Fur-Get Excuses: 12 Amazing Reasons to Travel With Your Dog
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Here are the Best Reasons to Vacation with Your Dog
According to Motel 6, over 54% of cat and dog owners plan to travel with their pets over the next year. If you are one of the many pet owners who view their pups as part of the family, you might wonder if it’s time to join them.
As a multi-dog owner, I admit there are ups and downs to traveling with dogs, but I believe the experience is worth two paws up! This post will cover 12 amazing reasons to travel with your dog.
If you are interested in joining a group of like-minded pet owners who enjoy traveling with their dogs, check out our Facebook Group for Traveling Pet Owners.
The Top 12 Reasons to Travel with Your Dog
From providing great socialization opportunities and saving money to increased safety, you won’t regret letting your pup join you on your adventures. There are so many reasons to travel with your dog, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner!
1. Traveling With Your Dog is Easier Than You Think
As more and more dog owners consider their pets a part of the family, you’ll find no shortage of places that allow well-behaved pets. This makes it so incredibly easy to plan a dog-friendly vacation.
2. You’ll Save Money and Worry Less When You Vacation with Your Dog
Including your pooch in your travel plans also means you don’t have to stress about how they are doing without you. Separation-anxiety goes both ways!
It can cost anywhere from $40 to over $100 a day (per dog) at a reputable boarding facility. This means there’s a good chance that it would be cheaper to bring your furry companion on vacation with you than leave them behind in a kennel.
Whereas a pet sitter may be less money, (especially with multiple pets), the total cost still adds up quickly. If your vacation needs to be pet-free here is a great post so you can set your dog sitter up for success.
3. Traveling With Your Dog Provides Great Socialization Opportunities
As a responsible dog owner, it’s your job to socialize your pup. This means introducing your pup to new things, people, and experiences which naturally happens when you bring your doggie to different places.
When you bring your dog on new adventures, it gives them plenty of fantastic socialization opportunities. These situations will give them the confidence they need to be happy, well-adjusted dogs which can decrease problem behaviors.
4. Dog-friendly Vacations Mean New Experiences and New Friends
Another benefit to traveling with your dog is YOU BOTH are guaranteed to have new experiences and make new friends. Since you’ll be focused on finding dog-friendly activities, chances are you’ll discover things you would have skipped if they weren’t there with you.
Take advantage of meeting other dog lovers to get recommendations on places to visit, general tips, or just to let your furry friend get extra attention.
Here’s a fun and unique way to record your best travel memories with your best friend!
5. Dogs Make the Best Travel Companions
Did you know that 58% of people prefer traveling with their pets rather than a friend or family member? This is because dogs make the best travel buddies! Dogs never complain about sudden changes in plans and are perfectly content as long as they are with you. You won’t find many humans like that.
6. You’ll Be Safer If You Are Traveling With Your Dog
The mere presence of your furry companion is a deterrent to strangers approaching and harassing you. Since canines have better senses than us, they’ll also let you know if someone or something is approaching so you are prepared.
Stranger danger is not the only thing your dog can protect you from! They can also help clue you in on any wildlife close by. My dogs have helped me spot animals on and off the trail and in campgrounds. Most importantly, they have frightened off several wild animals that had lost their fear of humans.
7. Traveling With Your Dog Improves Your Confidence
Numerous studies have shown that owning a dog has a ton of benefits like reducing stress and anxiety. They can provide great emotional support when things go wrong or if your trip is stressful.
Traveling with your dog means you are never alone and can help ease social anxiety because they are a fantastic icebreaker. Even better, if you feel overwhelmed, they give you an automatic and easy way out of uncomfortable situations. Just mention that your dog needs to use the bathroom, get water, or needs a walk and you can instantly leave with no questions asked!
Combined with the added safety of having your pup with you, these things will help you feel more confident to leave your house when you don’t have another person to join you.
8. Taking Your Dog on Vacation Creates Fantastic Training Opportunities
A majorly overlooked benefit of pet travel is the dog training opportunities! Training your pup is more than just teaching them basic obedience and good behavior when you are at home. Your doggy needs to learn to listen even when you are in a new place and with distractions.
Doing quick training sessions with basic commands while traveling with your canine friend helps them learn that commands like ‘sit’ or ‘come’ mean they need to sit no matter where they are or what is happening. This is crucial for all dogs if they ever slip away from you or have found something they should avoid.
9. You’ll Learn New Things About Your Dog During Your Vacation
You’ll be surprised at what you can learn about your pup during your vacation. While you and your pet dog explore new things together they’ll encounter all sorts of new smells, sights, activities, situations, and more.
You may learn that your furry friend doesn’t like certain types of surfaces or goes crazy when they see a deer or wild turkey. Take these unique opportunities to discover what your dog loves and hates, and what behaviors you might want to work on in the future.
10. You’ll Learn New Things About Yourself When You Adventure with Your Dog
Not only will you learn new things about your dog, you’ll also learn new things about yourself! You’ll discover more about what you are and are not comfortable with, and possibly find new activities you enjoy.
You might discover that you love slow and aimless hikes while your dog investigates new smells instead of pushing yourself to finish the trail ASAP. Personally, I’ve never enjoyed yoga but I actually enjoy it when my dogs keep me company!
11. Traveling With Your Dog Will Strengthen Your Bond
Traveling with your pup strengthens your bond because visiting new places and enjoying new experiences forces you to communicate and trust each other. Your dog needs to trust that you will keep them safe, and you need to trust your dog and yourself in new situations.
When you let your doggie join you on your adventures, you’ll also learn how to communicate with each other. Being able to read your pup’s non-verbal cues and body-language is important so you can recognize when they need your help. This could be because they need to go to the bathroom, are overwhelmed, want to investigate something, need space, or extra reassurance or attention.
12. You’ll Gain a New Perspective When You Travel with Dogs
Any time you travel with somebody else (including your dog), you get to see the world from a new perspective. Because our pups have heightened senses, they automatically notice more than we ever could. Things that we take for granted can be completely awe-inspiring experiences for them and if you allow yourself to, you’ll get to appreciate the world through their eyes.
Our husky loves watching babbling brooks and waterfalls. It’s given me a new appreciation for them and now I have a habit of spending extra time around them taking in the sounds and small details when we come across them during our hikes.
The Best Reason to Travel with Your Dog is Your Pup!
The benefits of traveling with your dog are endless— think stronger bonds, better training, and socialization. But the absolute best reason? It’s your furry friend, of course!
The excitement of discovering more about your four-legged friend while you go on new adventures is simply unbeatable. Ready to embark on this journey with your pup? I’m here to help with all the dog-friendly vacation planning tips you need. Here’s to a life full of wanderlust and wagging tails!
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