Pet Travel – Everything You Need To Know From Sickness To Safety

Published on September 21, 2009 by Jennifer White   ·   1 Comment

We all know that our dogs love to join us wherever we go, be it walks, holidays or days spent in the countryside. However, travelling with a dog tends to fall in to one of two categories for many owners, it’s either one of the most pleasurable aspects of dog ownership, an experience filled with joy and excitement for all involved – or – it’s a living nightmare, punctuated with bouts of stress, worry and discomfort for both dog(s) and owner(s). K9 Magazine is here to help…

Dog Travel Advice: Carsickness

Some dogs and puppies get carsick just the same as many adults and children do. If you depend on a car for most of your transportation, you will want to help your dog overcome carsickness as quickly and easily as possible. You can do a number of things to help your dog avoid or overcome carsickness.

From the start, help your puppy form a positive association with the car. Without starting the engine, sit in the car with your puppy on your lap for a few minutes every day. Praise and pet your pup. After a week of this, start the motor. Place your pup on the seat next to you. Pet and praise him, making the experience agreeable. After a week of repeating this once a day, get a friend or relative to go in the car with you for a daily ride. Be sure that your puppy has an empty stomach and has had the chance to toilet before getting into the car. Have your helper sit the dog on his or her lap. The helper must not allow the pup to squirm and wiggle around.

Take a short ride around in your car. Each week increase slightly the distance that you travel. (One-week intervals for each of these steps are not cast in stone. Shorten or lengthen the time depending on your pup’s reaction.) Be sure that when you ride with your puppy, you have someone in the car to help control him. If that’s not possible, put the puppy in a crate in the car.

Do not let your dog ride on the driver’s lap or crawl under his or her legs. This can become a bad habit and is very dangerous. Once your dog begins obedience training and understands to lie down and stay, employ this exercise in the car when travelling. Associate trips in the car with fun. Every car ride should not end up at the veterinarian, groomer, or boarding kennel. Use the car to take your dog to the beach, park, or woods.

Most puppies, like most children, outgrow carsickness. In the interim, doing the right things can minimise messes, limit nervousness, and shorten the time it takes for your dog to learn that car rides can be a lot of fun. If none of the above steps seems to help, contact your veterinarian. He or she can provide medical solutions, such as mild tranquilizers, that will help avert sickness when the dog must travel in the car.

Dog Travel Advice: Car Safety

We need to ensure that when our dogs join us in the car, or any moving vehicle, that certain safety measures are put into place, for our safety and theirs. If we crash or have an accident, more often your dog will come off worse if they are unrestrained. They can also cause crashes if they decide to suddenly leap onto your lap if frightened or startled. Your pet needs to be safely secured in a pet carrier, a dog cage, seatbelt harness or behind a dog guard. The most suitable restraint will depend on the needs of your pet, the size of your vehicle and also the size of your dog. Always make sure your dog is walked to and from the car on a lead, just in case of traffic or if your dog was to make any sudden movements.

For small dogs, or other small pets, a pet carrier is a good transportation method. Dogs should be placed in the carrier before reaching the car. It needs to be a comfortable size for your dog and should be held in place with the seat belt or by wedging it firmly in the gap at your feet. Never put a carrier in the boot of your car as your pet could suffocate or be knocked around if the carrier becomes loose.

A travel cage is suitable for most dogs and is often the most popular method of dog transportation. You need to leave plenty of space around the crate to allow for ventilation and movement, and ensure it is secured with the seat belt. These crates can often be securely fitted in the boot of an estate car. You should always make sure your dog is not placed where an air bag may cause any damage and suffocate your dog.

For most dogs – a safety harness can be attached to a car’s seatbelt to ensure that they do not move from their seat, very similar to how ours work. It should be securely fastened before the car moves to ensure the dog is comfortable and won’t get tangled in the straps.

You can also get dog guards fitted in the back of estate cars and larger vehicles with a large, open boot area. The guards restrict your dog from accessing any other part of the car but will not protect them in an accident.

You can also buy safety harnesses that will stop your dog from moving around in the back of the car. If you are unfortunate enough to have a crash whilst your dog is in the car, quickly try and calm your dog down by taking the carrier to a quiet place. Make sure you have them on lead so that they do not run off or into traffic. If you think that your dog is hurt or in pain then call a vet right away. Check that your dog is covered by his insurance for car accidents. If you feel that your dog doesn’t cope too well in vehicles, consider having travel training for your dog from a qualified dog trainer.

Dog Travel Advice: Long Journeys

If you know your journey is going to be a long one then you need to take a few extra steps to plan accordingly and ensure that you and your dog get to your destination safe and happy. Travelling with your puppy or dog can be a lot of fun. It’s a great way to bond with your pet while experiencing new surroundings and places along the way.

Although it is obvious that you do not plan on ever losing sight of your dog during your travels, you should still make sure that his collar is secured tightly and that he has updated identification tags. If for some reason you’re making a temporary stay for more than a day at a location until you arrive at your final destination, add an additional identification tag that has the address and phone number of that temporary location.

When you make a stop along the way, always leash your dog before he gets out of the car and keep a tight grip on him. Because he is in unfamiliar territory and may scare easily, the instinct to dart and run off may be strong. Keeping him tightly leashed will prevent this nightmare from happening.

Every time you stop for a break during the trip, make sure you give your dog a few moments to exercise. Take your dog for a short walk or run him around. This will help get his blood flowing so that he can relax better for the next few hours of the ride.

The last thing you want to do is have to clean up the nasty mess of diarrhea inside your car. And your puppy or dog can easily give you this headache when you do not stick to his regular feeding times and with his normal food. It is very easy to feed your dog inconsistently when you are making a long trip by car. However, it will be best for both of you if you bring along bags of his normal food and only feed him at the same time you would at home.

Try to avoid traveling by car during weather periods of extreme heat and high levels of humidity. Dogs do not do well in this type of climate and if you must travel when it’s hot then be sure your vehicle is equipped with a dependable air-conditioning system.

Last but not least, as much as it is common sense, do not keep your dog in your car with the doors locked and windows rolled up. This is just basic safety advice that every person should know already, but unfortunately there are many accidents where dog’s die from heat stroke while sitting in a car during boiling hot weather.

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