Holidays with dog

For many people, their pets and traveling are two passions that it is very difficult to choose between. In the past, when organizing a getaway, there was no choice but to leave the animal in the care of a trusted person or take it to a specialized center attended by professionals during the absence.

However, fortunately times have changed and more and more places make it possible to go on vacation without giving up the company of our four-legged friends.

There are many options so that you can enjoy a real vacation with your dog. Before traveling, a series of preparations will have to be made in this regard. We tell you everything you need to know to travel with your pet!

Visit to the vet

Before starting the trip, visit your veterinarian for a check-up and for him to recommend which vaccinations are necessary depending on where you will spend the holidays with your dog.

Prepare your pet's suitcase

Just like you pack your suitcase, your pet should also have his luggage for the holidays. It must include:

• Your shampoo, brush, and towel.
• His collar and his leash. In case the muzzle is necessary as well.
• Your I think.
• Fresh water for the journey.
• Separation network if the trip is by car.
• Harness with seat belt attachment.
• Carrier or travel bag in the case of small dogs.
• Bags to collect excrement.
• His favorite blanket and toys.
• Although without a doubt, the most important thing is your documentation to be able to travel with it without problems.

Documentation on holidays with a dog

• Vaccination record: vaccines must be up to date.
• Passport: Since 2004 pets moving within the EU need a European Passport for Companion AnimalsIf your dog does not have it, you can request it at the veterinarian's office after identification with the chip.
• Before the trip, especially if it is abroad, it is convenient to know if there are any legal limitations in that country so that you can take your pet with you.

Moving your pet

• Public transport: many bus or train companies allow users to travel with their pets. Check the company policy regarding travel with animals.
• Travel by car: To avoid getting dizzy, it is preferable not to feed him just before going on a trip and to always keep him hydrated. In addition, when traveling by car you should always go in the back seat with an approved restraint system for pets or in a carrier on the ground.
• Air travel: there are companies that accept pets, but you should be aware that some impose restrictions. The most common thing is that you have to travel in the hold of the plane in your carrier if the pet weighs more than 6 kilos.

Pet-friendly hotels

Fortunately, things are changing and many hotels already offer the possibility that pets and owners can sleep in the same room. There are some hotels that even offer specific services for our dogs: from beds with blankets to gourmet menus or beauty sessions. When booking, it is convenient to look at the conditions, since they tend to vary even within the same hotel chain.

Beaches for dogs

Although in winter access to the beaches is free on practically the entire Spanish coast, with the arrival of summer everything changes. Although there are more and more towns that delimit some areas of the beach so that dogs can use them, there are also areas where their access is totally prohibited. This is the case of Andalusia, which in 2015 prohibited the presence of domestic animals on all its beaches, even those that were enabled for them. For this reason, it is advisable to inquire before taking these walks on the beach with the dogs, since the fines can range between one hundred and three thousand euros.

In Catalonia, both Tarragona and Gerona have beaches that allow dogs. In Barcelona, ​​more than 16.000 signatures have been collected to ask the city council to adapt an area for dogs on a beach in the city due to the shortage of authorized areas.

In the Levante we can find a beach suitable for dogs in each province. In Castellón there is the Aiguaoliva beach, in Vinarós (a cozy cove with boulders), in Valencia there is the Can beach (being the first to be enabled for the entry of animals) and in Alicante the Punta del Riu beach, belonging to to the town of Campelló.

In the Canary Islands we can find two beaches whose regulations allow the entry of dogs. On the one hand, the Cabezo beach in Tenerife and on the other the Bocabarranco beach in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

In the Balearic archipelago there is also a place for dogs on the beach. In Mallorca the closest to Palma is Carnatge, 5km from the capital. In Menorca you can find Cala Fustam, in the southwest of the island and in Ibiza Santa Eulália is very popular.