Chapter 1: Pet Considerations

There are several important considerations when traveling with your pet. Not every pet is suitable for international travel. Long flights, long delays in airports and changes in climate, not to mention the loss of familiar surroundings are enough to make us humans question our sanity at times. Not every pet is adaptable to new surroundings and new people associated with travel. Not every pet is anxious to leave home and travel in an automobile, much less on airplanes, buses, ships, or trains. Deciding if your pet and your travel plans are compatible will depend on your pet and its particular characteristics and temperament. Not all pets are up to touring, sightseeing, eating out, staying in strange hotels, and walking for hours each day. In many countries, as in the United States, pets are not allowed in certain public places. There are, however, countries where dogs are allowed in stores, restaurants, and many other places. While dining in Turkey, we saw a small dog sitting on a chair next to its owner. We were flabbergasted. Restaurants in the U.S. would never allow such a thing.

Here are some considerations regarding your pet:

• Is your pet physically fit?
• Is your pet accustomed to being with you much of the time?
• Has your pet traveled much away from home and is it comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings?
• Is your pet well mannered? Is it socialized and capable of adjusting to change?
• Is the destination climate hotter or colder than your pet is accustomed to?
• Is your pet accustomed to being kenneled?
• Are there adequate sources of food and water?

If your pet has serious medical problems or is feeble, keep your pet at home. Perhaps a pet sitter would be advisable. Be sure to have your veterinarian determine if your pet is suitable for the type of travel and vacation plans you are making. Naturally, if your pet has medications, be sure to pack them and ensure an adequate supply. Having the prescription for the medicine may be advisable because most countries are very particular about drugs entering their country. The prudent traveler might consider finding a local veterinarian at the destination before departure.

Is your pet accustomed to spending hours each day with you or is it used to being a couch potato with only limited exercise and social interaction? Too much togetherness may alter your personalities and lead to conflict and malcontentment. Putting stress on yourselves and your pet is not part of the plan of extended international travel.

Not all pets are used to traveling. Izzy, our Maltese, travels with us a lot and does not seem to be overly concerned. Izzy goes to our children’s homes and plays with the grandchildren. She goes to my parents’ house and has stayed overnight with them on numerous occasions. She has traveled for days at a time in our car, content to sit on my wife’s lap rather than in her carrier. She has truly become accustomed to travel and to new and unusual places. She has gone to flea markets on a leash and in a pet carrier that I strap on, carrying her like a small infant. Strangers often stop us to comment about her and ask about her breed or pose other questions. She takes travel in stride, but such may not be the case with your pet. Do not expect your pet to act any differently than at home just because you are on vacation in Europe or elsewhere.

Most international travel will require some type of containment. In some cases, your pet may be in a soft-sided carrier rather than a rigid kennel. Certainly, aboard aircraft and often on trains or even in a car your pet will need to be in a carrier. Be sure to familiarize your pet with the carrier beforehand. When we had our Rottweiler, Max, he spent a lot of time in his “house” which was placed in the laundry room. The door was kept open and he went in and out, as he pleased. The point is, he was used to the idea of being in a kennel and would have been a great international traveler. Let your pet get used to a kennel, and you may decide it has other benefits, too. Once accustomed to being in a kennel, dogs tend to feel safe and consider it their space. A sick or stressed pet may welcome the reprieve from all the commotion of travel. Kennels may keep your pet from certain situations, which may be harmful, or not in their best interest. Kennels also give owners some time free from worry about their pet and its safety or behavior. While in a car, kennels prevent your pet from jumping around and causing a distraction for the driver and other occupants. This is important as you sightsee and make frequent stops. Always leash your pet while it is still in the kennel so it does not bound out at the stop and become injured or lost.

The kennel should be large enough that your pet is able to stand and turn around comfortably. Transit time can be long and comfort is extremely important. Be sure the kennel has enough ventilation. The kennel should have adequate handles for the airline staff to move the animal on and off the aircraft and into the proper place in the terminal. Plenty of absorbent material on the bottom of the kennel will facilitate pet comfort and cleanup later. Newspaper or cardboard should be adequate. The airlines often dictate the type and size of the kennel. Check with them well in advance to avoid purchasing the wrong kennel. Some airlines actually sell them. See Chapter 4 for additional information about kennels and regulations.

One last word on kenneling. Do not make kenneling a form of punishment. This only leads to behavior problems and your pet will not associate the kennel with its primary purpose, safety, but rather with fear, isolation, and owner disapproval.

A well-trained dog is a remarkable sight. Have you ever seen a dog pulling on the leash, dragging its owner along? Or just the opposite, a dog balking and refusing to walk, as a well-behaved dog ought? It’s not a pretty sight. Your dog may need some additional training if it is to be a well-behaved international traveler. The training will come in handy when walking in strange places where the people look and dress differently and even speak some unintelligible language. Leash training is only part of the training. Does your pet chew, bite, jump on people, bark incessantly, particularly when alone, mess at inopportune times, like in hotel rooms or cower at strangers? These behaviors are apt to worsen in unfamiliar places and around unfamiliar people, who may not be as familiar with pets. Obedience training ought to be a travel prerequisite for your pet.

Supplying your pet with suitable water and food for the duration of your travels is very important. Give your pet only water that you would drink yourself. Taking enough food for months at a time may be quite a chore for a larger breed of dog. With Izzy, it is quite simple. She eats about 10 pounds of food in six months. If your pet eats only a certain brand of canned food, that could cause considerable concern unless it is dealt with during the planning stage. Do not expect your pet to acclimate to all the environmental changes and to a change in diet, too. If your brand of pet food is unavailable abroad, you will want to know ahead of time and begin a dietary change in anticipation of the final destination. Planning will make the trip go much better for the owner and pet.