Are you doing any traveling with your dog(s) this summer? I love taking the dogs on trips, and am starting to prepare for one coming up in July. As I was making a list of things to take, a good article came out in Conde Nast about traveling safely with pets. Author Rachel Peachman interviewed me and several other experts in the field, and did a great job summarizing some of the most important considerations. The article contains a lot of great information about traveling safely with pets, including by plane, car, and even train. Check it out.
Here’s one consideration I brought up, and I want to focus on it here today–Not so much how to travel with your dog, but should you? There are two ways to look at it:
First, does your dog want to go? Your dog may think you hung the moon, but that doesn’t mean she wants to go visit your cousins in New York City. Some dogs are neophobic (afraid of new things). Some dogs would love a week in a cabin in the woods, but hate the city. Or vice versa. Some dogs can’t wait to play with your grandchildren; others, not so much.
Travel can be “broadening” for dogs too, but I’ve seen far too many clients whose dogs were taken on trips they’d have skipped if they had a choice. My advice, if you’re not sure if a new dog would like to travel or not, is to take an overnight trip and see how things go. Think carefully about what to take (especially familiar food and smells), and where you are going once you perch. Motel? Campground? Friend’s house? Every site has pros and cons, so ask yourself what situation will best suit your dog and aim for that. For example, campgrounds can be great if they are quiet, but you never know who is going to camp beside you. You have more privacy at a motel, but if your dog is a barker it can be tiresome every time someone walks down the hall. (And of course, you would never leave your dog unattended in a motel room, right? Right.) Lots of things to think about here, including whether it would be best to travel in a RV or motor home. (I would love to do that. Please send check to cover purchase cost.)
Second, do YOU want your dogs to go? Even the most stalwart dog lovers can appreciate a respite from canine care. Last month Jim and I booked a night in a local hotel, and it was heaven. We strolled down State Street in Madison like tourists, stopped in at a jazz festival and ate like gluttons at a good restaurant. The luxury of waking up Sunday morning with no dogs to take out, no animals to feed and no sheep to manage was beyond refreshing.
On the other hand, we’re leaving with all the dogs for some trips in July, and I anticipate that it will be fantastically fun. There’s little so bonding as traveling to new places with your dogs–the only thing that is familiar is you and your pack, and I just love the feeling I get when we all experience something new together.
That said, Maggie is still a bit uncomfortable in new motel rooms, so I go out of my way to bring in familiar scents and lots of chew toys. We ask for rooms close to the exit (and downstairs always please). As importantly, we check out googlemaps to see where the motel is located. Right beside a freeway? (No thank you.) Back from a busy road, with ample green space for walks and potty breaks? (Yup, we’re there.) Of course, if staying in a motel is your choice, be sure that they take dogs and be ready to pay an extra fee.
However, we can’t always have our dogs along when we’d like. Flying to Australia for a week? Uh, maybe not with dogs. Going to take care of a sick relative? Not a good time to also have a dog to take care of.
So these are my questions to you: When do you want to travel with your dogs? When not, if ever? What have you done to make it more fun? What things have you done you’d never do again? And please ask your dog to contribute to your comments.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Last week Maggie and I spent a few days at the Cedarstone Stockdog Trial. We ran on Wednesday in the “ProNovice” class. (Consider it the “Intermediate” class. The next step up is Open, in which you are competing with the best in the country with their best, most experienced dogs. Those top handlers also run in ProNovice, but they are running their younger, less experienced dogs.)
The BC’s and I lucked out and had gorgeous weather, unlike the later days when the weather was unspeakable hot and humid. We had two runs, ironic in that our first and “worst” run got 8th out of 42, and our second “better” run got a much lower score. I label the first as our “worst” because Maggie, poor Maggie, behaved as though she’d never been on a trial course. She didn’t respond to much of what I asked, looked back at me repeatedly, and on a few occasions simply lay down and wouldn’t get up. This after doing so so so well at the smaller trials this winter that encourage my hopes of moving her up to Open this summer. We got a good score on that run because, somewhat miraculously, the sheep went through all the gates and so we got points for “being on course”. Even though our second run was sloppier, I was gratified that she seemed much more confident the second time, listened well and didn’t look back at me very often.
I am confident I know why Maggie has regressed, and it has everything to do with confidence, or a lack of it. Maggie got attacked by one of my older ewes a week or so before the trial, and it absolutely gutted her. She was not injured in any way, but it terrified her, and she lost all the confidence she’s gained in the last 4 years. So that’s my job now, to help her get her confidence back. We’ve been working at home (sans the aggressive ewe, who I pen up) on doing fun things, and will go out to friends to work sheep with no pressure. Lucky for us, we are in a Scott Glenn clinic this weekend and I know that will help.
I had fun with my camera at the trial. Here’s some photos from it. (That’s me with Vince Metcalf, the father of top handler Kathy Knox and father-in-law of top handler Jack Knox. Vince is perhaps one of the sweetest people I have ever know and it was such a joy to see him again. And by the way, all dogs are the trial are not BCs. Dodger, of blue and brown eyes, was not there as a competitor, but added a certain amount of elan to the group.
