Dogs can be the best companions for traveling. Their uninhibited spirit and wackiness can inject a lot of fun and excitement in your travels. Plus, dogs don’t complain and they’re always down to try all sorts of adventures. But there are also some restrictions when you’re traveling with a pet. Fortunately, you can find a way around them with ample preparation. With that said, here are some ways to have smooth, safe, fun travel with your beloved pooch.
Research Your Destination
Before leaving on your trip, you must have made sure to research everything you can about your destination. Traveling with a pet is vastly different from being by yourself. There some limitations for what you can do and where you can go.
Not all the place you may visit will be pet-friendly. For example, most restaurants and hotels don’t accommodate dogs, cats, and other animals, so you have to reserve pet-friendly place to stay before you leave for your destination. In addition, you should find restaurants that are either welcome pets or have outdoor seating to wandering for long time, looking for a pet-friendly place to eat.
Other than these things, you also need to make sure that the place you will visit has veterinary clinics and hospitals and pet services nearby in case there’s an emergency or you run out of dog food.
Prepare Your Dog’s Papers
Like humans, dogs also need travel documents to go to certain places, especially out of the country. If you’re traveling within the state or country, there shouldn’t be much trouble bringing your pet around with you. But it’s a different story if you’re traveling abroad.
Most, if not all, countries are cautious about letting in foreign animals from outside their borders because these animals can be carriers of new pathogens that may introduce never-before-seen diseases in the territory.
Your pet will likely be required to take several medical tests and get vaccine shots to secure health certificates to enter a foreign country. And they may have to through a similar process to get back to your country.
Prep Your Vehicle
A messy car is inevitable if there’s a dog around. Dogs are notorious for making a lot of mess. They like to roll on grass, step on puddles, and dig on dirt. As such, you should know to prep and protect your vehicle from Fido’s grubby paws before leaving on a trip.
If you don’t want to spend extra cash to get your expensive car seats cleaned, use a waterproof car seat cover to protect them from grass stain, mud prints, and shedding courtesy of your furry friend.
Don’t forget to cover the floor too. Use floor mats to protect the car floor from hard-to-clean stains and dirt. If you’re specifically looking for floor mats for Toyota Tundra, there many styles and colors to choose from. Floor mats can save your from paying expensive fees to clean the car interior.
Ensure Your Pet’s Safety
Prevent accidents and sickness when you travel by preparing your pooch for unexpected situations. If you’re going outdoors or traveling at night, it’s best to let them a reflective safety dog collar to easy keep an eye on them and make sure they’re visible to other driver and travelers.
Aside from microchipping your dog, you should also let them wear a pet GPS tracker, so you can locate them easily when they stray too far. There are also wearable pet health tracking device too that can help you monitor their activity levels to make sure your pooch doesn’t strain themselves too much.
Equip yourself with the pet necessities when traveling with your pooch. Always have clean drinking water accessible for your pet. Dogs can get hot and dehydrated easily, so they have to constantly drink water to cool themselves. Don’t forget to bring toys so Fido doesn’t get bored throughout the long ride. And bring a doggy bed so they can get comfortable too.
Take Periodical Breaks
Dogs are naturally energetic and explorative, so they can’t stay in place for long periods of time without walking breaks. Rather than enduring a hyperactive dog inside a cramped car, better take periodical breaks to let them expend their energy.
How often you need to stop for breaks depends on your dog’s energy levels. For high-energy dogs, you can stop after every 30 minutes or so and let them walk or run around a little. But generally, it’s should be safe to stop after every 45 minutes or one hour to let them stretch their legs and go for bathroom breaks.
Final Word
Going on a road with your dog can be the best traveling experience for you or the most disastrous one. It all depends on how well your prepare for it. Book pet-friendly accommodations beforehand and find restaurants that welcome pets or have outdoor seating to avoid the hassle of looking for them when you get to your destination.
If you’re flying as part of your trip, be sure to secure your pet’s travel documents earlier. Don’t risk your pet’s health and safety. Get them vaccinated and microchipped. In addition, equip them with safety gear, such as a pet GPS tracker and health monitoring device. Most of all, take care to ensure they never get dehydrated and overheated.
There are many considerations to take when traveling with a pet, but don’t let the limitations discourage you. It will be all worth it when you see their silly, flappy face hanging out of the car window.
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