Dog Etiquette: Considering Others When You Travel

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© photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2008

Jacque Sleeps Soundly

in his Travel Crate

with his "Blankie" from Home

I am planning a trip to visit family soon, and intend to take one or two of the dogs along. They enjoy car trips and travel well. In preparing for this, I remembered some dog owners' horror stories. A few of these disasters could easily have been avoided with the right preparation.

While checking for accommodations on Dog Friendly, a travel accommodations site for pet owners, I found these few tips on doggie etiquette. I'd like to add a few of my own. I'll throw in some travel tips too:

• Never travel without a crate, even if your dog does not usually sleep in one. Strange places, smells, sounds, etc. can create a bit of anxiety in your dog. A crate with a pillow that smells like you or your dog will give him a bit more comfort and less anxious concern over the change of surroundings.


• Speak with your vet about treatments for nausea from car or air sickness and anxiety.


• Prior to a trip, feed only minimally, and only if your dog is not usually one to get sick during travel. You can provide treats occasionally as you travel, to keep his tummy rumbles at bay.


• Rather than providing water during travel, pack a lunchbox-sized cooler with ice cubes. If traveling by car, drop ice cubes into his travel crate periodically, to assure he gets adequate fluids.


• When you travel by plane, remove water at least one hour before departure. Limit fluids to less than his usual intake for the time you will be away from an appropriate potty spot. Be sure that you have his travel crate lined with an absorbent towel, just in case.


• Be sure to bring along a health certificate if you are crossing state lines. Many vets charge a small fee for this, but regular "customers" might get them free. Fortunately, my vet provides these free.


• Pack enough food, treats and poop bags for a few extra days, just in case your trip is extended unexpectedly.


• Choose a few of your dog's favorite toys to pull out on occasions when he needs brief entertainment.


• If you must leave your dog in a friend or family member's home while you go out for several hours, use the crate to assure the safety of both dog and owner's home. I always travel with baked cow bones or kongs, and fill them with dog food. When frozen, they provide hours of enjoyment while your dog is in a crate. The bones cannot be eaten, but the frozen dog food can be licked and dug out of the crevice for quite sometime.



• While I know that the link above indicates that dogs should not be left alone in a hotel room, I would offer this advice, when necessity requires it. In the absence of a temperature controlled vehicle with a crate, many dog-friendly hotels simply ask that you place your dog in a crate, if he must be left behind for a brief period. Be considerate of neighboring rooms, if you know your dog is a yapper. Consider asking for a room in the back of the hotel, for instance. Finally, place the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the room door whenever you leave your dog, to assure he will not accidentally be released from his crate by a brush of the vacuum cleaner. If you own a Houdini, consider an extra hook closure to assure your pup does not escape his crate on his own.


• Prior to leaving your dog for several hours, always take the dog on a long, brisk walk or perhaps a jog. A tired dog will naturally want to rest when invited into his crate. Don't forget to praise and treat him each time he enters his crate, and whenever you return to find him happily well-behaved inside his crate. This will reinforce his good behavior, making future outings increasingly easier.


• Finally, if you plan a day's outing, beyond the capacity of your pup's bladder control, here's my advice. When my daughter and I took Oliver out of state once, we found called a few vets, asking about pet sitters that they could recommend. One had a vet tech who liked to pet sit on her day off. She took him in to play with her little Miniature Poodle and the two had a wonderful day. It could not have worked out more perfectly.

Travel Troubles with Fido?

Now Fido can fly the friendly skies with their his airline. Pet Airways has begun flights just for pets, as of July 14, from 5 major cities: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Denver, and Washington DC. It's a start. If you have a larger dog--one that cannot fly in the cabin--this is an option, at least for those who are reasonably close to these metropolitan areas. Hopefully, with economic improvement, the market will grow.

Meanwhile, if your dog must travel in the belly of the plane, get medical advice, consider temperature issues in your airline and flight pattern, and try these tips:

• First and foremost, prevent anxiety with vigorous exercise 2-3 times a day for 2-3 days before his travel. A tired pup will be better able to relax and cruise quietly.


• Assure that prior to his journey, your pet has been well-hydrated for several days.


• Consider a cooling (or warming, in Winter) mat for his travel crate (only, of course, if you are certain your dog will not chew it)


• Consider a battery operated hook-on fan (available at Wal-Mart and camping stores), if the airline will allow it. Attach it securely to the outside of the wire door of the crate.


