Young pups on holidays, bad idea?

[Parodius]

Just after some opinions/experiences if that’s ok.

My previous girl Billie hated travelling anywhere in the car despite numerous failed attempts to make it a positive experience so I never went on a doggy holiday with her as journeys stressed her too much. Having learned from my mistakes, Neo is a much better traveller so L has suggested a week away somewhere dog friendly later this year, but I’m not so keen as I think it will be a disaster!

Those that have holidayed with their dogs, how old were they when you went? Did they settle well in a new place? I’m not totally against the idea but I think we should wait until he is older and we have worked through some of his issues, however I’m being accused of being a moodhoover by pointing out all the potential pitfalls! Any opinions welcomed, thanks.

 

[kateincornwall]

We took Sam, our previous Labrador on holiday when he was about a year old , we carefully picked our accommodation , ensuring it had a safe and secure garden and he was fine . Mind you , Sam was a very laid back dog , unlike his great nephew Reuben who is much more , shall I say ` forward ` We havent been away with Reuben but I am now looking around for later in the year , I think he will be fine . I guess you have to give it a try , you may well be surprised as we were when we took the dogs to a restaurant recently . Just make sure about the garden though , I have read some adverts for places stating enclosed garden which turned out to be a 12 inch picket fence ! Good luck x

 

[Jacqui-S]

An enclosed garden isn't a necessity but makes it a WHOLE lot easier, particularly with a youngster. I scour the reviews for the veracity of this particular feature!

I think that Lilly was possibly about 9 months when we first went away with her for a weekend, but a slightly odd situation where it was a BnB owned by an Auntie of Gs. Had direct outside access from our room. It must have been winter as I remember ice and snow....
I digress.

Top tip. Even though it's a pain space wise, take a crate. And lots of throws/covers.
It's a rare rental that doesn't say No Dogs of Furniture, as well as No Dogs Upstairs/In Bedrooms. That would be a sure guarantee of an unhappy dog in my opinion.

Otherwise, you will probably surprised at how much fun it is.
Good to research for dog friendly pubs restaurants and attractions locally, and remember that there are beach restrictions May to September in most places. Yeah yeah, most dogs/owners make less mess than humans, but picknicers are a real hazard

 

[Boogie]

I always took my Guide Dog pups on holiday to dog-friendly cottages. They loved it, and so did we. We waited until after toilet training tho and took a crate for night time. Yes, we made sure they had enclosed gardens.

Spencer, nine months old, looking over the half door at our holiday cottage on Lindisfarne. Happy memories.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Considering how/where I drag Carbon, you probably know what I'm going to say.

My personal feeling on this is that it's a lot more to do with the human than with the dog. Humans who are homebodies tend to have dogs that are also homebodies and have a harder time adjusting to being away. People who are more on the go tend to have dogs that fall asleep anywhere and shrug at hours in the car. Nothing wrong with either style, it's just something to think about when considering a doggie holiday.

I chucked my first Rottweiler in the car three days after he came home at eight weeks old for his first road trip and have never looked back. Carbon took weeks of getting him used to the car (seriously - it was painful) but is a doggie traveling pro now. That's not to say it was easy at first. I did stupid stuff, Carbon was clueless and what he is now is rather amazing all things considered.

For you, my guess is that Neo would do fine - perhaps with some snaffoos, but hey, that's where the good stories come from, right? But seriously, think about what kind of holiday to you want. Are there things you want to do but can't with Neo? This is a big one because you can't leave him "home" alone in holiday accommodation. Are there things you can try to do with Neo but maybe in a slightly modified way so it works for him? Also think about the things that you can ONLY do with Neo along with you. Those are the best bits because in a way you get to see wherever you are going with all new eyes through Neo.

If you really envision a disaster but still want to give it a go, how about a test flight - a big day out or one night away? See what happens, and how you can modify your longer holiday for better success.

And if you decide on a Neo-less holiday in the end, that's ok too.

On the other hand, you may become a "with dog" travel addict. Be careful. You might find yourself driving 6 days to Spain with a Labrador breathing over your shoulder the whole way and eating things off the ground in three countries.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Top tip. Even though it's a pain space wise, take a crate. And lots of throws/covers.

I cannot agree with this enough. Take lots and lots and lots of covers (sheets, blankets, towels). I use cheap king-sized top sheets for sofas and then throw even more covers over that.

I used a folding crate for Carbon for the first couple years. It was a pain, but worth it for the peace of mind.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Took them all at different stages. Doug was about 4 months old Moo about 7 months Rory at about 8 months. One memorable holiday we took all three, from a 7 month old Rory to a 13 year old Doug.we have stayed in both flats and enclosed gardens. As long as the dog is toliet trained it's been ok. We've travelled all over the country and it's been fine.

