People have the habit of taking their dogs along with their family members for a long trip to some remote locations. Pet vacation is fast becoming a buzzword in the US, and more than 500,000 families take their pets along with them to their preferred locations. Whether it is a short vacation to a nearby place or a long journey to an overseas country, you will need to consider many things that are important both to your family and the pets. Below are some useful tips for traveling by air or land:

· If you’re traveling by air, it could be a painful experience for your pet. Each airline has its own set of rules regarding pets and their belongings. Make sure that you get all the details of taking your pet for air traveling.

· Ensure that you’re carrying a health certificate duly signed by the concerned authorities. Your dog must be free of diseases and infections.

· Your puppy must be regular and up to date on flea control program.

· Never feed your pet within 6 hours prior to take off. Never provide water at least 2 hours before the departure.

· You may need to attach an identifying tag on his collar with your dog’s name, addresses and phone number.

· Take along a good crate for your dog to travel out. The crate that you use must be strong enough to sustain the rigors of long travel. Check out with airlines for size and measurement of the crate.

· Also ascertain that you’re attaching a note on the dog’s crate stating its feeding timings and preferences.

· Carry a colorful picture of your dog so that you can trace him in case he goes missing.

If you’re traveling by car, here are some simple tips that make your journey a pleasing one:

· Always carry proper documentation that tells everything about your dog. Never forget to take vaccination and breed certificate along with you. Include your contact information, phone number and e mail ID.

· Make sure that the lodgings you choose for an overnight stay allows your dog to sleep in your room.

· Is your dog OK for a long and grueling trip to a remote corner of the country? Some dogs may not really like traveling a long distance and you may need to find out if this trip is good for your dog.

· Switch on the air conditioner whenever you take the dog for a trip in your car. If your car doesn’t have an AC, you can open the glass window on the dog’s side.

· Carry enough food and water for your dog to eat and relax. You may also carry sufficient treats and rewards to praise your dog.

· Check out for weather reports to know the local weather conditions. Weather pattern may vary from place to place and region to region, and you may need to prepare yourself for a particular type of weather,

· You may also wish to carry enough doggy clothing and bedding materials so that your dog feels comfortable and at home within the confines of your car.

· If you’re staying in a hotel, you may wish to know some more details on the rules and regulations. While many hotels do not allow pets on their premise, some of them may allow you to bring pets into the hotel rooms,

· Some hotels may charge a small extra fee on a nightly basis, which allows you to keep the dog within the premises of the hotel. Some hotels  also offer specialized medical services for the dogs. But, the hotel management will expect that your dog is naturally well behaved and display good mannerism. You may also be asked to sign an agreement form, to state that you abide by every rule of the house,

· Planning to fly out of the country to an overseas destination? If so, you must know about the laws that govern the pets in that particular country. Laws and regulations may vary from country to country and quarantine laws for these countries may vary in nature and enforcement.

· Present legislations like PETS(Pet Travel Scheme) will allow you to carry your dog countries like Canada and UK without any restrictions,

· One of the main concerns of traveling in a car is the passenger safety that includes your family and the pet. Ensure that you’re keeping this important factor in your mind before you kick start your car engine,

· If you have a small car with a crumpled space, your dog may become stressed or disruptive after a few miles of traveling. A disturbed dog could be very dangerous and nuisance both to the driver and the family,

· When you’re driving under hot and humid conditions, your pet may become dehydrated and stressed soon. Always turn on the AC while traveling in a hot and humid region so that your dog feels comfortable and cozy,

· You may need to let the pet out of the car to enable him to stretch his body or help him to eliminate urine and feces,

· Safety harness belts are an absolute necessity, as they can halt pet’s sudden movements and wild behavior.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 10th, 2008 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Puppies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.