How can I travel with my pet dog?

When you consider your dog a part of your family, we want our furry babies to be a part of all the important events and experiences of our life. Travelling and going on a vacation is no exception.

I have travelled with my two Golden Retrievers — Coco and Vanilla — from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, and everywhere in between. We’ve clocked more than 15,000 km together, but before our first trip, I had so many concerns

• What should I pack for them?
• How to prepare them for travel?
• Will I be able to manage their high energy?
• Should we go by road, train or plane?
• What do I feed them?
• How will we manage in places that are not dog-friendly, such as restaurants and temples?
• How to find pet-friendly accommodation?
• And so many more…

In this multi-part post, I will share everything you need to know to make travelling with your dog fun!

But before we dive into that, let’s talk about something I think is equally important: Should we be taking our dogs on every trip?

NO! And there is no need to feel guilty. Though it’s not physical work, travelling can be quite mentally exhausting for the dogs. They need time to relax and recoup after travelling. So ask yourself this before including pets in your plan:

• Does the destination allow dogs? Some places may not be safe, e.g, most forest reserves or jungle camps that have wildlife.
• Is the weather suitable? High temperatures can cause heatstroke.
• Does the duration of stay do justice to the travel duration?

The next important thing is the mode of travel. Each one has its own pros and cons.

Road

Pros:

• No paperwork
• Can stop for breaks whenever needed
• Enjoy the places en-route
• Great for someone who enjoys driving

Cons:

• Not pleasant for dogs or people who get motion sickness
• Long distances may need stopovers, which means finding pet-friendly accommodation and additional expenses.

Train

Pros:

• Minimal paperwork
• Comfortable for long distances. Both humans and dogs get to sleep and relax
• No additional expenses due to stopovers even on a multi-day journey.

Cons:

• Needs prior booking, and coupe/cabin allotment is subject to availability
• Crowded railway stations may be too chaotic for some dogs
• Will need pet-friendly transportation at the destination.

Air

Pros:

• Fastest mode of travel

Cons:

• Paperwork
• Few airlines allow dogs
• Dogs weighing more than 5 kg will travel in a crate in cargo.
• Thus, will need crate-training
• Can be equally stressful for dogs and pet-parents
• Will need pet-friendly transportation at the destination.
• Expensive

Deepthi AR is a behaviourist and trainer in Bengaluru. When she is not working, she’s planning out the details of her next trip with her dogs Coco and Vanilla