pets Archives - 3 Kids and Us

Dog Travel: 10 Tips for Traveling With Your Pup

May 3, 2018 by admin

You’re super excited to bring your dog with you on vacation. But, pets can be a handful on vacation. Follow these dog travel tips to make sure things go well.

Dogs have been humankind’s best friend for tens of thousands of years.

Whether you’re like Brazilians who tend to favor small dogs or you can relate more to the Saudi’s who prefer larger breeds, we can all agree dogs are great.

But many people seem to think that if they have a dog, they won’t be able to travel. Fortunately, that’s not actually true; dog travel is very possible.

You just need to know what you’re doing. After all, if you can travel successfully with small children, it can’t be that difficult to travel with a pooch.

To help you out, here are ten tips for traveling with your beloved pup.

1. Do A Test Drive First

Before you engage in any type of dog travel, do a test drive first. You may find out that your dog gets carsick.

Maybe your dog has a fear of driving or barks incessantly.

This is not something you want to find out the hard way. Make sure you are fully aware of how your dog will react in new situations before you travel.

If your dog can’t handle surprises, meeting new people or other animals, or is fearful, keep your dog at home.

2. Crate Your Dog When Traveling

It’s much safer for you and your dog when you crate them. Dog travel is hard enough without worrying if your dog will go flying if you stop your car too fast.

Also, you don’t have to worry that the dog will somehow open the car door or get out through the window. And you can rest easy that your dog won’t try to start playing with you as you’re trying to focus on driving.

There are several types of dog crates to choose from. Which one is best depends on your needs and the breed of dog you have.

3. Create A Traveling Kit

Many people keep a travel kit containing toiletries in their suitcase for when they travel. You can do the same for dog travel as well.

In the kit, you should keep any travel papers your dog might need. You’ll also need their food, bowl, leash, a waste scoop, plenty of plastic bags, and grooming supplies.

Consider having your pet microchipped for identification purposes. Make sure they are always wearing a collar with a tag that has your home address imprinted on it.

Go one step further for safety and create a temporary tag that has your cell phone number and any other relevant contact information.

4. Take Them For A Walk Before And After Any Dog Travel

Most parents are savvy enough to ask their kids if they’ve gone to the bathroom before embarking upon any traveling. Even if it’s just to the grocery store.

Do the same when you embark on any dog travel vacations. Make sure your dog goes for a walk before you travel.

Make sure you plan out plenty of time to take them for a walk, not just so that they get exercise right before a long trip, but so that they urinate and poop outside rather than in their crate.

During periods of long travel, try to walk your dog as often as possible so they can use the “bathroom” and stretch their legs as often as possible.

When you arrive, don’t forget to take your pet on a nice, long walk.

5. Talk To Your Vet About Medications

Any medications your dog needs should go into their dog travel kit. But make sure you speak with your vet about your dog traveling first.

If your dog gets nervous or reacts negatively, you may want to consider giving them a small sedative before they travel.

And your vet should be aware that your dog travels. He or she may have a new set of instructions regarding the canine’s healthcare while the dog is traveling.

6. Call Ahead To Learn The Rules

Different businesses have different policies regarding pets. Call ahead to make sure you don’t encounter any unexpected and unpleasant problems.

Check to make sure your hotel is pet-friendly. Ask them what their policies are regarding your breed.

Call ahead to the airlines to see what their rules are. Often, you need a note from your vet explaining that your dog has already had its shots.

Even if you plan on visiting family, call ahead to make sure it’s okay to bring your own pet.

Sometimes, family members might have allergies or another pet who won’t take kindly to a stranger in their midst.

7. Ways To Keep Them Calm

It’s important to keep your dog calm while traveling.

Make sure they get plenty of exercises to help keep them calm. Talk to them in a soothing voice if they start to get nervous.

You can also stroke them if they seem too excited.

Try rubbing lavender oil on your palms to give them some aromatherapy or giving your dog a massage.

8. Let Them Explore New Places

One way to make dog travel easier is to let your dog explore their new surroundings.

Dogs are naturally curious, and they need to inspect their surroundings. Let them roam around and sniff away.

Be vigilant that there’s nothing around your dog can choke or accidentally ingest. Keep an eye on your dog at all times.

9. Bring Their Food Along

Dog travel is hard enough without trying to find out if a local store has their favorite food.

Plan ahead by bringing their food along. Try looking into freeze-dried food.

If you want to know why freeze-dried dog food is better – click here.

10. Don’t Forget Their Favorite Toys

Don’t forget to bring along their favorite toys and a blanket.