Hannah says
I’m interested in hearing your reasoning on why you wouldn’t leave a dog attended in a motel. My dog travels with me very regularly (60+ nights per year) in hotels, airbnbs, camping, etc. He’s very comfortable in his crate both at home and away. If I couldn’t crate him in the hotel while I went about my business (just like at home during the workday), he would be stuck with a sitter 2+ months out of the year, instead of with me.
I understand there are risks – burglars, fires, etc … but most of those risks exist at home too.
Love your posts – one of the rare academic-leaning dog blogs out there!
Trisha says
Hannah, that’s in interesting question. My fear is that I don’t know who is going to enter my motel room. Lots of people have keys. Perhaps I’m just paranoid? I’d love to hear from others. (I should mention that most hotel/motels ask you to not leave a dog unattended in a room.) I’m reminded of the time my ex husband, Doug McConnell, and I left our massive St. Bernard alone in a motel room. We are told the maid came in, entered the bathroom which was full of a sleeping St. Bernard, who raised his head and whuffled. She shrieked and ran out of the room. Refused to re-enter. The whole thing cries out for a sit-com. (And yes, we foolishly left him in the room without a crate, but we were actually living there at the time while working on an environmental conference for the UN, and everyone knew about the dog, who loved everyone.)
Debby Gray says
This is a great post and timely for me. There is one comment I want to make as a suggestion for other readers. But I just have to comment first on each of the 3 dogs I have had. They were each so different.
MAC lived to ride in the car, loved meeting new people and was a quiet companion in a motel room. He and I traveled to more than 20 states.
MeMe loved riding in the car but did not enjoy new people and for that reason was never in a motel room. We did visit friends she knew in Wisconsin and Minnesota .
I now have Monty who loves people and enjoys new experiences. However car rides are… well…a trip!
He barks and whines and yodels as we drive until I get on an interstate highway. Then he is silent but looks out the window and eventually goes to sleep. Anybody have ideas about this behavior?
But the point I really wanted to make was with MAC I always stayed at a chain that advertisers that as as an organization, their motels are dog friendly. On this recent trip with Monty I stayed at a chain where I can earn points and only some few locations are dog friendly. As I checked out I thanked the clerk for the fact that they accepted dogs. She seemed pleased by my comments.
A couple of days after my stay I got an email with an evaluation to fill out about my stay. In the box for comments I again stated how happy I was to find a motel of this chain that accepted dogs. To my surprise I received a personal thank you from the motel’s manager for my positive comments about their pet policy. So I think it may help change policies at some motels if when we find a motel we like we let management know our feelings about their pet friendly policy.
Alexandra Speers says
I wish there was an easier way to travel long distances with dogs! I really, REALLY want to visit Alaska, but I can’t imagine exploring the wilderness without my bc Zucchini. I think that’s a definite ‘should’. Unfortunately, I won’t put her in a crate on an airplane from Philly to Alaska, and I can’t afford the $19,500 it would take to charter a private plane (yeah I priced it out for giggles). I wish airlines would allow dogs in cabins if they met behavior standards- like maybe people could buy a seat for their AKC CGC certified dogs? Require a basket muzzle?
Keller says
As a housekeeper at a hotel… we were discouraged from entering and cleaning rooms with dogs crated or not in them. For everyone’s safety. As a dog lover I still went with that policy. I know my dog….I don’t know yours. You know your dog but you don’t know what I know about dog behavior. If you travel and leave your dog in your room. Have a chat with your housekeeper or please don’t be upset if your room may get skipped over until you are present.
Heather Julie Clayton says
I have one dog, my older one, who I would – and have – left in a hotel room. He’s fine. Give him a kong and his crate and he is as chilled as chilled can be.
At Clicker Expo, for example – I left him in his crate in the room while I went to lectures where I didn’t have a dog handler place. The hotel was super – they had ‘do not disturb, dog in the room’ and ‘dog in the room, but it’s fine to come in’ signs! 😀
My younger dog is a barker, and I’d never leave her for worry of her disturbing other people.
My dogs come everywhere with me, if I’m going, they are too. They have both been away as young puppies and regularly ever since. They seem to….well, just not care. They are happy to have new sniffs and excited to be doing new stuff, but apart from being happy for new things, they are totally unbothered. A sofa seems to be a sofa as far as they are concerned (apart from sofas in holiday cottages and hotel rooms having to be covered up!).
Although….I did recently stay in an AirBnB that had free range dogs, cats, chickens and sheep in the kitchen! Was very glad I had my older dog, and not my chaser minx of the younger one! 😀
lak says
Recently I traveled with my dog to see family. I booked a dog friendly hotel off the interstate, finding one was harder than I thought so I was glad I precooked. My dog hates the car, but she did well and just laid in the back seat for 5 1/2 hours for 2 consecutive days. Many potty and short walk breaks. The hotel was interesting as she sniffed for almost 1 hour straight, all the new and old smells. She enjoyed the destination very much and everyone enjoyed her. However, like you said, it was not in any way a break for me. I still had to walk her and feed her and take care of her waste in a totally new environment. I also had to get different food for her as she did not eat for a couple of days.
