What do i have to think about for traveling with my dog?

When it comes to traveling with your dog every year, there are important questions to be answered in advance and various things to be planned for. We help you with valuable travel tips.

If the vacation and the vacations stand before the door and you already selected yourselves a destination, then the next moment stands as a responsible owner of a dog the concrete planning, how the journey with the dog can be organized in the best possible way, so that your quadruped can likewise start as untroubled a vacation journey as possible. But even the short weekend trip to a neighboring country or a visit to the Munich Oktoberfest require the right preparation before the start of the trip, so that no relevant points are forgotten or lost, which will cause problems at the end of the day.

Whether traveling by car, RV, train, boat or air, all transportation options bring their own challenges and changes to the dog's normal day-to-day life. If the vacations are to be spent in a hotel, the vacation apartment, the vacation home or even camping are your favorites? But also the vacation destination is decisive for the further planning, because in foreign countries different holding and entry regulations apply.

In addition to all the bureaucratic questions, there is of course first of all the care and the sense of responsibility towards your dog. Because each journey brings certain strains and stress factors with itself, to which not all dogs should be exposed equally. Each individual quadruped is constitutionally different, so that you should deal with his health, his well-being and his physical conditions individually. Think about what you can and want to expect from your four-legged friend early on.

We will prepare the most relevant topics for you in our article and show you references to further interesting reading material from our fundus. Let yourself be surprised!

What about the health& Constitution of my dog?

beware of too much strain, stress and unnecessary strain.

What physical and mental conditions does the dog bring with him?

Every dog is different, every dog has its own character and its own traits as well as a more or less pronounced temperament, which all together ultimately contribute to its behavior. In the same way, every dog has a different physical and mental condition, depending on its age and phase of life, breed and history.

It makes a big difference if we are talking about a 14 week old puppy, a male dog in his prime or a 12 year old Golden Retriever. Should the latter catch a serious infection abroad, a course of the disease and the treatment prospects u.U. look extremely negative.

In the same way the vacation goal should be adapted by the climate to the physical characteristics of each dog race. A Saint Bernard or an Alaskan Malamute will suffer in subtropical climates with temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius under the heat, just as the Peruvian Naked Dog, the Dwarf Pinscher or the Papillon will have a joy in a North Pole expedition in extreme cold regions. For this the respective breed dogs with their original breeding goals were not created, what each of us owners should have in mind when choosing his vacation destinations.

But also the physical condition with possible infirmities or diseases, will have to play a large role for the journey with dog in the preliminary considerations. The moving vacation on Mallorca, the camper round trip by the USA, the city journey after Paris, London and Milan, or the reconnaissance route by the Outback in Australia, are all surely not suitable for the health-preloaded senior dog.

In addition, perfectly healthy and fit quadrupeds should not be exposed unnecessarily to the violent travel strains and loads, perhaps another destination with dog makes more sense, in order to be able to spend the journey and the stay stress and load-free.

Just put yourself in your four-legged friend's position when it comes to an overseas trip and the dog finds itself at the mercy of vaccinations, possible quarantine and an 18-hour flight in the belly of the plane, cramped in a dog transport box. The stress load, possible fears, the physical loads, up to travel sickness and nausea, go past not without trace at the quadruped. In short, the dog should not be expected too much, so that it does not suffer unnecessarily under the travel conditions.

Have the dog examined by a veterinarian before the start of the trip

Have your dog checked by your veterinarian before each trip to see if there are any health concerns for the individual trip with the dog.

Suffers your quadruped z.B. suffers from a hip dysplasia or another impairment of the musculoskeletal system, the mountain tour in South Tyrol is certainly not the declared goal to give the dog joy and fun on vacation.

The veterinary surgeon will give you after the examinations and the check-up guaranteed a well-meant recommendation in the sense of the dog, which journey with dog is conceivable and practicable.

