Travfurler

Travelling with pets during the Coronavirus outbreak

Covid has been a cause for concern for everyone. It has created so much uncertainty all around us. When can we see our families again? When can we explore again? When can we go back to work? When will our pets socialise again? When can we travel again?

In a year where health is of concern with this virus and the travel industry is struggling, we’ve spent more time at home with our pet’s. This has led to stronger bonds with our four-legged family members than ever before and mixed in with a new appreciation for nature, it’s no wonder we’re seeing more questions around how to get the most of travelling with your pet whilst the pandemic is ongoing.

We’ve put together this blog to highlight important pet travel checks to carry-out, advice on keeping your pet safe during the pandemic and some useful travel pet resources so you can keep travelling with pets during Covid.

Can you and pets travel during Covid?

United Kingdom — Using a tiered system. You must check your local area HERE

Germany — Nationwide Lockdown until the 10th January

France — Nationwide curfew until 20th January

Greece — Nationwide Curfew until 7th January and you must text to leave your home

Italy — Nationwide Lockdown over Christmas and new year

Spain — Nationwide curfew until May 2021

Belgium — Home visits possible but strict restrictions in place

Portugal — A ban on region movement at least until 4th January

Netherlands — Restrictions in place and advising against non essential travel abroad until mid March 2021

Denmark — Full national lockdown until 3rd January

Ireland — Rules on travelling have relaxed a little

These could all change in the blink of an eye so please keep an eye on government websites. This shows that it is impossible to advise on whether you can venture out with your pet but with a little research on your areas and guidelines the possibility is still possible. It might be more likely to be a walk in the park rather than a train journey through the Alps though for now!

Pre-planning for pet travel

No matter whether you’re travelling with cats or travelling with dogs, as always with pet travel, planning ahead and preparing will make adventures easier for all of the family — but this is now no longer just advised and has become a necessity in the current times. With restrictions changing daily across the world, it’s imperative to stay up to date on news, follow government rules and guidelines and be prepared for very last-minute changes as seen during Christmas this year…Talk about last minute huh!

Travel Guidance for UK and International Travel

To begin, review your local governments advice including local restrictions and monitor continuously. Where can you travel to and from and when will you be likely to make trips again?

For our UK Travfurlers we recommend the .gov website:

Gov UK

Outside of the UK we recommend the WHO website as a starting point:

WHO. INT

Once you understand the current options available to your adventure pet, it’s time to make a choice. Wherever you decide to travel or not, ensure you have a vet on standby and plenty of supplies to tide you over in case of an emergency. We have a blog on pet travel essentials that can help with this.

Pet friendly staycations are the new going out!

If borders are currently closed meaning pets can’t do air travel during Covid, could a staycation in your home country or region be a safer and an all-round easier option for you? Sometimes it’s easy to forget the beauty and adventures right on our doorstep and perhaps this is the year your pet could experience more exploring closer-to-home whilst supporting local pet friendly businesses.

Can you still travel with pets internationally?

Visit our blog for general advice and guidance on taking pet’s abroad. Outside of the above, due to the pandemic it is worth double-checking no pet travel restrictions have changed for the country you’re wishing to travel too and ensuring you keep up to date whilst on the move.

How to Pre-book pet friendly amenities

For any accommodation, restaurant or activities it’s even more important to make contact prior to arrival to check they are still pet friendly ( check out canwetakethedog.com) and will be able to accommodate your needs. With new restrictions on services and processes changing, some businesses are reducing opening hours, limiting availability and unfortunately this does mean in some businesses we have seen reduced numbers of petfriendly rooms or tables.

Preparing your pet for COVID-19 changes and safe travel

As facemasks now a staple tool used around the world to limit the spread of the virus, it’s advisable to socialise your pet to you wearing them before travelling.

If you are only just getting back out to adventure, especially if you have recently come out of a lockdown period, try to slowly and gradually reintroduce noises and busy areas. During lots of quiet time at home our pet’s can quickly adjust to this as the norm. Meaning they can struggle to re-adjust to the outside world as every day life picks up.

How to keep your pet safe and protect yourself during COVID-19

First and foremost, keep yourself safe. The easiest way to do this is to adhere to all local preventative laws and guidelines and ensure you stock up on corona virus travel essentials.

