How To Travel With Pets » Car

Interview With GoPetFriendly Road Trippers Rod and Amy Burkert

Anil P. — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:00:48 +0000

Rod and Amy Burkert run GoPetFriendly.com a site that lets travelers find pet friendly accommodations so they can enjoy extraordinary travel experiences with their pets. They’re currently traveling across the US and Canada and were kind enough to answer a few questions about their trip, website, and pets.

Tell us a little bit about your trip.

We are on our first “official” GoPetfriendly.com road trip with our two dogs – 3500 miles over 24 days. We started in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. We’ve traveled due west through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. As I write this, I am in western Wisconsin visiting family. We are planning a side trip to Iowa to look at RVs. Then we are headed north through Minnesota to Kashabowie, Ontario for a fishing vacation. We’ll return home over the north shores of Lake Superior and Lake Huron, then over to Niagara Falls and Buffalo, and finally back home by way of New York’s southern tier. Our travels and travails will be published on our blog.

In a ‘tweet’ of 140 characters or less, describe the purpose of Go Pet Friendly.

That’s easy: We travel with our pets to make it easy for you to travel with yours!

What’s the biggest hassle you’ve found that pet owners experience while making travel arrangements?

Finding pet friendly accommodations is relatively easy. However, tracking down the actual pet policy is, by far, the biggest hassle. So, we’ve collected and provide on the website a detailed, uniform policy for the hotels and campgrounds in our database. This way, people will know if there are number, size (weight), or breed restrictions, if additional fees are required, or what pet amenities, if any, exist.

Where are some of the best cities to travel with pets?

Generally, the best cities are those that have a large pet population. So San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Portland, and San Diego come to mind. In these cities, there are many businesses that cater to the dog owner population – which makes it easy to find pet friendly places to stay and things to do when you travel to those cities.

How about the worst?

Though Canadian cities generally rank high on our list for sightseeing, they are not the best cities to visit because the health codes there generally prohibit any dining with doggie options.

We hear so much about traveling with dogs, what’s some advice you can give to cat owners?

My wife and I are allergic to cats so this advice is purely anecdotal. Travel with cats is similar to travel with dogs in that they are both subject to the same disruption anxieties. Travel with cats is easier because you can generally leave them in the hotel room while you go out to eat. However, finding accommodations can be harder because cats are accepted by fewer hotels.

What’s one thing pet owners might not know about traveling with their pets?

That there are so many activities you can do with your pet. Beaches, state and national parks, wineries, shopping (many businesses are pet friendly – you just need to ask), ferry rides, amusement parks, major league baseball games.

How do you work in walks and bathroom breaks for your dogs on the road?

We exercise the dogs first thing in the morning. This exercise combines a long walk and training commands to tire their bodies and minds. Then, we limit our travel to about 300-350 miles per day. We will make two stops, either at a rest stop or a point of interest, to get the dogs out of the car. If one of our stops does not involve a short hike, we will do another walk and exercise period at night.

Finally, how do your two dogs (Ty and Buster) like being on the road so much?

Ty is so laid back, he’s happy where ever his bed is. I’m not even sure if he knows or cares about being on the road. His motto: have bed will travel. Buster, on the other hand, is so curious and loves exploring new places. I swear, he would drive to the next city himself if he could.

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer a few questions, best of luck on your trip! Aside from the GoPetFriendly website you can get more updates on the road by following Rod and Amy on Twitter @GoPetFriendly and their blog GoPetFriendlyBlog.com.

How To Prepare Your Dog For A Road Trip

How To Take A Short Trip With Pet Fish

Anil P. — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:25:18 +0000

Short road trips with your pet fish aren’t difficult and if you’re just moving within two hours by car, you shouldn’t have much difficulty. By taking some simple precautions you can safely move your fish to your new destination by car or bus without problems.

Before Your Trip

An hour or two prior to your trip fill up several appropriately-sized Ziploc bags with water from your fish’s aquarium and fill them 3/4 full. Put your fish in the Ziploc bags about 1 or 2 hours before your trip to get them acclimated to the temporary environment. Ideally you should aim for one fish per bag but if this isn’t practical make sure to give them plenty of space and don’t put two species that have a predator-prey relationship in the same bag.