In addition, you can then discuss with him the concrete necessary vaccinations (z.B. vaccination against rabies), treatments against parasites of any kind (e.g.B. Worming, tick repellent, etc.) and other medical precautions that are necessary for a planned trip with the dog. This is necessary and sensible, since there are regionally clearly different dangers depending on the destination country and vacation place. For example, rabies can be a much bigger problem in some countries and areas than during a short vacation in the Black Forest, just as a tick prophylaxis is much more necessary for one or another vacation area than elsewhere. In short, a trip to Norway will require different medical precautions than a trip to the USA or southern Italy.

Thus in southern and/or. warm climates (e.g.B. tropical countries, Mediterranean countries etc.) Dogs are always confronted with infectious diseases transmitted by tick bites and mosquito bites. Here are examples of leishmaniasis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, dirofilariosis (heartworms), against which the veterinarian will advise prophylactic treatment before travel.

Important: At least 4-6 weeks before travel to the veterinarian to be able to address any necessary medical measures such as vaccinations in time before departure!

Furthermore, the vaccination certificate and any EU pet passport should be taken to the veterinary practice to check that they are up to date, as these are mandatory when traveling abroad. The dog must be electronically registered with a chip, the corresponding chip number is noted in the EU pet passport by the vet.

You want to know more about the EU pet passport, its contents and the purpose of its introduction? We have summarized everything worth knowing for you in our article "The EU pet passport makes traveling easier for dog and owner".

Equip your first-aid kit after consultation with your veterinarian

Finally, it makes sense to compile a first-aid kit together with the veterinarian, depending on the vacation trip, the type of transport and the respective destination country, with the most important first-aid medicines and utensils for any necessary treatment of minor injuries, travel-related nausea and other medical problems.

We want to give you a brief overview of what u.a. in a first-aid kit can belong:

• Medicines and remedies for travel sickness
• Tick tongs, tick hooks, tick card
• Tweezers to remove foreign bodies such as splinters, spines, thorns
• Bandage scissors
• clinical thermometer
• Parasite repellent z.B. for deworming, tick prophylaxis u.a.
• Eye drops and cleaner for ears
• Disinfectant, wound ointments, Betaisodona and other remedies for infected, superficial wounds
• Dressing material (sterile dressings, sterile swabs, absorbent cotton, adhesive plasters, gauze bandages, etc.).a.)
• Cotton swabs
• Charcoal tablets, chewable tablets or pastes against diarrhea
• Electrolyte medicine to compensate for the loss of minerals in case of severe diarrhea
• Cold pack and cold-warm compresses
• thermal protection foil
• Rubber gloves
• Further medicines and other remedies and aids are added to the first-aid kit according to the individual needs and permanent medication of the respective dog and its state of health.
• Emergency phone numbers of veterinarians, veterinary clinics

Where to go with dog? Domestic or foreign?

Checking keeping and entry regulations in advance of the trip.

Be well informed when traveling

If you want to start a journey with your dog, then it belongs to the tasks to inform yourself in the apron of the journey about the legal basic conditions for the attitude of a dog in another federal state and the entry regulations for the respective destination country.

Especially when traveling abroad, you should keep in mind that even a transit trip will have consequences for bringing along a dog, no matter how short the transit distance may be.

We would like to urge you to handle this topic very sensitively, as violations and disregard of existing legislation can lead to considerable disadvantages for dog and owner.

The endless dilemma with the UK's exit negotiations from the EU showed how quickly regulations can change and shift. Today the trip to London, Birmingham or Manchester does not present you owners with too much of a problem, but how might this look in the future after the British have left the EU and what effects will then come for the next vacation trip with dog on you?

Domestic travel with dog

Each federal state has its own dog laws and dog regulations.

It should be clear what the regulations and legal requirements are in the state where you reside and live with your dog.

As soon as you travel with your four-legged friend to another federal state, the guidelines of the dog laws and dog ordinances can be much stricter and special regulations for the leading of a dog in general or a certain dog breed in particular, can entail.

