Some Tips To Make Travelling With Your Dog Easier

Introduction

Well, my little one is now thirteen years old. I have had him since he was only two weeks old and he has been a part of my family since then. So, it is no surprise that I have taken him everywhere we went. I just could not leave him behind for others to look after him or put him in a dog boarding facility. I felt that he may not be looked after well by anyone other than myself. I also could never bear the thought that he would miss me. And of course, I would miss him. 

The Background

My husband and I used to work at a boarding school in the Himalayas so we had a two-month winter vacation every year. It got very cold there so we always came down south to Bangalore and Goa where our parents lived. 

The First Long Journey

   PART 1               (Mussoorie to Delhi)

1.Traveling By Car

My thirteen-year-old, whose name is Comet, made his first long journey when he was six month's old. We had to travel down from Mussoorie to Delhi. We chose to travel by taxi the whole way so that we would not have to book him into a train at Dehradun and we could be with him longer. The travel time is about six hours. He was very excited about the journey, and also very restless. He would not sit still. He went from one person's lap to another. We stopped several times for him to ease himself and drink water. Halfway through the journey, he started vomiting and we had a lot of cleaning up to do.

    PART 2            (Delhi to Bangalore)

2.Traveling By Train

At the Booking Office

On reaching Delhi, we had to go to the railway booking office and book him into the luggage van with the guard. My heart was breaking to part with him. At the booking office, he was weighed and charged as extra luggage. 

In The Train 

We put him in the cage in the guard's van at the back of the train. He is a small dog so he was able to move around in it quite easily. However, a big dog will have a problem and be very uncomfortable. The cage was dirty and claustrophobic. It had a tiny window towards the outside of the train and bars towards the inside. We had to lock it and take the key with us.

 Railway Rules

Dogs are booked in a 'first come, first serve' basis. So if another dog has been booked before yours, you will have to find another train. Hence, we always went to the station many hours ahead of time. 

You are allowed to come and see the dog during halts. However, in long-distance trains, the long halts are few and far between, and not really long halts. The train would stop for about five or ten minutes only.

image from Pixabay

Read the rules for taking dogs in trains in the Indian Railways here:
https://canine-thoughts.blogspot.com/2018/08/indian-railway-rules-for-taking-dogs.html


Our Woes

We were in the A.C. compartment towards the front of the train. We would ask the T.C. when the long halts would come and then, minutes before that, we would walk through the entire train right till we reached the unreserved compartments. There were usually two or three of them. The compartments are not connected further. Then, when the train stopped, we would jump off, run to the guard's van, take him out of the cage, and walk him, try and give him some water, etc., push him back into the cage and lock him up, run back to our compartment, our hearts breaking because he would not drink water or eat anything, he would just cry constantly. He hated to be in that cage away from us. 

Since taking him out of the cage, was such a tedious process, we did it just once a day during our horrible three-day-journeys. He was miserable, and so were we. By the time we reached our destination, he would be all weak and trembling. 

My Thoughts

Train journeys for a dog in the guard's van are horrible and I would not recommend it unless you have no other option at all. 

We did the journeys this way for a few more times until we could bear it no longer. 

We then decided it was better to book a first class coupe since you are allowed to take your dog with you. It is much more expensive, but he loved it and so did we. 

Traveling In A First Class Coupe

When you book your dog in a first class coupe, you still need to go to the luggage office and weigh him and get a ticket for him. They allow you to take a dog in a first class compartment with you, only if you book a coupe or all four tickets in the compartment with four travelers. Basically, there should be no other travelers with you. 

Comet loved traveling this way. He would perch himself up on the table and look out through the window for hours, then he would curl up in bed with us when he was tired. When he wanted to eat or drink, he would get down and go to his bowl. He was at home and relaxed. When a stop came, we took him out on his leash. He walked around, eased himself and we came back in. There was no need to run around. 

I highly recommend traveling by the first A.C.

The first A.C.compartment               

                                                      Inside the first A.C. compartment

3. Traveling In A Plane

Once, we decided to fly with him. We wanted to see if that was better since it was faster. We were asked to sedate him and we had to produce his vaccination records and a health certificate signed by his vet. Also, we had to buy our own cage for him. Then, we booked him in as luggage. At the airport, he stayed in the cage. The only consolation was that he was with us. Half an hour before the flight took off, we had to hand him over. He went in as luggage. I never heard him cry at all. He was probably very upset. 

When we reached our destination, he came out as luggage on the conveyor belt. I did not like putting him in a cage and leaving him in the luggage part of the plane. I kept harassing the pilot to check if he was okay before we took off and if there was an oxygen supply there. He was the only pet traveling on that flight. 