Since the virus spreads on surfaces, ensure to sanitise your hands and pet’s accessories often especially if they are touched by others outside of your household. We stock a gentle, fragrance free and pet-safe sanitiser especially for this: https://travfurler.com/products/nilaqua-instant-hand-sanitiser-plus-200ml Also keep your pet well cleaned — our range of towel-off pet shampoos are ideal for keeping your pet clean when on-the-go: https://travfurler.com/products/pet-waterless-shampoo-flea-repellent

With emergency pet services and vet’s reducing hours, services and in some cases the ability to physically enter the premises with your pet, It’s important to try and reduce the risk of your pet needing to visit.

There’s some key areas this can be focused in on, such as ensuring your pet is healthy prior to travel and their vaccinations are up to date, by keeping your pet on lead to reduce pet’s getting lost or injured and limiting contact with other unknown animals to reduce any negative encounters. Where possible, stick to rural, open areas with lots of space and make the most of what nature has to offer.

Conclusion

Can pets travel during Covid? Sadly, the answer like all answers during this period is complicated. Review local rules, be sensible, be safe and if you can travel with them and you do, then send us a picture so we can share and enjoy something positive with the world! #Travfurler

Embrace your companion, embrace the adventure!

Whether you’re travelling near or afar, enjoy every minute with your pet and thank them for their companionship whilst times are tough. We can’t wait to see where you explore together next!

Happy Travfurling! The Travfurler Team

For more pet travel advice make sure to check out our other travel pet blogs or our recommended pet bloggers and friends:

- Cat Travel tips: Thehikingcat — https://thehikingcat.com/ — Dog Travel tips: exotiktraveler — luxury pet travel — https://exotiktraveler.com/blog/luxurytravels/travels/luxury-pet-travel/

For some pet travel inspiration, meet some of the adventure pet’s that have been continuing their exploring around the world:

@indi.crossingthecoordinates

Pets dying of boredom thanks to Covid-19…

 You read the title and thought, really? No not really, well not in the literal sense anyway. Since lock down we have had mixed emotions ranging from highs, lows, positives, negatives, and outright depression.

 Travel the world they said!

It is our motto and we planned to explore the wonders of Europe with our boy Francis in an ‘over the hill’ Fiat Ducato motor home in true ‘Travfurler’ style. However, this is now sadly postponed until next year.

 When you notice your pet’s eyes, or the huff and some other actions of emotion they display, you get the feeling they might be bored, and they probably are. When they dream, especially when a dog dreams, it can appear like they are running, barking, and playing in the big open world. This is something which might have vanished for you since the pandemic arrived in the same manner that our plans were scuppered. Despite this, it is your responsibility as a pet partner to make life more interesting for them, or at least try, but how?

 Alleviating boredom when travel and adventure is impossible

There are several activities dogs love to engage in. Here is a list of some dog engagement ideas to try.

 These include:

 Hide and seek

Yep you heard me. Tell them to sit and wait and slowly back away from them leaving the room and go and hide in the house and then call them to find you. Kimberley has mastered this with our dog Francis and like to play on their own which is rather amusing. If they do not understand the game and don’t go charging around the house then it’s time to get a family member who is not isolated from you to give your pet a hand and get them to roam the house with you to find the hidden person. This is not only great for getting them engaged and thinking, but it also tires them out if your hiding spot is pretty good.

 Fetch or the wall bounce

If you are lucky enough to have a back garden, then grab the tennis balls and play fetch. However, if you have a dog who does not understand fetch and only brings the ball half way back then the ‘wall bounce’ game is for you! Use your house wall in the garden and throw the tennis ball at the floor which then proceeds to hit the wall and come flying back to you for the catch. You do not need to be a cricket master; you just need a reasonable reaction time. Do it and if you find the catch easy, you can speed it up a bit whilst your dog springs from side to side trying to catch the ball which they will love. Eventually they will headbutt the ball or you will make a mistake and they have the chance to paw it, headbutt it, kick it and go flying after it. The look on their face when the opportunity finally presents itself is hilarious! Give it a go. Your neighbours will think you are mad.

 Cardboard Shredding

Yep, take the Amazon box and throw it in the garden but make sure you removed any staples or anything that could harm your pets first. My other half loves to do this, but I do not love to spend hours picking up the shredded bits from all the over garden which is the only downside to this. On the upside they get hours of fun and frustration out on tearing the box up. If they are not sure, you could tempt them by showing them how it is done however once again, your neighbours might question your behaviour.

  The Taste Challenge

Bring the world of food to your dog.

