Traveling With Your Poodle

Traveling with your Poodle in the car for a short jaunt to the store or on a long road trip can be an enjoyable, relaxing journey or, it can be a nightmarish experience! Basically, it all boils down to how well you prepare your puppy for the car traveling experience beforehand, without getting him too excited.

Starting at a young age when you first get your new Poodle puppy home, you’ll want to start practicing getting him used to the car. Do this in the parked car with the engine off. Give the puppy some tasty dog treats to let him know that cars are a good place for snacking.

After you’ve practiced this for a few times, try the same routine with the engine running in a well-ventilated area (NOT in the garage!) Stay calm while doing this and praise your dog quietly. You don’t want him excited when he goes for a car ride. If you are quiet and relaxed, your puppy will more than likely be relaxed also. He’ll learn that going for a car ride is a nice place for a snooze or just watching the world go by!

If he starts acting up while you’re practicing your routine, command him to sit and stay. If he obeys your command, give him tiny treats to reinforce the self-control. He’ll soon learn what is expected of him and you should have many happy years of traveling with your Poodle!

Traveling Tips and Hints

The tips and hints below should help you prevent or reduce stress when traveling with your Poodle:

• If your puppy is used to being in a crate, crate him when going for a ride. It will make him feel more secure and protect him in case of an accident or sudden braking. Traveling with your Poodle in a crate will protect your car seats from shedding fur, dirty paws and possible accidents as well.
• Prior to taking lengthy trips, avoid feeding your Poodle for a few hours before traveling, to avoid vomiting. Don’t scold the puppy if it vomits, this will only stress him more. If your puppy is prone to vomiting, ask your vet for motion sickness medication.
• If you’d rather not use a crate, there are specially designed dog dog car seats and harnesses available that attach to you car’s seat belts.
• To prevent your puppy from jumping out of the car if it is not crated, harnessed or in a safety seat, keep the back windows closed or only open a few inches.
• If you have a young puppy or and older dog, you might want to consider getting a dog ramp to help you dog get in and out of the car easier.
• Never leave your Poodle unattended in your car with the windows closed in the heat! It only takes a few minutes for him to get heatstroke! Also, if left unattended, he risks the possibility of being stolen.

• Plan and organize your trip well in advance. Last minute departures can be stressful on a puppy.
• Be sure to bring your puppies own food and water bowls, ice water and enough of his usual food to last the whole trip.
• Make sure to take the puppy out to relieve himself before going on a car ride.
• Bring any of his favorite dog toys and bedding to make him feel more comfortable.
• A general rule of thumb is to give the puppy a 5-15 minute break every 1 or 2 hours on the road for some exercise, refreshment and bathroom breaks.
• If at any time your puppy appears to be getting carsick let him out of the car for a few minutes.
• Make sure your dog is wearing a flat buckle collar with ID tags that include your address and phone number. License and rabies tags should also be attached. If you are traveling across state lines, you may want to bring his immunization record, as some states require this.
• Other items to consider taking when traveling with your Poodle are a waste scoop, plastic bags, grooming equipment, medications and a first aid kit.
• Never let your dog ride with his head hanging out the window. As much as they love it, it can lead to inner ear damage and lung infections. Flying objects could also injure him.
• If you are traveling with your Poodle often, you may want to consider investing in rubberized floor liners and waterproof seat covers.

Here's an excellent video by Elise McMahon on what to bring with you when traveling with your dog.

Other Forms of Transportation

Sometimes, traveling with your Poodle by car may be impractical or time consuming, so you may want to consider other forms of transportation such as air travel or having your Poodle shipped by ground transportation.

The links below offer valuable information on pet friendly beaches, parks and hotels as well as products to make traveling with your Poodle easier.

ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: Blink Del.icio.us Digg
Furl Google Simpy Spurl Technorati Y! MyWeb

Animal Tags - Pet ID Tags - Stainless Steel, Brass, Aluminum, Plastic - Pet ID Tags - custom engraved for your beloved dog or cat

Easy Rider Car Harness

Travelin' Dog Car Harness by Comfort Ride

PetSTEP Pet Ramp and Accessories

TWISTEP Pet Ramp

Cargo Liner

SUV Snuggyloo by Doskocil

Pet Tags from Dog Tags Direct - Personalized Pet Tags can relay key medical conditions, medications, or allergies, even when you are not there. WE SHIP WORLDWIDE - FLAT RATE SHIPPING FEES

Dog Paddling Adventures - Adventures and excursions year round for you and your dog, including canoeing, hiking and skijoring trips!

Pet Friendly Hotels - Directory of hotels where your pets are welcome.

The Pet Friendly Canada Accommodations Directory - hotels, motels, cottages, resorts, and other vacation rentals for the whole family, pets included!

campingpet.com - Everything about camping with your dog. We have dog camping supplies, stories about dogs camping, pet friendly websites and lots of pet information links.

	Web www.standardpoodlesusa.com

Return to Home Page from Traveling With Your Poodle Page