I’ve been planning on taking my dog away. He’s a Glen of Imaal terrier called Jeff and I really don’t want to leave him in the hands of a kennel or pet hotel. The pet passport has meant that it’s so much easier to keep your pooch with you at all times. There is nothing worse than getting home from a holiday to a stroppy dog who is moping around because he thinks you’ve abandoned him.
It’s not as easy as just hopping on a plane with your dog and hoping for the best. It took a fair amount of planning to get everything arranged for the trip. I decided to take Jeff to Lanzarote, so did some research into which of the hotels on the island would allow pets, deciding in the end on the hotel Iberostar Papagayo in Lanzarote. It took me a while, so do ring around to find a hotel at your chosen destination that allows pets in the rooms.
First thing first was to make sure Jeff was ok to travel. He’s only three, so in the prime of his life. Older pets may have issues with the travel and change, so go to your vets to make sure. You’ll need a record of vaccinations, plus a microchip in case your dog wanders off anywhere when you are away.
Check your airlines reputation for pet travel. There have been horror stories about a certain American airline’s way of handling pets in transit. Ensure that the carrier you have for your pet is the right size. Too big or too small could cause issues. Don’t leave your pet on the lead in the carrier as they might end up choking themselves.
Food can be an issue in foreign clines, especially if you have a fussy pet like I do. Jeff refuses to eat anything apart from the best steak or Iams, so I had to pack enough for the week. You will also need to make sure that your pet can deal with the water if you go somewhere with dodgy plumbing. Take water from home and mix with the local tap water to get their stomach used to it, or just give your dog the same bottled water that you have. Bottled water is generally much cheaper in hot countries than the UK, thankfully.
If your dog has a long coat, you can get them a haircut before you go, but be prepared to get some funny looks off people if like me, your dog ends up looking like a demented tiny lion with a trim.
