Taking Your Dog On Holiday With The Family

Holidays used to be awkward times for many dog owners. Finding the right boarding kennel that's not too far from home or asking friends as well as relatives if they can take care of your four legged friend whilst you were off sunning yourself on distant shores, was a worrying and sometimes stressful task. However, these days lots of people choose to spend their holidays in the UK and as such many more pet friendly resorts, cottages, hotels and camp sites are popping up all over the country which is great news for dog owners.The financial crunch has hit many peoples' pockets, boarding kennels can prove expensive which means many dog owners have to decide whether or not to even take a holiday. Choosing to stay in the UK at a pet friendly place is the ideal solution – you get a well deserved break and the best part is you get to take your four legged member of your family with you.

Make Sure Your Pet Insurance is Up to Date

Many dog owners now get pet insurance which ensures they are covered for not only illness but accidents too. The cover includes when they are on holiday in the UK or even abroad. The great thing about taking out this type of insurance cover is you are covered even if you have to cancel your holiday because you dog gets ill and you need to be with them. The insurance plan also covers the cost of getting a sick dog safely back home should anything happen whilst you are away.Planning a holiday in the UK or abroad and taking your dog with you does mean organising things. This includes the car trip. Make sure you have a dog cage in your car that is big enough for your dog to stand and move around in. You don't want your dog to feel cramped in their cage for the trip because this will stress them out and is in fact cruel. You will also need to put one of their favourite dog beds or blankets in their cages so they can lie on them and be comfortable during the car trip.

Dogs Should Not Travel Free in Your Car

Do not be tempted to let your dog be free in your car – even if you have a dog guard on the boot. If you have to make an emergency stop or have the misfortune of being involved in an accident, your pet will be much safer in a cage. Think of the cage as your dogs' seat belt - it could save your best friends' life.If you don't put your dog in a cage, you might end up being distracted by them as you drive along and this could cause an accident. Another good idea is to put a label on the cage with all your dogs' information on it. If you are involved in an accident, the emergency services will have all the data they need about your pooch should you not be able to tell them or get to your dog yourself.Take a doggy bag with you. This should have all the things you will need, not only for the trip but for the holiday too. Things you'll need for the car trip like drinking bowls, food dishes, dog blankets and beds, not forgetting your four legged friends favourite toys. Make sure you have plenty of water with you too – and then fill up their dog bowls every time you stop. Dogs get very hot in cars so will need to be given fresh water during the trip and you should do this every hour or so.

Make Sure You Take Plenty of Stops en Route

Make lots of stops so that everyone, including your dog can stretch their legs. Your dog will really appreciate getting out of the car to do their business and have a good sniff around. If you leave your dog in the car – make sure you leave the boot open – remember it can get very hot in a car and dogs can die of heat stroke very quickly when left in cars.If you are worried about leaving them on their own, then ask one of your family to stay with them or fit a padlock to their cage to prevent anyone opening the door. The main thing is you must never leave your dog in a car even if you leave the windows slightly open – because this is not enough to cool the car down and your dog will suffer and even die.

Once You Arrive at Your Holiday Destination

Once you get to your destination, make sure you always keep your dog on a lead when you take them out. Just because a place is pet-friendly it still means you will have to follow certain rules. This includes picking up any dog droppings and making sure your dog is kept under control at all times.

Conclusion

Finding pet-friendly places to stay at for holidays is very easy these days. Just by going online and typing in 'pet-friendly hotels' will bring up a list of places all over the country that welcome pets on their premises.Naturally, dog owners need to make sure their 'best friend' is well behaved when on holiday, after all this is vacation time which means you need to be able to kick back, relax and not stress about whether or not your dog is going to be too boisterous wherever it is that you are staying.If you do own a young and playful dog, it might be a good idea to take them to dog classes before you go away on holiday so they learn to behave a little better so that you don't get embarrassed by your four legged friend when you're away.