The easiest option for transporting an animal is to travel in your own car for a short distance, for example, to the country house. Here you will have to take care only about the comfort for people and the dog. But if you and your family are moving long distances, the rules will be the same, because mover companies do not transport pets, and you must take them with you when you move.
Basic Rules For Transporting A Dog By Car
Many dogs, especially when they are puppies, get very seasick in the car, even when they are moving smoothly. The dog begins to salivate profusely and may vomit. To avoid such unpleasant surprises, don’t feed your dog at least two hours before the trip. If breed peculiarities allow, it is better not to feed at all on that day.
Water, as always, can be drunk without restriction. Walk your dog before getting into the car so you can drive without stopping.
A very temperamental and curious dog is conveniently transported in a crate. The carrier can be stowed in the luggage compartment or placed in the passenger compartment so that it will not tip over during sudden braking.
A dog can also travel in the car without a kennel. Small animals are fine sitting on their owner’s lap. If your dog is drooling profusely, put a waterproof mat or diaper on your clothes. You can let your dog ride in the back seat or place him on the floor between the seats. For large dogs, there are special hammocks that hang between the front and back seats. It’s soft and comfortable for your dog to ride in and allow him to look out the window.
It is not recommended to put the dog on the front passenger seat. During emergency braking, it may be thrown through the windshield or injured by a triggered airbag. In addition, a bored pet may interfere with the driver’s control of the car.
It is also not recommended to let the dog lean out the open window. He may jump out when he sees something interesting, injure his eyes from debris flying from the road, or get a cold in his ears from a draft.
If you must leave your dog alone for a while, make sure he has fresh air, such as a half-open window. Keep in mind that the sun heats the car quickly and strongly. A dog in an unventilated car may die from heatstroke.
In intense heat, it is better to refuse to travel at all, as there is a high risk of death from overheating. If there is air conditioning in the car, a significant difference in temperature inside and outside may also be a serious blow to the pet’s health.
Feeding on the road is undesirable because of the risk that the dog may vomit. Small puppies in particular often vomit on the road.
Remember that not all roadside motels and hotels allow dogs. Take care to find hotels, where you can stay with pets. The size of the dog also makes a difference. There are hotels, which allow dogs without restrictions or at a small surcharge for a pet. But if it happens that there is no such hotel on your route, then someone will have to sleep with the dog in the car. You can not leave him alone, he will be worried, can tear the interior trim, seats, or begin to howl loudly. So consider beforehand how to ensure that you and your dog sleep comfortably.
Nevertheless, the pleasure of a joint vacation with your favorite four-legged friend outweighs all the minor travel inconveniences a hundredfold.
Travel With A Dog On The Train
Transportation by suburban electric trains differs from urban transport only in the fact that you need to buy a special ticket for the dog “for the carriage of animals. Its price depends on the distance of the trip.
According to the rules a small dog must be transported in a box. When carrying in the arms of other passengers may require the owner to comply with the rules. A large dog must always be on a leash and a muzzle. Putting the pet on the seat, even if there is a bedding, is prohibited. But for the comfort of the dog, a bed may be necessary. It is convenient to put it on the floor if the car is very cold in winter or the floor is wet and dirty.
When transporting on long-distance trains, you have to meet a number of additional requirements.
Dogs do not get seasick on trains and can safely be fed on the way. When travelling with a puppy it is better to remove the mat from the floor and cover it with absorbent diapers. However, it’s better to replace the mat with your own bedding when traveling with an adult dog as well. Then you do not have to listen to the conductor’s complaints that the mat is covered with hair. When stressed, and transportation is stressful for many dogs, your dog can really start to get a lot of hair or dander.
Don’t walk your puppy on the road, let him go and pee on a diaper. The adult animal is taken out for a walk at long stops; how many and how long the stops will be is stated in the train schedule. It hangs in the corridor next to the conductor’s compartment. If the train is out of schedule, be sure to check with the conductor to see if the stop has been shortened.
Be sure to take a bag to clean up feces and diapers to dry the puddle. It may not be possible to find a lawn or bushes for your dog to walk in natural conditions. Young animals that are inexperienced with train travel may refuse to settle in an unfamiliar place at all and will endure for almost twenty-four hours. But patience can end at any, usually the most inopportune moment.
In some destinations it is allowed to transport dogs without a companion. In this case a veterinary certificate is obligatory.
- The animal is placed in a secure cage or a plastic box and locked. The container must have a bed, as no one will take the dog out.
- There should be a drinker and a feeder. It is the conductor’s responsibility to feed and drink the dog on the train.
- Food and water on the road should be given at home, familiar to the pet to avoid digestive disorders.
Special Features For Transporting Dogs By Airplane
Here, as in no other mode of transport, there is no single approach.
Separately, we can talk about cargo transportation, when the dog, regardless of size and age, is sent without an escort as a live cargo. What documents, other than veterinary documents, are needed should be found out from the carrier in advance, since everyone has different rules. In some cases it may be required to bring the dog to the cargo terminal in advance (24 hours to several hours) and leave it there until departure.
Transportation rules on passenger flights depend only on the carrier’s requirements. Most airlines limit the weight of dogs that can be taken in the cabin. There may be age restrictions, such as only puppies no older than three months. Or there could be a combination: weight plus age.
By the way, the vibration of the working turbines on the dogs acts as a good tranquilizer. Most of them instantly fall asleep and do not feel any discomfort in flight.
If the pet is flying in the luggage compartment, even before takeoff ask the flight attendant to remind the pilot that there is a pet in the cargo compartment, so they do not forget to turn on the heating there.