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Traveling With Your Dog
If you are traveling with your dog overnight, know ahead of time if the hotel or motel is pet friendly. Ask if there are any restrictions regarding a dog's size or quarters. Also ask if the hotel or motel charges those extra with pets. If your stay will be lengthy, ask if there are accommodation for dogs, for example, grooming or day care.
Travel with some familiar objects from home, like his favorite toys, his bowls and some of his favorite bedding. This will help your dog to adjust to his new environment. Try not to leave your dog alone in a hotel room unless he is comfortably confined to a cage. Otherwise, he may become destructive or bark loudly until you return.
Always verify the state of your dog's health before traveling and find out from your vet if your dog has any conditions or illnesses that might precede certain types of travel. Make sure his vaccinations are current. Never travel without some form of identification firmly attached to the dog's collar.
Automobile Travel
Always make sure your dog is secure in his seat and has no opportunity to suddenly climb or jump out of an open window. While a car is moving, a dog's entire body should be inside the car; he should not be able to interfere with the driver's mobility or concentration. You should withhold food from your dog for about six hours prior to a long car ride. While driving, give your dog a number of breaks, for exercise, water and relieving himself. Avoid leaving your dog in a parked car, especially on a hot day. If you stop for a meal, take your dog with you-try to eat outdoors, where your dog will enjoy the fresh air.
Plane travel
Find out what part of the plane your dog will be traveling in, and the type of pet carrier the airline requires you to use.
Make reservations for both you and your pet.
Ask about health certificates and proof of vaccinations required by the airline.
Inform your vet that your dog will be flying and ask if a tranquilizer is recommended.
Many airlines will allow small dogs enclosed in carriers to travel with passengers. If this is not possible, your dog will travel in the hold used to carry baggage. The dog will be safe there, but may be cold, so be sure to inquire about the temperature of the hold on your flight and dress your dog accordingly. For summer travel, try to arrange for a nonstop flight to avoid the risk of heatstroke incurred during a long rest in the baggage holding area.
Withhold food six hours before before the flight, but feel free to give your dog water.
Foreign Travel
Because you will be dealing with a different culture, and a new set of laws and restrictions, you must research how traveling with your dog will affect your trip. First call the local consulate for details regarding quarantine regulations. Also find out about what kind of health certificate and proof of vaccination is required by your country of destination. Explore the various restrictions posed by your airline.
