Taking your Dog on Holiday
Despite claims by certain politicians that the family is declining in importance, one only has to spend a fortnight in one of the UK’s holiday resorts to realise that the family is very much alive and well.
The family may have changed in its structure over the past thirty years, however, it still comprises of two adults whose gender is no longer important, one, two or more children or young adults as they like to be called despite still behaving like children, and in many cases the family dog or dogs.
Wherever the holiday destination is, it is likely to be an alien environment to most. Being used to towns, cities and countryside does not help when suddenly thrown into an environment that holds so many unseen and unknown dangers to both humans and animals.
There are two basic family holiday destinations in the UK. The beach holiday consisting of mainly sand and sea situated usually in Devon, Cornwall and south west Wales compared with the old fashioned traditional Victorian holiday situated mostly from the south coast and winding its way eastwards towards the North east and consisting of sand and sea again with added attractions like funfairs, piers providing entertainment and amusement arcades.
My annual holiday destination is Cornwall where a relaxing stress free holiday can be had.
Having spent fifty years holidaying in the Padstow area of Cornwall I have got to know of the dangers and threats that the innocent looking landscape holds. Despite this I am still wary each year I return. Unlike fields which I am used to, beaches can change overnight due to tides and the weather conditions.
Children and dogs are very similar, they need constantly watching, look away for a minute and they are gone, in the case of dogs it is usually to the nearest other dog or the person closest who is eating something tasty, most embarrassing is their habit of going to the loo in the middle of another family’s encampment or at very least cocking their leg up another holiday maker’s windshield, quite often in their excitement to get to wherever they are going they run straight over a sunbather who has fallen asleep and has turned beetroot red and is suffering from third degree burns.
Whilst trying to apologise to the now awaken, claw marked sunbather you wonder why you wasted all that time and money at dog training classes, as your commands to your dog on a mission fall on deaf ears that can normally hear a pin drop.
The solution, don’t forget the dog’s lead and take one of those gadgets that screw into sand or soil and have a longer lead attached to them.
The reason for what appears to be an untrained out of control animal is simple, like humans dogs rely on routine, take them away from the environment that they are used to for fifty weeks of the year and they will react unpredictably.
After a short time most dogs will settle into the routine of the holiday but we must not forget they want to explore this new and wonderful place with different sights, sounds and smells.
So how do we prepare for taking our dog on holiday?
The chances are if your dog is going away with you then you are more than likely to be camping or staying in a caravan.
Let’s start at the beginning,
The basics are going to be the bed, basket and or blanket, food for the first day or two, bowls for food and water, poop scoops and plenty of bags, as with humans, the change in the water supply can often affect your pet’s toiletry habits added to the fact that your dog is going to spend a lot more time in public than they do at home. Toys and comforters to make them feel at home in a cramped tent or caravan that they are not used to, plus toys for the beach, balls and frisbies being the most common.
Take more balls than you need as they will inevitably get lost in the sand or washed out to sea!
A dog needs entertaining as much as a child so be prepared for plenty of exercise. An item few people think of taking for their dog is a basic first aid kit.
If towing your own caravan, do not be tempted to put your dog in the caravan whilst on the move.
If you’re lucky enough to have a dog that is used to being in a car, bear in mind that it is only used to short trips, like shopping or to the park etc when going on a long journey that could take anything from four to six hours be prepared to stop regularly to allow your dog to have a drink, stretch its legs and have a wee. It is a sensible idea not to feed your dog before or during the journey. For dogs who are not good travellers your local vet can provide a mild sedative which is similar to that used for treating stress and anxiety during occasions like bonfire night.
After a long journey all occupants are going to be weary, especially if the weather has been hot and sticky and the inevitable traffic jams have halted your progress. The adults in the party just want to get out of the vehicle and breathe a huge sigh of relief at having arrived unscathed, so too do the children and dogs, thus car doors are thrown open allowing all to exit and head off in different directions, you manage to grab the kids but are not quick enough to catch the four legged tearaway who is already exploring his or her new environment and marking out his or her territory. Eventually you catch up with said four legged friend who has found their way to the site office and is registering him/herself by marking the ‘all dogs must be kept on a lead sign’.
Following the lecture from camp site owner on children and pets you are shown to your pitch.
Now where did you pack the lead attached to a corkscrew gadget that screws into the ground allowing your dog a small area of freedom whilst being kept securely within the confines of your camp? Once found and secured your pet should have a bowl of water and left to wonder at this beautiful new place you have arrived at whilst you set up tent or caravan.