What does this mean for you concretely?

Find out at an early stage whether, for example, there is a general leash requirement for any dog in the federal state in which you will be staying temporarily, which is only obsolete with proof of the dog license and therefore the dog may be walked off-leash. In which federal states the dog license is required and thus special regulations apply, you will find out in our editorial "The dog license – do my dog& the dog license?".

Even more important is the obtaining of information as the owner of a so-called list dog. For the keeping and leading of certain dog breeds and mixed-breed dogs from these breeds, special restrictions apply in numerous federal states.

So if you are the owner of an American Bulldog, American Staffordshire, Bullmastiff, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier or a pedigree dog like the Doberman or Rottweiler, you are subject to stricter rules in various federal states according to their dog laws and regulations. This can be a special permit requirement for the basic keeping and leading of these dogs, up to the categorical muzzle and leash requirement.

In order to get to know the individual national laws and the valid regulations in detail, our leading article "The private dog attitude in Germany" is available to you for this at your disposal.

Travel abroad within the European Union (EU) with dog

Now let's look at the rules of conduct to be observed when traveling with a dog within the European Union:

Already in 2004, the EU introduced a standardized EU pet passport for traveling with pets and therefore with dogs, which must be carried when crossing from Germany into any EU member state. Say it is legally prescribed to provide with the document for the identification of the appropriate animal. In principle, the EU pet passport corresponds to the passport or the dog passport. Identity card from us humans.

In order to get the legal conditions and further information worth knowing about the EU pet passport and traveling within the EU, we have prepared the article "The EU pet passport makes traveling easier for dog and owner" for all curious people who are about to travel abroad.

If you want to take your dog to a foreign country in Europe and your four-legged friend belongs to a potentially dangerous breed of dog, or if you want to take your dog to a foreign country in Europe, you can get a loan from an online bank. If you have a mixed-breed dog from this group, as in Germany, special rules apply according to the dog regulations and legislation in force in the respective country.

In Switzerland and Austria, the rules are defined differently according to canton and state, so that it depends on the destination in principle and always think about the regulations, even if you are just passing through on the way to Italy or another country of destination.

How big the difference from the side of the classifications can turn out, shows alone the example on the basis of the race dogs of the German shepherd dog or the Belgian shepherd dog. Both pedigree dogs are not classified as dangerous in any German state, but if you are on a vacation trip in Ticino in Switzerland, you should inquire in advance at the public place about any restrictions.

Since the topic fighting dogs and list dogs is seen extremely critically in some states and thus very drastic legislations were set up, which lead up to the prohibition of the import of such a dog, each owner should concern himself with the sensitive reappraisal in the apron of the travel beginning and inform according to the respective legal basic conditions of the appropriate state of the entry,. Anyone who violates the law, knowingly or unknowingly, puts their dog and themselves in a very precarious situation. Because it threatens under circumstances even the entry of the dog!

The official websites of the countries and regions where you will be traveling with your dog will provide you with the necessary information to be on the safe side at all times. Some of these sides express themselves very concretely about the respective valid entry regulations, others must be contacted by telephone or Mail.

Travel abroad to non-EU member countries

If a journey into a non-EU state within Europe or even into the non-European foreign country, as for example a journey over the large pond into the USA, Latin America, Canada or into a state to Asia comes into question, then some questions arise for the entry into the appropriate goal country. But also the return to the EU is regulated with certain entry requirements in this case, which must be considered in principle, so that the return trip is not an ill-considered fiasco.

We have already taken precautions here in parts and have taken up the topic for the entry from non-EU member states into the European Union. So, if you are planning to travel to the EU from a non-EU member state, you should take the time to read our magazine article entitled "Information and Guide to Entering the European Union (EU) with Dogs", as this will provide you with valuable travel tips so that you can start your journey home without any worries. Here the countries are classified into different categories and thus different entry conditions to the EU to be considered. Travelers who return to the European Union with their dog from classic vacation countries such as Turkey have to observe u. U. have to follow different guidelines than if they are on vacation in Monaco.

