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How to travel with your dog
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If you've been reading my "Dog Days of Summer" travel series, you know that summer adventures are always better with your best friend. Here are some tips that'll make your trip smoother and Bon Bon happier:
1) Update all shots and bring important veterinary paperwork, like a copy of her vaccination sheet and her health certificate.
2) Take an emergency first-aid pack with you including antibiotic ointment, betadine, tweezers, bandages, and pepto bismol. Ditto for potty emergency packs with baby wipes and plastic bags. Don’t forget any medications, like heartworm treatments.
3) Administer flea deterrent or take one with you. If you’d like to go the more natural route, a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water treats a variety of ailments, from fleas to irritated skin.
4) Bring a spare tag with your contact info and extra collar. If your dog is micro-chipped, confirm your details. Keep a photo with you in case you and Bon Bon become separated.
5) Stash a few of Bon Bon’s favourite things for that feeling of home away from home: biscuits, a special blanket, or a can’t-live-without-it toy.
6) If staying in hotels, bring a few potty pads in case of emergency (though this works best for dogs who were housebroken with them and know to potty outside as well). Also, consider whether Bon Bon will sleep with you in your bed… or on a hotel room floor, in which case, take along his bed.
7) Pack portable food and water bowls. If Bon Bon prefers premium dog food or is on a special diet, bring enough to last the whole trip, especially if it can’t regularly be found in grocery stores.
8) If your doggie is skittish in new places, take along a foldable crate. This comes in handy when house-keeping ignores your “Do Not Disturb” sign and lets Bon Bon loose.
9) Utilize a short leash for city excursions and a longer leash for forest adventures. Unless you know and have already frequented a place well – and have confirmed that dogs are allowed off-lead – always keep her attached.
10) Feel free to make new 2 or 4-footed friends, but avoid off-leash dog parks, where your dog will be privy to new and not-always-friendly packs. For more info, check out Atlanta Dogs Examiner Sandy Weaver Carman’s profile on dog parks.
11) Be on the lookout for heatstroke, especially with fuzzies like huskies and collies and squish-faces like pugs and pekes. Always take a water bottle with you on excursions (always avoiding water whose source you don’t know) and never leave your pup in direct sunlight for long periods of time.
12) If traveling by car… limit Bon Bon’s food intake beforehand in case of motion sickness; spread out a towel to keep paws off of hot leather; and make sure he’s positioned safely in the event of a crash. As always, whether at home or on the road, NEVER leave your dog in a hot car!
If traveling by plane… stay tuned for my next article: How to fly commercial airlines with your dog.