Diane Mattson says
Debby,
Our Bridget behaves the same way as Monty in the car. She loves going for a drive, but at highway speeds, going straight and fast! Otherwise, there is whining, barking, and, yes, yodeling.
I think the yodeling comes from all the cool things outside the window, when we are puttering through towns? Maybe? Bridget is happy at lower speeds, just noisy…
I agree about letting motels know you appreciate their pet policy. I’m seeing more and more pet friendly motels/hotels.
Cleodhna says
Every year, we migrate from Scotland to France for part of the summer. We take three days to drive down so we don’t have to be cooped up in the car for too terribly long, and we always stay in the same dog-friendly hotels along the way. Our dog Ella is a marvellous traveller. She settles right down in the car, she loves exploring new places, she loves all people and most other dogs, but one thing is a bit of a bugbear, and that is the heat. Ella is a long-coat Akita, and she can really suffer in the bright open hotness. So what my husband has done is looked up possible routes, checked out where the rest stops and aires are along the way, then input the coordinates into Google Maps so he could physically look at them. This way he was able to pick out stops that have nice places to walk, with trees for shade. He found some very nice ones that way. I’d say it’s well worth altering your route if you can find some really restful rest spots.
Frances says
Usually we stay with family or friends, or I rent a dog-friendly cottage, but last year I needed a place for one night and found a charming dog-friendly B&B. The dogs had a special dispensation to sleep on my bed if I brought clean throws, and I made sure they were sparklingly clean and Poppy was freshly clipped. After a nightmare of a journey – 7 hours in the car with only brief pee breaks – we finally arrived, and to my delight there were lovely country walks practically from the door. Off we went for an idyllic ramble in the evening sunshine – till I turned round to see Poppy rolling luxuriously in fox poo! It took a whole pack of baby wipes and all the water in the car to get enough off to smuggle her up the stairs and into the bath…
Mine enjoy visiting, but Poppy in particular needs a quiet spot to escape to. I would not take them to visit friends on the continent – too hot – and think twice about any journey that might be more than a few hours. They are very good in the car – they share a large, comfortable crate on the back seat and once they have had a walk will snooze happily, but I have sometimes been stuck in motorway traffic for an hour, unable to get off if Poppy starts wailing that she needs a pee break. Having dogs has definitely changed how I holiday and travel – plans have to be made months in advance if I need to leave them, their bags of throws, bowls, water, food, etc, etc bulk far larger than my few clothes, and my need/wish to take the trip is balanced against whether they will enjoy it, and whether it is worth the palaver of sorting out alternative care for them if they won’t. There again, after years of travelling for work it is bliss to be able to relax at home with dogs and cats and garden – something I am sure you will appreciate, Trish!
Debbie says
I’m in New Zealand. It’s nigh on impossible to find any accommodation that will accept dogs. I am loving reading about the places people stay with their dogs…. a motel…with a sign that says dog in room?! How amazing!
Christine Weber says
Whenever I tell Tabasgo that we‘ll visit my daughter in Zürich, he nearly can‘t await jumping into the car!
All our former dogs traveled with us through Europe and there never was a problem to find accomodation, and since I always took their dog mattress with me, they felt really cosy! As for Tabasgo it will be his first trip througout France this fall but I‘m sure he will be happy to spend those exciting days side by side with me!
Catherine M Noftz says
some of my happiest, most fun memories are of the yearly drive I made from here, northern Vermont, to Michigan. My minivan loaded for the summer. Loaded with 2 kids, babies really. car top carrier, bikes on the back and my 3 dogs on the palatial area we made by removing the 3rd row seats and making a raised platform. We stayed in the same dog friendly hotel at about the halfway mark. Perfect….indoor pool, in house rstaurant(room service, the kids loved it) A lot of stopping at rest areas for kid and dog breaks. My 2 sons and the dogs we had throughout the years always did this trip. From 12 weeks old and 5 to college age men….the dogs changed but they were always behaved. I was so lucky!!! I would never have gone for the summer if I couldn’t take my dogs. They loved getting out at rest stops and being walked about. So much pee to smell. It made the driving an adventure and a real part of our vacation trip to grandma and granpa’s. I really love traveling with my dogs, but I know we had it easy, no fights or run offs. Lots of time to spend stopping and walking. Best memories ever.
Erin says
I haven’t traveled much with my dog. Mostly locally on camp trips or to stay with family and friends. Were getting more and more involved in the agility scene and forsee more travel in our future. Some of my fellow handlers have given La Quinta hotel chains a big thumbs up on dog friendliness. One thing that you didn’t touch base on was domestic flights with your dog. How do you manage that? Its definitely not something I can see my dog enjoying- I mean he’d adore being at a competition once we got there, and enjoying the new surroundings, but I can’t imagine he’d be comfortable on the flight. Do you ever fly with your dogs? And how do they handle it?