• Gauge your dog's travel nerves based on previous journeys and talk with your vet about prevention of anxiety.


• Check with your vet on food for the day of his flight. Most recommend either no food, or only a small meal early in the day. Just prior to leaving home, take another brisk walk to give your dog ample opportunity to relieve his bowels and tire him out for the trip.


• Finally, don't give your dog anything other than his regular food the day before travel. No sense churning up his bowels with a surprise attack of diarrhea, while en route.

If you need a place to stay, check this out. We used this guide when traveling for a week with Oliver. He was quite a champ!

Thunderstorms and Fireworks: Helping Your Dog Cope

One of the most common dog issues I run into is that of fear of thunder and fireworks. "First Alert Xena" is my thunderstorm alarm dog. She must feel the vibrations in the ground, because she can alert us to a storm coming far before tour weather alert radio sounds its annoying alarm. They should hire her!

As soon as Xena begins to show anxiety, I know what's coming. She only has this one phobia, so it's easy to read her. Here are the steps we take at my house to calm the crazy beast BEFORE she destroys the house:

• First and foremost, if I know there are storms coming, I try to get her out for a long walk before she gets tense. She won't go outside, if the sky is gray, so I have to beat her to the punch.
• Tiring her out goes a long way to helping her stay calmer. Not CALM, mind you, but less anxious. There's a fine line there.
• In the wild, dogs who are anxious about thunder, burrow into the ground, digging a den to hunker down in till the storm passes. We have created a sanctuary much like this with a crate in a dark room. We learned long ago, that windows don't cut it for Xena. She needs darkness and the crate to settle herself.
• Turning on music, fairly loud, is a strategy we have used in the past. It may help some, but because she seems to sense the storm from the ground, it isn't as helpful for Xena as it might seem. Try it with your dog. If it helps, that's great.
• Finally, the attitude with which we handle the situation is an important component. No affection or soothing "poor baby" stuff. That would just encourage the behavior. We matter-of-factly take her to her crate and close the gate. Departing without affection is part of how we show Xena that this stormy noise is nothing to worry about. It's sort of like leading by example.
• Knowing she is contained helps her to calm herself, and she'll settle into a corner of the crate and wait it out. Food, water, toys and chewies are all forms of affection that have no place in this scenario. Xena will ignore them anyway. Some dogs might take them, and assume (of course, this assumes that a dog can assume) this is encouragement of their anxious behavior. Not a good idea.

Good luck getting through the Independence Day weekend. I hope these tips help you and your dog to manage the fear factor. If you'd like to learn more techniques, you might check out this book. I've heard good things...

First Alert Xena, our Weather Forecasting Dog

It's raining outside right now. Rain, rain, glorious rain. You know, that fresh smelling Spring rain that leaves the world seemingly pure afterwards. Sort of like a bath in spring. Fresh!

I'm sitting in my office watching the rain barrel fill and say thank you to mother Earth for this gift. In the past week, we have had several rains, with this being the most significant. Xena, the thunderstorm weather girl, is sleeping peacefully at my feet. She is better than any weather man around. If she isn't disturbed by this downpour, then I know we're not in for a thunderstorm, just rain. Aren't animals amazing?

Even if there were thunder 10 or 20 miles away, she would be pacing nervously, letting me know that danger was about. Two days ago, when a violent storm ripped through our area, it was Xena who alerted me to the upcoming threat BEFORE my weather alert radio. Clearly she is a better weather forecaster than the National Weather Service.

Although sometimes her nervous antics during a storm can be problematic, I'm actually glad to have her around when a fast moving storm is coming toward us. She is the early alert--the one I get before the weather alert radio. I guess I should nickname her First Alert Xena.

This morning, we are so clear of thunder in the area, that she even asked to go outside DURING the rain. That's about as good an all-clear sign as any umpire could give at a ball game, when it is safe to play again.

The fun came when she was back inside, dripping wet. We have this game called "Dry the Doggy", which she loves. It's great to make grooming matters a game with our pups, so they can find enjoyment in this necessary activity.

I count myself as lucky when I look at my dogs and realize that Xena's weather nerves are our only "issue". Cesar Millan would probably have a cure, but I rather like having a weather forecaster in the family, especially one that is so accurate. Thanks, Xena. You get the Weather Forecaster's Award for best accuracy.

I suppose I should get her an award. Traditionally we humans would give a plaque or a trophy, but I could get her a rain coat. What do you think?