Dogs And Car Travel

Traveling the road with your beloved pet can be exciting, but will requires some preparations to be completely successful. When travelling for an extended period of time, it is advisable to take your pet for a veterinary check-up first. Obtain a health certificate, documentation of inoculations and make sure the dog has an ID tag, or other identification, such as a microchip implant, or a GPS tracking system. Even though you never think it can happen, dogs can get confused, unintentionally run away, or need to find their way home to the family, if something happens to you.

A great ride starts with teaching your puppy correct car behavior. Sitting on your lap is cute, but wrong. Start with short trips around the neighborhood and ask your pup to sit still, offering lots of praise if he/she listens well. Having your dog getting used from the start to travel strapped into a doggy car seat, or secured in a pet carrier, is much easier and safer, especially if the animal is quite active and may distract the driver.

Some dogs are relaxed during car trips, while others may suffer from motion sickness. Dramamine and other anti-motion sickness remedies can prevent discomfort by settling the dog’s stomach and preventing prolific drooling, which can occur in a nauseous dog.

Most problems come from fear and building up your pet’s car riding tolerance is healthier in the long run. This means that, even when pets should be travelling on little or no food, give it a treat before hitting the road. Keep the window ajar so he can get a sniff of fresh air, but do not allow its head to hang out the window. Debris kicked up by other traffic can hit and hurt your pet. Try to provide shade to prevent heat stroke, and always have an emergency first aid kits at hand in case the dog gets a sudden cut, sliver or rash. When on the road, stop frequently so that your dog can stretch his legs and relieve himself. Offer fresh water and if time permits, go for a brief walk. You will see that, following these few simple guidelines, your journey will be a lot more fun!