But how does it look, if you now travel with your dog outside the European Union?

Depending on the country of destination, we strongly advise you to consult the tour operator, tourist information offices and, for 100% certainty, the embassies and consulates of the respective destination countries.

The individual regulations of the states outside of the European Union often lead very strict legal regulation for the import of a dog. This can range from a basic leash requirement, to forcing your dog to wear a muzzle, to quarantine periods, to a complete ban on certain breeds of dogs.

In order to make the travel arrangements regarding bringing your dog along easier and safer, we have written down some popular states as travel destinations for you and listed important tips and contact information for further use.

What do I have to consider with which means of transport?

Whether car, train, bus, camper, ship or flight, the safety and health of the dog are in focus.

• Adapt the travel preparations to the means of transport
• General advice for the journey and before it starts
• With the dog in the car on journeys
• With the dog in the train on journeys
• With the dog in the bus on journeys
• With the dog in the camper / caravan on journeys
• Traveling with the dog on the plane
• Traveling with the dog on the ship / boat / ferry

Adapt the travel preparations to the means of transport

Many roads lead to Rome. A proverb that in our case includes on the one hand the distance of the journey, which on the other hand is directly connected with the corresponding means of transport for the journey.

Each means of transportation for traveling with a dog requires a different approach to travel arrangements and any precautions to be taken.

If the dog has been introduced to driving from an early age in the sensitive phase of puppy development and has been imprinted, it may well be that the dog is now a skilled passenger who willingly takes on the journey without complications. For some other four-legged friends, however, car travel can be an unpleasant challenge, with greatly increased stress levels, discomfort, anxiety and physical distress such as nausea. Here then a reasonable alternative would have to be considered, if the dog is actually to start the journey along.

General advice for the journey and before it starts

Before we start, we would like to share a few thoughts on the general approach to traveling with a dog:

A matter of course, which we would like to mention again, is the fact that with all journeys for sufficient supply of the dog with water and something food must be ensured. For example, when traveling in one's own vehicle, regular breaks must be taken so that the four-legged friend can stretch its legs, do its business in peace and get some fresh air. Do not leave the dog locked in the car, bus or camper on warmer days alone, as the risk of heat stroke or other health problems up to heat death, are enormous.

If the journey is started with another means of public transport, the aforementioned aspects should be considered, since certainly no bus or train will plan a rest for the natural desire of the dog.

Due to the overall travel hardships, many dog owners and their families resort to splitting the family members among different means of transportation. For example, wives often travel with their children by plane, and husbands travel packed with all their luggage and dog equipment such as dog beds, food, harnesses, leashes, and so on. with own vehicle. A good alternative, should the dog travel with you on vacation.

Before the start of the journey, no matter which means of transport is chosen, the four-legged friend should be given the opportunity to let off steam physically and mentally and to be exercised.

Check your dog owner liability insurance, which covers damages to third parties, before you start your trip. Is the foreign protection sufficiently insured and are the insurance sums altogether sufficient?? What exclusions exist, should the dog cause damage to rented property, such as in the vacation home, on a houseboat or in the hotel? You can read many more points in our article "Dog owner liability: Important for dog&" Read "Owner.

Last but not least, we would like to give you the advice to always keep an eye on your dog in order to notice his behavior, mood changes and changes in well-being and to be able to react immediately accordingly.

This also includes nervous behavior due to the urge to do one's business. If a mishap should happen unintentionally, it is always advisable to carry sufficient bags, paper towels and disinfectant spray. This then allows the mishaps to be neatly removed and easily embarrassing situations invalidated.

