If you are a travel buff and a pet lover, a road trip with your canine companion would surely be on your bucket list. Exciting as the idea may sound, it isn’t always easy to have a dog with you on an extended road trip that covers hundreds of miles and spans several days. Still, you need not give up on the thought as getting your dog ready to be an ideal travel companion is achievable with the right training. Here are some training ideas that can help you have an amazing road trip with your pooch.
Practice with short trips
Before you plan a cross-country road excursion, take your dog for short “practice” trips to make them comfortable with the idea. Trying behavioral training techniques would help if the pet seems particularly anxious during car rides. Take it to a dog park or a pet store so that it develops a positive association with driving, which wouldn’t happen if the only place where you drive it to is the vet’s clinic. Don’t forget to check out an ESA letter to keep your furry friend at all parts of the journey.
Plan your route intelligently
Even as you invest in pooch training, don’t forget to plan your route smartly. Ideally, choose one that gives you plenty of options to pull over for exercising and potty breaks. Do some research on the rest stops en route because you would need ones that have specialized pet areas with restrooms and enough space to play and stretch their legs. Avoid ones that are too crowded because a tired doggy may not be as friendly as you would want it to be.
Train breed-wise
When you plan to train your awesome friend for an extended road trip, consider the specific needs of its breed. After all, you cannot expect French Bulldog Training to be the same as that for a Golden Retriever or a Pomeranian. Every breed has a unique personality and temperament, with some being more aggressive or obedient as compared to others. When you train the pet for travel or anything else, you need to consider their personality traits to design a program that is effective enough.
Always use a calm tone
Long hours of confinement in a car can get on the nerves of an animal. Even as you train the dog to behave well, focus on making them feel relaxed and happy. A calm tone goes a long way in comforting the animal. While you must speak softly all through the training and the actual trip, be firm with reinforcing the rules. Don’t forget to reward them for good behavior because it will motivate them. Have some goodies at hand to treat them every time they obey you.
Be prepared for stressful moments
Your dog may be well–trained when you start and you will expect it to be calm and obedient through the journey. Still, there will be stressful moments throughout the trip. Things such as loud noises and crowds may trouble the tired animal more than you may think. Be aware and prepared for handling such situations. Even better, consider avoiding them in the first place.
A road trip with your pet dog can be an amazing experience provided that you and the animal are ready for it. Just plan ahead and invest in some pooch training and you’re all set to go!