Many of us choose to take our beloved pets with us on holidays more often now. There are options from camping, to Airbnb’s and even hotels. However, it can be quite stressful for dogs to stay in a new environment. The travel, the new smells/sounds and change of routine and scenery can all add up.
It can go a long way to do some simple preparations to help your dog feel at home, in their home away from home.
Before you leave
- Brush up on crate/pen and mat training, tie outs if camping.
- Get any medication sorted that may help your dog adjust or travel better. Products like Adaptil Travel and Zylkene may help.
- Work out how long the drive is, where you can stop along the way that is safe and has an area for toileting your dog. Find more tips on Travelling With Dogs in our article here.
- Work out how much food your dog will need and make sure you have enough. Changes in diet can add extra stress so you want to keep your dog on familiar food where possible.
- Plan for walks and adventures ahead of time. Check access and rules for beaches and parks.
When you are there
- Safety should always be your number 1 priority. If camping, make sure you can secure your dog in a crate, pen or tie out point. If they aren’t used to any of these, practice at home first! Crate train, pen train or practice tie outs in the back yard.
- If at a house, do a thorough check of the fences and check for any gaps. If at a hotel, it’s preferable to crate your dog especially as they often are on busy roads and you don’t want them slipping out the door.
- Crates are great! If your dog is crate trained, take their crate with you. It will give them a sense of security and safety, plus piece of mind for you that they can’t get up to anything inappropriate, especially overnight.
- Take your dog’s bed and bedding with you. This will also give them sense of security and familiarity.
- Play calming music to mask strange sounds, especially overnight.
- Bring your dog’s favourite toys – to create good associations with play
- Make sure your dog has a safe and secure place to eat, away from other pets/children.
If you prepare it can make your trip a whole lot more successful and less stressful for you and your pets.