I adore my Welsh border collie Clovis( even when he wakes up the sleepy neighbourhood, barking at unearthly hours in the morning), and hitting the road with your canine companion can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it also entails expected, and often unexpected, complications which can put some off. So is it worth it?
Ultimately that's up to you, and what kind of travel experience you're looking for, but to provide some guidance here are the pros and cons of travelling with a dog to keep in mind:
Pros
■ A travel buddy! I completely agree with the saying that dogs are a man's best friend: a dog provides company and safety, especially if you're a solo traveller.
■ Gets you up and out! Often lie-ins are so very tempting and our days begin at 10, 11 or even in the afternoon, meaning we miss out on so much a destination may have to offer. Having a dog with you forces you to get up and out on a walk, so your day starts earlier and you can cram more into it! Also, early morning is usually a pretty magical time anywhere, it's when a place awakens, when you can gain an insight into what local life is actually like, as you join a place's local dog walkers. And let's not forget that early morning is golden hour for taking killer travel pics.
■ Easy for short and local breaks. If you have your own car and you're heading out for a weekend not too far away, taking your fluffy friend along isn't much of a hassle. Dogs can cope with short car journeys and can sleep in the boot of a car for a few nights. This works well if you're staying in a rural or wild destination where your dog can get plenty of exercise and walking will be your main activity. Longer trips in nature can also work, but if you're off on a multi-destination adventure which involves public transport and staying in hostels you may find having a dog is an extra thing to juggle which you don't want to deal with.
■ Finding someone to look after your dog can be a hassle. Even if you're lucky enough to have some friends willing to dog-sit, few will be able to look after him for longer than a few weeks, and sometimes complications can arise- a few years back on our way to catch the Plymouth ferry to France our friends called us up to say dear Clovis had escaped from their house. We drove back and missed our ferry, only to find him several miles away in our own driveway. As cute as I found it, needless to say it wasn't very practical and we missed the boat. On the other hand there are kennels, but this is an expensive option and your dog probably won't get treated quite as well as with a dog-sitter. Many find that taking your dog with you is the easiest option.
Cons
■ As previously mentioned, dogs aren't a great option for longer breaks and trips which involve lots of transport.
■ Pet passports, vaccines and tickets(air and sea) are complicated to obtain, and must be bought and organised months in advance. So if you plan to travel overseas, especially outside of your continent, booking a plus-one for your dog last minute isn't really an option.
■ If you're thinking more along the lines of a city break or a longer trip, I wouldn't recommend taking a dog. Dogs don't do great on busy subways and hectic streets, and they are a nuisance if you want to enter cafes, shops or museums( unless you want to pretend they're a guide dog which I don't recommend either ;-)).
■ Finding food. Finding dog food in the first place can be tricky, and if your furry friend is anything like mine and has a sensitive digestive system, he may get a bit queasy from not eating his usual dog biscuits.
■ Lots of accommodation may not accept dogs, so taking one requires hours of emailing back and forth and planning to make sure you aren't booted out of your airbnb on arrival. Like my mum says, you can't expect everyone to like your pooch as much as you do.
Hope that helps! As I mentioned these are only guidelines based on my personal experience, and ultimately the decision as to whether you bring your dog with you is up to you, how much planning you are willing to do and the kind of travel experience you're after.
Do you have any tips, pros or cons of your own? Or any funny dog-related travel stories? Feel free to comment down below!
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