Take a long piece of cardboard from that trusty Amazon box you half shredded and use that as your long plate for your dog. We are going to layout many different food types for the hungry hound. Try laying out the following and get them to taste one at a time:

 ·       Watermelon

·       Blueberries

·       Carrot

·       Beef Steak (Raw)

·       Banana

·       Strawberries

·       Cucumber

·       Peanut butter

·       Ice cubes

 The world will re-open again soon and if there is one thing we learned from this pandemic, it is how much we will appreciate the borders fully opening again allowing us and our pets to travel the globe. You may not be able to globe trot now with your furry friends however some national parks, walks and local woods and beaches do offer some sense of adventure until things return to normal. Also, if you are truly locked in, then give the above a go and see how you get on.

Have you made your plans for when the borders re-open? Let us know what they are by commenting!

JUly 23, 2020·WRITTEN BY KIMBERLEY BOLTON

We’re passionate about worldwide travel with pets. Helping explorers of all species travel safely, happily and in style with a range of first-class travel products and a growing worldwide pet travel community.

The bulk of our experience comes from travelling across five countries with our dog, Francis. He’s a French Bulldog (@frenchiefrancisthefirst) with a passion for adventures and making new friends (of all species!)Now we’re looking to share some of our experiences with you, to help you make your dog-friendly trips easier.Before any trip, research always plays a big part. Here’s how we adapt trip research to suit travelling with a dog:– First and foremost a location (and potential accommodation) needs to be selected. To do this we’d recommend using comparison sights and filtering on dog friendly. A key tip here is if there’s no dog-friendly filters, workaround it by using the in-built search functionality using “dog” as the keyword. To find somewhere that’s “dog-friendly” and not just “dogs-allowed” always sift through reviews.

– If you’re still unsure of the above, turn to social media. Using location tags and trending hashtags you can easily scope out dog-friendly hotspots. For example, for searches in Spain, we’d look for #dogfriendlyspain #spanishdogs, etc.

– These will often also aid in returning dog-friendly excursions and activities plus local dog accounts, whom you could contact for recommendations. Bonus!

– Next, you’ll need to consider travel requirements for the trip. If you’re moving between countries is a pet-passport/visa required, are there any medical requirements for your companion? Most requirements can be found online with some research however, it’s always best to double-check with your vet.

Once you’ve carried out your research it’s time to get preparing. We’ve covered the main areas we always target:– The biggest step is getting your dog as ready for what’s coming as possible. Has your dog ever stayed anywhere other than your home before? If not, could you test this at a family members? Or if you’re going on a long road trip, has your dog been acclimatised to a car yet? If not, get some practice in as early as possible to avoid stress on the big day. If you’re aware there could be issues look for options to help reduce the stress, for example, we’ll be stocking a great natural product to ease pets worries whilst travelling. With every new trip comes new surroundings and experiences for your dog, so it’s best to ease them into it with a few shorter, well-rewarded trips before jumping headfirst into a long trip. You will appreciate the ease of a trip once this step has been completed.

– Make sure you complete any pre-travel vet checks as per the travel requirements you researched earlier. Failing to complete this step could result in a very short end to your plans not to mention a stressed dog should things go south.

– Packing, just like with children, can be a minefield but it doesn’t have to be. There are some basics we’ve covered below, many of which we’ll be stocking to help with those decisions:

– Food (work on a trip day ratio +25% in case of any delays)

– Travel Paperwork

– Medicine (if required)

– Home comforts (toys/blanket/bed – these will help your dog settle whilst away and be useful during delays)

– Grooming (towels, cleaning products)

Anything outside of this is likely a personal choice. When having a pre-trip run through you can test out what you really need. Try laying everything out on the side for say a week and see what you actually use. You’ll quickly notice things you think you need, but likely won’t actually use.

Whilst on-the-go the most important step is to EMBRACE IT ALL – just like your dog will. A couple of tips we recommend whilst out and about, if travelling abroad ALWAYS photocopy paperwork (trust us, it’s just as easy to lose a pet passport as it is a human one!), no matter the town or city you visit, always pop to the local pet store – it’s amazing the different things you’ll find and the staff will likely be happy to help with recommendations and you never know, maybe even a local freebie. Finally, you can never have enough wipes/towels, no matter the weather!There may be challenges along the way but with our steps listed above, these should be easily minimised and managed. Carry-out research, prepare carefully, and finally, enjoy those magic moments seeing new places through your companion’s eyes.

Don’t forget to record those special moments and share with us @Travfurler as we’d love to see what you get up to!

Happy Travfurling!