HOW TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR PETS IN INDIA

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How To Travel With Your Pets in India
lanapaws.com/blogs/friends-of-lana/how-to-travel-w
ith-your-pets-in-india
Now you dont need to leave your pet behind each
time you travel. With increasing awareness,
growing number of pet-friendly hotels,
restaurants, parks, etc. you can plan your
travel while taking your pet along! Of course,
it isnt easy and all that glamorous as it may
appear to be on the internet and we certainly
dont mean to give you that impression in any
way. It is definitely a lot of work and
preparation is the key, but it's so worth it for
you and your furry friend. For those who want to
go that extra mile to have their furry best
friends with them on their travel adventures,
weve listed specific measures you can take to
make your planning process more structured, less
anxiety inducing for you as well as your furry
travel companion.
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In this article, we have answered a bunch of
frequently asked questions around travelling
with your pet dog/s. For the purpose of this
article, the guide primarily caters to travelling
with your pet within India via road (self) or
the Indian Railways. NOTE Please do check the
travel guidelines and rules in your state before
planning to travel with your dog. 1). How to
search and book pet-friendly hotels? All major
hotel booking platforms have pet-friendly hotels
listed on their website. In India, there are a
lot of good hotel booking platforms that you can
choose to book a dog-friendly hotel stay. To
find dog-friendly hotels on any of the popular
hotel booking website, you can filter the search
results by selecting the pet-friendly option
under the facilities section. Once you book a
room at a pet-friendly hotel, call the hotel and
to confirm the booking and share your pets
details. You should mention all the details about
your pet like - size, weight, breed, age. If
your dog requires certain extra care, then you
must request the hotel staff about it in
advance. Some hotels might charge extra for their
services and extra arrangements they make to
accommodate your pet, so you must ask the hotel
staff in advance if there are any extra
charges. Traveling with Dog? Here are the T op
Pet-Friendly Places in India Bonus tip for
pet-friendly hotels You can also try
unconventional categories of hotels such as
homestays and agro- tourism stays that allow pets
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A longer staycation with your pet dog could also
be an option to consider, to travel slow at a
pace that suits both you and your pet 2). Pet
food during travel
Before we get into the details of food during
travel, lets tackle food pre travel. Dont feed
them right before they sit in the car, you can
feed them food and water at least an hour or two
before the journey starts. This gives them plenty
of time to eat, digest and pee/poop before
hopping into the car/train. Now coming to the
concern you may have about how and what to feed
your pet dog during the travel. You already know
their food and water intake should be adequate
and at the right time. Your journey can be
joyful only if your pet is in a good mood or it
can be a miserable experience if you miss
planning for your pet in advance. Here are a few
tips we would like to suggest Carry bowls to
serve food and water (also carry use and throw
eco-friendly bowls) Pack the food they usually
eat at home Measure the exact amount of food and
water Carry and serve food in waterproof/
air-tight containers Carry smaller one time use
wet food packets so you dont have to worry about
sealing and leakage of food in the bag Buy
cooked white rice on the way at small hotels if
travelling by car, or order it in the train
pantry to be mixed with the wet food to make it a
filling meal Reduce the amount of food they
usually have while in motion to avoid motion
sickness and/or the frequency of pee/poop
breaks Avoid feeding them in moving cars to avoid
spillage/choking Wipe their mouth after feeding,
so that they dont wipe it on your vehicles seat
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While you keep your pet well fed, if possible try
and feed the stray dogs around as well. This
increases the chances of friendship or at least
reduces the territory rivalry aggression between
them and your dog, and most importantly it will
help them a lot! 3). Plan pit stops
Dogs are animals that like to be consistent with
their daily routine. Once a routine is set, you
should not disturb or change it. If you are
planning to travel with your dog, then you must
give high priority to pit stops while designing
your travel itinerary. Make all your
travel-related decisions in such a way that you
give the highest importance to your pets
comfort. Map out dog friendly outdoor and indoor
places to mark the pit stops along with the ETA
to match your pets usual poop time. Take breaks
in between and help them exercise to release
pent-up energy, stress, travel anxiety if any.
