Keeping Your Pet Safe and Comfortable – Traveling With Your Pet

You know that there’s a lot involved in organizing your home for a pet, but have you considered what’s needed to take the show on the road? A lot of planning is necessary to ensure your pet is safe and happy for a long car ride.

Dogs, in particular, have specific needs that can make reaching your destination tricky. Getting there won’t be frustrating if you follow these tips for taking a car trip with pets for the holidays.

Before Your Trip with Your Pet

You should take some action to prepare for a car trip with your pet. It’s always a good idea to make sure your pet is up-to-date on his shots. This may involve a trip to the vet or could just mean putting your dog’s medical records in one neat place, such as a handy folder or a special file. If you’re traveling out of state or across the border, a certificate of health and proof of rabies vaccine may be needed.

Also, you’ll want to figure out the best restraint system for your pet. You may feel bad about restricting your furry friend’s movements, but she probably doesn’t mind, and it’s safer for everyone. Dogs like snug spaces like crates.

Choose a crate, pet car seat, barrier, or seat belt, and make sure you try it out a few times before your trip so you know whether your fur baby is comfortable. Keeping your dog or cat in one spot makes sure they’re safe in the event of a sudden stop or accident, and it keeps them from distracting the driver.

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What to Pack For Your Pet

You’ll want to bring all the essentials your animal needs each day while at home on your trip. Pack enough food to last the whole vacation so that you don’t end up having to look for your favorite brand while in a new place.

Use compact, airtight, sealable containers to pack food items. You don’t want to deal with doggie treat spills or stale food. You’ll want to save as much space as possible, so your regular storage container may not do.

You’ll need to bring along lots of water to keep your pet hydrated. Gallon jugs will do for transport, but a collapsible dog bowl is a lifesaver for drinking while on the road. Get one for food, as well. Travel-friendly storage like large sealable pouches is great for small toys, grooming supplies, and leashes. A well-sealed bin is a must-have if you need to transport litter.

In the Car

You’ll need bags for handling waste on bathroom breaks. These can be corralled in a larger zipper bag or stowed in a small bin.

Be sure to stop often so your animal can stretch her legs, go potty, get a drink, and grab a bite.

Don’t forget your pooper scooper. You may wish to store this in a small, airtight container to keep things clean and to contain any smell if you’re not able to clean the scoop after every use completely.

Your pet’s favorite bedding may be too cumbersome on your road trip, but a favorite pillow or blanket could help calm him while traveling, both in the car and when you reach a new and unfamiliar destination.

Finally, rubberized or plastic covering for the flooring and seats can be useful in making sure your car’s interior stays clean and free of damage.

There you have it. You should now feel more confident about organizing your pet’s stuff on a holiday car trip.

These suggestions will ensure everyone has a fun and stress-free vacation.

New post Organizing a Car Trip with Pets for the Holidays on A Personal Organizer by Helena Alkhas

Getting Your Home Organized For a New Dog

If you’ve never had a dog before you may not know just how much preparation is involved in bringing your new furry family member home. Truth is, most pets come with a great deal of maintenance. This is especially true for dogs. They need toys, food, brushes, nail clippers, a bed and a host of other supplies to keep them happy and healthy.

When we got Tuff, our Yorkie, I was surprised by all the steps that were needed to have him safely and comfortably in his new home.

Dogs also require a lot of attention and exercise. Keeping up with your pampered pooch’s needs can become quite demanding, especially if you work from home.

Fortunately, taking just a few steps to organize things in advance can ensure a more pleasurable experience for both you and your pet. Follow these organization tips to prepare your home for a dog. Then sit back and enjoy bonding with your new buddy.

Follow these organization tips to prepare your home for a dog. Then sit back and enjoy bonding with your new buddy.

Give Your Pup Some Space

One of the first things you’ll want to do is set aside some space that is just for your pet’s belongings.

Here at home, Tuff has a wire basket that holds all his toys, and a dedicated kitchen cabinet for his food, treats, and medications.

Taking this step will help you to remember where you put things like Fido’s monthly flea treatment. It will also lessen the likelihood of your doggie’s things overtaking the rest of your home.

Plus, your dog will probably just enjoy having a place to go when a nap is in order.

Set Up a Spot for Dining

While most of your dog’s items can be kept in one room or space, you’ll probably want to set up a separate area in your kitchen or mudroom for feeding supplies. This keeps the food mess to a minimum and allows you to easily wipe up spills.

There are some things you can buy in order to assist in containing any messes related to food, treats or water. Dishes that come with a base to contain them are always helpful. These can lessen the chances of bowls being upset or spills happen.

For some reason, some dogs, like Tuff, won’t eat out of a bowl. The solution for us was to give him a small cutting board and place his food on it. This has worked great for us as it’s easy to wash and store when not in use.

Mats are incredibly helpful for placing beneath bowls to catch splashes or crumbs.

Store food in airtight bins to keep them fresh and neat.

Contain Toy Chaos

Those toys! Playing with your dog can be so much fun. It’s great to see the excitement on their faces when tug and chase. Before you know it, however, you could find you have more toys than you know what to do with.

