keep to this looking at how you have given that details on what to do about taking our dogs on a trip. I have never really given this is a thought before that i will be needing to do a research on this. Most times when i go on trips, i just leave the dog at home. Now i understand all this tips and i can take him out with me too. Thank you for sharing this with me. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Hi and many thanks for your comment. It really is that easy and only takes a small amount of time to do a bit of research. I hope you have many happy holidays with your dogs. If you are enjoying yourself then they will too.

      Cheers. 

      Reply
  2. Hello David, your advice here is really straight to the point and good. I will really love to keep to this looking at how you have given that details on what to do about taking our dogs on a trip. I have never really given this is a thought before that i will be needing to do a research on this. Most times when i go on trips, i just leave the dog at home. Now i understand all this tips and i can take him out with me too. Thank you for sharing this with me. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Hi and many thanks for your comment. It really is that easy and only takes a small amount of time to do a bit of research. I hope you have many happy holidays with your dogs. If you are enjoying yourself then they will too.

      Cheers. 

      Reply
  3. It’s always nice and interesting to take have a companion that’ll be dedicated to you all through you trip without any distractions and that’s why most of us go with out pets wherever we go. My girls will never agree we leave the house without taking our dog along with us so it’s like they visit whenever we visit but sometimes, I deliberately leave them with Sarah of the distance is far. It’s really important to consider the guidelines of the country you’re visiting so you don’t end up a culprit with your pet. I find this article interesting and very informative, I’ve learned a couple of things in no time, thanks to you for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Hi and thanks for your comments. I’m really pleased you found it informative. We are just like you and take our pets wherever we go but like you say some places can be dangerous and some of the guidelines very confusing. If I was ever sceptical or worried my pets could be in danger then I would have to leave them behind. That is probably why we do not travel far. My wife would rather leave me behind than our dogs ha ha. 
      Many thanks again. 

      Reply
  4. It’s always nice and interesting to take have a companion that’ll be dedicated to you all through you trip without any distractions and that’s why most of us go with out pets wherever we go. My girls will never agree we leave the house without taking our dog along with us so it’s like they visit whenever we visit but sometimes, I deliberately leave them with Sarah of the distance is far. It’s really important to consider the guidelines of the country you’re visiting so you don’t end up a culprit with your pet. I find this article interesting and very informative, I’ve learned a couple of things in no time, thanks to you for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Hi and thanks for your comments. I’m really pleased you found it informative. We are just like you and take our pets wherever we go but like you say some places can be dangerous and some of the guidelines very confusing. If I was ever sceptical or worried my pets could be in danger then I would have to leave them behind. That is probably why we do not travel far. My wife would rather leave me behind than our dogs ha ha. 
      Many thanks again. 

      Reply
  5. Wow, i didn’t know that there is so much to consider when travelling with a dog. My sister has been pleading to let us take our dog on our next vacation but i didn’t want her to feel bad so i told her i would do some research first. I dont think it is impossible as long as i follow your tips here in this post and do the right thing. I would like to know if going to see a vet about this won’t sound ridiculous.

    Reply
    • Hi John,

      Many thanks for your comment. It is always good to do plenty of research especially if travelling longer distances. If it’s a short distance you are travelling it will be far less stressful for your dog. However even short distances can cause a great deal of anxiety but this will depend on the breed and how they have been looked after. If you are ever unsure then a visit to the vet is a must. A trip to the vet is never ridiculous. 
      I hope this helps John and I hope you and your Sister have many happy trips.

      All the Best

      David

      Reply
  6. Wow, i didn’t know that there is so much to consider when travelling with a dog. My sister has been pleading to let us take our dog on our next vacation but i didn’t want her to feel bad so i told her i would do some research first. I dont think it is impossible as long as i follow your tips here in this post and do the right thing. I would like to know if going to see a vet about this won’t sound ridiculous.

    Reply
    • Hi John,

      Many thanks for your comment. It is always good to do plenty of research especially if travelling longer distances. If it’s a short distance you are travelling it will be far less stressful for your dog. However even short distances can cause a great deal of anxiety but this will depend on the breed and how they have been looked after. If you are ever unsure then a visit to the vet is a must. A trip to the vet is never ridiculous. 
      I hope this helps John and I hope you and your Sister have many happy trips.

      All the Best

      David

      Reply

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