Bringing your dog on a family holiday is something that some families do all the time.
Others tend to go somewhere their dog may not be allowed, such as a holiday abroad. Bringing a dog on a family holiday can be really fun for a variety of reasons, but mainly because people regard their dog as being a part of their family so it is fun to do something that everyone can be involved in.
After all, if you are an owner of a dog, you should want to spend time with it! Here are a couple of tips for bringing your dog on your next family holiday, as well as a couple of benefits you will experience as a result.
Find Somewhere with Good Walks in the Area
Firstly, you should pick your holiday location wisely and go somewhere with good walks in the area.
This can be done with a bit of research, so depending on your dog’s age and ability, you could either choose somewhere with easy, tame walks or somewhere a bit more mountainous if your dog is up for it.
You’ll want to make sure you keep your dog fit and healthy so that they can keep up with you on these walks. One way you can do this, especially in terms of improving their joint health, is to check out this range of dog supplements.
YuMOVE has a dog supplement for pretty much any purpose – whether your dog is old or young. They also come in a variety of different formats, such as biscuits and chews so you can cater this to your own dog.
Once your dog has healthier joints, long walks won’t be so much of an issue, so you will have more freedom to choose where you go on holiday. Exercise is great for dogs, but it is so important to keep them physically healthy in other ways too, to ensure a long, comfortable life.
Go on a Camping Trip
Going on a camping trip is a perfect option for dog owners. Quite a few campsites are dog friendly (although it is best to check this, as it can vary depending on the time of year).
In comparison to renting an apartment, this is often a much cheaper option and is great for people who like spending time outdoors.
It is recommended that you go camping during the summer months, as it can cool down quite a lot during the night. Also, you’ll need to make sure your dog has a warm enough bed, but this shouldn’t be too much of an issue as fur is very insulating.
When choosing your tent, keep your dog in mind in case this is a holiday possibility that you ever do want to explore.
Depending on the relationship you have with your dog and their breed, you may or may not want to share an inner tent compartment with it, so it could be a good idea to buy a tent with multiple different compartments if this is something you’d prefer not to do.
Find Physical Accommodation Which Allows Dogs
Finding an apartment or bed and breakfast which allows dogs is a good alternative for those who aren’t so into camping but still want to take their dog away with them.
When searching up places online, search for specifically dog-friendly places so that your browser will filter this for you. You may be charged slightly more for having your dog stay with you, but hopefully, it will be worth it!
This option is probably best for those who have well-behaved dogs who tend to be quite good when visiting new places, and this will be what the owner of the accommodation is looking for in their guests too.
Therefore, you have a great incentive to train your dog well from a young age! If you are going to a place that is known for its outdoor beauty, a lot of bed and breakfast, hostel, or apartment owners will know that people will want to bring their dog along with them.
It shouldn’t be too much trouble finding somewhere which is accommodating to both humans and dogs.
Bringing Your Dog Will Ensure You Have a Fitness Orientated Holiday
A lot of people strive to have active holidays but end up not doing this. Active holidays can feel so rewarding and often really change your perception of fitness as a whole, as you will feel motivated to do it outside of simply considering it a chore.
A dog’s nature means that it is necessary that they are walked on a regular basis, so if you bring your dog away with you then this can be a good motivation to have a fitness-based holiday.
Furthermore, it can be easy to stop going on walks and hikes when you don’t have a dog to motivate you to do this, but once you get the push to go outdoors more, you will really enjoy it and will want to do it much more often.
As well as giving your dog the exercise it needs, going on regular walks will be great for your own mental health too.
You Will Not Experience the Hassle of Finding Somewhere for Your Dog to Stay
One of the main issues people experience when having a dog is finding a place for it to stay when they go away on holiday. If you plan to incorporate your dog into your holiday, however, then this will completely cut out that issue.
For certain lucky people, they are able to ask a friend or family member to look after their dog but this isn’t the case a lot of the time, which means they often have to turn to dog kennels.
Unfortunately, these can be really expensive and are often not great for the dog’s wellbeing. Furthermore, they can be pretty inconvenient depending on where you live – driving for miles and miles to drop your dog off can add extra stress on top of all the other planning you will need to do.
Holidays with Your Dog Allow Your Family to Bond More
Having a holiday with your dog can be great for family bonding, especially if your children are at an age where they appear to lose interest in certain activities.
This is normal to happen around their teenage years, but even if they go through a phase of being distant from family members, they will retain their love for their pet unconditionally. Therefore, if you tell them that the dog is coming on holiday, they will be more likely to want to spend quality time together.
This can also be a good way to get them outdoors and into the fresh air, which is another struggle often encountered with teenagers.
Having the presence of a dog, however, can make this encouragement much easier as it provides a distraction and an element of fun to exercise.
Remember to cherish your dog for the entire time it is living with you: although it won’t be fussy about holidays, it will definitely appreciate the extra love.
Having a dog to share is a wonderful experience for families to have and taking them on holiday only means that you will have more memories, more photographs, and more enjoyment together.
