In this chapter
Hitting the road with your German Shepherd pal may seem like
a good idea, but taking your dog on a trip without forethought can lead to a
miserable time — and maybe even a dangerous time — for both of you. With some planning,
though, you may find your Shepherd to be a wonderful traveling companion. After
all, dogs seldom argue about which radio station to listen to in the car! This
chapter gives you ten tips for making travel adventures with your GSD as safe
and enjoyable as possible.
Plan Ahead
With proper planning, a German Shepherd copilot can steer
you to destinations you might otherwise have passed. Without proper planning,
sharing your trip with any dog can be a nightmare as you are turned away from
motels, parks, attractions, and beaches. Before taking your GSD with you on
vacation, consider these questions:
- Will you be traveling by car or by plane? Airline travel can mean extra hassle for you and extra trauma for your dog, so think carefully before taking your dog on a trip that involves flying. (See the section “Play It Safe with Air Travel,” later in this chapter, for more information.)
- What will the weather be like where you’re going? Taking a trip in hot weather means taking extra precautions for your dog’s safety and comfort. How will you run into the bathroom at a rest stop when it’s too hot to leave your dog in the car for even a couple of minutes? Hot weather means skipping all the inviting shops and eating from drive-thru windows. It also means that many airlines will refuse to take dogs at all.
- Will you be traveling alone? Having your dog with you can provide you with a little extra protection — and that can make a big difference in today’s not-always-safe world. However, if you’re traveling alone with your dog, you alone will have to attend to him at all times.
- How healthy is your dog? Travel can put a great deal of stress on a dog, so if your dog isn’t in good health, don’t bring him with you on a trip.
- Where will you be staying? Not all accommodations — whether it’s a fancy hotel or your grandmother’s house — welcome dogs, and not all places are safe for dogs.
- How does your dog react when locked in a strange place? If your GSD is prone to panic attacks, he probably won’t be a good traveler unless he can be with you at all times.
- Is your dog crate-trained? A cage can be a wonderful asset when you travel because it allows your dog to have a place of his own that is familiar and comforting. Don’t wait until the trip to acclimate your dog to a cage.
- What do you really want to do on your vacation? If you’re planning to hike outdoors in parks that are dog-friendly, great. If you’d like to visit museums, eat in fancy restaurants, and so on, leave Shep at home.
- What are your alternatives to taking your dog? You may have no choice but to take your dog with you when you travel. If you have friends who are willing to dog-sit, or if you can afford to leave your dog with a trustworthy kennel, those options might prove better for your sanity and your dog’s.
Remember
Several available books list establishments that accept pets; make sure to find places that will welcome you and your dog before you hit the road.
Be Realistic about What You Can and Can’t Do
If the weather is warm, plan on driving past all the great
attractions. They cost too much anyway — see how your dog is saving you money?
If you must play tourist, call ahead to attractions to see whether they have
safe boarding arrangements for pets. Safe means a secure, locked kennel run,
not a chain next to the parking lot. Plan on driving past all those great
shopping places, too. See how your dog is saving you even more money? With all
the money you save, you may even be able to take another vacation — this time
without your dog, so you can actually do something.
Of course, many vacations are great for dogs and people!
Most campgrounds allow dogs, as do many state and national parks and forests.
Camping and hiking with your dog can be a perfect vacation (but you still must
take precautions to prevent your dog from getting injured or being a nuisance
to wildlife). Some beaches allow dogs during the off-season. Even a driving
vacation during cool weather can be a good doggy vacation. Some doggy bed and
breakfasts and camps are even springing up to accommodate people who want to
share their vacations with their best friends.
If You Take Your Dog with You, Take Him with You
If you’re going to travel with your dog, make sure that the
dog has a reason to be there. If you aren’t planning to spend time with your
dog while you’re away, don’t bring him along! You’ll be frustrated that you
can’t go off and do what you want without worrying about your dog, and your dog
will be frightened in his new surrounding and probably will “misbehave” in an
attempt to show you how miserable he is.
While you’re traveling, you may be tempted to leave your dog
in your car with the windows down. If your dog is sufficiently protective and
tough-looking, this approach might work, but even the toughest dog can be a
target for dognappers or weirdoes. If you have a cage, you can place your dog
in it, padlock the cage door, and padlock the cage to the car for security.
Warning!
Never leave your dog tied in or to your car. Many a dead dog has been found hanging out the car window after being tied inside.
If you’re crazy with the urge to spend money on local color
and the conditions are unsafe for leaving your dog in your car, one possible
compromise exists: a local boarding kennel. Call around and see whether you can
arrange doggy daycare at a safe facility.
You may also be tempted to leave your dog in your motel room
during the day. Do so only if you can afford to have the room redone after your
dog redecorates it. The dog will perceive that you have left him in a strange
place and forgotten him; he will either bark or try to dig his way out through
the doors and windows in an effort to find you, or become upset and relieve
himself on the carpet.
