I know a chihuahua who has peed on hydrants in every continent. Swallow your envy and go find hydrants of your own – er for your dog.
Traveling with a dog is a must! They like to get out and explore new sight, smells, and ground, just like you. Make travel comfortable for your pooch. A collapsible crate can create comfort in a strange place, it folds flat, and can fit into a suitcase, depending on the size of the pup. For the big dogs, have it shipped to your hotel along with your luggage and be hands-free on the train. Toss in your worn t-shirt, a toy into the crate, and she’ll feel safe if you have to leave her in the hotel room alone. Dogs with anxiety can do serious damage to a hotel room, and to your credit card. Adjust the living quarters with familiar items from home.
Make sure your destination is dog-friendly, with a park or greenery nearby. Are the local cafes and shops cool with dogs? Most businesses and hotels today welcome our four legged family members, but not all of them do. It only takes one incident for a biz owner to have a No Pets sign. Some are service dogs only. If you have a service dog, be sure to have your papers handy in case you are asked for them. Whatever you do, don’t attempt to get away with the fake service dog papers. If you’re busted, you’ll be booted from the hotel, limited to what you can do in the area, and it’s a big fat slap in the face to the disability community. We won’t go there in this space, but there are plenty of angry twitter rants on this matter. For the international hounds, check far enough in advance to see if there are quarantines or vaccines for your pet to enter the country.
Here’s a packing list for the canine suitcase:
- Collapsible crate
- Collapsible bowls
- Food and treats in plastic baggies saves space
- Toys and busy treats that they are used to at home
- Meds – pack extra in case a pill falls in a weird location
- Number to a local vet, just in the case
- Map to nearest park or rec area
- Plenty of poop bags
- Authentic service papers
- Nausea and anxiety meds, if your dog is easily queasy
- Antihistamine if you will be in an area with spiders or bees. You will spend hundreds at the vet for this.
- A new vacation-y themed collar
