Traveling With Your Dog
On the Road Again
If you’re planning a long trip with a new puppy, or if your pup just hasn’t been in the car all that often, before you head out the door, it would be best to first get your pet acclimated to car travel. If you don’t, you might be dealing with an overactive animal, which is never good for road safety, or, even worse, a sick animal.
Your pet needs to gradually get used to riding in a car. Start with short trips around the block and increase the duration on subsequent trips. Each time you take your animal for a ride, reward them with a treat or a special toy. Try taking your pet to an animal friendly pet shop and pick out something new for them when they get there. Giving your pet this positive reinforcement will make trips something to look forward to. On the flip side, no matter how difficult your pet becomes, avoid yelling, becoming angry or using any physical punishment towards your pet. If you do this, you’ll only be increasing the amount of fear and stress your pet has toward traveling.
If your pet is crate trained, and you have room in your vehicle, take your pet’s crate with you. Not only will the animal be restrained properly, see above, but he will also feel more comfortable in familiar surroundings.
If your pet is a chewer, he may resort to even more chewing than normal when in a car for a long period of time. In order to prevent your chewer from gnawing on the seats, carpet or other fixtures inside the car, make sure that you bring chew toys or bones with you on the trip. If your pet is a very active chewer, make sure that you have enough of these, or ones large enough to last the duration of the trip.
If your dog is car sick, and doesn’t grow out of it, your veterinarian may be able to provide you with medication to help your pet’s car sickness. There are both medical and natural ways to help prevent the sickness that comes from both anxiety and motion sickness. If that doesn’t work, even though you hate to leave your pet at home, finding a kennel, to avoid the pain and discomfort that your pet may go though, is probably the best option.
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