Trisha says
I’d love to hear about the experiences of others regarding putting dogs on planes. I did it once after my father died and we had to get my mom’s dogs across the country fast. I was a nervous wreck. Maggie was flown to me from Idaho and came out of the plane shell shocked and stunned, and the look on her face broke my heart. BUT, I know several people who love their dogs as much as I do who have flown their dogs with no problems, including across the Atlantic. So… I’d love to hear from others. A few things I know are: Direct flights only, and choose the airline carefully (I’m talking to you United.) Don’t use sedatives, label the crate exceptionally well. And…?
Jenn says
Thank you for this post! Especially at this time of year, with all of the vacation planning and all the articles on how to travel with your (and most importantly what you all need to buy for your trip) it is very refreshing to have a truly dog-centred post. We have had some difficulties explaining why we would “separate” our dogs – for instance taking two of our dogs with us to the busy city while leaving our highly anxious dog in our house with a pet sitter he is comfortable with.
Dianne Fecteau says
My dog Chloe, a Xoloitzcuintle, 75 pounds, is somewhat neophobic and definitely suspicious of people. However, she has traveled with me by car from Florida where we live to the NC mountains several times as well as a long road trip to New England in 2014. We are going to New England again later this summer. Frankly, I’d prefer to fly but traveling in cargo would do her in so it’s always by car. I wish they’d let me buy a ticket for her but she is too large to fly in the cabin so that’s that. She gets the entire back seat and wears a halter that snaps into a seat belt holder in case of a sudden stop. She originally didn’t like hotels/motels but has learned that she just has to heel on the way to the room and is content to settle in once there. My husband and I used to like to camp but didn’t have a chance to take Chloe camping before he died suddenly. I wanted to camp but when I set up the tent at home to get Chloe used to it, she avoided it like it was the gas chamber. I tried for a few years, always with the same result. Once I climbed in with a plate of roast chicken which she loves and she still wouldn’t come near it. This spring I set it up again with the idea we were going to train our way through this. She took one look at the tent and danced right in. What changed? I have no idea. I followed that up with a one night stay at a state park near home and she did great! I then ventured on a two night camping trip several hours away. She now acts like a natural born camper. So although I’ve rented a house for two weeks in New England this summer, we are camping our way up the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah on our way there and camping a couple of nights on the way home. Kimpton hotels (now owned by Holiday Inn) and La Quinta are both chains that accept dogs and many Days Inns do as well. In fact, Chloe is especially fond of a Days Inn off I-75 in Tifton, GA. However, camping is much better as these places aren’t always convenient and are sometimes not the greatest hotels. Chloe seems to feel that the tent and her camp pad are somehow special. She won’t get out of the car at rest stops so I limit driving distance each day to, usually, around 5 to 7 hours. She can be fussier about eating although she seems to be overcoming that. I make sure to have her familiar dog food and some special treats. I also always bring one of her beds along. I rarely leave her alone, even when I rent a cabin or house. I figure that the strange surroundings are enough to deal with without being alone. I think the most important thing is that I like to travel and she has picked up that positive attitude. I learned early on that she hates cities and staying in a city doesn’t work because she doesn’t want to go out to do her business (she just won’t urinate and instead holds it the two times I’ve tried staying in a Kimpton in a city). On the other hand, she loves hikes in the woods no matter where she is so that accounts for our trips together always being to the mountains. When she was a puppy, she’d growl at other hikers if they came along which was a big negative. I trained her to step off the trail and sit when she sees a hiker and that stopped the growling (although it is comical to see her balance precariously when there is little space off a ridge trail).
Bridgid says
I travel often with my dogs, mostly for short trips. One trick I’ve learned in hotel/motel rooms is to look for places that have one bedroom suites with a door to the bedroom that closes and is away from the room’s main entry door. I found that, at night, it eliminates the problem of my dog barking at every person who walks past the door. It helps to create a den for all of us to relax in together. It has made a huge difference. Also, always ground floor, near an exit! It’s nice that so many more hotels these days are pet friendly!
Jenn says
I have had mixed experiences with dogs travelling in cargo and have flown across the country to pick up a puppy in order for her to travel under the seat with me (only works until a certain age and still breed/size dependent of course). The first time I flew a dog underneath they sent his crate out with the luggage and he was understandably shell shocked. The second experience was much better and I worried a great deal more than my dog did. We got told to zap tie the door do the crate shut – that way it could get cut open if it was an emergency but you know your dog wasn’t taken out of the crate. We also put an empty water bowl in the crate that they filled up for her (via water bottle through the crate door).