Once your camp is set up, it might be a good idea to visit the site office and obtain the details of the nearest vet, telephone number, address and how to get there! just in case a visit is required or an emergency occurs. Unlike at home there are probably fewer veterinary practices and their hours of business are likely to be more restrictive than say in a town or city.
As at home it is best to start as you mean to go on, once you give your pet an inch they will take over the tent or caravan.
Designate an area where your dog will eat and sleep and stick to it. Most people attach an awning to their caravan or camper van which is the ideal place for your dog to eat and drink, similarly outside is just as adequate providing the weather is good.
When it comes to siting their bed think twice about placing it in the awning, although most awnings zip up around the base I can guarantee from experience that a clever dog will find a way out even if it means tearing a gaping hole in your expensive awning.
Don’t forget you will be asleep and totally unaware of what your dog is up to in the night.
A solution is to use the long lead on a screw thread, which is the only solution for those in tents other than letting the dog sleep in the car, if the latter is the only option make sure there is plenty of air and that it is not too hot, cars at night can still be warm as they are during the day, although obviously not as dangerously so as in hot sunlight.
In a caravan or camper van try and find room in the van for your dog’s bed. Somewhere out of the way where you are not going to trip over it should you get up in the night.
Some dogs will spend the entire night in their basket not moving until you awaken yourself in the morning, others like to move around during the course of the night which can be a problem or disturbance in the confines of a caravan.
Rule number one has to be never leave your dog in the car unattended, dogs die in hot cars, even with the windows down it does not take long for the car to heat up to unbearable temperatures for the animal to withstand. If you have to go shopping leave someone with the dog so they can stand outside the car with the dog or sit inside with the doors open and have a bowl of water on hand that the dog can get to.
We can strip off to shorts and swimsuit but a dog can’t remove its coat.
Long haired dogs obviously suffer more than short haired varieties, bear this in mind when visiting the beach, take a sunshade under which your dog can lie.
Dogs like digging! Sand is there to be dug, it’s worth watching where the spoils of the dig are landing, preferably away from neighbouring holidaymakers. Beware that nobody falls in the hole once dug, my Duke likes to dig large holes and lie in wait for someone to come along with an ice cream, not notice the hole, fall in and drop their ice leaving a tasty morsel for himself!
The sea is inviting, especially to a water loving dog.
If you have not seen your dog swim before do not assume that they can swim. Like us they have to learn to swim.
Most beaches are patrolled by life guards who mark out a safe bathing area using red and yellow flags, obviously if the marked area is full of bathers it is unfair to let your dog loose amongst them, besides which there is the danger of being hit by a surf board or body board.
Find an area just to the side of the marked out area where your dog can play in the sea without annoying other bathers.
Balls and sticks are the favourite items to send your dog chasing into the water to retrieve, another item is the buoyancy aid, a brightly coloured cork float that can have rope attached to which gives the added advantage of pulling your dog out of the water should they get into difficulties like being caught in a rip current.
When the life guards have a red flag flying it is dangerous for anyone to bathe, this includes your pet.
Rock pools are a fun place to see the sea creatures left behind from the ebbing tide.
There is a good chance your dog has not come across a crab or jelly fish before, rather like the first encounter with a hedgehog in the garden. Crabs will give the inquisitive dog a nasty nip and jelly fish will give a painful sting.
By virtue of their name rock pools are just that, pools of water within the rocks, dogs are pretty sure footed animals but can still slip on seaweed or twist their joints on uneven rocks lying below the surface of the water.
Similarly the cliff face is an inviting place to climb but having seen many dogs get stuck and in a few cases fall, I would not recommend rock climbing.
Cliff walks with dogs have recently been highlighted in the national press. The advice given is keep your dog on a lead when walking along cliff tops. Already this year several dogs have chased a rabbit or seagull and failed to stop at the edge of the cliff, sadly their owners have had one less passenger to take home with them.
Your dog is used to fields with hedges as boundaries and not unfenced cliffs with anything from a 20 foot to 200 foot drop the other side.
Beach holidays with your pet are fun and will remain in your memory for many years. With a little thought about the dangers that I have highlighted you can have a safe, fun filled holiday which all the family will enjoy.
Well Duke and I are off on our beach holiday next week so I hope David Cameron has left the place clean and tidy for us, as that is where we spend our holiday every year.