Traveling

Traveling with your pet can be a lot of fun or a nightmare. I travel a lot with my dog, Victor, a Belgian Tervuren. He is a long double coat and being a herding dog he has a lot of energy. So how do I cope with him while traveling?

Here are items I bring to make my trip a breeze;

• Crate
• Lots of bottled water
• 2x the amount of food needed
• Potty Bags
• Pumpkin
• Several leashes of different lengths and booties
• Several different types of toys
• Brushes and Combs

The first and most important item for traveling is the crate. I use the crate in the car and in the room I stay in. The crate allows the dog to rest comfortably in the car without disturbing your driving. Even a small dog getting into the driver’s lap while driving can be hazardous. In case of an accident, the crate will also keep your dog contained so he does not become a flying missile inside the car. Lastly, in case of an accident your dog will be contained so emergency personnel can help you, and get the medical attention your dog will need. If your dog in unrestrained and hurt his instinct will be to 1) stand guard over you, hampering rescue efforts, or 2) run away. Either one is a recipe for disaster.

Bottled water is important because you do not want to upset your dog’s digestive system while traveling. I recommend trying to carry from home all the water you will need. The reason is even bottled water will be different in different regions. By keeping the water for him the same you will lower the likelihood of him getting Diarrhea. While traveling even a small change can spell disaster.

Food is important no matter what. I usually take food for twice as long as I’m going to be gone. The reason for this is even if my trip takes a detour I never have to worry. This is especially important if you feed a special food, or if the dog food you use is uncommon. If you use a common commercial dog food, I recommend carrying the food so you don’t have to worry about picking any up or finding a store that carries your brand.

Potty bags are essential for an irritation-free trip. Many rest stops have areas for you to potty your dog, but you still need to pick up after him. Having several rolls with you to have in your pocket or with the leash is a great way to always have some at hand. Many times I have stopped at a rest stop and found the potty bags provided by the rest stops were empty. I just bring my own so I never have to worry about it.

Canned pumpkin is a great item to have in case your dog gets Diarrhea. A couple tablespoons of pumpkin with his food will usually clear it up in no time. Be careful of human Diarrhea remedies, as they contain chemicals that are killers to dogs. Just be sure you get real pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filler.

While traveling you may want to take your dog out for different experiences. I recommend you have several different leashes of different lengths. I generally carry a 4′, 6′ or 8′ and a 30′ leash. I do not recommend a “flex” lead. With standard leashes, if you come across another dog or wildlife you will have a good solid leash and will know how far out the dog can go. With a flex lead or retractable lead even if you use the brake on it to lock the lead it may not catch. This can lead to a dangerous situation. retractable leashes are also very hard on your dog’s neck.  Most retractable leads are also thinner, and much easier to break if the dog is excited. Lastly, if the dog does get away from you, the retractable lead will shorten, making it more difficult to catch the dog, a regular leash will continue to be drug at the same length. Booties for your dog’s feet are important. If you are going to a city that is warm you need to protect your dog’s feet from the hot pavement. If going to the country, protect your dog’s feet from stickers.

I like to bring several of my dog’s favorite toys in order to exercise him during our trip. I have toys I can throw and he can retrieve, others that he can just chase. I try to have toys that I can use in various situations and dependant on the amount of room I have. This way I can exercise him while traveling and use some of his pent up energy.

Last but not least bring some brushes and combs. If you go on a nice nature walk you may come back covered in stickers brush and brambles. Have a misting bottle to dampen your dog’s coat, then use your brushes and combs to get all the stickers and other irritants out of your dog’s coat. If you did not put booties on your dog’s feet be sure to check in between your dog’s foot pads for any stickers. By brushing and combing your dog after an outing you can also look her over to make sure she did not get any ticks or other harmful hangers-on. Taking care of this issue quickly can save your pet in the long run.