Traveling with your pet makes old sites new again as the two of you explore them together. It can be super fun and rewarding as long as you’re prepared for the ride! Here are our tips on how to make travel a comfortable and memorable experience.
- Make sure your destinations are pet-friendly. Traveling with pets isn’t a lot different than traveling with kids, and by that I mean you have to plan a little more and do a little more digging into the places you intend to go than if you were traveling without them. Make sure the places you want to stay are pet-friendly or if they have a pet fee. BringFido.com is a great resource for figuring out if restaurants, hotels, and attractions will allow pets. If there are things you want to do or places you want to go where pets aren’t allowed, check into local boarding or pet daycare centers. Often they will take new animals if your pet is up-to-date on all their vaccines and you can show it.
- Update all your contact info. Make sure your pet has a collar with a tag, and that the information on the tag is current. You might also want to update information with the chip company if your pet is chipped. Bring your pet’s vaccination records with you just in case proof is needed.
- Bring a little bit of home with you. Bringing some of your pet’s things with you can provide comfort and familiarity in unfamiliar surroundings. Number one is having a familiar place to sleep. For smaller animals, a soft side carrier makes a great place to chill in the car and also sleep at your designation. For larger dogs, these pack-n-play style crates fold down to be compact but also offer a way to contain your dog at night. This overnight bag is basically a diaper bag for your pet, with places to put everything they need when you travel, from food to food bowls. And of course, don’t forget to bring some Nummy Tum-Tum to help with travel anxiety.
- Be patient! If you’re traveling with kids, you may be prepared to plan in all those extra potty stops, but if you don’t have kids, remember that dogs need breaks, too! Here in Oregon we are blessed with highway rest stops at regular intervals, but if you live somewhere that doesn’t have them, you can always search for dog parks near the areas you’ll be passing through. If you have a high-energy pet, you might also plan 15-20 minutes more for stretching legs, running around at a local dog park, or playing fetch.
- Represent well. When you travel with a pet, you’re representing pet owners everywhere. Be courteous, be aware, be kind, and don’t go anywhere that you aren’t willing to bail out of if it’s not working out for your pet.