It was a bad experience for us all. So, we never took him on a plane again.

Image from Pixabay

Other Short Trips We Made

Initially, we would take him with us everywhere, when we went to the beach, or when we went shopping or visiting. Slowly, we realized that it was better to leave him back home, even if he was lonely and we missed him. He would get very agitated on these trips. He would get tired, thirsty and restless.

Some Tips

• Visit a vet before you travel and ask him if your dog is fit for travel. Also, ask the vet if he will be able to manage at the place you are going to. Some dogs are over sensitive to heat or cold and will have a hard time adjusting to the climate of the place. He might become ill. That won't be much of a vacation for him or you.
• If you intend to travel in a plane, it would be a good idea to buy the cage about a month in advance, place his favorite toys in it and let him get used to the idea of using it. Don't force him. Just coax him to spend time in it by showing him that it's a nice thing. Give him treats for using the cage. 
• Get a name tag made, with your dog's name on it, your name, address, and phone number. Make sure your dog is wearing the name tag on the day of your travel, (With his name, owner's name and address and phone numbers) just in case he gets lost.
• Take his own bowls. Travel itself will make him anxious. At least he can have the bowls he's used to. 
• Carry fresh drinking water and food. You may not find these for hours during your travel. Dogs get thirsty fast.
• Take some of his favorite treats along. It will help him relax.
• Carry some old clothes that have the familiar smell of home and his family members.
• Take a favorite toy along.
• Keep small towels and tissue handy.

1. If you plan to take your dog by car

•  Keep a lot of towels, tissue, fresh drinking water, and some food (although he may not feel like eating) handy. 
• Make frequent stops.

2. If you plan to take your dog in a train

• Go to the station many hours in advance. 
• Carry a big lock and key.
• If you are using the guard's van, check the cage carefully. Sometimes, they are damaged. The dog might be able to come out of a broken cage and run onto some platform and be lost. The guard is not always around to watch. 

You also need to bear in mind that the Rajdhani and all other super fast trains don't take dogs. 

3. If you plan to travel in a plane

• Buy a comfortable cage
• Carry all his  medical records with you. The vaccinations should be up- to -date.
• Don't forget to give him a mild sedation.
• Ask the pilot to check if he is okay before you take off and ask him to ensure that there is an oxygen supply in the luggage compartment below.

Read more about dogs at:
https://hubpages.com/animals/morefromadog

Indian Railway Rules for Travelling With Your Dog

Travelling With Your Dog
Travelling with your dog is not easy. It needs a great deal of planning.

Here are some ideas:
https://hubpages.com/animals/The-Way-To-Give-Your-Pet-A-Treat

Are You Allowed To Take your Dog in a Train?

A passenger can take a dog with him if he books a two or four berth compartment in the first A.C. carriage of the train. No other passengers should be travelling with him in that compartment. If, however, there are fellow passengers, they should not object to the presence of the dog. If there is any objection, the dog will be removed to the brake van during the journey and the passenger will not get a refund for the amount he paid when the dog was booked in the A.C. compartment.

In all other compartments, dogs are not allowed to be with the passengers. However, a dog can be booked as luggage in the brake van, depending on the train. All trains do not carry pets in the guard vans. The super-fast trains do not carry dogs.

The Initial Procedure

• If you want to travel with your dog in a train, you need to reach the station well ahead of time, especially if you are booking the dog in the guard's van. If another dog has been booked before yours, you will not be able to take your dog in the train.
• Dogs have to be taken to the parcel office, weighed, and a fee paid. The passenger will then obtain a receipt which has to be shown to the Ticket Collector. This booking slip should be kept safely and produced at the time when you need to collect your dog from the guard's van at the end of your journey.

When travelling in the guard's van, a dog weighing up to 30 kg is allowed. In the first A.C. compartment, a dog weighing 60 kg is allowed. 

A woman travelling alone, with children who are less than twelve years of age, can take the dog with her in the first A.C. compartment by paying the charges for the dog's travel in the guard's van. If another lady passenger joins her later, the dog can only stay there with her consent. If the lady objects to the dog's presence, the dog is moved to the guard's van.

Charges

Dogs are charged just like luggage. The minimum fee is Rs. 10 per dog. So, if your dog weighs about 10 kg, you will have to pay about Rs 100. 

Dogs travelling in the guards van are charged less than those travelling in the first A.C. compartments of the train, except in the case of a 'seeing-eye' dog who is accompanying his blind master in a first class carriage. In that case, the dog is charged as per the rates of the guard's van. Dogs that are found without a booking slip, will be charged six times the amount.