Tip
Bring sheets from home to place on the carpet or bed if you allow your Shepherd loose in a motel room.
Ask Beforehand Whether You Can Bring Your Dog
If you plan to stay with friends, ask beforehand whether you
may bring your German Shepherd. After all, a GSD is no toy dog, and although
your friends certainly will enjoy your company, they may not be dog people.
If you do get the okay to bring your dog along, make sure
that your dog is clean and parasite free. Bring your dog’s own clean blanket or
bed or, better yet, his cage. Your dog will appreciate the familiar place to
sleep, and your friends will breathe sighs of relief. Do not allow your dog to
run helter-skelter through their home, either. Even though your dog may be
accustomed to sleeping on furniture at home, a proper canine guest stays off
the furniture when visiting. If your hosts have pets of their own, be sure that
your dog does not chase or fight with them.
Walk and walk your dog (and clean up after him) to make sure
that no accidents occur inside. If they do, clean them up immediately. Don’t
leave any surprises for your hosts! Changes in water or food, or simply stress,
often result in diarrhea, so be particularly attentive to taking your dog out
often.
Pack Wisely
You may think that packing for your dog will be a cinch —
after all, your Shepherd is wearing his entire wardrobe on its back! But unlike
you, your dog needs almost all of his food packed, as well as a lot of other things
that you won’t want to have to hunt down in a strange place. Most of all, you
need to pack with your dog’s health and safety in mind. Consider packing the
following items:
- Food and water bowls, food, and dog biscuits
- Bottled water or water from home — many dogs are very sensitive to changes in water and can develop diarrhea
- Chewies and toys
- Medications, especially antidiarrhea medicine and heartworm preventive
- Flea comb and brush
- Bug spray or flea spray
- Moist towelettes, paper towels, and self-rinse shampoo
- Cage and bedding
- Short and long leashes
- Flashlight for night walks
- Plastic baggies or other poop-disposal means
- Health and rabies certificates
- Recent color photo in case your dog gets lost
Tip
Place all of your dog’s belongings in a separate bag. Doing so makes his things easier to locate and keeps your own stuff from being covered with dog stuff.
Buckle Up in the Car
Bliss for a dog is a ride in the car as he hangs his head
out the windows with the wind in his fur and bugs in his teeth. Sure, that
seems fun, but your dog could be thrown from the car, get his nose stung by a
bee, or get his eye put out by a rock.
Your dog has a higher center of gravity than you do when
riding in the car, and far less ability to grab onto something. It doesn’t take
much to send your German Shepherd flying into the dash, windshield, or you — or
out of the vehicle altogether. Dogs have been killed, and people have been
killed by their flying dogs, as a result of relatively small accidents. Dogs
have been killed by airbags. Dogs have been killed by being run over after
being thrown from vehicles. Dogs have also caused deadly accidents by getting a
leg caught in the steering wheel, bumping the car out of gear, or jumping into
the driver’s lap.
Dummies Approve
You can’t exactly teach your Shepherd to buckle up for safety, but you can use a doggie seatbelt and buckle up your dog for his own safety. These seatbelts are available at pet stores and through pet catalogs, and many GSDs have learned to wear them.
Don’t think that tying your dog in place by his collar will
do just as well — that’s a good way for your dog to get a broken neck. You can
improvise by fitting your dog with a harness and attaching that to the
seatbelt. The back seat is safer than the front; the front seat is absolutely
off-limits if your car has passenger-side airbags.
You can also keep a sturdy cage in your car, which has saved
many a dog’s life. Cages can go flying, too, so remember that the cage should
be securely fastened to the car for human as well as canine safety. On the cage
should be a sticker or tag that reads “In case of an accident, take this dog to
a veterinarian, and then contact the following persons (list names and phone
numbers), who have guaranteed payment of all expenses incurred.” Remember that
you may not be able to speak for your dog in the event of a serious accident.
Remember
There’s a time and place for your German Shepherd to run amok and be a free spirit. A ride in the car is not one of them. The truck in Figure 18-1 should not take off before the dogs in the back are secured.
 |
| FIGURE 18-1: German Shepherds love to go for rides, but you must secure them in moving vehicles. |
Play It Safe with Air Travel
Air travel is fairly safe for dogs but should not be
undertaken frivolously. Here are some tips for making air travel as safe and
comfortable for your dog as possible:
- When you make your airline reservations, mention that you’re flying with a dog. Doing so costs extra money, but more important, most flights restrict the number of dogs they can carry because they have limited room. Show up early for the flight.
- Chances are your German Shepherd won’t fit under the seat, so unless he’s a service dog, he will ride in the baggage compartment. It’s best if your dog can fly as excess baggage rather than as air freight. Air freight usually requires the dog to be at the airport earlier, often in a different terminal. In addition, excess baggage involves a flat fee, whereas air freight is based on size and is a lot more expensive for a large dog.
