Blog After Thought: Providing Pet Travel Information
In my previous blog, I pondered the issue of how to best educate pet owners on safe and responsible travel. Naturally, making information available is very sensible and a major oversight when I wrote “Lady, Your Dog Is Miserable.” When I became immersed in the social media of Face Book and Twitter, Amy and Rod Burkett, of Go Pet Friendly became friends. This lovely couple is devoted to making pet travel easy; they blog about all that encompasses pet travel. I am positive you will be delighted after visiting them at www.gopetfriendly.com
Based on reader comments, it is so true, that not all dogs are suited for travel. Another reader commented that we may be thinking selfishly about having our dogs along, to suit our own needs. I adore Talley and Doobie, but they are travel disasters waiting to happen. Talley, my English Lab, loves structure and an unchanging environment. She has her own set of rules for what belongs in Talley World. (lots of stories there.) There will never be another long distance trip for this lab that becomes increasingly anxious and reactive in new and changing environments. Doobie, rescued from a puppy mill in 2009, becomes increasingly fearful around multiple strangers, and essentially shuts down when overloaded with novel stimuli. Truly, it would not be fair to either lab, to subject them to travel. Bridget, on the other hand, with her outgoing unflappable personality, is a go anywhere kind of dog.
Based on personal experiences and as a dog trainer, the following types of dogs might be better off at home in a known environment, dogs with:
- Generalized anxiety
- Separation anxiety
- Fear related aggression
- Any type of aggression, for that matter.
- Serious health issues
- Very old dogs
- Recently adopted dogs from a rescue background
- Dogs without adequate training and socialization
- Serious carsickness (how not fun for them)
I am certain that readers will be able to provide other examples. Enjoy your travels with your canine pals and do drop a line about some of your fun shared trips. Until next time,
Leslie and the labbies