Amy says
Hello! I’m a new subscriber to the blog, and love it already. My husband and I have a fifteen month old Border Collie who is getting better in the car, so we’re looking forward to more travel with him. Fionn also really loves his crate and kongs, so that helps tremendously. On the subject of air travel, my Uncle Walter, a vet in private practice in Florida, started an animal transportation company 40 years ago, Air Animal. I just had a look at the website, and the company has really expanded! Growing up I remember hearing stories about special events, like relocating pandas halfway across the world. Their daily business is helping people like us get their pets places safely and as comfortably as possibly — emotionally as well as physically.
Ramon g says
Amazing tips, also, sometimes I prefer to take my dog on my bike but in a Dog Carrier, it’s super fun and eco-friendly too. Check this http://www.ruffitusa.com
Debbie S says
I used to travel almost every weekend in Spring and Fall with my 6 dogs, competing in field trials. It became increasingly more challenging to find a motel with more than a strip of grass on which to air the dogs. And no, all 6 dogs did not stay in the room with us! 😉 Unfortunately, the inconsiderate behavior of many of the humans accompanying dog travelers, including some of my fellow trialers, reinforce the reasoning behind no-pet policies. I have had good luck with VRBOs when traveling with just one or two.
Trisha says
What a lucky lucky dog you have! And I would be happy to enter your tent for roast chicken any time.
BarbG says
I have a problem I’m not seeing anyone else address. I take all-day long trips with my dog. I am the only human in the car. I have a Prius with the fob that allows the car to start (key-less). When I stop for us to take a potty break I have a huge dilemma – I can’t leave her in the car because it is too hot. If I leave it on so I can run the AC – I can’t lock the car and anyone could steal both car and dog. On the interstates – they wont let me take the dog into the restroom with me. And hey – I need to pee too!
Does anyone have a solution for this problem?
Pamela says
Great post and something everyone should think about. We live full time on a sailboat so our whole life is traveling with our dog. But our plans revolve around her needs.
Most sailing cruisers insist on their dogs learning to potty on deck. And I’m sorry, I just don’t believe every dog will do that. Or at least not without substantial trauma (I heard a story from one cruiser whose dog finally pottied on deck after 48 hours and trembled and whined for 2 days afterward).
Our dog, Honey, has decided not to “go” on board. So we sail the eastern seaboard and take her off every day. It’s not the crystal waters of the Bahamas. But we’ve discovered many wonderful places because we have to take her off.
I guess my reply to anyone asking if they should travel with their pets is to ask how they accommodate the needs of every member of the family. If people plan vacations that allow dad to golf or the kids to visit the water park then why not plan vacations that include the things that bring your dog joy?
For Honey it’s running off leash on the beach and meeting strangers wherever we travel.
Margaret says
@Hannah, anecdotal but…
A few years ago I had a co-worker who took her dog, a black mini-schnauzer, on vacation. One day they left the dog (crated) in the room while they went sightseeing. Housekeeping came in to clean, opened the curtains they had closed, turned off the air-conditioning they had left on. They came back at suppertime to find the dog dead of heat stroke.
Never.
Trisha says
OMG, what a horrible story. Clearly would only apply in a hot area, but nonetheless…
Trisha says
Love thinking about you sailing with your dog! I see ears flapping in the wind…
Trisha says
Well this is indeed a tricky one. We have a Prius too, but only travel with the dogs in our RAV, which has a moon roof and allows us to leave dogs in the car safely for short periods of time. Hmmm, anyone else?
Dianne Fecteau says
BarbG, my Jeep has a keyless start. I found that if I leave the car running, get out, and use the key fob to lock the doors that it will lock. This is how I run into the restroom if need be. Contact Toyota and ask them if this doesn’t work.
smartysmom says
I used to show and stayed in motels/hotels. I always covered the floors with plastic, the beds with my bed spread AND kept the dogs crated. I NEVER left the dogs alone. The most likely problem with leaving a dog unattended is that it will start barking and the facility manager will have one choice if they aren’t going to let your dog upset all their guests. That choice is to call the police who I was reliably informed, may have to shoot it!
Nice, isn’t it!
We now have a motorhome, a 40′ class A for traveling with our 7 dogs (soon to be 8). And it still isn’t quite good enough because the Irish Wolfhound rides in the bathroom in the far back which means if we are in a bad Accident, we may not be able to get him out.
And on a sort of related subject, what is your opinion about complying with state laws that a dog wear his rabies tags 24/7?. What is totally related is having to comply with the local regulations of every geographical entity you go thru, which can be a BIG problems because some places take your pet i you’ve broken a rule,
Barbara says
My long coat German Shepherd Dog, Casey, loves to ride in the car but will not settle in a hotel room. He runs “hot” and prefers to be outside at home. I have taken several one and two night trips with him with another trip coming up at the end of July for a Nose Work trial. The priorities are to keep him safe, cool and comfortable. I fit out my SUV with a 48″ wire crate (back seats folded down) so he has room to stretch out. The rear A/C is aimed at him while I’m driving. When parked for a short time (potty breaks for me) I try to find shade and/or put the silver shade in the windshield, open the sun roof and the rear window for ventilation. At my destination I keep him comfortable in the vehicle by covering the entire vehicle with silver shade cloth, leave the sun roof open, the windows cracked. I put a roasting pan full of crushed ice beside his crate and provide water inside the crate. The pan of melting ice acts like a mini refrigerator. On our most recent trip the temperature topped out in the high 80’s yet he stayed comfortable in the vehicle. I checked on him often and never found him panting.