Don’t Completely Close The Bag

Your fish need oxygen so if you completely lock the Ziploc bag or make the plastic bag airtight you may inadvertently end up with dead or dying fish by the time you arrive at your destination. Leave a little gap at the top of the bag to allow for oxygen. Also, leave each bag in a large plastic cup. It will be both easier to keep upright and also prevent any small amounts of spilled water from getting your car (or you) wet.

Some Other Things To Consider

Monitor the temperature – If you are traveling by car make sure to use the heating or cooling system to keep your fish’s environment stable. It can easily get hot in a car with the windows down in the summer and a cold winter day can quickly lower your fish’s water temperature, putting them at risk. Get the environment and temperature in your car ready beforehand and make sure to regulate the temperature if you’re traveling by bus by wrapping the bag as needed.
Healing agents – Many pet stores carry products you can add to the water to help your fish deal with the stress of moving, any damage or injuries they may have, and the increased number of germs in a very small space. These healing agents, like (Tetra’s AquaSafe Water Conditioner w/BioExtract) are usually inexpensive and last a long time.
Keep it to two hours or less - Any longer than that and you’ll have to take a different approach to traveling with your fish.

Most fish are quite adept at taking short trips and will do well back in their aquariums wherever your final destination is. If your fish are particularly sensitive or large do yourself a favor and get a good pet sitter to drop by and take care of them while you’re away.

[photos by: protographer23, Frankphotos, a_trotskyite]

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How To Prepare Your Dog For A Road Trip

Anil P. — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:28:03 +0000

To have a smooth road trip with your dog you need to make most of the effort before they ever get in the car. By taking the proper steps beforehand you’ll have a relaxed dog, which makes the ride safer and less stressful for everyone involved.

Car rides can be a lot of fun for your dog and by bringing them with you it’s possible to forge a strong bond on the road. Here’s how to prepare your dog for that long car ride ahead.

Drain Their Energy!

A constant theme you’ll find in my advice for traveling with dogs is that you need to drain their energy before you put them in a stimulating situation. A car is full of smells, sights, and excitement for a dog and the more tired they are the easier it is for them to focus that energy on the experience itself. You don’t want your dog chewing the door handles, licking your face, or running back and forth in the back seat.

Take your dog for a long walk or run and feed them before you get in the car. Really get them tired so they won’t try to expend that energy while you’re trying to drive a car for hours on end.

Consider The Time Of Day

Dogs, like humans, are diurnal creatures meaning that they’re active during the day and sleepy at night. You can take advantage of their body clocks and schedule most of your driving at night if possible. Your dog will already be in a resting state and will probably sleep most of the ride. Of course this can be taxing on you as a driver so be sure to maintain your concentration by keeping the temperature cool, consuming caffeine, or switching the driving duties with a partner.

Never drive if you feel drowsy or are too tired to keep your own focus on the road.

Time For A New Bone

Once you’ve got your road trip plans set, it’s time to head to a pet store and buy a new bone, like a chicken flavored rawhide, that your dog hasn’t chewed before (or in a long time), preferably flavored. The best are bones or chew toys with a small amount of peanut butter in them like peanut butter flavored rawhide twists. The new chew bone will keep your dog from getting bored and they’ll wear themselves out from all the chewing.

Give the new bone to your dog once they are in the car and calm.

Work Before The Trip, Not During

Most of the problems you’ll encounter on the road with your dog can be prevented before you ever get in the car. It’s important to drain their energy with a long walk or run and keep them entertained during the ride. Some cardiovascular activity before a long road trip will perk you up too and a calm dog will be less of a distraction. Both good things if you want to cover a lot of ground fast.

Finally, if you can work with your dog’s natural body rhythms and travel at night you’ll avoid other drivers and traffic which will reduce your stress. Your dog will feed off of your relaxed disposition and when you set off on your next trip it will be an excellent bonding experience.

[photos by: smellyknee]