As soon as the destination is reached, the four-legged friend will want to explore and discover the new surroundings. Likewise, it must now be given time to relieve tension and stress, should the dog have accumulated strength and energy by lying down for a long time, then it will want to relieve it and be exercised. An extended walk in the new environment, with new impressions, smells and changed conditions, will stimulate the dog physically and mentally and provide for Auspowern.

If the dog looks for a quiet place on the other side and retreats to rest, this is to be granted to him after all the travel hardships. Also the quadruped must first of all the entire experiences and experiences during the journey in a calm moment sacken let and process.

With the dog in the car on journeys

For many people and dog owners, driving a car is part of the everyday means of transportation to get from A to B. Especially in rural areas, the public transportation network is not very developed, so that driving is a necessary evil in many places.

For many dogs, driving a car is pure pleasure, they are real car freaks, while others may have had bad experiences in their dog's life so far and are therefore negatively attuned when it comes to motor vehicles. The reasons for this can be manifold and already stem from the very early stages of life.

For this reason it belongs for the very most dog owners from the beginning to the obligation tasks to accustom his puppy and dog to the car and the car driving. We have written a lot of tips and information about imprinting, habituation and socialization in our editorial "The developmental phases of puppies". We would like to warmly recommend this reading to all puppy owners, as it contains valuable information and advice for early puppy development.

Back to traveling by car: As with any car trip, the most important rule here is that the dog must only be properly secured in the car. This means that the dog with safety belts, car dog boxes, transport cages, separation grids, etc. must be transported securely in the vehicle.

Why this is so? Quite simply, an unsecured dog can become a deadly projectile in the event of an accident! Say the danger is immense for all road users.

On the basis of the legal defaults and thus the legally prescribed obligations for the carrying along of a dog in the car, we summarized in detail the basic conditions for you in our article "With the dog safely in the car on the way" to the reread. Please read the general conditions in your own interest, because depending on the trip and the destination country, the penalties and offences can reduce the vacation budget enormously in the case of incorrect transport of a dog.

Now we come to the health precautions, which are to be made depending upon dog individual. As with us humans, longer journeys with the KFZ are not necessarily the most pleasant kind of the locomotion, should the dog already problems or damages at its movement apparatus have. At best it is necessary to ask the veterinarian in advance about the suitability and, if necessary. to fall back on another means of transport.

But also classic travel illnesses, such as nausea or stress due to indisposition and anxiety, can affect the four-legged friend as well as us humans. For this purpose there are travel tablets and some advise the administration of pheromones for a better general condition and relaxation during transport. Please consult the veterinarian in advance!

If the journey is to be made by motor vehicle in the hot summer months, it makes sense for all those involved in the car journey to make the trip if necessary. to be completed to a large extent in the nightly and thus cooler hours. The dog then also suffers much less from the hot temperatures in the vehicle, which means that concentration remains higher, less energy is consumed and the overall physical and mental constitution of all occupants remains fitter.

During the car ride the noise level should be kept as low as possible, because your dogs should travel relaxed. Hecticness, restlessness and stress transfer themselves fast on the quadruped.

Also the music choice plays a role here, because dogs react very differentiated to the most different music directions. We have already discussed this in our article "Do dogs relax when they listen to music??" for you illuminated and surprising results pointed out.

A further matter of course for each responsible owner, is the renouncement of cigarette consumption in the vehicle. Smoking endangers the health of the dog by passive smoking. Please authorize the cigarette during the breaks at the rest areas. How dangerous the passive smoking for your quadruped can be, you find out in our magazine contribution "How dangerous is the passive smoking for the dog?".

As far as the driving style is concerned, we advise you in your own interest and for the protection of the dog to drive appropriately and not to take curves too sharply, so that the dog is not unnecessarily exposed to the centrifugal forces despite the appropriate safety device. This also applies to unnecessary abrupt braking and acceleration.