More of a problem was finding places to exercise him that were not too hot. During the heat of the day we did minimal short walks. I got up very early so we could get in a long walk in the cool of the morning before breakfast. We took our last walk just before dark. I would not travel without the silver windshield covers, the silver shade cloth (rated 70% reflective) and a large pan for ice. All of these are easy to come by.
LisaW says
@ BarbG: There are several cooling fans made for the car. Here are a few sites to look at: https://www.icybreeze.com/blog/how-to-keep-your-dog-cool-in-a-locked-car-the-safe-way/
http://www.thecomfybuddy.com/portable-air-conditioner-for-car-and-truck/
Our last brace of dogs loved to go anywhere and stayed in more hotel rooms and wilderness camp sites and slept in the car with us when we couldn’t find any of the above, than most people do. Grace had erect ears, and one time we took them on a walk before we piled into the car to head out. We didn’t realize until we got into the hotel room how much a small nick on an ear can bleed! Every time she shook her head, a spray of blood went every where. White, textured walls are super hard to clean. Somehow we managed to stop the bleeding and clean the entire room and the towels. Not our best night. As Grace aged, she really did not like travelling. Her home and her yard were all she wanted, so we stayed put for the last few years of her life.
Our current two are not such intrepid travelers and prefer a quiet air bnb house or cottage, so that’s what we do now. Less adventures and more quiet time, which is okay, too.
We have never left any of our dogs alone in a hotel or house rental. Too anxiety producing for all.
Renate says
Thank you for the thoughts. I have a rescue dog who is highly traumatized and is still afraid of people so that he will attack them. So I have to do a lot of management to make things safe for others and comfortable for him.
Campsite:
– Travelling only in seasons with temperatures, that allow the dog to stay in the caravan (when I have to leave the dog alone for a short time) – otherwise I will book us in a hotel
– Choosing carefully a calm campsite
– Speaking (before booking) with the campsite, that I’m able to get a calm pitch
– Having a portable fence around the door, so that there is always a “safety zone” around my caravan
– Turning off every electricity and heater when I’m leaving the dog alone in the caravan (for a short time)
– Giving my mobile number to the reception – for emergency case
Hotels (in Germany, do not know how it works in other countries):
– Choosing a hotel in a calm environment
– Speaking with the hotel when booking, that I would like to get a room, which is not so busy/not so many people are passing (e.g. end of corridor)
– Having large blankets with me to cover beds and other furnitures, the dog would enter (because he is allowed to enter those at home)
– Speaking with the reception, that they will please skip my room from housekeeping
– Speaking with the housekeeping that they will please skip my room (with a smile, that they have less work)
– Putting a hanger “Don’t disturb”(most hotels will have one, if not, I always have my own with me) on the door
– For longer stays I plan with the reception/housekeeping when I should take the dog out for cleaning the room
– Having some tools with me to keep the room a little bit clean by myself – so that the hotel will be happy to host us again
– When arriving: First putting all my stuff in the room, only then taking the dog in and directly lying on the bed with him for at least 1h, so that the first impression of the room is a very calm and relaxed one (same in the caravan)
– Giving my mobile number to the reception – for emergency case
Until yet I have found a lot of cooperation with hotels and campsites and often it results in nice talks about (my) dog(s).
With all the management my dogs feels safe and relaxes in every new hotel room in about 30 min (campsites need half a day until he is “at home”) . We are unremarkable for other people and we enjoy being together and “discover” new places. (…..and if I cannot provide all the things above (e.g. because of a business meeting in a busy town or having to get somewhere by plane) Elliot is happy to stay at a special dog’s home, where the people know about his challenges and take care of him – although we have to drive 700 km to get there)
Alice says
I do not travel with my dog unless visiting friends. If I’m somewhere else, I’m going to be out doing things and visiting places dogs are not allowed. My guy is far happier running around playing with someone else than being cooped up all day.
A bit of warning for those that do though, we recently stayed at a chain hotel that billed itself as dog friendly, but charged a nonrefundable $200 fee for any dog staying even for one night. Be sure to call ahead to see if they are really pet friendly.
Trisha says
Thanks Dianne! I’ll try it out of curiosity with our Prius!
Trisha says
I’ve never heard of a place ‘taking a pet because you’ve broken a rule’! Here in WI you might get fined if your dog is, for example, at a park without a license, but I’ve never heard of anything more draconian than that regarding tags. Readers?
Trisha says
$200? Holy moly, that’s ridiculous.
