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ANIMAL FAIR MAGAZINE Travel Article Traveling with your dog is almost always a good thing. This means that you are treating your dog like a member of your family; rather than a latch key dog who looks longingly at you as you leave him home alone. However, how you travel with your dog, and the way in which you acclimate him to traveling are the key things to keep in mind. Car travel is the most common means for everyone. Many dogs unfortunately suffer from car sickness, or are annoying car companions, boisterously barking and dangerously jumping around. Because many dogs get car sick, some owners only take the dog out with them when they absolutely have to, which usually means a trip to the vet or groomer, or other possibly unpleasant destinations. This only compounds the problem, as it creates a negative association with the car. Ways to overcome car sickness are fairly simple. Try not to feed the dog a few hours before a car trip. Take frequent short trips, but most importantly, do this daily in order to desensitize the dog. Go to pleasant destinations such as the park in order to create a positive association with car travel. It’s a good idea to restrain the dog in a crate or car harness (available at pet stores) in the back seat. This gives the dog a more secure feeling. It’s not a good idea to keep the dog behind a gate in the cargo space of an SUV or station wagon. Back there, there is no way for a dog to brace himself to feel secure. I have seen a good car traveler become fearful as a result of being placed loose like this in the back of the car. Crating or harnessing is also a good cure for boisterous car travelers, and kind and gentle obedience training using rewards goes a long way. Basic obedience training is very valuable not only in facilitating a happier and safer travel experience, but helps to increase the communication and bond between you and your dog. A dog that knows how to sit, stay, come when called, lie down, and be quiet, is much easier to handle in any situation. All these obedience pointers (and much more) are discussed in great detail in my new book, Shelby Marlo’s New Art Of Dog Training, Balancing Love and Discipline (NTC Contemporary Publishing; yes, a shameless plug). Other tips for cars : Do not let your dog hang his head out the window. Flying debris, or other objects can hurt him. Also, many dogs jump out of car windows. Obviously, temperature is always of concern. Teaching a wait command so that the dog waits for permission to jump out of the car will help avoid accidents. To teach your dog a wait command in the car begin by having your dog sit in the back seat of the car. Have a leash on the dog. Hold the leash to prevent the dog from jumping out of the car. Stand directly in front of the dog; tell him, “Stay (or wait )”, and put your hand in front of his face like a stop sign: palm flat and forward. Give the dog a treat every few moments that he sits and waits, and praise him saying “Good stay (or wait )” . Continue to remind the dog to stay between accolades. Release the dog by saying “o.k.” , but do not give him a treat on the release. The most important part of teaching your dog to stay is to reward him during the behavior. Many people make the mistake of telling the dog to stay, releasing him, and then rewarding him. This rewards the dog for the release, and encourages the dog to break the stay. Accustom yourself to the “stay” ritual. If at any time during the exercise your dog breaks from the stay, lure him right back into the sit and repeat the process. All extended car trips should include a crate. A crate is a wonderful, secure place to leave your dog. A good example of this is when I was showing my competition obedience dog, Lotte. I would drive across country to go to the various dog shows. When we would arrive in town, I would check in to the hotel, and then go to dinner. If I left Lotte loose in this strange new location, she would whine and bark, and feel abandoned and fearful. If I set up her crate with her blanket and chew toys she immediately felt safe and secure even in this scary new place. I also felt safer knowing that if someone, such as a housekeeper, etc. would go into the hotel room, there was no chance of Lotte escaping. For dogs who are still in destructive chewing and / or housebreaking stages, the crate prevents any problems (helping to ensure that a great number of hotels will continue taking pets). To train a dog or cat to like a crate, feed him his meals in there, and use treats at other times to create a positive association with the crate. To get the dog or cat into the crate, toss a treat and several chew toys into the crate. Use a phrase like “go to your crate” or “go to your bed”. If the dog or cat does not go in voluntarily, gently place him in the crate and shut the door. Give your pet treats through the crate door and say “good crate” or “good bed”. On any car trip, stops should be made every two to three hours depending on the age of the dog. Teaching ‘potty on command’ ; (start by saying “good potty” as