Taking your dog on holiday? Clarendon Street Vets have this advice
July 7, 2022
Dogs and holidays…
Taking your dog on holiday can be a wonderful experience for the whole family. Dog friendly holidays are increasingly popular so you are likely to be mingling with A LOT of people and dogs at your destination. lots of dogs will love every moment, however, it is wise to remember that even the most sociable your dog will be presented with an abundance of new sights, sounds, smells, and experiences, which may affect their normal behaviour. Plus, new surroundings and a new routine can unsettle dogs; they might become anxious, more reactive, bark and pull on the lead more, and could even become over-protective of you or their canine companions.
With this in mind, we have come up with some top tips to help you and your pet have a trouble-free stay.
10 tips to keep your pet happy & your holiday on track
- Try to keep your dog’s feeding, walking, and bedtime routine as close to normal as possible – of course extra walks and fun are totally ok if your dog can handle them!
- If you want to avoid potential tummy troubles and changes in behaviour, avoid giving your dogs human foods. If you are letting your dog try a ‘puppaccino’ or ‘pup ice-cream’, our Cambridge Vet Nurses recommend giving only very small amounts as these could also cause stomach upsets.
- Check beaches and attractions to ensure they are dog friendly and, even if they are, consider whether your dog will be happy and comfortable there.
- A retractable lead can be great on beaches and in the countryside as it will give your dog freedom to explore whilst giving you the ability to reign them in when needed. Going off-lead? Keep an eye on your dog in unfamiliar areas as they may run off to explore, or raid the picnics of other holiday makers!
- Monitor your dog closely when they approach people and pets – even the most placid dogs can be unpredictable in new situations. If you have any doubts keep your dog on a short lead and ask people not to approach them. You can buy lead sleeves and other accessories that state your dog is nervous and should not be approached.
- Take plenty of poop bags and be sure to clean up after your dog …
- Check your dog’s microchip details are up to date and their ID tag is still attached and correct – by law it should have your name and address on including the postcode. Your mobile phone number is useful too in case your dog gets separated from you on holiday.
- Leaving your dog in your holiday accommodation alone is unwise – it’s probably against your host’s rules and your dog may bark excessively or damage/soil their property.
- You may want to consider using a calming pheromone plug-in at home for a week or two before your trip and whilst you are away – ask our Cambridge team for further information – contact us.
- Most dogs will do anything for a high value treat or their favourite toy. Keep these with you at all times in case you need to distract your dog from a troublesome situation.
We hope you found our tips useful and feel confident about your upcoming dog-friendly holiday. If you have any tried and tested tips of your own, pop over to our Facebook page to share them.