Millions of people hit the roads every year with their pets. While it can be an immense pleasure to travel with a pet, it can also be a lot of responsibility. If your pet has never accompanied you on a road trip before, you will need to do a bit of research on the topic and get prepared for the undertaking.
The key is to ensure your pet’s comfort, happiness and health throughout the entire trip. Below, you will discover several tips on how to keep your pet healthy and content during extended travels.
Practice Makes Perfect
Most people that plan to their pets on daily trips will start doing test runs at an early age. The main reason for this is that older animals are not going to adapt to a road trip as well as a young animal. While it will require a bit of coaxing and practice to get the animal accustomed to traveling by car, younger animals tend to adjust better and catch on quicker.
As soon as the pet gets old enough to sit up in the front or back seat of the vehicle, it will be time to start practicing. Be sure to keep cleaning supplies on hand, because the animal will probably get car sick several times, before acclimating to the driving motions.
Pet Seatbelt
A motor vehicle accident can occur without a moment’s notice and just like your children, you will want to make sure the pet is safe if such an event occurs. To ensure the pet’s safety, you will want to invest in a pet seatbelt or travel crate. If the animal is going to be riding in the front passenger seat frequently, your best bet will be a seatbelt. Most people want their pet to enjoy the trip as much as they do and a seatbelt will allow them to do just that.
Travel crates are more suitable for small breeds or trips to the vet. The crate will eliminate the pet’s ability to enjoy the car ride by restricting their movements and visibility.
Keep The Pet’s Head In The Vehicle
Many people will allow their pet to hang their heads out the passenger side window. While this will provide them with adequate ventilation, it can also put the pets at risk of eye, ear, and lung infections. If your pet shows signs of overheating, you should turn the air conditioner on instead of rolling down the window. Just make sure that the cold air is not blowing directly in the pet’s face. Adjust the air conditioning vents to point down towards the animal’s body before you set off on your road trip.
A dog that tends to bark at other drivers can be a nuisance, so by keeping the windows rolled up, you will be able to maintain better control. For your pet’s sake just keep the window rolled up and the air conditioner on whenever necessary, or try to train your pet with our bark collars.
Pet Identification Tag
Most pets have a mind of their own, while some will behave very well, others may decide to take off in a mad dash as soon as you open the car door. You may have difficulty locating the animal if it decides to chase another animal down the road.
To ensure you get your pet returned to you at the earliest time possible, you will want to make sure he/she is wearing an identification tag. The tag should have your name, address, and phone number engraved on it, so the person that finds the animal can contact you. A pet identification tag should also have the pet’s name on it, so others will know what to refer to them by.