Trisha says
LisaW: Thanks so much for the cooling fan ideas, excellent!
BarbG says
@Lisa W and Trish – I have already tried locking the running Prius from the outside with the fob – it doesn’t work. I’ve also talked to the mechanics at the dealers and they confirm it. I understand why Toyota has tried to idiot proof it, it’s really easy to forget to turn off the car because it is so quite, but I wish Toyota would create a work-around like having to push buttons in a special sequence.
Thanks for the links to car fans, I hadn’t known about them.
Karen says
I took my Shih Tzu with me for a two week visit to see my mom in Florida last fall. Traveled from Oregon and during out 45 minute stopover in San Francisco I was so happy to see a doggy relief station inside the airport. She loved going and was very well behaved and content on my lap! She has special needs (megaesophugus) and leaving her is out of the question.
soyoung says
i have driven across the country 3 times now with my flattie/border collie mix paco and learned many valuable things from these adventures to make the trips enjoyable. we just returned from los angeles-boulder, colorado-los angeles adventure, and it was one of the most beautiful, memory-filled trips we have ever done and one i will never forget. we love to camp, so wherever we go, i do a lot of research and poring over maps to see where we can camp and hike. i try to limit driving to 6-7 hours a day and upon arrival, will do a short exploratory hike to stretch the legs and then set up camp and prep dinner. i wake up the next day at the crack of dawn and make breakfast, coffee, and break down camp, and then get paco a 1 1/2 to 2 hour hike to get him tired and satisfied, before we take off to our next stop. the bonus is beautiful light in the forest at that hour, and we have the trails to ourselves. it truly is magical.
the first time we set off across the country, i had a few national parks on my list with stops in neighboring national forests to get paco out on the trails. that being said, i don’t think i would ever travel again to the national parks with paco in tow, as it is so restrictive. (and rightly so- for the safety of the dogs, and for the preservation of the ecosystem.) luckily, many of the national parks are surrounded by national forest lands which we took advantage of, but i do dream of hiking in yellowstone and glacier one day; paco will stay with my brother if i end up doing so. for now, we are content to travel to national forest lands.
the few times we stayed in motels/hotels along the way, it was not so pleasant. i had the same experience as alice mentioned above–the chain charging a $100 “pet-friendly fee” that was not mentioned when i checked in. plus the room smelled weird…like they could never eradicate the cigarette smells from the 80’s so they tried using chemical cleaners that didn’t work…plus so much hallway noise. we much prefer sleeping to the sounds of nature and smelling fresh air and pine trees, hehe.
Gretchen in the Rocky Mountains says
Jack, my Golden puppy gets car-sick…even when we drive to the vet. I can prevent it by making sure he has an empty stomach and the vet has me give him 1 benydryl about 45 minutes before traveling.
My friend leaves his Lab, Dexter, in dog-friendly hotels when he goes out with his family. The end of this story is good. The family was gone for 2 hours and came back to the hotel recently to find the door to their room ajar and Dexter’s kennel was open and he was not in the room. Dexter had torn open and eaten food left in the room. Then Dexter managed to open the room refrigerator and ate everything in it. The door to the room had a push down type of handle which Dexter pushed down and escaped. Dexter went downstairs to a buffet party and was partying there. Then, the hotel management was called by the buffet party and Dexter went to the back room of the hotel reception. The hotel called every person (except missed calling Dexter’s dad) that had dogs staying there. The hotel doesn’t keep a record of type of dog, color and name. Dexter ate a package of chocolate chip cookies in the back room while the hotel called the guests (there were about 20 dogs that night). Finally the hotel called the animal shelter and had him arrested. The animal shelter couldn’t get his microchip to read, even though they could tell that he had one. Dexter spent the night in jail as the shelter closed before his Dad found him missing. Now, Dexter has a caribiner on his kennel. We don’t know if he got sick at the shelter from all the food he ate, but thankfully he was a waggy, happy boy the next morning when his Dad rescued him.
My dogs don’t usually have collars on EXCEPT when they travel with us. They are trained to NOT jump out of the car until I release them, but if there was a large animal (bear? buffalo? deer?) that caught their eye, I worry they might bolt after it before I hooked their leashes. I made tags with their names and our phone numbers at the pet store. They were inexpensive. Their collars also have the microchip tag with the company’s phone number and then the rabies immunization tag. It’s also a good idea to have the vet check the microchip occasionally to be sure it is still working. Our vet just checks during wellness visits.
My dogs are happier staying home with their sitter. It is a bit of work getting ready for the sitter, but this just works out a lot better for us all.
Chris from Boise says
In the “bad old years”, when Habi was highly reactive, we didn’t take the dogs when we traveled. We knew it would be way past Habi’s ability to handle. As she improved, and became more comfortable in the car and in strange situations, we started experimenting with short, then longer and longer trips designed around her needs. And finally, last year, when she was twelve and able to handle most situations easily, we took a long-dreamed-of six thousand mile Road Trip With Dogs from Boise to eastern Quebec and back, in our dear old 1992 Honda Civic. The trip was designed around Habi and Obi’s needs and favorite activities, with lots of pre-trip research, and was a total success. One friend even cleared out her upper sheep pasture so the dogs could stretch their legs with a much-needed off-leash run (thank you!).
