What to buy when you take your dog on holiday
If you are a dog owner, you will already know that a pet is very much part of the family. Because of how close we are to our dogs, it can be very difficult saying goodbye to them when you go on a holiday or any other trip away.
Fortunately, there are now a good number of caravan sites in Cornwall and other popular holiday destinations across the UK which not only tolerate but actively welcome dogs and other pets to share accommodation with their owners. In some cases, this extends not just to the owner’s own tent or caravan – parks like Tencreek near Looe offer pet-friendly holidays, with static caravans for families who don’t want to leave man’s best friend at home.
Of course, taking your dog away with you is not quite as simple as just finding somewhere for them to sleep. If you have not taken yours on holiday before but are considering doing so next time, there are several products you would be wise to invest in to ensure that travelling to and enjoying your getaway is free of both stress and mess!
There are countless goods available which can make taking your dog on holiday easier, but we don’t have space to list them all here. So, we have spoken to a couple of the UK’s best providers of dog-friendly travel equipment and put together a list of our top five must-haves for going away with your beloved pooch:
1) Pet Water Bottle
Long Paws, who are proudly known as ‘the thoughtful pet company’, recommend investing in a pet water bottle, which will make ensuring your dog is kept refreshed on the road a whole lot more straightforward.
As they explain, ‘when going on walks, hikes, or to the beach, these are ideal. The bottle releases water as your dog licks, allowing dogs to drink straight from their own bottle.’ These bottles are a top quality product which are built to last; Long Paws note that ‘they are available in 3 sizes, and made from hygienic stainless steel and plastics that are free from any harmful chemicals’.
Their range of pet water bottles are available from between £10.00-12.00 – a very small price to pay for ensuring your dog avoids thirst and only drinks clean water for the duration of your trips.
2) Traffic leash
Also available from Long Paws, the comfort traffic leash is a really useful device which can keep lively dogs under control whilst you are out walking (without sacrificing their comfort), but which can also be used as a seatbelt when you are travelling to or from your destination.
The retailers explain that this is a ‘short 30cm lead that you can use to secure your dog in the car. Simply slip the safety belt through the leash handle, and clip the leash to a suitable harness. Your dog is safely tethered in the car with enough movement to keep him or her happy on the drive, and you are obeying UK law by securing your dog in the car’.
Easy to use and manufactured to the highest of safety standards, the comfort traffic leash is great value at £15.00.
3) Pet tags
They say that a dog is not just for Christmas and, similarly, pet tags should not just be for holidays. If you do not already have an identification tag for your dog or other animal, you really should pick one up as soon as possible. The small amount they cost is nothing compared to the relief you will feel if your pet is returned to you safely after getting lost thanks to the information found on its tag.
However, it goes without saying that the chances of getting separated from your dog are increased somewhat when you’re on holiday, in a place where neither you nor your pet are completely familiar with the surroundings. Therefore, it is doubly important to order a pet tag in preparation for going away – and when you get home, just keep using it!
We spoke to the award-winning Bow Wow Meow pet tag company about their best products for dog owners to take away with them on holiday, and they recommended a couple of items.
Firstly, engraved pet tags are simple but highly effective tools for keeping your dog or other pet safe. Available in a range of styles (including classic brass and stainless, glitter and even ‘sparkling bling’!), Bow Wow Meow explain that these are ‘an obvious necessity when people go on holidays’. They are amazing value given their practical worth, with prices starting from just £5.99, which includes engraving and postage.
For the more high tech dog owner, Bow Wow Meow also specialise in supplying innovative new ‘Retrieve My Pet’ smart tags. The company tells us that these smart tags have a QR code and NFC chip ‘that can be scanned or tapped by a smartphone.’ Once this is activated by whoever finds your lost pet, ‘the owner’s/pet’s profile comes up on their phone, giving them access to all the owner’s contact details, details about the dog, dietary requirements, medical conditions, insurance and microchip details. An email is also sent to the owner with the GPS location of the dog, if there is signal at the time of scanning’.
The best time to buy a smart tag is right now, as Bow Wow Meow are currently offering them to customers at the amazing introductory price of £4.95. They’ll only be available for this price for a limited time, so be sure to order yours soon.
4) tickpick
It may not be something you would want to consider very often, but it is a fact of life that dogs sometimes pick up ticks. As Long Paws explain, this is even more likely to happen when you’re out and about on holiday: ‘ticks are a problem that come with outdoor walking and hiking. If you are travelling to an area that is likely to have ticks, it is worth carrying a tick remover with you’.
The Long Paws TickPick is the ideal solution. The retailers tell us that this simple but ingenious product ‘sits on your keychain, is always available when you need it, and is easy and safe to use’.
The TickPick is another item that comes in at an impressively low price – it can be yours for as little as £2.95.
It is also worth noting that the TickPick has been fully tested and endorsed by the Worldwide Veterinary Service charity, to whom Long Paws contribute a share of profits from sales of the TickPick.
5) Dog tent
Finally, we had to share the very cute dog tent, which is available from Inner Wolf.
Available for £24.99, this ‘mobile kennel’ is perfect for dog lovers who are keen on camping but don’t particularly fancy sharing a tent with their loyal companion.
Quick and easy to assemble, the dog tent features net inserts to ensure good air circulation and has a waterproof base; using it, you can relax in the knowledge that your pet will be able to get some rest in safety and comfort.
We hope you have found the above suggestions useful. Now that you have the knowledge of the essentials to take with you on your next dog-friendly family holiday, what are you waiting for? Start planning a getaway which even your four-legged friend will enjoy today.
And as if you needed any more incentives, here’s another: Long Paws have provided us with an exclusive discount voucher code so that you can enjoy an extra saving on the products you’ll use when you next visit Tencreek. Just enter the code ‘LP10DOL’ when you get to the checkout and make the most of your 10% off!
Image Credit: sashaiw, blmoregon, tedmurphy, davidlocke (flickr.com)