- Although baggage compartments are heated, they’re not air-conditioned, and in hot weather dogs have been known to overheat while the plane was still on the runway. Never ship a dog in the heat of day or the middle of the summer. If the airline says that it’s too hot, believe them. If they say that it’s not too hot, doubt them.
Warning!
Don’t ship air freight on Fridays or the day before holidays. Dogs do occasionally get misrouted and have been found on Mondays after spending a weekend alone in a closed freight office.
- Buy an airline-approved cage, which meets specifications for size, strength, and ventilation. If your dog is not crate-trained, set it up in your house and get your dog used to eating and sleeping in it. Ready the cage for the trip by securing its fasteners super-tight, adding bedding that can be thrown away at your destination if necessary, and finding a water bowl or bucket that won’t spill and in which your dog’s head can’t get caught. (You can hang a bucket from the cage door with an eyebolt snap.) Plaster your name and address and the words “LIVE ANIMAL” all over the outside.
- The night before the trip, fill the water bowl with water and freeze it. Take it out of the cooler just before the flight and attach it to the inside of the cage. As it melts during the flight, the dog will have water that otherwise might have spilled out during the loading process.
- Don’t feed your dog before an airplane trip. There’s no place for a dog to answer nature’s call 10,000 feet up.
- Show up early for the flight. Be sure to walk your dog one last time, and stay with him as long as possible before loading.
- Once you’re on the plane, request that the flight attendant check to make sure the dog has been loaded before you take off. If the weather is hot and you sit on the runway, make your concerns known. Then sit back and anticipate a joyous reunion when you get to your destination!
Keep the Dog on Lead
Always walk your German Shepherd on lead when you’re away
from home. If frightened or distracted while off lead, your dog could become
disoriented and lost. A long, retractable lead (see Chapter Shopping
for Dog Stuff) is perfect for
traveling because it gives your dog some freedom to investigate without the
risk of becoming lost or hurt.
If you’re staying at a campground, keep your dog on a leash
or in an X-pen at all times. Other campers may have tiny dogs that your dog
might chase, and many campgrounds have wildlife wandering through that could
prove too tempting for your GSD. Walk your dog away from campsites, and always
clean up after him.
Remember
Whenever you leave home with your dog, your dog should be wearing a collar with license tags, including a tag indicating where you can be reached while on your trip or the address of someone you know will be at home.
Leave Your Shepherd at Home or at a Kennel Instead
Both you and your dog may be better off if you take your
trip with human companions only. Should you hire a dog sitter or use a boarding
kennel?
Your dog will no doubt be more comfortable in his own home,
so you can arrange for a pet-sitter to visit twice a day if you’re planning a
longer trip. Again, this approach works best if your home is equipped with a
dog door and a secure fence. You also need to have a dog who will accept a
stranger into the home.
Good pet-sitters will want to make friends with the dog
before you leave home. Hire a bonded, professional pet-sitter; the kid next
door is seldom a good choice for this important responsibility. It’s too easy
for the dog to slip out the door, or for signs of illness to go unnoticed, if
the sitter is not an experienced dog person. The life of your dog is a heavy
responsibility for a child. You can find pet sitters through Pet Sitters
International at 800-268-SITS or on the Web at www.petsit.com.
Your dog may be safer (if not quite as contented) if you
board him at a kennel. Here are the characteristics of the ideal kennel:
- It is approved by the American Boarding Kennel Association.
- It has climate-controlled accommodations and keeps the dogs either indoors or in a combination indoor/outdoor run. The run should be covered so that a climbing or jumping dog cannot escape, and an extra security fence should surround the entire kennel area.
- Someone is on the grounds 24 hours a day.
- The runs are clean and the odor is not overwhelming (although you can’t expect spotlessness and a perfumed atmosphere). Make an unannounced visit to the kennel and ask to see the facilities.
- All dogs have clean water and have bedding or a raised area for sleeping.
- A solid divider prevents dogs in adjoining runs from direct contact with one another. With the exception of dogs that are housemates, dogs should never be housed or run with other dogs they do not know.
- The kennel requires proof of immunizations and performs an incoming check for fleas. They should demand to bathe your dog (for a fee) if he has fleas and offer to bathe him again (again for a fee) before you pick him up. (Most dogs smell pretty doggy after staying in a kennel.)
- The kennel will allow you to bring toys and bedding and will administer prescribed medication.
- The kennel has made arrangements for emergency veterinary care.
Remember
Whatever means you choose, always leave your dog’s caretaker with emergency numbers and your veterinarian’s name. Make arrangements with your vet to treat your dog for any problems that may arise. This means leaving a written agreement stating that you give permission for treatment and accept responsibility for charges.
by D. Caroline Coile, PhD
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