If you are traveling by car, then you will easily
manage the stops for your pets pee and poop,
but in case of traveling by train, or a public
road transport, it becomes tricky to manage pit
stop time as per your individual needs. So in
that case, you can use pet travel friendly
accessories such as, portable poop scooper, stool
pickup box, tissues, papers, waste bags, rugs,
clothes and also dont forget to carry room
freshener sprays for obvious purposes. In
longer train journeys, look at the train
timetable and note the stations the train would
be halting for five minutes or more. There are
many stops for two minutes, which would be too
less for you to step out on the platform with
your pet. Ideal would be ten-minute stops. Put
multiple alarms on your phone for all these
upcoming long halts where you plan to step out
with your pet. Also, once out, keep an eye on the
signal. It would be red. As soon as it turns
yellow, get back into the train.
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Pro-Tip Try befriending the train engine driver
and other staff, so they can help you, as
needed. 4). Keep safety security as the first
priority
Make them visible Put some bright clothes like
a bright collar belt, bandana, shirt on them so
that they are visible to people and other
vehicles Prepare the seating area for your dog
Ensure that there is no sharp object or any
fragile items inside the vehicle. You can make
use of some extra cushions, blankets, or dog
beds that add comfort to your pet dog and also
protects the seats from getting any kind of
marks Dont let them keep their head out of the
window Yes, we know that all pet dogs like to
keep their head out of the window the entire time
but we should not ignore the risk of catching
eye infection on a long journey with the dust
outside or them jumping out of the window. Some
dogs get too excited when they are traveling in a
car, especially when they see other dogs or
something that may catch their attention
outside. In these cases, you must not open the
windows for them and maybe lock the door windows
from operating Keep them comfortably restrained
Never leave them unattended Take all the
necessary medications and vaccinations before
leaving for the trip Always carry vaccinations
records and fitness certificates
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• When travelling by car, never leave your dog
  inside the car alone and especially without the
  air conditioner turned on. It may be
  life-threatening to them. It's best never to
  leave them alone in a vehicle
• Bonus tips to enhance safety
• Use dog tags for identification Use GPS collar
  tags
• Carry a stick just to scare off other dogs in
  case any dog tries to attack your pet in new
  territories
• Dog clothes and accessories during travel
• Now lets talk about how to choose dog travel
  clothing. When packing for your dog before
  leaving for a trip you must choose the right
  clothes that are not only the cutest but also
  serve the purpose of keeping them warm, dry, and
  comfortable based on the weather.
• Do keep in mind that, almost all the common pet
  dog breeds have a fur coat on them. Hence they
  are equipped to handle most of the average Indian
  weather conditions, except the snowfall in north
  India and hot deserts in Rajasthan.
• It is important to choose only the clothes and
  accessories that suit well in the weather
  conditions at the place of travel. Most likely
  accessories such as fancy personalised
• n ame dog collars, d og bandanas, d og bow ties,
  and belts will do just fine if you are traveling
  within India. However, you must carry a couple of
  shirts, wrap-around c lothes, b lankets, and
  foldable d og travel mats for them.
• Bonus Tips
• Dont forget your dogs favourite toys/ bed/
  blanket/ snack

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Train your dog how to behave with other dogs
This happens way before the travel of course.
The sooner you begin training, the better
relationship both of you can share. Allow your
pet dog to meet the other pet dogs as well as
street dogs that are friendly. Take your dog to
dog-friendly parks, community dog shelter parks,
homes of other pet parents, and also do invite
other pet dogs at your home for furry play dates
to play indoors and/or outdoors. Repeat this
introduction process with a variety of dog types
multiple times to build friendly and positive
behaviour towards other dogs. During the entire
time when your dog is getting introduced to
another dog or when she/he is playing with them,
you should remain absolutely calm. Also at the
same time dont leave them unattended Always
remember Your dog notices you all the time for
cues on understanding what is safe and what is a
threat. Take a couple of short trips first
Before leaving for a major travel journey with
your pet, you must get them accustomed to
traveling with you. Also by doing this you can
identify if they have any travel-related issues
like motion sickness or anxiety Bonus tip You
can take your dog for a walk or play with them
outdoors just before you make him or her sit in
the car so that your dog gets tired enough to
sleep in the car and not be too excited for the
road trip. This applies to travel via any mode of
transport Important Note Dogs come in all
shapes, sizes and personalities. You must respect
your dog for who they are and build a line of
communication over time with the help of experts,
who subscribe to humane and gentle practices.
