Taking Your Dog With You on Your Family Vacation

     Are you planning a fun family trip and trying to decide whether to bring your furry little friend with you? With the proper planning, you and your family will have a wonderful time traveling in the car and taking your dog with you for your vacation. Of course, in your mind, you may have imagined how great it will be to have your dog included in the family vacation, but you need to make sure you understand how to travel with your dog and make the needed provisions. Traveling to a beach city where your dog can romp around with you often creates some of the fondest family memories.

Planning Ahead for Your Trip

If you do not plan well for a trip that includes your dog, you may end up with a very anxious pooch that can ruin the entire trip. First, how well does your dog do in the car when you take him to your veterinarian or anywhere else with you? Does she freak out and begin panting uncontrollably, or is she genuinely happy to be in the car with you? Every dog is different and while some dogs take to the car very easily, some never quite get the hang of riding in the car. Therefore, you must take these into consideration when you are traveling with your dog.

Let's assume you are not traveling for a few months; this would be a great time to get your dog used to being in the car with you by taking him or her everywhere. By doing so, your dog gets used to the car and begins to look forward to taking a car ride with you. Some dogs do not adjust well to car rides, but you can take care of this by getting him or her their very own crate or car seat, which acts as a secure zone for them, and some dogs travel much better when inside the crate or car seat because it acts as a "den" for them.

Moreover, you will want to plan out your trip for rest areas that will allow for stretching and potty breaks along the way. Moreover, you can feed your dog during rest spots and give him or her some encouraging attention, which goes a long way when you are traveling in an area that is unfamiliar. Remember, you have the ability to know where you are when traveling, but to your dog, they end up not recognizing smells or surroundings, which can cause anxiety. Therefore, make sure you are including your dog in as much interaction as possible so that he or she feels more comfortable.

Also, if you have more people in the car with you when traveling, this makes the entire trip easier because they can be soothing or playing with the dog while you are concentrating on driving to your destination. Make sure that everyone understands your dogs' anxieties before you head out on the trip, this way everyone is on the same page.