With the dog in the train on journeys

Let's look at the preparations around the trip with dog and the means of transport train:

In the days before departure, there is usually a lot of hustle and bustle at home, it goes to the selection of clothing, the suitcases are packed, the equipment for the dog is gathered and here and there is also a little louder debates, due to the excitement in the family. With all this stress, the dog should now remain unaffected by this hyperactivity and be at rest and balanced in itself? Certainly not, because in many cases the behavior of the owner and owner family is transferred to the quadruped. The result is restlessness and nervousness in the four-legged friend.

Now it goes with this basic mood of tension to the station. The station hall is filled with crowds of people, who all go hectically their way, on the platforms unknown loud machine noises, signal sounds, loudspeaker announcements and many new impressions come together, which additionally affect the dog.

What conclusions can be drawn from the impressions described above?? The atmosphere during the travel preparations should run off as calmly and stress-free as possible, so that the dog can approach likewise in a comfortable basic tendency the way to the public means of transport.

If the train is the declared means of transport for your trip, find out well in advance whether dogs are allowed to travel by this means of transport and what the transport and residence guidelines are for this on the station areas and the trains. Because it follows immediately the question whether your own dog, on the basis of its individual character and nature characteristics, as well as its physical conditions, is at all able to do justice to the regulations and basic conditions of a train journey.

What is clear with a possible Mitnahme of the four-legged friend is that small dogs allow other possibilities than their large conspecifics. Often the small Chihuahua, Papillon, Rehpinscher, Boston Terrier and other small dogs are allowed in the hand luggage or in a specially used dog box free of charge. For large dogs, on the other hand, there is a charge because of the space required.

Tip: Inform yourself on the website of Deutsche Bahn or the corresponding private provider or call one of the switched hotlines to present your concern and get the necessary information. Pay particular attention to the destination here, because when entering foreign countries have their own regulations that apply to taking a dog on the train u.U. strictly forbid!

Exception: people with disabilities who can rely on an assistance dog (e.g. Guide dogs for the blind, signal dogs, diabetic alert dogs, epilepsy dogs) are usually allowed to take their dog with them when traveling by train. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to inquire in advance and to obtain an official confirmation.

As far as the physical condition of the dog is concerned, talk to the veterinarian about your plans to travel by train with the dog. If the four-legged friend already has physical complaints, getting on and off the bus will be difficult and an additional burden due to the extremely steep stairways. If the dog is afraid and extremely hesitant to get in, an accident can happen quickly and the quadruped starts to bring the owner and himself in extreme danger and a slip by clumsy tugging. The veterinarian will give advice on the appropriate measures to be taken, so that you can go to the train without worrying or you should think about an alternative for the trip with your four-legged friend.

If everything speaks in favor of traveling by train, we can only advise you to visit a train station with your dog in advance, so that he can slowly get used to the overall environment, the noise and the crowds. Otherwise a shock scenario is to be foreseen with a first encounter on the day of the journey under circumstances. It makes more than sense to get on the regional train with your four-legged friend for practice, to make a few short journeys and to train the procedures with your four-legged friend. Hereby a feeling of normality develops with the time and thus the stress level will not rise into the shoreless.

Provided that you live with your dog in a strengthened connection and relationship relationship, then you will know the behavior by the daily togetherness exactly and will notice uneasiness, unusual behavior and nervousness fast, in order to be able to affect with the correct measures on your dog. Attention is the most important thing in activities that do not occur every day, in order to stand by the four-legged friend and to give him confidence and security. Basic condition for this is the understanding of the communication language of the dog, whereby we concerned ourselves in detail in our article "The communication between dog and humans" with the most important basic features of the dog language and summarized for you as helpful basic reading.

Traveling with a dog on a bus

If the journey with dog is to take place by means of a coach, it applies also here in principle first of all to find out, which coach offerers permit a journey and a Mitfahrgelegenheit to the avowed vacation goal inclusive dog.

The possible travel regulations follow, whether for example a muzzle obligation prevails, the dog in a transport box is to be spent, which other safety precautions are to be met and whether some dog races are forbidden in principle.