Never force your dog into a new situation they
don't like or force your lifestyle on them
against their will. 7). Whats inside your pets
bag pack? You can create a checklist that comes
in handy while packing for your pet. This is a
general checklist, you can edit and save it for
your reference. It would be ideal to purchase a
small backpack, which you keep packed always with
the basic essentials for your pet. Checklist for
traveling with your dog Travel bag for your
dog Documents ID, pet ownership certificate,
vaccination certificate, fit to travel
certificate, and medical history First aid
kit Regular medicines if any prescribed by the
vet D og Clothes and accessories E xtra dog
collar belt D og mat and blanket Bowls, water,
ready to eat food packets, and treats Shampoo,
conditioner, towel Wet and dry tissues Extra
carry bags
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Paw protectors Poop scooper 8). Traveling Guide
for Road, Rail, Sea, and Flight Plan your
itinerary in advance to book travel tickets,
complete the documentation procedure, get the
necessary vaccinations plus medications, and book
all stays.
By Road If you want to travel with your dog by
road then the safest way is to keep them in the
2nd row of the seat along with another human
companion. Dogs must never come forward near the
car steering, gearbox, and central console. It is
not at all cool to keep your puppy on your lap
while you are driving. Also, a moving car with a
dog inside is not a place to be excited and click
endless pictures for your Instagram For cats or
puppies/dogs of small size, you can use a crate
that has been secured to the rear seat of the
car using a seat belt. This technique restrains
your pet from unnecessary roaming around the car
and being a cause of distraction to the
driver. For car journeys longer than three
hours, you must take rest stops for walking them
outdoors while they take a leak. Also, most
importantly! dont ever forget them inside the
car.
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By Rail You can have your pet join you in a
comfortable journey via first class in Indian
Railways. You have to book first class tickets
for the human travelling. If its two of you
travelling, you need to send a letter to the
chief commercial officer of the relevant railway
department mentioning you are travelling with
your pet dog and would like to be allotted a
coupe. A coupe is an enclosure of two berths in
first class compartment. There is no way you can
book a coupe. You can only book a first class
ticket and request for a coupe via email/letter.
Reach the train station 1.5 hours prior. You
need to take your pet dog along to the luggage
ticket counter and buy a ticket for your pet.
This is absolutely necessary! After this, you are
pretty much set to board your train and embark on
your travel adventure following the other tips
shared in this article. Divya Duggar whose
Instagram handles is chaos in a coupe stands
for the messy but joyous chaos in a train coupe
caused by her, her partner, their three rescued
dogs and one little kid! Haha. This should be
sign enough for you to go check out her travel
adventures across India and find some much needed
inspiration plus sound advice on how she manages
to do this. She also conducts workshops on train
travel with your dogs frequently. You may find
some more tips in this detailed vlog on T
ravelling with pet in Indian R ailways, How to
travel with dog in train.
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By Air Unlike road and rail, traveling by air
can be a whole lot different experience for you
as a pet parent and your dog. This is because
there are numerous rules, norms, and a long
to-do list for air travel for dogs. If you want
to fly with your pet, then plan if they can be
with you throughout the flight journey in the
passenger cabin. There's a size and weight limit
for pets to be allowed in the cabin, otherwise
they travel in the cargo in the same flight as
you. There are many pet flying services that
help pet parents through the whole process.
