When a dog is as much a part of your family as a child then it is difficult to go on vacation without them. It can also be expensive to leave them in a kennel. And they may get very lonely if you leave them at home and have somebody go by to check on them every day. This means it’s inevitable that you’ll take the dog with you on vacation.
Taking your dog on vacation is a bit of a challenge, however. There are a lot of considerations that need to be accounted for that will make the trip much more enjoyable for everybody. In this article, we will go over some tips to help you out.
1 – Make sure he’s trained
When your dog is trained it will help them enjoy their life better and not just the vacation. This is because a trained dog is less likely to cause problems for them and for you. It is essential that they are properly trained to be able to handle the stresses of traveling. The dog should be trained in general but then add in some additional training that is specific to travel.
For instance, they may need to stay in a cage for the trip and should be able to handle long hours in one. Look into doing some training in the months leading up to the trip. They should also be able to be leashed when out and about so use some dog harnesses that will be more comfortable for them to walk with.
The dog should also be trained to not go to the bathroom where it’s inappropriate and can handle having to wait to get out in a dog park or somewhere that it’s ok for them to do what they need to do.
2 – Make sure they can exercise
A dog needs to be moving around. Even a small one needs to have a certain amount of exercise per day. This means that you have to plan your activities well so that your pooch is going to be able to exercise for a while every day. Make sure that you don’t do anything in the morning before you bring him for a walk or to the dog park where he can run off some steam.
At intervals throughout the day make sure to plan for an exercise break so that they will be happy on vacation and not start to cause problems.
3 – Get pet insurance
Surprises happen with dogs when you are at home. When you are someplace unfamiliar then the risk of a problem increases dramatically. This is why it’s such a good idea to have some pet insurance that will cover you if there is a sudden illness or accident.
You’ll avoid some major bills if you have to take your dog for an emergency somewhere when you have insurance protecting you. You’ll have peace of mind so you can enjoy the vacation.
