From the day you bring your new puppy home, to visiting family or vacations with your dog, puppy travel is likely to be involved. Traveling by car with a puppy or flying with a puppy can come with challenges. We\u2019re here to make traveling with a puppy a breeze with our top tips for a stress-free journey from A to B, whether it\u2019s long or short, road or air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Before we take you on our traveling with a puppy journey, have you downloaded the Zigzag puppy training app<\/a>? It\u2019s full of everything you need to know about raising a happy, healthy, confident puppy. We even have a team of experts<\/a> available 24\/7 to answer all your questions or help you deal with any puppy dramas.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Car travel with a puppy can be pretty scary for them. Their first experiences of traveling by car can cause puppy car anxiety, going to the vet for a first vaccination <\/a>or moving to their new home<\/a> are scary. It\u2019s therefore important to introduce your puppy to the car slowly making it a positive experience for future car travel with your puppy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are our tips to prevent puppy car anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So can puppies travel on planes? Flying with a puppy happens often in the US. So the short answer is yes, but it will depend on a few things such as which airline you are flying with, how far, and how old and big your puppy is. You\u2019ll need to check all this with your airline when you plan your trip.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some airlines allow pups to fly from 8 weeks whilst others require them to be 12 weeks old. If your puppy is over 16 weeks old they will likely require a rabies vaccination to fly. You will also need to provide a health certificate for your dog within 10 days of travel. There may also be regulations around where they travel on the aircraft, in the cabin with you or in the cargo hold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you are traveling with a puppy by car or flying with a puppy, here are our top tips and things you\u2019ll need to bring for a safe and stress-free trip.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do what you can to prepare your puppy for their trip, make sure they are used to their travel crate and are happy and content in it well before you travel. Our guide to crate training<\/a> will help you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Have all your puppies’ travel documents organized and ready to travel. Even if you are traveling by car within the same state, it\u2019s still a good idea to have your pet’s vaccination certificate and any medical information with you, should you need to access a local vet.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Microchipping<\/a> is a legal requirement for flying with a puppy outside of the US. If for whatever reason your puppy isn\u2019t microchipped, have this done before you travel? Should the worst happen and you get separated, it’s much more likely your pup will get returned to you if they have a microchip.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s vital that your pup has access to water whilst travelling so you\u2019ll need some form of water bowl<\/a> and a bottle of water with you to help them stay comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t want your pup getting bored or hungry on their travels. Providing your dog isn\u2019t prone to puppy car sickness then giving them small amounts of food is fine. Stuffed kongs<\/a> and chews can help relieve any boredom or agitation your pup might feel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You won\u2019t be able to start playing fetch<\/a> up in the air or on a road trip, but if your pup likes soft toys and finds them comforting then bring them along to help them settle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not possible if you are flying with a puppy but if you are travelling with a puppy in a car then potty stops for long journeys will be essential. Have puppy pads with you and bring plenty of baby wipes, wet wipes, and paper towels, with younger puppies accidents can and often do happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your journey is long or if you are flying with a puppy then your pup may get too cold, have some extra blankets<\/a> for if they get too cold, or if they are hot have a fan to hand to keep them cool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We know how fun a road trip with your pup looks but it can actually be quite dangerous to let your pup do this. So keep them safely restrained in the car. If it’s hot use the A\/C instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zigzag<\/a> is a complete step-by-step guide to all your pup’s training needs. The chapters build upon each other so your pup is always learning exactly the right skills at the right time. It\u2019s also tailored to your pup’s breed type so those breed-specific traits are taken into account too. For extra guidance, we have a team of experts<\/a> <\/a>available 24\/7 to help you back on the road.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n FAQs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If your pup is comfortable in the car and doesn\u2019t suffer from anxiety or car sickness then there is no reason why they can\u2019t enjoy a long road trip. Follow our tips above to keep your pup comfortable and schedule regular breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try to introduce the car to your young puppy slowly. Avoid long trips until they are comfortable in the car. Take short rides initially and reward and praise them along the way to make the experience super positive for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It really depends on your puppy’s confidence and how long and essential the journey is going to be. A nonessential very long journey with a puppy is probably not a good idea until they have done some shorter trips and got used to travel.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe basics of traveling by car<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The basics of traveling by plane\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Top tips for traveling with a puppy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How can Zigzag help with your pup\u2019s training<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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