Before making your pet travel on a flight, make
sure he or she is physically and mentally fit
enough to do so as it could be an extremely
stressful experience for many pets There are a
few dog breeds such as bulldogs and pugs that
have a narrow nasal passage. They are prone to
have certain problems while traveling such as
oxygen deprivation, indigestion, and
heatstroke. If your pet fulfils all the required
criteria to travel on a flight, then look for the
right pet- friendly airline for travelling. Now
there are various rules and norms that you need
to follow if you are travelling along with your
pet within the country or internationally. As per
an article posted by the India Today, Air India,
Jet Airways, SpiceJet and Vistara allow pets
on-board, however, they are not allowed on IndiGo
and Air Asia. You can read the entire post h ere
Carrying pets on an aircraft will require valid
health and rabies vaccination certificates,
followed by approval of the commander of the
flight. Your pet must clear the security check.
The procedure for security check depends on the
airport rules and airline rules. Most passengers
get two options, i.e. your pet can be harnessed
while airport authorities are performing the
security check or if the pet is inside a pet
carrier then you can request them to conduct a
special secondary security screening that won't
require you to take them outside the pet
carrier. Travelling by air with your pet
requires a lot of planning and preparation. The
travelling period could also be extremely
stressful for your dog and thus it's best to
choose this option when there's no scope of
choose of the other two, more preferable modes of
travel i.e. by road or train such as relocating
to a new country. By Sea If you are planning
to travel with your dog by waterways, most likely
you will be traveling by a cruise ship. In
India, there are very limited private cruise
ships that allow pet dogs with their parents. In
India, cruising with your pet on a ship will not
be the best choice because it is not practiced by
many and since it is very limited, the cost of
traveling plus the rules might not be
feasible 9). Pet-friendly restaurants/ cafes/
hotels
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In India, we still dont have as many
pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, and cafés as we
should have considering the number of pet
dogs. You must check this article - 1 0
Pet-Friendly Restaurants in India by NDTV Food.
They have mentioned some of the best
pet-friendly restaurants and cafés around
India. If you are from Mumbai and looking for
pet-friendly restaurants in Mumbai, then you
might like to read this blog post from Magicpin
1 5 Best Pet-Friendly Cafes in Mumbai. Tip
If you are traveling by car and looking for a
pet-friendly restaurant for your dog then you
must try and request the dhaabas located on the
highways because they have plenty of open spaces
and outdoor seating as well. During our own
experience traveling with a pet, we found
dhaabas or restaurants that have an outdoor
seating area as the most convenient
option. 10). Understand the your pet's
personality and behaviour while planning your
travels
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Like us human beings, all dogs also have their
own personalities, nature, and behaviour
characteristics. As a pet parent, you need to
observe and understand what is your pets
personality in different situations by analysing
their past behaviour in different
scenarios. Once you understand your dogs
behaviour, you can plan your trip along with them
that suits them well. These are some ways to
observe the behaviour of your pet - Observing
dogs body language during walks, short trips, in
the car, with other human beings and other dogs,
at parks and outdoor places. Dogs are really
good at communicating through their facial
expressions, tail wagging, eyes, and
posture Note down the average time of these
activities sleep, walks, eating, activeness
after they are in good mood We know that your
life definitely revolves around your pet and you
might enjoy having your pets company everywhere
but it is definitely not as easy as it
sounds/appears so you have to be a responsible
pet parent taking conscious decisions. Please
bookmark and share this article if you found it
useful. It can help others like you who are pet
parents wanting to travel responsibly with their
pet, people relocating to a new location with
their pets, those who dont want to keep pets at
shelter home for long travels, or those who are
not able to find a good shelter home. Thank you
for reading the article. You reaching the end
tells us how interested you are in doing your
best for your pet and we really appreciate it.
Our pets enter our worlds and really redefine
what it means to love unconditionally and be
loved. Going an extra mile for them feels worth
it. We wish you all the best for your future
travels with your pet, if you choose to do so.
Do share your experience with us. And first time
travellers, we hope we
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were able to provide answers to all the questions
you have. If you still have some questions
unanswered, please drop a comment and well be
sure to respond with the right
information. Signing off with this article
listing s even Indian pet parents setting travel
goals online for your further research.