Traveling With Your Dog By Car (Part 2)
Thursday, June 7th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
You’re ready to go on holidays, but what do you do with your dog? Many owners decide to take their dog along, but traveling with your dog needs careful thought and preparation.
We discussed supplies in Part One, now let’s consider stress.
1. Even people can become physically and mentally stressed when they are experiencing new locations, new smells, different driving routes, etc. so imagine how your dog may feel. If your dog starts to become physically overloaded with the stress of traveling that he is prone to diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration ñ just to name a few. One of the best ways that you can help your dog from becoming overly anxious and stressed while traveling in the car is to do your best to keep the surrounding area inside as normal as possible.
To minimize this stress you can bring along items that have a scent your dog is used to, such as a blanket or toys. Bring along his normal food and treats and do not feed him anything different along the way. If possible, reduce your dog’s vision of the outside by placing him in the back seat in covering up the windows. Basically, do anything you can to give your dog a feeling that he is at home while you’re traveling.
2. Keep your dog away from open windows at all times. Yes I know dogs go crazy for the open air from the feeling of all that wind in their face but this is also a pathway to injury or even death. Believe it or not, many dogs are reported killed after having leaped through the window of a traveling car. This is the last thing that you want to experience, not to mention your dog. So play it safe and resist the temptation to see that big smile on your dog’s face as he sucking in every bit of air while traveling down the highway.
3. The best remedy to car travel problems when it comes to your dog is to simply leave your dog home altogether. I realize that this may seem like common sense, but the fact of the matter is that your dog may not enjoy the trip as much as you would like to think.
Are you bring him along for his benefit or for yours? This is a question you probably haven’t thought of but if it’s a matter of just tagging your dog along because you like his company then you might consider that he would be happier staying at home.
If you’re leaving the dog at home when you travel, investigate your pet sitter options before you book your trip. You may also want to consider dog day care, if someone can drop him off and pick him up each day.
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