Top 10 Travel Tips for going away with your Pooch

With the wonderful summer we had this year a home holiday or a “staycation” is fast becoming a great option for a family holiday.

What’s more, when staying in this country you can bring the whole family - dog included! Here’s some tips from Jon Kay of Camp Tails Doggy Daycare to ensure a safe, happy, Doggie holiday!

Research dog friendly places before you go

The less time you must leave your dog in an unfamiliar place the happier they will be and the happier you will be! More and more places are seeing the benefit of becoming dog friendly from shops to cafes and bars as well as your traditional pubs. Enjoy your holiday as a family!

Check out what we are doing in Bury St Edmunds to aide locals and tourists with our #dogfriendlybse campaign.

Check with your planned accommodation about your dog

See where they can and can’t go, can they dine with you? Are there certain areas that are restricted for our four-legged family? Are they happy for the dog to be left alone or do they need to be with someone all the time. Knowing what you and your dog needs will help before booking where to stay.

Take a test drive with your dog

Make sure they are going to be happy on the journey as remember you not only need to get there but back again. The last thing you want is motion sickness or a stressed or anxious dog so consider their travel confidence before planning a trip with them.

Plan your route with additional pit stops.

Long journeys can be tough on a dog, plan an additional rest room break or two and look up dog friendly service stations - more and more have dog green spaces that will give those legs a stretch and enable them to toilet freely!

Bring some home comforts to help your dog settle

Favourite treats and toys and of course their bed. Most importantly bring their regular food – you don’t want to be left short and need to try and find your usual brand in an unfamiliar place.

Bring some travel accessories

Things such as collapsible water bowls and treat bags are a great addition to your trip.

Look up a local vet

Best to prepared and not panic if you happen to need a Vet at any point on your trip, find out the closest one as well as one that offers 24/7 access.

Ensure your dog is registered in all the right places

Make sure their Chip has the correct information and your latest address, same for their ID tags (that must be worn by law) with your current mobile phone numbers. Its also a great idea to bring a spare collar and tag with you and keep with you just in case!

Plan dog activities sensibly

The odds are if going away with your dog you will most likely be doing a little more than normal so far as walking goes. It’s very easy to over exert your dog so know their limitations. Just because you would love to do a 10-mile hike on your trip, to suddenly expect your dog to be able to the same when the most they’ve done before is perhaps a couple of miles is potentially dangerous. Schedule plenty of breaks, bring water and watch their body language to make sure they are happy and safe.

Take photos

This may seem an obvious one, but take lots of pictures, dog included.

Follow @camptailsbse on facebook for more tips!

Dog Friendly Bury St Edmunds

Look out for the #dogfriendlybse paw print logo sticker (below) in the window of premises in the Bury St Edmunds area which have declared themselves dog-friendly.

The premises may also have a #dogfriendlybse water bowl for your doggy companion to quench their thirst. Visit the Dog Friendly Bury St Edmunds web page for a list of businesses which display the sticker.