TRAVELLING WITH MY DOG
1. Introduce us to yourself and why you started travelling with your pets?
My name is Dana, and I am the owner and creator of Travelling With a Dog! My husband is a professional hockey player who plays overseas in Europe.
Four years ago, we packed up our lives and moved from Canada to Europe with our dog. We've travelled all over Europe by car and train, and our dog has joined us on nearly every trip!
I wanted to share my experience so other pet owners can safely move abroad with their pets, and share my favourite pet-friendly destinations for people to enjoy local travel with their pets.
Over the years, Travelling With a Dog gone from being a personal blog to a space where others can share their favorite pet-friendly travels and an online shop where I sell dog-lover apparel!
2. What is your favourite place that you have travelled?
My favourite place we've travelled to with our dog is Prague. Prague is incredibly dog-friendly, allowing dogs in restaurants, shopping centers and other public places. Many times when we dined out with our dog, the staff made sure she had water, treats and lots of love!
Aside from Prague being very dog-friendly, it's also a gorgeous destination. Our favourite thing to do in Prague was to enjoy a tea at the Old Town Square, where we could sit beneath the Astronomical Clock and wait for it go off. Our dog enjoyed this as well as everyone who passed her wanted to say hi and pet her!
3. What makes your blog page unique?
We have a lot of experience regarding expat life, travel and moving abroad with a dog. I hope that my unique perspective can help others who may feel anxious or worried about an upcoming move.
I also hope to shine a light on dog-friendly establishments around the world. I'm always looking for guest-posters who can share dog-friendly places in their city or places they've been to, so if you would like to submit a post idea, you can find more information here. I'd love to hear from you!
4. When did you start writing your travel blogs and tips?
I started my blog Travelling With a Dog three years ago.
5. What is it like travelling with pets?
I won't lie, it can be incredibly difficult and stressful to travel with pets at times. There is a lot of extra planning that you must do!
We only fly with our dog if it's essential; otherwise, we only travel to places we can access by boat, car or train.
Sometimes, pets need to quarantined before they are allowed to enter into countries. Each country has different regulations, so if you need to move and bring your pet with you, it's very important to speak with your vet and see what your pet requires before moving.
6. Do you own any pets yourself? What are they and who are they?
We have a 65-pound Sheepadoodle (Old English Sheepdog/Poodle cross) named Kaya. She is five years old and is incredibly friendly and playful!
7. What is your favourite part about travelling with your pet?
My dog is one of my best friends, and being able to experience new adventures with her, that she enjoys as well, is such a great bonding experience. Kaya is incredibly social, and whenever we travel, she gets to meet new people and she loves it.
8. If you had one piece of advice to someone who also wants to travel the world with their pets, what would it be?
If you want to travel with your pets, it's important to remember that unlike humans, traveling by plane can be very stressful for them. If you need to fly internationally with your dog, you must work with your pet beforehand to ensure they won't be stressed out on the plane. You can do this by getting them used to their carrier or their crate months ahead.
If you plan to travel by car, make sure your pet doesn't get carsick or stressed out with long periods of travel. You want to make sure that your pet is comfortable, safe and stress-free before you travel!
9. How did your pet cope flying so many hours?
Flying with a dog isn't as easy as picking the cheapest flight and hopping on it. You first need to know your dog. If your dog can only hold its bladder for a few hours at a time, you shouldn't book a flight that's longer than that. Our longest flight was 9 hours, and we flew at night. This flight worked perfectly for our dog because she slept during this time and didn't require any bathroom breaks.
We also crate-trained our dog many months before her flight. She knows that her crate is her safe "den" and she feels comfortable being in it.
10. What are your favourite pet brands for travelling?
I don't have any specific brands. It's crucial that you buy airline approved carriers and crates to travel, otherwise, you will be denied boarding to your flight.
Please do feel free to add more questions if you would like to! If you would like to share a discount code we can happily pop that onto the blog and also share it on our Instagram page.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travellingwithadog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travellingwithadog/
Website: www.travellingwithadog.com