Before a longer bus trip, it is also useful to make a few bus trips with the four-legged friend in the city area or in the country, so that a familiarization with this means of transport, the passengers and the special background noise of a bus operation, takes place in rudiments.

Longer journeys with the bus, have in contrast to the transport by train the advantage that as a rule for the passengers breaks are planned on the way, with which the dog has likewise the opportunity to solve itself and to do the business. At the same time a little run can not hurt the body and fresh air brings the four-legged friend his remaining.

In order not to give too much hope from the outset with the alternative bus, we want to give at this point with on the way that quite bus travel enterprises close themselves to the topic passenger dog, and exclude the transport of animals in general.

A note for people who are dependent on carrying an assistance dog and specially trained companion dog, however, can usually assume permission to travel with them after presenting a severely disabled ID and document showing proof of neediness. Nevertheless, we advise early to contact the appropriate provider to get a 100% certainty.

Finally you should inquire with the permission to the entrainment, generally about the entry regulations, the documents to be carried along, the necessary medical defaults and the other regulations of all states, through which the coach will travel, in good time.

Traveling with the dog in the camper / caravan

Since the traveling on vacation with the camper becomes in principle ever more popular and an extremely high degree at liberty and flexibility lends, likewise many dog owners change over to this kind of the vacation journey.

If the journey is started with a dog in a motorhome, the dogs must be secured inside the vehicle for the protection of all passengers and other road users. The dog may in no case run around unleashed in the motorhome during the journey, nor be carried unstrapped on one of the seats or on the floor. Therefore we advise to inquire in the specialized trade about appropriate transport possibilities and which safety measures (safety belts, transport boxes etc.) are necessary.) come into question.

For all vacations and travelers, who go on vacation with the caravan, applies: The dog must be carried along in the car and must be secured also there according to the legal regulations.

Further information we have in our magazine article "With the dog in the camper on the road" executed, here you get more travel tips around this exciting topic.

With the dog in the airplane on journeys

The air traffic world-wide increased in the last years strongly, fast favorable tickets for a short journey to Mallorca or a city trip to London were booked, others favor the long-haul journey to Thailand, Singapore or over the large pond to New York.

Whether on such journeys the own dog should be absolutely with it, must decide each of you owners at the end of the day itself, but please consider the travel strains, which are imposed on the quadruped with a journey with the airplane.

Depending on the size of the dog, it must be placed in a dog carrier before, during and after the flight and is transported as "cargo" on the plane. Thus, master and owner are separated early at the airport, the animals are kept in the cargo holds. Due to contact with strange people, unfamiliar surroundings, background noise with aircraft noise and many other unfamiliar impressions, many animals are insecure, anxious, stressed and marked by the conditions. In addition, there are temperature fluctuations, insufficient fresh air supply and accidents, where when loading the boxes or extreme air holes during the flight, the transport boxes slip heavily or even fall to the ground. And what about the professional care and supervision of the airport staff?? Are they sufficiently qualified to respond to the needs and behaviors of the dogs? Recognize these by symptoms and other signs if a four-legged friend is unwell? What problems can occur due to the flight, we think for example of travel nausea or earache and ear pressure, to which also the dog u.U. is exposed.

If one considers the described points, then at least the question arises whether there are not more meaningful alternatives for a possible journey of the dog, or perhaps the renouncement of the entrainment is the better decision and the dog in homeland realms of the family, friends or a Hundepension for the time of the absence in care should be taken.

If you should want to catch up again an advice of the professional approximately around the topic, then the veterinary surgeon and an appropriate dog trainer or. Behavioral therapists are the right people to talk to, because they can go into more detail from a medical point of view and the effects from a psychological point of view for traveling by plane.

If at the end of the day the flight is the only option to reach the destination of the trip and the dog must take the arduous ride, because, for example, an emigration or a longer-term stay abroad is pending, so you should give your four-legged friend as a responsible and careful owner, enough time for some travel preparations.

