Holidays with dogs – Dog News

TASSO informs: It will be a feel-good time for everyone

Eschborn. More and more people like to travel with their four-legged friends. This has long been nothing unusual for families with dogs, but in recent years cats have also increasingly been on holiday. The animal protection organization TASSO, which runs Europe's largest free pet registry and has been campaigning for responsible animal ownership for years, summarizes what you should pay attention to when traveling with an animal so that everyone involved has a good time.

Suitable type of holiday and accommodation
The type of trip should generally be suitable for the animal. If you just want to lie on the beach in the sun all day or stroll through crowded and overheated city centers, you should find good care for your pet at home. If you plan a relaxing time with occasional excursions in a cozy holiday accommodation, you can often include the animal in these plans.

The means of transport for the journey must also be suitable. In the rarest of cases it is advisable to fly together with the animal. For those traveling with a dog, the train can often be a sensible alternative, but most people opt for a car or a motorhome or caravan as this ensures the greatest possible flexibility.

Important: It doesn't always make sense to take your own pet with you on vacation. Cats in particular often benefit more if they stay in their familiar surroundings and are well looked after and cared for by third parties.

Activity and safety must be appropriate
At the holiday destination, it is important that the animal is welcome in the accommodation, can feel comfortable and that its safety is ensured. Travelers with cats must pay particular attention to the safety of their four-legged companions while on vacation so that they do not run away in an unfamiliar place. In any case, the animals should have a transponder (also colloquially called chip) marked and registered with TASSO. If you want to be on the safe side, check before your trip that all the data stored with TASSO is still up to date.

Dogs are often at the side of their humans during activities at the holiday destination. Depending on what is planned, this is not a problem. Caution is advised when it can be particularly hot, crowded or stressful for the animal.

Pay attention to well-being and resting behavior
Anyone who goes on vacation with their pet should pay close attention to their well-being during this time. “A holiday together is a compromise for many animals,” says Dr. Lisa Borchard, veterinarian specializing in animal behavior and head of the responsible animal husbandry project at TASSO. “Dogs and cats love routines and everyday life, they benefit greatly from being with their people, but not always automatically from getting to know other places or going on special trips.” It is therefore very important that pet owners pay attention to a suitable overall situation while on vacation. This doesn't mean that every moment has to be perfect for the animal, but overall it has to be harmonious. “Sometimes it is helpful to consciously offer a counter-program if a day was particularly strenuous from the dog’s point of view,” advises Borchard. This can mean resting together or doing an activity that is particularly attractive to the dog.

But how do pet owners know whether their four-legged companion is really doing well on vacation? “You can easily tell whether dogs and cats feel comfortable by whether they show their 'normal behavior',” says behavior expert Borchard. Are they interested in games and affection as usual? Are they eating and drinking as usual? “Above all, resting behavior is an important indicator,” says Borchard. Both dogs and cats rest for many hours a day. It is not unusual for this to be neglected on certain days during the holiday, but it should still be possible for the animal to relax regularly and sufficiently and find peace.

If the circumstances of the holiday are suitable not only from a human point of view but also from the animal's point of view, nothing stands in the way of a relaxing break together.