Are you eager to take a new lovely puppy out with you because you don't want to leave him home alone? After all, you choose a small breed because they are portable, right? Well, not so fast... If you want your new pet to love traveling with you, you need to take the time to create a positive experience from the get go.
The worst thing you can do is place him in a pet travel carrier of any kind, rush out the door to the vet's office and then plop him on a cold examining table. Do not let your dog's first or only experience in a pet carrier be a trip to the vet's office for shots or an examination.
Let your pet become used to his dog tote or carrier before you take him out in it. Put a harness on your dog and place the carrier on the floor with his favorite toy and a treat or chew in the tote. Let him go in and out of the carrier for a day or two. Dog's love small spaces where they feel more secure. Praise him when he is in the carrier.
After a couple of days, put a harness on your pet, place him in the carrier along with his favorite toy and chew (bully sticks work well because they are long lasting). Attach the restraining strap to the harness and take him outside to play or run. Never attach a restraining strap to a dog collar; it is a choking hazard. Remember to praise him as he sits in his carrier. Do this a couple of times.
When you are ready for your first real outing, remember to put a toy and a chew in his carrier. Once your pet associates the dog tote or travel carrier with a positive experience, such as an outing with you, he will be wagging his tail at the site of the harness and jumping into the tote on his own in no time!
