Do you dream of bringing your dog on every adventure—from beach weekends to cross-country trips? While the idea of a travel buddy is exciting, the reality can often be messy, stressful, or even heartbreaking if your dog struggles with travel.

The secret to a happy travel companion isn't luck; it's preparation, and it starts when they are young.

🔑 Why Do Adult Dogs Struggle with Travel?

If your adult dog hates the car, panics in a carrier, or gets sick every trip, it's rarely just 'bad luck.' Travel problems almost always stem from a simple lack of early conditioning:

• Lack of Familiarity: Travel environments involve unique sounds, smells, movements, and temperatures that are completely unfamiliar to dogs who haven't experienced them.

• Lack of Positive Association: If a dog's only car trips are to the vet (which is sometimes stressful), they quickly learn to associate the vehicle with anxiety.

• Lack of Prior Training: The ability to be calm and responsive to your guidance in a chaotic, unfamiliar environment is a skill that must be taught.

🎒 Puppy School: The Best Travel Prep You Can Buy

This is where puppy school becomes your ultimate answer to having a great travel buddy!

Our program is designed to set your puppy up for success in all aspects of life—including travel. While we aren't driving cars in class, we are actively familiarising your puppy with the building blocks that make travelling manageable:

• New Sights, Sounds, and Smells: We work on familiarising your puppy with lots of future challenges, ensuring they are not surprised or frightened by novelty.

• Responsiveness in Unfamiliar Situations: A core goal is teaching your puppy to be responsive to you and your guidance even in distracting or unfamiliar settings, just like those they will encounter while travelling.

• Creating Confidence: We help your puppy build the confidence needed to handle changes in movement and routine, making the carrier and the car just another boring place to relax.

A good puppy school is an investment in a lifetime of happy adventures together.

🚧 What If It’s Too Late?

It is never too late to help your dog become a better traveller!

If you have an older dog that struggles, know that they absolutely can learn and become familiar with various travel situations and get better. Training (like counter-conditioning and desensitisation) can help change those negative associations into positive ones.

When to Seek Veterinary Help

If your pet consistently becomes car sick (showing signs like excessive drooling, lethargy, or vomiting), that is a good time to reach out to us at Avoca Drive Animal Hospital.

While reducing travel nerves is best prevented through training, sometimes medication is necessary. We have specific medications that can assist with motion sickness and travel anxiety, but these:

• Need to be prescribed as they are not right for all dogs or cats.

• Require your pet to be assessed by a veterinarian to ensure the safety and efficacy of the various drug options available.

General Travel Comfort Tips

Whether you're prepping a puppy or helping an adult:

1. Carrier Comfort: Ensure the carrier is clean and roomy enough for your pet to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably.

2. Smooth Sailing: Make sure the trip is as smooth as possible, avoiding abrupt stops or starts.

3. Familiarity is Key: Remember, all things unfamiliar count towards a potentially frightened pet, which can lead to travel problems. This includes new sights, sounds, smells, temperatures, and movements.

Questions on starting your puppy off right or managing your adult dog's travel anxiety? Let us help!

Call 4365 1086 to book a behavioural consultation or enrol your new puppy in our Fear Free Certified Puppy School today.