The best time of year is the time you go on a vacation or a road trip with your dog. I never thought about how much you need to pack just for your dog. I mean Jari has the biggest suitcase of all of us. Here are some advice and a checklist that I personally use. I bet there are things that I forget but this checklist is a good start.
Passport
In my opinion the most important document is the passport. We live in a very small country in Europe and it happens that we visit several countries in a short time. You always need to have your dogs passport with you to be sure that you won’t waste any time with bureaucracy. As I said, we live in Europe, but every european country has different requirements that you and your dog must fulfill to enter a country. Did the dog receive all the vaccines and so on. I always do a little research on the internet do look what requirements need to be held onto.
Breed related bans, Leash & Muzzle
In Europe, lots of countries do have breed related bans, mostly Pitbull Terrier, Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire, etc. Always check if your dog is listed on such a ban list. Besides there are also different laws about being “off-leash” or muzzles. In Germany for example every federal state can have different laws. Always check if your dog needs to wear a muzzle and if it is allowed to let your dog off leash. In some countries you see panels in the woods where the warn you that your dog can be shot if he takes off to hunt wildlife. Are there any laws for taking your dog to the beach? Always check it before you are on vacation and so you don’t get frustrated because you can’t do the things you planned with your dog.
Muzzle training is so important. I bought Jari a muzzle when I knew that I’m going to visit the south of Germany and Austria. Dogs need to wear muzzles on public transportation or on some mountain railways. Most of the time you don’t need to put the muzzle on but if you are asked to do so you avoid stress. The most fun thing is that people are shocked when you tell them that your dog is muzzle trained. They believe that your dog will attack them as soon as he can. Sure, some dogs need to wear muzzles because of aggression but there are so many other reasons to wear a muzzle. If your dog is in lot of pain and needs to see a vet he may won’t let the vet touch his body – in this case a muzzle is needed.
What do I need to take with me
My personal packing list is listed below:
I’m sure that my Checklist isn’t perfect. Maybe you see some things that you always take with you on vacation that aren’t listed. Please leave a comment so I can update the list.
Hello Doc!
Hopefully you won’t need this advice but I always check where to find a vet near our vacation destination. I don’t want to be more stressed if something happens and I don’t know where to find the nearest vet.
So that’s it for my recommendations. Do you have anything that comes to your mind to add in this list?
Jari the finnish Lapphund 