Not only did the dogs handle all the planned events with aplomb; when we collided with a deer two days from home in the Middle of Nowhere, Montana, and both the car and the deer died (the rest of us were unscathed), they got to ride in a wrecker, hang out at a motel, and ride in unfamiliar vehicles as we cobbled together a way to get home – and they took it all in stride. They also slept for two days straight when we reached home (as did we).
Lessons learned:
People are incredibly kind and generous when you’re in a real pickle.
Seatbelt harnesses and crates (and well-packed gear) kept us all safe.
If you take an elderly car on a long trip, get an AAA membership before you set off (we didn’t…).
And during haying season, deer – which normally bed down in hayfields during the day – move to the shelter of the weedy borrow pits along the road, from which our unlucky doe leaped to her death in the middle of a sunny afternoon (the wrecker driver says haying season is when he gets most of his deer-collision business). Who knew?!
We’re now driving a Prius, so BarbG, thank you for alerting us to the pitfalls of the keyless fob.
One quibble with the Conde Nast article: bring your pet’s rabies certificate with your other paperwork if traveling to Canada. The rabies tag is not sufficient. Otherwise, good tips!
Trisha – I love the way you use trials for training, and are happy to see progress instead of focusing on the ribbons. Under your careful tutelage, Maggie’s confidence should rebound. Have fun and learn a lot at the Scott Glenn clinic!
Trisha says
Chris, I felt lucky to meet you on your trip, and can confirm how well your dogs did! Such lucky, lucky dogs!
Donna in VA says
Sorry — if I feel it is the safest thing to do, I will take my dog into the restroom at the rest stop with me. I will even use the handicap stall because there is more room. If someone wants to write a citation (and are fast enough to catch me) then so be it.
Nora says
Dear Trisha!
Excellent question. I’ve traveled quite a bit with my ex-stray/rescue dog (+-6 yo female, 22-25kg, with me for nearly a year now), we go on small hiking trips by car and we travel by train too since we live in Europe.
We first went on a shorter trip, around 7h on the train and stayed with friends. Then I took her home with me (11h but there was a break when we stretched our legs and she peed, smart girl).
My tips for people traveling by train:
– wear them out before (i like cycling because it saves time before departure – important if the trip starts early – and is more tiring for her)
– try to book a compartment-less carriage
– people are helpful, you can try to swap places (the cuteness factor)
– take your dog’s blanket
– a small chew toy if they’re a chewer
– be vigilant during on- and off-boarding times so that no-one steps on the pup
+ might be a good idea to occupy the dog while it’s happening. i work with a clicker a lot and put a lot of emphasis on reinforcing the ‘watch’ cue.
QUESTION: can anyone recommend spatially non-demanding games/cues to play with the dog on the train?
this time we’re planning to do a little bit of sightseeing but we’ll only do that on the 3rd and 4th day after she had the time to get used to the place we’re staying at.
And the most important thing, applicable on all kinds of transport (we travel around the city nearly every day): SPEAK OUT. People will be halfway over to you before they finish asking if they can pet your dog. If they ask, that is.
Trisha says
Love the train advice! Re train games for dogs, what about teaching body parts–lift your right paw, your left. Where’s your tail? Etc?
Alice Earl says
Trips with pets need to be carefully considered as you wrote. When I do travel a distance with dogs in my van, I use some low tech helps just in case the van and AC stops working. I freeze a 4L jug of water to place near each dog and under the folded comforter the dog travels on, although Sky digs and paws enough to expose it. Maybe I should zip tie it to the car seat ahead in case of accident. If the trip is more than one day you could probably buy ice cubes at a convenience store, but I haven’t done this so I don’t know how to prevent leaking water. I also travel with enough water to cover the roof of the car at rest stops. It’s amazing the difference in temperature after the water evaporates on the top of the van. I have a battery powered fan too.
gatistwam says
travelling with dog is luckily the best part of my life. It motivates me to do great things.
Penny Howell says
Do you have anything published about fear of riding in the car.? We have had a poodle puppy for 2 months(he is 5 months) and just about a perfect dog but he hates the car. We got a dog to travel with, even to take hiking to state parks. He has to be taken to the car where he eventually hops in but he hates it. He start to excessively drool and once, when we were in the car for one hour, he did vomit. I have tried sitting with the car off in the driveway and just let him sit there with toys/bone. we have had him in the passenger seat, the back seat, the floor of the front seat and the trunk of the SUV. Try to take him on 5-15 minutes ride with generally positive outcomes at the other end,(playing with dogs, getting a bone from the dog store, etc.) Have tried adaptil and ready to try Dramamine. Should I go back to just sitting with him in the car or is there something I am missing? Getting desperate .