Traveling with your dog

Oh boy, December is here. How did the year go by so fast?
Do you have any plans traveling to see family and friends? Considering taking your dog with you?
Awesome idea!
I recently had to travel with one of my dogs for a certification and one thing that definitely helped me to stay focused on the certification and made me stress less about traveling with my 67lb dog was being well prepared. My dog has been crate trained since he was a puppy, hence staying at a hotel was a breeze with him since the crate inside the hotel room gave him a sense of comfort and familiarity. I would like to share my tips for traveling with a dog or dogs with you since I’ve been traveling with mine for workshops and seminars and certifications for years.
Here are a couple of things that I find the most helpful:
Ø Have a crate for your dog. If traveling by car and you have the space, I recommend traveling with two crates: one for the car and one for the place that you are staying at. If your dog is well behaved, a soft sided pop up crate should suffice inside a hotel room.
Ø Pre package all the dog’s meals including supplements so you don’t need to travel with more dog food than you need to
Ø Familiarize your dog with busy environments that resemble maybe a hotel with elevators and such
Ø Book a hotel room nearby a staircase and on the lower floors to make potty breaks feel less like a marathon run
Ø Don’t forget your dog’s medications
Ø Your dog’ s favorite chew toys
Ø Poo bags in every piece of luggage
Ø Collapsible food and water bowl
Ø Copies of your dog’s current vaccination records
Ø Cleaning supplies in case your dog has an accident inside your hotel room
Ø A lint roller