Traveling With Your Dog? Tips

Tips

• Have control.
• Be consistent.
• Introduce your dog to as many new things as possible, as safely as possible.
• Start young. Even with puppies, you can carry them or have them ride in the car to get exposed to bigger cities, loud trucks, and other new sights and sounds.
• Practice in a nearby pet-friendly hotel lobby before booking accommodations. Have your dog walk in, sit, and walk out, and make sure to praise their good behavior.

DO: Start Small

If you have time before your next vacation,  practice ahead of your trip by taking your dog and a crate to a friend’s home. From there, Gannon says, you can leave your pet in another room, listen in, and even set up a tablet to Skype in and see how things are going. If they’re sitting there quietly, you can say over Skype, “quiet, good quiet,” so that, even though they can’t see you physically in the room, they know you’re there watching.

“Now when you go on a trip, your dog has already practiced,” explains Gannon. “I do it as often as I can. Mix it up when possible as well.”

• If you’re doing crate training, keep doing the same things you’re doing at home while on the go.
• Bring familiar items like your dog’s towel or blanket.
  

  DO: Teach What Good Car Behavior Looks Like

  • Open the two back doors of the car.
  • Put two leashes on your dog.
  • With two adults present, walk your dog to the car, with one adult standing next to one of the open back doors, and another on the opposite side.
  • Have one person practice getting your dog in and out from one side of the car.
  • Finally, practice having your dog get in and out of the car from the other side.