A good idea for the start is to visit an airport terminal several times to get your dog used to the local conditions of the airport atmosphere. People, aircraft noise, announcements, signals and several foreign impressions are to be learned slowly, to make him familiar with it and to overcome thus possible barriers.

Should your dog already be accustomed in the car or at home to stay in a dog transport box, prima. Otherwise, this is also a step to get used to, so that the box becomes a normal and everyday thing for him, in which he feels secure and safe. Then even the flight in a transport box will no longer be a total unknown, causing stress and discomfort.

A tip to the dog box: So as you your suitcases with the appropriate address or. contact details, telephone numbers, names, departure airport and destination airport, the dog transport box should be clearly labeled for the flight. A large addition that it is a living animal is also appropriate. Also enough water supply and food should be supplied to the box.

As for the flight itself, the multiple practice in advance is unfortunately not as with the train or bus to implement, so that rather again the vet is the right contact, who can advise helpful tips to calm the dog with the help of drops, medication or calming aids such as special collars, can advise.

It is also important to keep in mind the entry regulations in force both in countries where a stopover is made and at the destination of arrival. In some countries the four-legged friend is also taken into quarantine for some time after arrival before the dog is handed over to its owner.

Also to the re-entry regulations back into the European Union is to be paid attention with the return journey, this we already described further above and want to refer at this point again to the reading of our article "information and guide to the entry with dogs into the European Union (EU)". Here you will find valuable tips to make your trip a complete success.

For final clarification of the travel conditions and the applicable guidelines of the airlines, you can read on the websites of the airlines, dial their hotlines or directly confront the tour operator with the open questions. In this context, it must also be clarified which dog breeds are generally prohibited and up to what size the dog may be. can be taken along in the passenger compartment.

With the dog on the ship / boat / ferry on journeys

If a vacation on a houseboat, a yacht, a sailing ship or only a crossing with the ferry stands, then you should talk in the apron with the respective operator, under which conditions your dog may also on board. Here there are large differences from provider to provider.

On ferry crossings, similar to flights, dogs are sometimes transported in the cargo hold only in boxes with other animals, which significantly increases the stress factor to the overall tension of a trip. Other operators even allow the dog to be taken along in the entire ferry area, so that the dog can stretch its legs during the journey. It is absolutely necessary to clarify the situation regarding the necessary toilet of the four-legged friend.

When renting boats, ships and houseboats, it is important to put on a life jacket for the dog, this applies especially to trips on the open sea, so that a rescue of the dog is possible in case of going overboard.

Since dogs can also suffer from seasickness and generally feel very unwell on a boat, travel medication should be added to the first-aid kit here.

When using large ferries and ships, noise levels, hectic, stress and u.U. unaccustomed crowds have a psychological effect on the quadruped. If the dog is not used to such impressions, behavioral problems could occur. Also here the behavior in general and the expression behavior in particular of the dog must be constantly observed, so that no person, other animal and the own quadruped is unnecessarily molested and possibly disturbed in the respective state of health. Sometimes an unknown situation is too much and leads to unforeseeable reactions. So be prudent and exercise caution.

Supporters of cruises, which want to know their dog with this kind of experience journey at their side, can fall back to some shipping companies, with the offer for the Mitnahme of dogs.

In order to be able to walk the dog outdoors and also to give him a breeze of sea air around the nose, partly own decks are provided.

However, many areas that are otherwise available to guests on the ship remain a no-go zone for the four-legged ones.

Since nevertheless the meeting of guests with the dogs is not completely impossible, often certain dog races are excluded from a reservation from the outset. Often this concerns so-called list dogs and large dog breeds.

Whether your dogs are permitted for the Mitfuhrung, inquires you please with the respective tour operator.

How to take the dog when docking and the associated shore visits will also need to be clarified before booking a trip, as this may require important documents, health precautions and special conditions for leading and holding. In many places a shore leave is also completely forbidden.