Preparing your dog before a trip, whether they’ll be staying in a new environment, with unfamiliar people, or at a boarding facility, can make all the difference. Instead of being thrown suddenly into the mix, a bit of preparation helps your dog adapt more quickly, reduces stress, and sets them up for a positive experience.
Here are 3 recommendations to make the process as smooth as possible ⬇️
1. Practice Your Dog’s Crate Command
This is not as important if your dog is staying with a friend or family member; however, during emergencies where they may become unavailable to care for your dog, you may find that your dog needs to be crated or go to a boarding kennel as a last resort. By practicing your dog’s crate manners before, you’ll be able to set them up for success and help minimize stress for you and them in the process.
Keep it simple to start:
Stand about a foot away from their crate
Cue them with a verbal cue such as “Crate” (the less words the better)
Guide them in with a leash or leash pressure if necessary
Mark with “Good”
Reward
Release them with “Free” or an equivalent release cue, i.e. “Break”, etc.
Rinse and repeat
Once your dog gets the hang of this and is responding reliably to your cue, practice having them stay in the crate for longer durations before releasing them back out for the next repetition. Continue to mark with “Good” and reward for duration.
Tip: Even if you don’t reach the point of long durations before their stay, any practice you do ahead of time will help your dog feel more comfortable and create a positive association with the crate.
2) Set Up a Meet & Greet
If your dog is going to be staying with a new sitter, it’s always best to set up a meet and greet beforehand for them to meet their sitter before staying with them.
Additionally, some sitters also offer “trial boarding,” where they do a shorter-term stay with your dog to help them acclimate to their home.
This allows your dog more time to become comfortable and will make their stay less jarring when you depart for your trip. By that time, your dog has already met the sitter and even stayed with them for a shorter period of time.
You will likely also feel more comfortable because you’ve met this person prior, and your dog has already successfully had a positive experience during their trial boarding period.
3) Establish Emergency Contacts
Even with the most responsible and professional sitters and boarding facilities, accidents can happen. For example, your dog may be playing and land on their paw in an awkward position, creating a strain.
These unpredictable situations can create stress and anxiety for you and your dog, should you not have a process in place to get them the care they need quickly.
If your dog is staying with a sitter, make sure they have a list of emergency contacts that they can reach out to for help if needed.
Boarding facilities should already have relationships with local vets. Be sure to ask about who those partners are ahead of time in case you’d like to supplement with your own vet, friend, or family member.
This will ensure there’s a plan in place before you leave for your trip, giving you the peace of mind to know your dog is well taken care of, should an emergency arise.
In Closing
Preparation is key to a successful stay for your dog while you’re traveling away from home. Practicing their crate manners, setting up meet and greets with their sitters, and setting up a plan in case of an emergency will help make sure your trip goes as planned.
You’ve got this! If you found this article helpful, reach out to us directly for further advice:
info@hopegablescanine.com
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Nicolas Angione is the founder and head dog trainer at Hope Gables Canine, based in Fairfield County, CT. Inspired by his own dog's reactive journey and rehabilitation, he left his career behind to become a dog trainer. After years of shadowing other dog trainers in the industry, he started his own practice, which has successfully helped hundreds of dog owners, both domestic and abroad, regain peace and harmony with their dogs. Many of these success stories, dog training tips, and more can be found on their Instagram and YouTube pages.