There are a lot of considerations when it comes to toy containment. Taking your lifestyle and your pet’s preferences into account can help you decide on a system that works for everyone.

If you do work from home, you may not wish to jump up and down every time your dear doggie wants to play with a new toy. Therefore, it can help to find storage bins with open tops that allow your pup to retrieve his or her own choice of play thing.

A clear storage box with the lid removed or a sturdy basket might do the trick. Just be sure it’s not too deep for your pet to reach the bottom comfortably. You don’t want your pooch to get stuck or hurt.

Create a Sleeping Station

Dogs like snug spaces. The closeness helps them to feel safe. That’s why a built-in is a great way to offer your pet a comfy bed while keeping your other surfaces clean.

When Fido has a place to go that’s all his, he’ll be less inclined to jump up on your hard-to-clean couch. If you don’t have the room or resources to build a nook, picking up a cozy dog bed will do.

This may even be a preferable solution for those who work at home or need to get stuff done. Pups love to be near their people.

Moving the bed to whichever room you’re in at the time can help to ensure your dog is comfortable and that you’re able to focus on the task at hand, rather than trying to manage an agitated pet.

Getting your home organized for a dog involves just a few easy steps. Taking these proactive measures will help to make sure everyone is happy and that chaos remains at a minimum.

New post Organization Tips to Prepare Your Home For Your Puppy on A Personal Organizer by Helena Alkhas

Tips to Safely Travel With Pets

My sister-in-law just got herself a gorgeous puppy. The new member of the family had to do some traveling to get to his new home and we found ourselves digging for information on how to safely travel with a pet.

Here are some pet travel tips we learned and I thought might be useful to you as well.

Approximately 75 percent of pet owners do not trust airlines with their pets when traveling in the cargo hold, an inaugural survey by Harris for DogVacay shows.

The survey also states that owners spend time worrying about their pets instead of enjoying themselves while traveling. Owners can stop worrying about the pet left at home by traveling with him. For owners who have concerns about flying with their pets, Air Travel Consumer Reports shows that there are very few pet incidents on airplanes.

Traveling by Plane

If you decide to travel by air, the best place for your pet is in his crate or carrier inside the cabin. The majority of airlines allow you to keep a small dog or cat in the cabin. However, there is usually an additional fee when you choose this option. Call the airline as soon as possible because limits are set as to the number animals allowed to remain in the cabin on each flight.

1. Be sure to inquire about size requirements.
2. If you are unable to bring your pet in the cabin, there are ways to keep him more comfortable and safe in the cargo hold.
3. Ask to watch your pet as he is loaded and unloaded from the plane’s cargo hold.
4. Use a direct flight. This avoids airline transfer mistakes and delays in removing your pet from the plane.
5. Upon boarding the plane, notify the captain and a flight attendant that your pet is in the cargo hold. The captain may take special precautions if he knows a pet is on board.
6. Purchase a collar for your pet that cannot be caught on the doors of his carrier. This collar needs two pieces of identification: A permanent ID that lists your name, phone number and home address and a temporary ID listing the telephone number and vacation address
7. Clip his nails to keep him from getting them caught on the carrier’s holes, crevices or door.
8. Discontinue feeding him about four hours before the trip. He can have small amounts of water. Consider placing ice cubes in his crate’s water tray.
9. Place a label on his carrier that has your name, permanent address, phone number, and destination, as well as where you can be reached once you land.

Because the cargo hold is not cooled or heated and has no ventilation until the plane is in flight, preflight is the most dangerous time for him. For this reason, in the summer, choose late evening or early morning flights and in the winter choose an afternoon flight.

Animals such as bulldogs, Pekingese dogs, and Persian cats should never be placed in the cargo hold. These (special!) snub-nosed animals physiology impairs their ability to breathe easily in stressful or hot conditions. Some airlines do not carry these animals.

Another survey conducted by Dogtrekker.com finds that traveling with a dog is getting easier with more than 80 percent of travelers using search engines and travel sites to plan their vacations.

Once you decide to take a vacation with your pet, keep in mind the time of year you will be traveling. A destination like Wisconsin Dells is great for a summer getaway and sites like dells.com offer information about pet-friendly hotels and activities. During the winter months, a visit to the warm waters, sandy beaches, and sun in Key West is ideal.

Traveling by Car

If you choose to drive, the safest place for your pet is in his carrier secured in the back seat. If your pet is in the front seat and the air bag deploys, he could become injured. Another great option are car hammocks.

When stopping to allow your pet to eliminate or exercise, always have him on a leash with a current ID tag.

Never leave your pet in the car alone. Even a quick stop can become hazardous. Temperatures rise quickly in vehicles during the summer months. For instance, if it is 85 degrees outside, the temperature inside your car reaches about 102 degrees in as little as 10 minutes. This is true even if a window is left cracked.

Here is a great infographic by the Marriot that will help you further in making your pet safer and happier on your travels.

Wishing you and your pet safe travels!

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