the dog eliminates) can help facilitate the dog’s willingness to go in an unfamiliar area. To teach your dog ‘potty on command’, take your dog to an appropriate elimination area. Wait for him to begin to eliminate. As he begins to go , start to chant your potty command. I use the word potty; which is generic for both functions. It is important that you say the word during the act. This is crucial. If you tell the dog to ‘go potty’ before he has begun, he has no action to associate with those words. Once he begins to eliminate, begin the “potty chant”. Cats who are taken on extended car trips should be in a large enough crate to accommodate a small litter box. As much as I fantasize about sitting at a cafe in Paris with my dog, air travel is something to take a serious look at and fully research. There is currently a Senate bill pending that could end any shipping of dogs after December 31, 2000. Every year, thousands of dogs arrive safely to their destinations. A percentage of dogs, however, do not. It is for this reason that when I needed to defend Lotte’s title of top obedience collie in the country that I opted to drop out rather than risk flying from L.A. to Florida where the Collie National Specialty Show was being held. If you are like some of my celebrity clients who travel in private planes, it’s still a good idea to use a crate in order to secure the dog in flight. If you are going for a short vacation, it is better to leave your dog at home safe and secure with a good pet sitter or friend. If you are traveling for an extended time, or moving and must fly, these are the safest ways : All animals must have a health certificate within ten days of flight. Dogs must have a current rabies certificate. Small dogs and cats who fit under the seat (dimensions are : 23 in. long x 13 in. wide x 9 inches high) can safely ride with the owner. The best carrier for this is the Sherpa bag, available at pet stores. Dogs who must travel in the baggage compartment of the plane are the ones at risk. Precautionary measures will start with getting an extremely secure crate. The top of the line for safety in air travel is a non folding aluminum crate. With this crate you can be sure you have done all you can to protect your dog.The next level down from the aluminum are various hard plastic crates, some of which have not faired well. The crate should be large enough for the dog to stand up , lie down, and move around comfortably, but should not be too big, allowing the dog to be bumped around in air turbulence. It’s important to make sure you have several pieces of identification on the dog ; a buckle collar and two i.d. tags with both your permanent address and phone number , and an address and phone number where you can be reached while traveling. This same information should be placed on the crate. Other tips to consider : It is usually best not to feed the dog several hours prior to your departure, however, on a very long flight, it would be advisable to place some ice cubes in the water tray of the crate. I do not advise tranquilizing dogs or cats as this can impair respiratory function, especially in short nosed breeds such as boxers and pugs which are more likely to experience breathing problems during transport. Use direct flights whenever possible to avoid accidental transfers or delays. Travel on the same flight as your pet. Make friends with your flight attendant and captain, asking them to assure you that your pet has been loaded onto the plane. Be pushy, let them know that this is your child on board, and you are truly concerned for their safety. Do this in as friendly a tone as possible, so as not to incite a litigious situation ! It is imperative that in the summer months you fly in the early morning or late evening to avoid temperature extremes that may affect your pet. The same is true for winter months when your pet will be very vulnerable to the cold. Most airlines have embargoes and are aware of these issues. As always take your own initiative and use common sense. Make sure you bring a leash with you so that you may walk your dog before check in and after arrival. Keep the leash with you, not in the carrier ! Also, have plenty of paper towels in case the dog eliminated in the crate. Carry a current photograph of your pet, so that if your pet is lost it will make the search easier. Due to the obvious difficulties in airline travel, many of my celebrity clients such as Halle Berry and Laura Dern choose not to take their dogs with them on location, unless the location is close enough to drive to. There are many great vacation places to take dogs.Wonderful places to hike and do many other fun activities. Cats however, should only be moved as necessary as they do not acclimate well and are closely tied to their home territory. The better trained and socialized your dog is, the happier and more well adjusted he will be while on holiday. Sources to consider for pet travel are : Vacationing with Your Pet ! by Eileen Barish , Happy trails !
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Copyright © 2000-2006 Shelby Marlo
