Travelling with a Puppy
Traveling with a puppy can be a very stressful experience if not enough planning has gone into the journey. But if you are prepared and plan ahead, it can be a wonderful, memorable experience.
Travel Crate
If you are flying make sure you have an IATA compliant travel crate, “live animal” sticker, two small bowls, shipping ID sticker and a training pad. For more details see www.iata.org.
If you are driving ensure that your puppy is not left to walk around freely in the car, this could be very dangerous. A wire crate or canvas crate is best suited for travel by car.
Regular stops
Make sure that you stop regularly to ensure your puppy has a chance to walk around, use the bathroom and have some water and/or food, if necessary. Make sure your food, lead and collar are readily available and not packed deep away in a bag somewhere at the bottom of the boot. Have waste bags handy too, should you need to clean up after your puppy uses the bathroom.
Anxious Traveller
If your puppy is anxious or nausea in the car, make sure to visit your vet the week before to get some anxiety or nausea medication.
Water bowl
Always make sure that water is freely available. Many different water containers are available in store and online. A water dispenser is a good idea for stops, tip it upside down while driving and then place it in the dispenser when stopped. Foldable silicone water and food bowls are very handy, as they fold away flat.
Puppy pads
Line your preferred travel crate with puppy pads, as accidents can happen (even if you have regular stops). Many different puppy pads are available, such as calm down puppy pads (for the anxious traveller), carbon puppy pads (for extra absorption), easy fix puppy pads (to stick to the crate) and many more.
Have fun
Remember to make memories, holidays are all about having fun. Ensure your puppy has a variety of toys to curb the boredom or itchy gums.
