Should you travel with your dog? To be honest, there is no definite ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to this one. Every pet parent first needs to figure out if his/her dog likes to travel. There are dogs who love car rides, then some who are scared and get motion sickness, even poop in the car.
If your dog loves the car, take him/her travelling. That way you don’t have to worry about him/her being alone and your dog can go for vacations with you and have fun.
But if your dog is scared, figure out why. There could be a number of reasons...
Motion sickness Like human beings, dogs also feel sick in the stomach in a moving car. If you’d like to change that, give your pet a prescribed medicine half an hour before the ride starts.
Vet alert The only time most pet dogs get in the car is to go to the vet. Hence, they start associating the car with discomfort or pain. To break this, take your pet out for car rides more often to the park or some open space they like.
These apart, keep a few more points in mind...
1. Do not feed the dog right before he/she sits in the car. Feed him/her at least an hour before the journey. Keep the portion size small. The same rule applies for water.
2. Before you make your pet sit in the car, take him/her for a good walk so that your pet is tired and can sleep in the car. Too much energy results in restlessness.
3. Make a travel bag for your pet. Keep first aid kit, water, treats, bowl, wet and dry tissues, potty scooper, lint roller and a seat protector.
4. Do not drive too fast, and slow down for speed breakers.
5. Even if your pet likes the window down, do not let him/her hang out of the window (it is dangerous and he/she might get excited and try and jump out).
6. If you are travelling for a long distance, take a break every half an hour, take your pet out for a walk, so that he/she gets a chance to pee. Provide water and resume the drive.
7. And if you are travelling with a small-sized dog or a puppy, ideally have someone on the passenger seat to hold the pup; they tend to move about in the car, and at times, come too close to the gears or the controls of the car, which can be very dangerous.
— Swati Tandon, pet expert Are you a proud pet parent? Have a cute cat story to share? Maybe your guinea pig is giving you trouble? Whatever is your creature companion, we are here to listen to you. Mention your full name and your city, and send your photos, queries and stories to
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