Pet Travels

Pets are probably one of the mostimportant factors to consider when packing the rig for a trip. With somecareful thought and planning, traveling with a pet can and should be fun. Formost, pets are   more like another familymember than an animal with unique individual characteristics and personalities.No matter what type, every pet provides us true loyalty adding companionship toour lives.

Decide how many hours you plan totravel each day and whether you will use main highways or go the less-traveledroutes. This will help you deal with the "logistics" that we allface. When traveling, it is recommended that your pet should always travel in acrate, sometimes called a carrier. In the case an accident should occur, a petin a crate has a better chance of survival because he will not be thrown aboutin the vehicle or perhaps be thrown from the vehicle and hit by a car on theroad. If a crate is not available or possible in your rig, try to use a dogseat belt harness (available in most pet supply stores).

When packing your vehicle, rememberto find a secure way to quickly get your pet out of the crate in case of anemergency and try to avoid piling luggage tightly around the crate, reducingthe flow of air to the pet. Additionally, place the crate in your vehicle in aspot that is not exposed to direct sunlight. You must take notice that the heatof the sunlight is amplified through the vehicle windows.

Most pet owners will remember toperiodically make sure the pet is still in the shade but keep in mind that ifyou have a class A it can be easy to forget.Rest stops should be carefully marked throughout the trip route, especiallywith puppies and baby pets. A good general rule of thumb is to stopevery three hours. One of the best ways to accomplish this is just to factor arest stop, every three hours, into your estimated arrival time. Although commonsense, your pet will almost always become anxious and energetic just beforebeing let out of the vehicle so remember to have a collar and leash handybefore making a stop. This is critical because it is not only a requirement oflaw in most places, but also because a dog without a leash and/ or collar ismore easily prone to wander off into traffic, especially at rest stops offhighways near high speed traffic.

If possible, keep your dog's feedingtimes as normal as possible. Bring along your dog's usual food and try not toassume you can just buy it along the way. Offer your pet water every chance youget whether on the road or at stops. Like humans, animals can't go long withoutwater. Find designated areas for your pet to go to the bathroom. Don't thinkbecause you are on the road that your dog does not need to have a designatedarea for bathroom breaks. Remember to pick up any droppings with the plasticbag and dispose them properly. Common courtesy for the general public should bea priority for any type pet owner. By traveling with your dog's medicalrecords, his dog license, and a current color photograph you can avoid a lot offrustrations. No matter your destination, these guidelines are a sure way tohelp reduce pet hassles and increase pet enjoyment while one the road.