Traveling With Your Dog

T
raveling with your dog can be a very rewarding experience, but it also means added responsibility on you. The best advice for traveling with your dog is to plan your trip in advance. Make sure your dog is up to date on all his vaccinations, and get a copy of your dogs medical records from your vet. It is a good practice to always have the medical records when you travel in case of an emergency or an accident. Most states in the USA require this.

One of the most popular ways people travel with their dog(s) is to go by car or recreational vehicle. Before you plan on traveling with your dog it is good practice to first get them used to being in your vehicle. Our dog Maxxamillion's wonderful car behavior resulted from us getting him accustomed at an early age. We would take him with us in the car every time we went out, especially to the park close to our home. We brought Maxxamillion home at eight weeks old in December, and by the following summer he was accustomed to riding in the car with us.

Be considerate of your dogs needs when traveling with them. A good tip for traveling with your dog is to chart ahead all the hotels in the towns you intend to stop and visit. It also would be good to look up some animal hospitals on your route. We did this on our way to Texas last summer and it gave us an added peace of mind knowing we had the addresses and phone numbers of most animal hospitals on our route. The internet makes this process very easy today.

Another good tip when traveling with your dog is safety, have your dog either in a car kennel or with a doggie seatbelt on. There are many car travel accessories for dogs on the market today.

Follow these additional safety tips to help keep your dog safe when traveling with them.

research indigenous plant life in areas where your heading (e.g., spear grass in Texas)

important medication,favorite food in air tight container, treats/snacks, food and water bowl

favorite toys, some of his towels in case it rains, grooming kit, leash and i.d. tags

clothing in case it's cold at night where you're going

consider including information about flying with pet even though we've never experienced it personally. If the dog is accustomed to car travel, then air travel shouldn't be a big problem

asking for rooms on lower floors or ground level if you have an older pet, so that your dog doesn't have to deal with stairs.

ask hotel for designated areas that you can walk your dog if they are not visibly indicated by signage.

timing the stops at rest areas

good etiquette - no barking especially at night, keep him leashed at all times especially near other hotel guests, always pick up after your pet.

Not because you plan to travel, but at any time, the Avid microchip is a good investment in case dog gets separated from you, Find a pet friendly hotel, motel or lodge with online guides. Find pet friendly hotels near your favorite travel destination.

Traveling with our dog Maxxamillion on our annual family vacations has been a very rewarding experience for us.
by Diana Romaxx.

Maxxamillion waiting for check in at our Branson Hotel. And ready for his walk.

This picture is leaving our hotel early morning and heading towards Dallas Texas.

A quick stop for Maxxamillion at the Gulf of Mexico, Corpus Christi, Texas

The Sand Castle on Padre Island has an arcade/souvenir shop behind the front facade

Maxxamillion trying to stay cool after a food break and walk in Miami

This picture is on our way to see South Beach historic district from Miami.