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Traveling with your dog by car can be challenging
If you’re anything like me, then you love holidays, oh! The sweet smell of the summer, and the relaxing feeling you get when you know you’re away from work and stress.
It’s that time where you can just chill with family, and loved ones. But more than holidays, you love your furry friends. It’s even more beautiful if you got yourself some adorable French bulldogs.
What’s a holiday without those sweet little things tagging along?
They deserve to have some fun too, don’t they?
Going on holidays via road trips comes with a special kind of fun, the stoppages, the meals, the car music where y’all sing along. Name it! But it’s not so easy when you have to plan on taking your dog along – especially your Frenchie.
You have to consider several factors and tackle them before embarking on your road trip with dogs.
So you’ve been perturbed on how to pull through that long-anticipated road trip with your Frenchie? Well, that’s why we’re here.
To answer your question, and leave you with some invaluable tips to help you have a successful and enjoying trip with your French bulldog.
Does My French Bulldog require a seatbelt/Harness?
The simple answer is YES.
If you really want your dogs to have a relatively stress-free trip, a car harness is important. It keeps your dog in place as you speed through the roads, and this keeps you and your pet safer.
You won’t have to get worried about your dog’s position, and that amounts to an almost zero distraction from your dog.
Even when a road occurrence requires that you abruptly go for your brakes and bring the car to a sudden halt, the impact wouldn’t fling your dog to another part of the car.
Now the downside of not having a Car Harness or seatbelt when traveling with your dog is :
Your dog’s apparent lack of stability might distract you, and can lead to occurrences that might endanger your dog’s life, your life, the lives of those traveling with you in the car, and even the lives of other road users.
Here’s one good thing about Harnesses, most of them are fully adjustable.
Have you got a pup? You must have it. You can continually adjust it as your dog grows.
There are plenty of choices to choose from but this one is the top picked.
To find out more and see the latest deal, check and read Amazon reviews here.
One Tip: When picking a harness, go for those that are made of soft materials that won’t cause irritation to your dog’s skin. If you can’t make this pick, let your vet help you out. It will make the trip a much more comfortable one for your pooch.
Where’s the safest place to place my Frenchie in a car?
Like when going on a trip with your baby, the best and safest place for a dog on a road on is the back seat.
There’s a number of reasons.
An inquisitive dog might want to touch certain parts of your car, like the gear and whatever is within their reach, that can prove detrimental to everyone on board.
Also, having your dog seated right beside you might be generally distracting. More precisely, if you have one dog, place it in the center spot of the back seat.
Your little furry loves are vulnerable in the unfortunate event of a crash, especially because they are strapped to a position with a car harness.
Placing them in the middle of the rear seat has been found to be 43% safer than the front seat.
If you have two dogs on the trip, one of them should be on the side.
This way, you’re safe, and relaxed in the thought that your dogs are safe, too.
Do French Bulldogs Get Car Sick?
Well… I’d say yes, and no.
Some, but not all French bulldogs get car sick. Pretty much like kids, some get car sick while others don’t.
It varies. For many dogs, car riding is the next best thing after cookies, but some others have a different tale to tell.
Motion sickness is a normal occurrence even among some human adults, sometimes due to speed or stuffiness of a car during a ride.
Among French bulldogs, older dogs are much more resistant to car sickness than their younger counterparts, this is because younger dogs lack a fully developed inner ear which is used for balance.
If you’ve got Frenchie pups, do well to keep an eye on them through the ride. Just to ensure they’re comfortable.
How do I know when my dog is carsick?
It’s best to watch out for symptoms of car sickness in your dog, especially if it’s their first time of hoping on a (long) ride.
Car sickness doesn’t always result in vomiting. Other symptoms may include: Excessive drooling, uneasiness, unusual calmness or inactivity, whining, yawning, panting, and a subsequent fear of cars.
And do I hear you ask, “Why does my dog face car sickness?”
Well, there’s no straight-up answer to this question. A plethora of factors or a combination of such can result in car sickness. Sometimes the age of the dog plays a key role.
Puppies are more susceptible, although not all puppies face motion sickness. Their relatively underdeveloped inner ears don’t serve them well to provide a good balance.
From a dog’s perspective, car might seem like a huge, hot, noisy container that moves on its own. It could freak them out and that’s why some doggies suffer car sickness simply as a result of anxiety.
Some dogs have also associated car rides with unpleasantness because they are only driven to a Veterinarian, and probably get shots of injection each time.
Not pleasant, huh? That’s why they might fret at the sight of a car.
Dogs who were exposed to car rides earlier in life also stand a better chance against car sickness, than dogs who weren’t introduced to it, and might have issues adapting to the strange environment of the car.
Finally, much like humans, some dogs just have a little bit of allergy to the car atmosphere, maybe the slight smell of gasoline, the smell of the AC gas, or the wind that blows as the car speeds by.
How Can I help My dog overcome motion sickness?
Whether your dog has exhibited motion sick was in the past and you want to prepare him for the summer, or it will be his first long ride and you just want to make sure, we have a few tips for you that can help bring car sickness to its knees.
To prevent your doggie from associating cars to unpleasant situations and thereby subjecting it to car anxiety, drive your doggie to enjoy places like parks.
If you’ve got a pup, expose it to car rides early in life.
Take short car rides before the long trip. Maybe around the block or to and fro the end of your street.
On the ride, slight lower your car windows to equate the air pressure inside your car with the air pressure outside. This keeps your dog more comfortable.
If symptoms persist, please consult your veterinarian. There are approved drugs that combat vomiting and car sickness.
If anxiety is associated, your dog might require therapy to overcome this challenge and to enjoy road trips like other dogs do. Please note that it is crucial to get your dog all the necessary help while they are still young.
Some Tips Before You Begin On A Trip With Your Frenchie
These tips will help you enjoy a hassle-free journey with your beloved doggie. It will be fun and smiles all the way.
- Bring along a lot of snacks and beverages for you and your doggie.
There might be times where you’ll be driving and when hunger hits, the only restaurant around might not be dog-friendly.
You’ll need options to fall back on. You may download the App BringFido to help you locate dog-friendly restaurants.
- Have a portable crate: If your dog’s comfort matters then you might need a portable crate. Your lovely Frenchie would feel more comfortable in a crate than in a strange hotel room.
- Also ensure that the place you’re going to is a dog-friendly place. Different hotels have different policies regarding pets. Be sure to check with them before arrival.
- For a smooth ride, ensure you already have directions. A paper map might be necessary for long rides as you may drive through places with no signal and Google map my stop functioning.
Wrap Up
If you’re well-prepared.
Traveling with that cute lovely Frenchie doesn’t always have to be a nightmare.
It can be a surprisingly stress-free process, and you can go have the fun of your lives in the summer.
ENJOY!!