Picture courtesy: www.freeimages.com 

When The Train Arrives

• Your dog will have to be placed in the built-in coop in the guard's van at the end of the train. They allow two dogs in it at one given time, but both dogs should belong to the same owner.  There is usually one such coop in a train, placed in the guard's van at the back. Some long distance trains may have a second guard's van in the front of the train, with another coop there.
• Your dog must have a collar and chain. It is safer to tie the dog inside the coop.

During The Journey

.

• You have to make your own arrangements for your dog's food and water. So, you will have to go to the guard's van several times during your journey to feed your dog. 
• You will need to find out when the train will make a long halt so that you can take your dog out to ease himself.

The Pros of Taking Your Dog In A Train

• Travelling with your dog in a train is definitely cheaper than flying with him.
• If your dog is travelling in a first class compartment with you, he will be very comfortable. 

The Cons of Taking Your Dog In A Train

Based on my own personal experiences, I do not recommend taking your dog in the guard's van. 

• The cages in the guard's van are dirty, cramped up and claustrophobic. I have heard stories of dogs that have managed to escape from broken cages when the train has halted at a station, and disappeared. 

           Some dogs have not made it to the end of the journey due to the excessive heat or cold.

• Visiting your dog in the guard's van several times during the journey to feed him or walk him  is not a feasible option.

          My own dog used to be so upset when he was put in the cage that he never ate or drank while he was there, he would be very upset and cry the whole time. To add to that, the guard would complain about him and indirectly demand money because he had to put up with a cranky dog that had been separated from his family and was in a strange, scary place that was all dark, smelly, cramped up, and made loud, terrible sound as it moved along. 

Travelling with your dog by train by the Indian Railways is a cumbersome process.

Read my personal experiences here:
https://canine-thoughts.blogspot.com/2018/08/introduction-well-my-little-one-is-now.html

References:
https://www.dogspot.in/travel-your-dog-indian-railways/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Travelling-with-pets-in-train-cheap-but-complicated/articleshow/19748554.cms

How To Give Your Stubborn Dog His Medication

How Some People Give Their Dogs Medication
I marvel at the way some people can give their dogs medication so easily. they just call the dog, push the tablet into his mouth, close the dog's mouth and wait for him to swallow it. After that, the dog is rewarded with a treat.

How I Struggle

Things are not that easy for me. I have a dog who is fussy and temperamental. He has a temper. He's stubborn. 

Giving him his medication is a herculean task. He needs to be cheated into taking his medication. No amount of coaxing can ever help.

Finding Out About The Prescribed Medication

When your dog has been prescribed medication, the first thing to do is to ask the vet if it can be taken with food. Also, find out if there is any food that needs to be avoided while he's on that medication. I know that my dog was on Doxycycline several times and we were asked to avoid milk and other dairy products within a few hours of giving the tablet. Another thing to ask the vet is whether the pill can be crushed or not.

Ways In Which You Can Give Your Dog His Medication

• I have crushed his pills and mixed them with chicken. He loves chicken but he would get the smell of the tablet and then refuse to eat. I then discovered that he took the pills only if they were mixed with fried chicken. The chicken had to be tasty. 
• He also loves butter. If I wrapped the crushed pills in a piece of fresh bread smeared with butter, he would take it willingly. Of course, it had to be fresh bread and only Amul butter. 
• Another thing that worked for me was cow's liver. My dog loves cow's liver but will only eat it if it's cooked the way he likes it. It has to be almost raw. If it's cooked extra, he will turn away from it. 
• People say that wrapping the pills in cheese works wonders. You could try that. It never worked for me. 
• You could also try wrapping the pills in a treat. This never worked for me either, as my dog does not believe in dog treats. A treat for him would mean being able to eat what we are eating. 
• Salami and ham are known to work wonders at disguising the taste of medicines. 
• I was advised by the vet to try giving him his medication in a piece of sweet like gulab jamun. I have never tried that. 

My Own Ingenious Plan

There was no way I could ever give my dog the pill, wrapped in his favourite foodstuff, easily. He had to be cheated into eating it. The first few bites would be without the pill. Then, when he began to enjoy it, I would suddenly slip the piece with the pill into his mouth. He would swallow it without thinking. After that, I would continue giving him his favourite foodstuff without the pill. This would work only until he learned how I was cheating him into taking his medication. Then the fussing would become worse and I would need to figure out a new way to cheat him into taking his medication.

<img src="my-little-one.jpg"

alt="how to give your stubborn dog his medication "/>

It's Hard But Possible!

Giving your dog medication is by no means an easy task for most people. You will have to try all kinds of things to see what works best for you. If your dog is as stubborn as mine is, things will be much worse and you will have to struggle more to come up with an ingenious plan.