Toys are great for two reasons. One, they provide a great deal of comfort for your dog while they are far from home.

Two, dog toys are a great way to keep your dog entertained while in a new and strange environment.

Follow Our Travels

We love traveling around the world with our family. We also love sharing the tips we’ve learned along the way to our readers.

From how to cope with a divorce to learning how to handle being a new mum, we’ve touched on nearly every subject family’s deal with.

Keep coming back to read our blog for travel tips and follow us on our adventures.

4 Easy & Affordable DIY Dog Toy Ideas

July 25, 2017 by admin

If you have an active dog at home, you know that they can get bored just like the rest of us! Thankfully, with these clever dog toy DIYs from the folks at Rover.com, you’ll have the ideas you need to keep your dog entertained any day of the week. Keep them handy for your dog’s next rainy day indoors, long family road trip, or anytime you’d like to cut down on your toy budget and try the homemade route instead.

Boredom-Busting Braid

For this one, you can use just about any material you have around the house, like an old t-shirt, jeans, or kitchen towel. Cut your material into three long strips, knot off one end, then braid the strands together and tie off the other end. You can even soak the braid in chicken stock and pop it in the freezer to create an even tastier (and tougher) chewing session. Have 2+ dogs? Tie a few braids together to create a tug toy everyone can enjoy.

Sock It to Me

If your dog goes crazy for crinkly sounds, they’ll love this one—and it’s a great way to use a lonesome sock that’s lost its pair. Throw some kibble into an empty plastic water bottle, then put the water bottle inside the sock, tie a knot at the top and watch the crunchy enjoyment commence. Be sure to watch your dog carefully with this one, and switch out the toy before the sock or plastic bottle get too destroyed and leads to small plastic parts or sharp edges.

Muffin Tin Puzzler

This puzzle challenges your dog to work around obstacles and get rewarded. Place a muffin tin upside down on the floor. Sprinkle treats between the muffin cups, then watch as your dog works from every angle to get to the treats. For a twist, flip the tin over and place treats in a few of the muffin cups. Cover up some or all of the cups with tennis balls or toys, and then let your dog engage in an entertaining game of treat hide-and-seek.

Tennis Treat Ball

All you need for this one is a tennis ball, a sharp knife and some of your dog’s favorite treats—the smellier and crunchier, the better! Cut a slit in the rubber of the ball, slip a few treats inside and hand it over to your dog and watch them go to work!

Some of the Things You Need to Keep Your Dog Healthy and Fit

March 27, 2017 by admin

If you have a dog, you will want only the best for them. This can get out of hand sometimes, with thousands of dog accessories available on the market. These accessories range from the fun (toys) to the practical (beds), and from the important (feeding bowls) to the unimportant (summer sweaters for long haired breeds). The dog is yours, and you will know just how much you want to invest in their accessories, and whether it matters to you to make your dog even more beautiful than their natural beauty allows. Unfortunately, if you are not entirely sure about what accessories your dog needs, you are likely to find yourself overwhelmed with the array of choices that are out there. So what matters?

What Matters with Dog Accessories?

The most important thing with a dog accessory is that it improves the health and happiness of your dog. With certain things, this is clear. For instance, you need a water bowl so that your dog can drink properly. With other things, it is not as clear. For example, a Yorkshire Terrier with long hair does not desperately need a sweater during the summer. However, if this makes them look cuter, which means they get more attention, then it does in effect serve their overall happiness. At the same time, wearing a sweater that is made of too thick of a material could make them too hot.

So what are some of the things you may need?

Dog beds – This is a truly essential accessory, because it is vital that your dog is comfortable. You wouldn’t sleep on a cold, hard floor, and nor should they. Even if you allow your dog to sleep in bed with you, you still need a dog bed as well. Dogs sleep a lot more than humans, and they have to have a comfortable, cozy spot to be in.
A collar and lead – Another essential accessory that will allow you to take your four legged friend on walks. Dogs require far more exercise than a house with a standard garden can give them, and they must be taken out for walks. Not just that, however, they absolutely love it! Do, as much as possible, try to let your dog walk off the lead. This means they will get a whole lot more exercise and stay really health. Hence, try to choose a lead that is easy to snap on and off, and work on your recall.
Food and water bowls. Dogs love nothing more than eating, and they need to drink even more than what us humans do. Make sure you monitor their diet, while always having water available to them at the same time.
Toys are an absolute necessity, because dogs love to play. Do be careful, however, that you don’t overdo it with the toys. They will become far too stimulated and excited. Don’t overdo it, in other words, but just have a few select toys to encourage different types of play (tugging, pulling, shaking, chewing, retrieving).