 

[Candy]

Joy went on her first holiday ( just to my brother and SIL's place) at 4 months. We were prepared for all sorts of disasters but none happened. At 23 months she coped really well with a journey involving 3 trains from West Yorkshire to Norfolk and she has continued to love travelling by car or train, and holidays in general ever since. I agree that planning ahead is important, but I think that on the whole dogs don't worry about being in new places as long as they're with the people they love and feel safe with. Solstice camped in a tent with us during a force 9 gale and torrential rain when she was 6 months old. The only thing she did that was different from usual was to change her sleeping arrangements. She had left her bed and wrapped herself round Trevor's head like a furry hat. They were both very cosy and perfectly happy!

 

[Selina27]

I think Cass was about 10 months old the first time we stayed away, she was fine then and has been wherever we've stayed since. In fact, I think she quite enjoys being somewhere different.
As long as she has food, comfort and enough exercise/ new smells it's pretty much home from home for her I'd say.

 

[Jacqui-S]

Lilly isn't always good with hard floor surfaces so we always look for a place with carpet (surprisingly not as hard as you think) or plenty of rugs.
And I try to get sight of the stairs. Hard wood open stairs ARE possible but no fun for an old girl like Lilly.

 

[Loraseal]

Hunter's first holiday was, to the UK at 14 weeks. Fold away crate and dog friendly cottages with carpets for his elbow issues . Few favourite toys but he just settled anywhere. Next one he was 5 months in the Lakes. It depends on the holiday you want but we love outdoor type holidays and check out the dog friendly places.

 

[M.F.]

Snowie loves going on holiday. Loves going to new places. He was 3 months when we first took him. And then 2 yo the next time. No fenced garden. He took off a few times and I had to traipse through peoples’ gardens to get him! An enclosed garden is wonderful, but not essential if your dog is used to being inside all the time. Snowie is; he seldom goes outside by himself at home.

I find that going on holiday together really makes the bond stronger between us. And helps with recall training. He’s in a strange place and constantly checking we’re together.

Definitely take his bed. It immediately creates a spot for relaxing and feeling safe.

The last holiday we took the rubber mats we use on our stairs at home. Gives a good grip. And there were varnished wooden stairs at the holiday house, so I was really pleased I took them.

 

[kateincornwall]

I think as long as it is a rural location , Reubs would be fine without a completely enclosed garden but with Nelly being deaf , it would be a constant worry .
We always used to take Sams duvet bed , he would settle on it in the car and then use it when we arrived at our destination . Dogs are usually very adaptable to changes , as long as we are with them x

 

[SwampDonkey]

We stayed in a flat a few times no garden it was fine. The dogs I had then (Doug and Moo) loved the flat as it was next to a beach.

 

[Granca]

It depends on the holiday. Wispa first went to Scotland with us when she was five months old. We had two older dogs who always went with us, so we didn’t even consider not taking Wispa. She coped well with the long journey (over 450 miles) and seemed to accept just being with her family, but in a different place! She always slept in a crate at home, so we made sure we had a crate for her in Scotland too so that she could be in a familiar, comfy place. She had to be on the lead outside the small area surrounding our chalet, as it’s on a farm, but she could run free in the woods and on the beach.

Two years later when we had Tuppence, she travelled to Scotland too before she was a year old. She wasn’t keen on the journey, but she loved the holiday!

 

[Parodius]

Thanks all for your comments and useful top tips, much appreciated

Sounds like research is key, we are hoping for somewhere with a beach nearby as he hasn’t been yet (nearest to us is probably Weston-super-mare which doesn’t really count imo as I don’t think I’ve ever seen the sea there!) so useful to know the dog friendly months, thanks @Jacqui-S

I have a tendency to overthink things which is probably what I’m doing in this instance, I think I need to reign it in a bit and learn to go with the flow more.

 

[kateincornwall]

Take a look at Saunton Beach Villas , north Devon and literally by the beach , all chalets have enclosed gardens and its very dog friendly so not many spaces left . It is expensive but then so is everywhere in the UK right now, but it looks like dog heaven

 

[SwampDonkey]

When Doug died Moo was understandably heart broken. We took her on holiday to cheer her up. The change really helped her she seemed to feel a lot better when we came home. She enjoyed stropping about being herself in Kent.

 

[Parodius]

Take a look at Saunton Beach Villas , north Devon and literally by the beach , all chalets have enclosed gardens and its very dog friendly so not many spaces left . It is expensive but then so is everywhere in the UK right now, but it looks like dog heaven

Thanks, I’ll take a look

 

[SwampDonkey]

There are a lot of dog friendly cottage sites. I've used a few over the years. Some provide crates etc.