The Best Things to Take When You Travel With Your Dog
Are you planning a trip with your dog? Traveling with your dog can be a lot of fun for both of you, but you need to make the proper provisions ahead of time to make sure the trip goes off without a hitch. You will need to bring your dog’s feeding bowls, place to sleep, any medications that they are on, and their food. The last thing you want to do when you are traveling in a car with your dog is change their food that they are used to eating since this can lead to vomiting and diarrhea, which can make your trip a nightmare rather than a pleasant experience.
Head to Your Veterinarian First
Before you head out on your trip, make sure your dog sees your veterinarian and that you inform him or her that you are planning the road trip. This will help you to be prepared with any advice that your vet may recommend. For instance, if your dog is typically nervous in the car, you may decide that buying a crate is the best way to travel with him or her because it lessens their anxiety and it insures that they are not loose running around the car or van. Moreover, a crate is often great for your dog because they feel safer inside the crate than looking out the car windows, which for some dogs can be very frightening.
You Know Your Dog Best
If you happen to have a dog with a naturally anxious disposition, you will want to talk this over with your veterinarian because they can suggest a prescription for a tranquilizer or may even suggest giving them melatonin, which is safe for dogs and does not make them sleepy like it does for people. Instead, it just calms their anxiousness, so this is a great alternative to a tranquilizer since those are used to make your dog sleep the entire trip, whereas melatonin will make him or her calm, but still alert.
Take Some Practice Trips
Take some rides in the car with your dog to get them used to the car. If you know you are taking your trip in several months, it gives you plenty of time to get them used to being in the car. The first thing you want to do is just get in your car and sit without turning it on and allow your dog to explore the vehicle, if they instantly are frozen with fear, do not turn the car on until they are relaxed. Some dogs will be calmer than others, which is why practicing before the trip is so useful. There is a chance that your dog may not warm up to the car, which is the time you need to introduce a nice cozy crate, which often is the answer for many anxious dog travelers.
Final Thoughts
The key to successfully traveling with your pooch is by practicing beforehand so that you can see how they react; if you wait until the day of the trip and just put your dog in the car, you will be in for a rude awakening if they are extremely anxious.
Content provided by Larry Harris of www.ohmydogsupplies.com, check out our complete selection of metal dog feeders online.