I'm one of those people who loves spending as much time as possible with my dogs; they're part of my family, and holidays without them seem a little empty, like something's missing… I know… I'm weird, hahaha!
Do you feel the same way?
It’s possible to travel well with dogs, but you need to prepare a little, here are 10 tips to make holidays with your pooch easy and enjoyable!
1. Keep your dog hydrated with the right water! If possible, bring water from home or bottled water for your dog. Even a simple change of water can quickly become a problem, as can dehydration. Keep a bowl in the car and offer water to your dog regularly.
2- Ensuring your dog wears a tag that identifies them with your cell phone number is important when you’re in your environment, but even more important when you’re travelling, because the dog can become more stressed and disoriented and have different behaviours than at home.
3- Always have bags on hand to pick up your dog's waste. This may seem obvious, but for some people, it isn't, because every year when I stop at rest areas, I see uncollected dog poop. We’re all responsible for picking up after our dogs; it's our right to continue bringing our dogs to hotels, parks, and public places! Personally, I have them everywhere, LOL; in my bag, my purse, in several places in the car, attached to my leash. It's impossible not to have them when I need them.
4- Bring your dog's food in an airtight container. If your dog eats kibble, this is simpler; if your dog eats raw food, I'll give you some alternatives in the following points.
5- Bring a natural insect repellent and your tweezers to remove ticks if necessary.
6- Bring a good probiotic, in case your dog has digestive issues. For dogs prone to anxiety or sensitive stomachs, it can even be beneficial to start a week before departure and continue it during the trip and for a week after your return. This will greatly help reduce the stress on the digestive system caused by the change in routine.
Tips 7 through 10 apply to those who feed their dog a raw diet :). YES, it's possible to continue feeding your dog well while travelling, even if you're feeding them a raw diet. I'm living proof! In fact, I often say, where there's food for humans, there's food for our dogs! I've been travelling for several years, and my dogs eat exclusively raw food. Here are my tips for making it work:
7- Use freeze-dried food (which can be stored at room temperature). This is a good option, although more expensive, as real freeze-dried raw food products are quite pricey but very convenient. In any case, it's not a good idea to try a new food while on vacation. So, plan to try the new food 2 weeks before leaving for vacation to make sure it suits your dog. You could even (although this isn't my preferred option) try to find a kibble that suits your dog and use it while on vacation (always be sure to test it before leaving).
8- Bringing our dog's raw food using coolers. Several options exist for refrigerating food: electric coolers, standard coolers with dry ice, and hotel refrigerators. This is often the option I use because my dogs eat the same food, so there's less stress, and most of the time it works out very well.
9. Buy raw food from stores along my route. Ideally, choose the same brand you normally use or a brand with comparable ingredients. It's essential to do some online research before leaving to know where to stop.
10- In a pinch, if you run out of food for your dog, meat bought at the grocery store can work perfectly well. I've even asked for raw chicken in a hotel restaurant! The staff thought I was odd, but anything goes. In this case, however, you must respect certain ratios to ensure the dog's diet isn't unbalanced and doesn't cause digestive issues. Probably not a good option for beginners, but more for those experienced in balancing a raw diet.
There you go, I hope these little tips will help you have a wonderful holiday with your dog, it's so nice to share these beautiful moments with them!
Karine Simard, agronomist, M.Sc.
Expert consultant in canine nutrition
