Taking Your Dog On Holiday: Everything You Need To Know

We often talk about family holidays, focusing on parents and kids, and offer handy tips for making sure things go smoothly for all. Sometimes we neglect to mention, though, that pets are an important part of the family. Dogs in particular are often referred to as ‘man’s best friend’ – and so when you’re planning a break or holiday in your motorhome or caravan as a dog owner, you’re more than likely going to want to take yours along.

How do you do that, though? Are there things you need to know or things you need to think about? Of course there are – and in this edition of our blog we’ll paws for a while to reflect on them…

On The Road

Caution

Driving sensibly – i.e. with care and attention – is absolutely crucial when you have a dog in your motorhome. It’s even worth investing in a travel cage for your beloved pet, as this will ensure they are protected by being restricted in a safe and secure fashion. There are travel cages available which are different sizes, making it easy to get one to suit your dog.

Breaks

While you are actually on the road and moving, it’s important to take regular breaks – in sport they call them comfort breaks. In this case it means a chance for your dog to alleviate any discomfort and have a pee. This is also an important thing to do as it gives you the chance to ‘go’ too (as long as you have found somewhere appropriate, such as motorway services!) The added bonus is that you will all get a leg stretch for a few minutes.

At Your Destination

Campsite

If you are going to be staying at a campsite, it will pay off if you have done your research to find somewhere that will have plenty close by that your dog will benefit from – walking trails or a public beach and so on. It’s also important to make sure you book somewhere that is pet friendly. It would be quite a stress to turn up at a campsite only to find that dogs are not allowed. When you are searching the internet for sites to stay, it’s often simple to find out as that information will be listed, or you can used a filter to whittle down to those that are pet friendly.

Adjustment

Never forget that while you know you’re on holiday, the dog doesn’t really have a human-like concept of what a holiday is. This could mean he or she is a little bit unsettled. They’ve spent time in the vehicle, perhaps even nervously thinking that they are on their way to the vet rather than to somewhere pleasurable. A way to counter any anxiety – either on the journey itself or once you have reached your campsite or destination – is to make sure the motorhome, campervan or caravan environment is comfortable and familiar for the dog.

Take along some familiar items from home – a toy or two, a blanket, a cushion, and perhaps even their dog bed – and make sure you bring their regular food and water bowls so that they are not ‘put off’ their eating and drinking by something completely new.

Routine

Obviously, a holiday is about chilling out, relaxing and waving a brief goodbye to the day-to-day grind and routine. However, as a dog owner you’ll recognise that these wonderful animals thrive on routine. So, although you will be doing things out of your normal daily ‘schedule’ while you’re away, it makes great sense to ‘build in’ some sort of routine for your dog – a morning walk, first thing, perhaps. Feeding at the same time each day, etc. This will really help your dog feel confident and settled in his or her new temporary environment.

Things To Take With You

As we mentioned in an earlier section, taking along a few things that your dog is familiar with will really help with ensuring they are settled and happy for your time away. There are other things you should not forget to take, either. They are: Your dog’s lead, your dog’s food, and some handy things like a bucket so that you have a receptacle in which to put water when it’s time to wash him or her down after a particularly muddy walk!

In the end, the main aims when taking your dog on holiday in a leisure vehicle should be a) their on the road safety, and b) their comfort and happiness during your time away. Taking your dog on holiday is a simple enough proposition but you do need to give it a little bit of thought and some prep. When done right, will provide this four-legged member of your family with some lovely times, and yourselves with some great memories.

Here at Don Amott we have a camping megastore which stocks all sorts of motorhome accessories including some which will be useful if you are taking your dog away. Feel free to browse our website, and please do get in touch if there is any more information you require.