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Traveling With Pets Is Easy With Designer Products, Consultants
Traveling with pets, whether by land, air or sea, is not easy. Running a pet to the vet for a check-up is one thing, traveling with them for an extended period of time is quite another. Experts agree that good planning and the right equipment can make a big difference.
"If you have to travel long distance with pets, then you need to make sure they are safe and comfortable. My carriers and training devices fulfill those needs," said entrepreneur Benjamin Short of Premier Pet Carriers in Virtual-Strategy.
At home, having the right sized crate or kennel helps with good dog care and training, and traditional wire, plastic or even wooden cages that look like furniture are available.
When traveling, Short recommends using a "system" designed for the type of travel you have in mind. One such system, by Italian designer Emanuele Bianchi, is the Pet At Work travel system. Perfect for taking a small pet to work or while traveling, the pet can be carried safely in the backpack carrier that also has room for a laptop and can turn into a portable doghouse later.
If travel means flying, pets need a wellness exam, food in-transit and they too will have to go through security at the airport. We told you about PetRelocation, a company that specializes pet travel and offered some advice.
"If you're traveling for the first time with your pet on a flight you need to put some extra effort not only to make the reservation and get the documents completed, but also to train your pet physically and psychologically," blogged Caitlin Moore, new media coordinator for PetRelocation.com.
Like the Premier Pet Carriers idea of having the right equipment for each individual travel situation, the PetRelocation.com approach designs a custom plan for each individual pet.
Clients receive their pet's flight schedule the week before the flight with the PetRelocation.com service, detailing all of the flight numbers, departure and arrival airports along with the pet's "Air Way Bill" (or ticket) number. 24/7 flight-tracking instructions keep pet owners informed.
Sound like overkill? Rather stick with hollering, "Who wants to go for a ride?" then watch them run excitedly on the direction of the car/bus/train as your go-to travel with pets strategy?
While not advised, Premier Pet Carriers has us covered there too.
"Dogs have oil in their skin, so if they accompany you a lot in the car, then the car seat will get dirty," notes Short who also sells pet covers for auto seats.
Veterinarians disagree and paint a vivid picture of what might happen.
"If you're in an accident, your dog will be sent flying through the windshield or possibly out of the vehicle. He'll be lucky to survive even a relatively minor collision," Dr. Marty Becker told VetStreet. "And that's why I recommend restraining dogs in the car with either seat-belt harnesses (don't ever snap a seat belt to your dog's collar) or in crates that are securely fastened to the back seats or in the cargo area."
Filed under: North America, United States, Transportation
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jmuhj May 7th 2012 2:48PM
As CATS, not dogs, are by far the nation's and the world's most beloved companions, why not write the article for the majority? The "pet" suggestions are informative, but so many of us are SO SICK of dogs being shoved down our throats. Get over it, mainstream media, and get real!
Tasha May 8th 2012 1:47AM
Give me a break...
Rachel May 7th 2012 9:12PM
Can you please include cats next time as your information is very helpful but it's all pretty specific to dogs. Traveling with different types of pets creates very different situations. We do love dogs but being that we have 3 adopted / rescued and very adored cats we would appreciate your including their safety and travel tips next time. Thank You.
Ellen May 7th 2012 6:15PM
We travel in our RV with our dog Miss Molly. She loves to go camping. Of course, we plan things out when we take her. Her shots are up to date. We have all of her meds with us. Miss Molly will be 10 Dec. 1 and is just fine. She loves to learn new things all the time.
nancy May 7th 2012 9:41PM
The only thing this really tells us is that we have to buy expensive products and rely on consultants to get our pets from Point A to Point B. Which, of course, is not true. Nice ad, I guess. But, as a person who travels frequently with my dog, it doesn't even scratch the surface of what you really need to know to get to your destination with your sanity, pet, and pocketbook intact.
DDsLees May 8th 2012 2:33AM
We travel with a cat and a medium-sized (50 lb.) dog in our Town & Country Ltd. the woof rides in a large crate behind the driver with the passenger seat removed, and the meow rides in an airline-sized carrier with a seat belt notch in the top for the lap belt of the other passenger seat. As with a previous cat, he learned to delay his rest stop to synch with the rest of us after one sudden pitch into the litter face-first when the brakes were tapped too sharply while he was trying to eliminate. The door to the cat crate is left open at rest stops so he can use his tray while the rest of us do our thing, & when we have all gotten back to the car they can have water if they want it. (They usually don't). Car sickness is unusual, but can occur if we hit the road too soon after breakfast or give them dinner before we stop for the night. They have enough miles on them not to beg if the vehicle is in motion. Both the 1984-98 cat and the 2000-present cat are excellent travelers, silent in the crate at highway speeds and curious/exploring in metro areas. I highly recommend blue or gray tabby cats for mellow fellows. Orange/marmalades tend to wander, and tuxedos/persians are too highly strung & stress out too easily. The blue we have now and the silver tiger I had before stay close to us on the road and are not tempted to jump out at rest stops. My tiger was leash trained. The key to leash training is to start early, let them get used to the harness (NEVER a collar) and let them lead you, never drag them. If time is of the essence, just scoop them up under the tummy & tuck them into you like a football. They will get the hang of it if you allow plenty of training time (6 weeks-2 months), and if the course is a familiar one (like a nursing home) they may even challenge you to keep up! Our current blue enjoys evening walkies with the dog around the neighborhood but won't walk about on road trips, preferring the hotel room windowsill. If you must fly with a cat, make sure there are no plane changes if at all possible. A good travel agent is a must for this booking; do NOT trust websites for booking travel with animals. We have tried and they SUCK! The accommodations are missing, outdated or erroneous in nearly every instance, and rules for cats are nearly impossible to find even on pages supposedly dedicated to travel with pets. Our dog does not kennel well, but some of the better dog day cares don't use wire kennels/cages and this may be an option for a doggy stay-cation if traveling with the animal is prohibitive (as our Alaska flight of 3500 miles) The cat requires a sitter, as he insists on impeccable litter & regular tiny meals. He would gorge himself on a feeding station or break into a timed dispenser (he opens things). Being a social guy he also needs the companionship a sitter provides when we are away from him.