When traveling with your pup on holiday, you want to maximize your time together to ensure your furry friend enjoys the time as much as you do. Fortunately, many cities throughout the US make pets as welcome as their human counterparts. 

Nashville is among the most pet-friendly destinations whether you want to find a park for exercising and socializing your dog or a nice restaurant or cafe to have dinner or a relaxing coffee while the dogs play or have a snack.  

Before finalizing plans for a trip with your furry companion, you want to make sure he’s on board with the idea. While pet parents naturally assume their faithful puppies will accompany them on short or long journeys whenever possible, travel can be intimidating for a dog. 

With proper and possibly professional trainers working to acclimate the canine to road trips, flights, or hotel stays, the experience can be smoother and a lot more fun for you and the pup. Let’s review tips on travel training a dog so you can explore new locations together. 

Travel Training Your Dog to Prepare for New Adventures 

Nashville is a favored holiday destination partially due to its celebrity as Music City. However, it also extends a warm welcome to pets and their parents with a vast establishment that caters to pups.  

From the accommodations to shopping experiences, restaurants, and a range of dog parks, the city is set up for the perfect canine adventure. You must ask yourself, however, if your dog is prepared for a trip to the city. 

Whether taking a road trip or a flight, travel training your dog with a reputable and qualified trainer is vital; please see website to gather details. When exposed to a new environment, a dog can become overwrought, leading to disobedience and poor behavior. 

It’s as essential for you to learn skills to regain control when your canine becomes frustrated and agitated as it is for the dog to learn to adapt and be comfortable in new environments. Some signs that your pup needs travel training include: 

• Inappropriate behavior in social situations 
• An urgent tugging while on walks 
• Intense barking to have needs met 
• Jumping up on people without encouragement 
• Slow response or no response to commands 

Traveling can be smooth and enjoyable when you and your dog have the necessary skills to handle each new challenge that an adventure might present. Here are a few tips to get the two of you started on your travel training. 

The road trip 

The best way to begin traveling with a dog is to start preparing the pup in his early years. When a young puppy becomes conditioned to ride in the car, it will eventually become a calm and comfortable experience, whether a short ride or a long distance, one that he may look forward to eventually. 

It’s emphasized that dogs should be socialized from a young age, but many pet parents are unaware that socialization is more than being exposed to other animals, people, and children; it’s also presenting them with new environments to adapt to. That includes riding in a car, flying in a plane, or staying in a hotel. 

The more the puppy is exposed to these things, the more it eases his predisposition to anxiety and stress or fear and can help prevent dreaded motion sickness. 

An excellent way to ease tension when riding in a car, in particular, is to bring a favorite blanket and toys or designate items as those specifically used in the vehicle. Then, when the “car accessories” come out, the puppy can look forward to a fun experience instead of facing it with fear. 

The objective is to start slow with short drives and build up to trips that take the canine to a favorite spot and have a good time.  

If the dog only associates the car with going to the groomer or the vet, traveling on holiday will be challenging. Visit How To Road Trip With Your Dog: 15 Practical Tips – Bearfoot Theory – for tips on road-tripping with your dog. 

Safety first 

Training for a dog’s vehicle safety is a priority in the same way as you put on a seatbelt. Without being secured, dogs can be exposed to severe injuries if an accident occurs. Devices such as puppy seat belts or harnesses can ensure safety if an incident happens. 

The recommendation is to let your dog get comfortable with whichever tool you decide while he’s comfortable at home. He could wear a harness for a few minutes while roaming throughout the house, accompanied by praises, cuddles, and treats to encourage him and make him confident. 

The canine will associate positive experiences with the device and won’t be as intimidated when it comes time to wear it in the car. 

The crate 

In the same vein, some dogs prefer riding in their crate instead of being harnessed or buckled. When flying, pets must be crated to keep them secure and safe.  

Crate training a dog encourages them to sleep in the same familiar area, which is beneficial, particularly when on holiday and staying in a strange environment from what he’s used to.   

Dogs ultimately find their crate as a safety zone; it gives them their own space when things in their environment become too stressful or they grow anxious. When using it in a vehicle, the puppy has greater freedom of movement, allowing them a sense of control and the ability to relax. 

When training your pup to sleep in his crate, encourage him to enter with a simple “bed” command and praise his positive response. Eventually, he will automatically go to his safe space on command or prefer to lounge there on his own. Click for guidance on successful car travel with your pup. 

Final Thought 

A dog with early conditioning and socialization will do better when traveling short or long distances, by car or on a plane, and with hotel stays in virtually any environment.   

When preparing for a trip to Music City or any exciting adventure, first participate with him in proper professional training if travel is new to ensure he feels safe and comfortable and that the experience is enjoyable and successful.

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