Is a Dog Ranch right for your dog?

I’ve gotten a few emails from readers about my series on travel with a pet wanting to know what I think of boarding your dog at a dog ranch.

I think it’s a great idea! A dog ranch tends to be set up for long-term boarding and it’s much more dog-friendly than caged kennels. Often, they’ll have lots of play time during the day for your dog. That helps your dog get plenty of exercise and have lots of fun while you’re away. Plus, by ensuring your dog has plenty of activity during the day, he’s more likely to sleep comfortably through the night (instead of missing you terribly).

A dog ranch is essentially like preschool–dogs learn some, hang out with their peers some, and nap some. When the dog ranch is good (and do make sure to check references), it’s a safe, comfortable place for your dog to hang out while you enjoy your vacation or business trip.

Another nice thing about a dog ranch is that they very often are on large pieces of property which means if you have a dog who likes to run that there’ll be plenty of room for him to stretch his legs. They also tend to be far away from busy highways and well fenced so that your dog will be safer there.

Of course, we loved having our dog with us on our recent vacation, but if you’d rather not (or can’t) take a dog with you when you travel, a dog ranch can be a perfect place to board a dog while you’re away.

Dog allergies when you’re on the road

I’ve been talking about our vacation over the last few posts, sharing my tips for car travel with dog, travel with a pet and pet friendly hotels. But, today I want to talk about something a little more personal.

Vance has really severe allergies. I’ve talked about his dog allergies before but on the road they take on a whole new meaning. We have to keep his diet limited to foods he won’t have an allergic reaction to, plus he has reactions to ant bites and bee stings.

So, all of that means we have to be really prepared when we take him on a trip. We have to make sure we take plenty of dog food, and that we have his antihistamines. I always check in with the vet about where we’re headed to make sure there’s not some other preparation we need to make.

Dog allergies when you travel with a pet can be a real headache, but if you prepare in advance, they don’t have to put a damper on your vacation. So, stock up on all the elements you need for your pet first aid kit and make sure that you have everything you need to keep your dog safe, especially when you’re dealing with dog allergies.

Do you do anything in particular when you travel with an allergic dog? I’d love to hear about it!

Car travel with dog

I just posted my favorite travel with a pet tips, and today I’d like to talk about specific car travel with dog tips because traveling with a cat is an entirely different animal ;-).

When you’re going to be venturing out on a road trip with your dog, three things are important:

1) Preparation.
2) The actual car time.
3) What happens when you get where you’re going.

If your dog is a grumpy traveler (or, worse, gets carsick!) talk with your vet before you hit the road. In fact, it’s always a good idea to check in with your vet about any travel plans that include the dog because there may be vaccinations to consider, preventative medications (like if you’ll be traveling to a tick-heavy camp grounds) or other concerns to address.

Another important part of pre-trip preparation is to make sure you have a proper harness for car travel with dog. This will keep your dog secure through the trip.

Finally, make sure you have a dog first aid kit and any special medications your dog might need. For instance, if your dog is allergic to ants, make sure to take along the antihistamines you give to prevent a reaction. Yes, most of what you’d need is available where you’re going, and will be available along the way, but do you really want to waste precious minutes searching for a drugstore when you could just reach into the first aid kit and find precisely what you need? I think not!

During the trip, you’ll find lots of great tips from my article on Travel with a Pet–make sure to pay special attention to the warnings about weather!

Then, finally, when it comes to getting settled in when you venture out for car travel with dog, it’s important to choose pet friendly hotels if you’ll be staying in a hotel. Also, as before you started the car trip with your dog, make sure to give your dog plenty of exercise when you get to the hotel. That’ll help get your vacation off to a good start.

Does your dog get car sick? Or do both of you enjoy car travel with dog? I’d love to hear about your experiences!