Dogs are the best travel companions

The last time I traveled with my black lab Freedom he was still a puppy, hyper, curious, and barked at everything he saw out the window. We went to beach and came back to our car, full of sand and memories.

We enjoy traveling with our pets 'cause we consider them family, however, there are some guidelines to consider when traveling with pets, especially dogs and small cats.

Because genetically cats or dogs are not equipped for commercial travel, there are some guidelines to consider. Cats in a carrier need to be placed securely, dogs need to make sure that they have enough room to stand and turn around.

We take traveling with dogs for granted in cars and don't secure them properly. Now that the weather in the city is getting nicer, on lunch, I see many dogs placed in the back of a pick up trucks. Although no accidents to my knowledge have been reported, that's not to say that serious injuries have not occurred.

Most of the time, dogs walk around while the car is in motion. A sudden stop or sharp turn can throw them off balance causing injury. This is why securing them in a harness is recommended.
There are many pet harnesses or dog seatbelts on the market at various pet stores worth looking into.

Even if you have your pet securely placed inside of the car, now that the weather is nicer there is the threat of heat exhaustion. The first 15 minutes in a car without windows open, just like a child, can be life threatening. More so in animals than humans since both dogs and cats get dehydrated faster than humans. It's never a good idea to leave any pet under any circumstances unsupervised.

Luv Freedom (my black lab) & Sheila