Travelling with your dog is a great idea if you’re thinking about taking a holiday and don’t want the stress of finding a kennel and the anxiety of leaving your friend behind. Plus, you never really know what goes on behind closed doors once you leave your dog in the hands of a stranger, even leaving them with family members, you can never be 100% sure they’re going to get the level of care they are used to with yourself.

So, the best solution? Take them with you! There are loads of dog friendly UK holidays and pet friendly hotels these days, businesses in the travel sector have finally realised that people just don’t want to leave their animals behind. If you do plan on taking away your furry friend, there are certain things like the squeaky toys mentioned in Pets Advice that you’re going to need to make sure you both have the best time.

Like for instance, your pooch can be hyperactive, and they might get tired after travel. What they then need, would be a smooth and warm bed. Calming Dog Bed from Bobby Bed can be an option when it comes to carrying your dog’s bed around (as some dogs prefer sleeping in their own bed). Making sure your dog has its favorite meal, and bed on-call can make the trip with your canine much better.

Vaccination Records

Some hotels and accommodation that allow pets to stay require you to present your pets vaccination certificates, this is to make sure they aren’t going to spread any common diseases to other pets or people in the hotel. So make sure you’re all up to date with everything printed and signed off by the vet, if you don’t have access to a printer, or don’t want to carry pages upon pages of paper, electronic copies should be fine, keep them easily accessible on your phone/laptop.

Food Supplies

If your pooch is a little on the fussy side when it comes to food, then definitely stock up on the type they like and take it with you. You don’t want to risk local shops at your destination not having the correct type of food and having a) no food for your dog or b) the wrong type of food which is going to make them ill. Pack a food and water bowl, or invest in one of these on-the-go doggy water bottles.

Collar, Tags and Leash

Collars, tags and leashes are essential when you are travelling to a new place with your dog. Typically, dogs are excitable so they can be easily overwhelmed by unfamiliar stimuli. Scents, sights and sounds can send them running to an unknown place. Therefore, ensure that your dog has a good collar and the tag is secured to it sufficiently. The tag should have your primary number so that you can be contacted immediately in case of an incident. When walking your dog, ensure that you use a leash. Microchipping is now required by law in the UK so make sure this is up to date and correct.

Obviously, there are lots more things you’re going to need to take your dog away, I just find that these are always the most important. Dog beds such as a kevlar dog bed, toys, blankets etc can be improvised from little materials but these three are the ones you literally cannot do without. So whether you buy them from the shop or makeshift them yourself, your dog will need something like these items.

There’s a great post which details absolutely everything you’ll need here: http://www.iknow-uk.com/article/dog-friendly-holidays-uk. Definitely check it out for more information. Things like dog beds, toys etc can be improvised from little materials but these three are the ones you literally cannot do without.