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Are you thinking of traveling with your pet? Concerned about your dog or cat’s first stay at a hotel? Keep reading for tips on how to travel with your furry friend!
While we haven’t flown with our dog yet, but we take tons of road trips with her. I like to think we’ve perfected our routine to successfully take our pup on road-trips and stay at hotels, so I’m sharing my experience traveling with my pet with you!
It was important for us to raise our dog to be adaptable. Travel is a part of Oshie’s life, and we normalized it for her by traveling with her from an early age. As soon as she was fully vaccinated, she was in the car with us! We also experimented with several dog-sitters, which helped her get used to changes in scenery and new people. I can proudly say that at 3 years old, Oshie is a professional at making anywhere home! If you’re thinking about getting a puppy or kitten, I strongly recommend starting early. It’ll pay off in the long run when you can take your fur baby anywhere!
If your dog is older, you can still make a world-traveler of them! Comfort and familiarity are key when traveling with any dog, so start with these tips:
1. Bring familiar toys or blankets
- Does your dog have a favorite blanket and or bed? Having something familiar will help your pet feel safe and comfortable. Our dog sleeps in her crate with an old towel, and we always bring that with us. She’ll curl right up with the towel and fall asleep at hotels just like she does at home!
- We always pack our pup’s favorite toys and start our hotel stay by spending a few minutes in the hotel room playing with her toys and letting her sniff and explore. This comforts your pup and helps them adjust to their new surroundings when you’re traveling with pets.
2. Bring a copy of their health certificate or records when traveling with pets
- I’ve personally never needed to provide this, but it’s important to have your pet’s certificate and health records with you just in case as some hotels or travel companies require them. If you run into an emergency where you have to board them at your destination, leave them at daycare, or go to a vet, you’ll want to be prepared.
3. Bring plenty of familiar food, snacks, and familiar bowls
- Bring your dog’s usual dog food and snacks for your pup when staying at a hotel. If you’re able to pack them, bring their familiar food and water bowls to make them feel even more at home.
- Once I fill the water bowl, I always leave it next to her crate (as we do at home) and lead her to it so she knows right where to find it.
4. Bring an appropriately-sized travel crate that they’re familiar with
- Whether it’s being used for travel time (car, train, etc) or for the hotel room, bring an appropriately-sized travel crate for your dog (this is the collapsible crate we use.)
- Prior to travel, make sure you leave the crate in your home for your pet to explore and go in and out of, so they’re familiar with it when the time comes.
5. Make sure they have an ID tag and microchip before traveling with pets
- Make sure your pet has an ID tag attached to their collar that they’re microchipped just in case! If your pet gets spooked or lost, this gives you peace of mind that they’ll make their way back to you.
6. Bring wipes and towels
- As your dog adjusts to travel, there can be accidents or upset tummies. You can never have too many wipes!
- Don’t use hotel towels to clean up your dog’s mess. Be respectful and bring and use your own.
7. Bring plenty of waste bags
- While some pet-friendly hotels provide waste bags, it’s never a guarantee. Bring plenty of your own bags to clean up after your pup.
8. Request a ground floor room
- If your dog isn’t used to or is afraid of elevators, request a ground floor room in the hotel! Not only would they not have to go up and down the elevator (or stairs,) it’s much more convenient for potty time!
9. Locate and establish a potty area at the hotel as soon as you arrive
- This is definitely the trickiest part for us because it’s different each place you stay. Some hotels don’t have a designated pet relief area for those traveling with pets, so you’ll need to stake out your spot right away.
- Once you decide on the spot or find the designated area, it’s important to establish with your dog that that’s the new potty spot. We usually wait and walk around the area until she does her business before going inside.
- Bring them to the same spot each time you take them out so they get used to it.
10. Make sure the hotel (or accommodation) is pet friendly – and be aware of fees
- While more and more hotels are becoming pet friendly, the fees are not. In some cases, the pet fee can cost more than your actual stay!
- Keep an eye out for language surrounding pet deposits. Some pet deposits are refundable and some are not.
- Pro-tip! All Westin brands have no pet fee, which is why we try to stay at Westin hotels when we’re bringing our dog.
- Here are some more tips to keep your trip budget-friendly!
What do you think of these tips? Would you add anything to it? Do you have any questions for me? Feel free to leave them below!
Traveling with pets can be stressful, but once you’re prepared you’ll never want to travel without them!
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