December 9, 2025 • 19 mins
Travelling with your dog shouldn’t feel like a gamble. In this episode, we break your holiday prep into simple, stress-proof steps that work in real cottages, hotels, rentals, and road trips across the UK and beyond.
You’ll learn how to rehearse car comfort before you ever start the engine, teach toileting on cue in new environments, and set up your holiday cottage so your dog walks in and instantly knows what to do.
We even share the story of a dog who arrived car-sick and anxious and left confident, settled, and ready for adventure, plus the exact routines that created the shift.
We get practical fast:
• The packing list that actually matters (triple-duty towels, gut-settling paste, electrolytes, chews, long lines, and a whistle that cuts through chaos)
• How to transition food safely—even when you buy locally
• The arrival formula that replaces zoomies and counter-surfing with calm, clear boundaries
• The barking plan that works anywhere (settle cues, enrichment, bed/crate placement, and simple management)
• The travel must-haves for UK trips and abroad: vet paperwork, safe transport setups, ID checks, hydration, and pop-up crates that create a “bedroom” on the go
These strategies aren’t theory: they’re field-tested with thousands of travelling dog owners. A few smart choices turn “stressful holiday” into “best trip yet.”
Want the cheat sheet?
Happy Travels with Your Dog:
An action-packed book full of tips, tricks and hacks for an amazing holiday with your dog!
https://www.devondogs.co.uk/happy-travels-guide/
and book a stay at our purpose-built dog-friendly cottages. Mention the podcast for 15% off your stay.
If this episode helped, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone planning their next adventure with their dog.
If you’re loving the podcast, you’ll love our NEW Sexier than a Squirrel Dog Training Challenge even more! Get transformational dog training today for only £27!
Want even more epic dog training fun and games and solutions to all your dog training struggles? Join us in the AbsoluteDogs Games Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/gamesclub
Want to take your learning to the next level? Jump into the games-based training membership for passionate dog owners and aspiring trainers that know they want more for themselves and their dog - Pro Dog Trainer Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/prodogtrainerclub
And while you’re here, please leave a review for us and don’t forget to hit share and post your biggest lightbulb moment! Remember, no matter what struggles you might be facing with your dog, there is always a game for that!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:09):
Welcome to the Absolute Dog Sex in a Squirrel
Podcast.
I'm Lauren Langman.
I'm one of the world's leadingdog trainers, and it's my
mission to help owners becometheir dog's top priority.
In each episode, you'll discoverhow to gain trust and
communicate with your dog likenever before, creating
unbreakable bonds that make youthe most exciting part of their
world.
Okay, it's holiday time with ourdogs.
(00:32):
Michelle, you deal with peoplewho are going on their holidays
with their dogs day in, day out.
Where do we start?
SPEAKER_00 (00:38):
First of all, start by booking a holiday.
I always think that that's agreat place to start.
And as soon as you've booked,then start getting ready because
you want to enjoy your holiday.
And what is the expression?
Plan to that.
Fail to prepare, prepare tofail.
SPEAKER_01 (00:54):
There you go.
There you go.
Now we just had a lady arrivehere, and I know obviously,
Michelle, you run holidays fordogs.
Yes.
So you are day in, day outworking with people who are
going on holiday with their dogand they're travelling and
they're travelling for some funwith their dog and they're
travelling for some training,maybe with their dog.
Or sometimes they're justtravelling because they want to
be near the coast with theirdog.
Now, a lady that we've seentoday, she's arrived today,
(01:14):
she's come here all the way fromScotland.
Oh, she's so excited.
She's so excited.
But her dog was actually verytravel sick.
Yes.
So she was concerned abouttravelling, and she arrived in
the car park a minute ago andshe'd had a lesson I know
beforehand with you.
And she said, She travelledgreat, she's amazing, it went
really well.
I'm so happy.
I suppose what are some of thecommon struggles you see with
people bringing their dogs onholiday or even just like
(01:36):
traveling generally?
What are some of the things yousee as typical troubles and
struggles that people might beable to work on beforehand?
SPEAKER_00 (01:42):
So you mentioned already travel sickness.
So that's just rehearsing,taking them in the car.
Just take them on journeys.
And then as part of the cartravel, here in the UK, you
actually take your dog in avehicle to travel, which was a
bit unusual for me coming fromBermuda.
But you want to rehearseeverything that you're going to
do on holiday.
So get them used to hanging outin the car, make it a really
(02:03):
cool place to be, give themtheir meals in the car, make it
just and make it home away fromhome, basically.
Because once you get on holiday,the only place your dog is going
to have that's familiar to themis your vehicle.
So make it really cozy, make itcomfy, and make it a place that
they're used to hanging out in.
So when you stop at theservices, because I don't know
(02:23):
about you, but every time I stopat a services, I have to toilet.
It's a thing.
So I want to make sure that mydog's going to be totally
comfortable in the vehicle whileI'm taking care of my own needs.
And then also that brings intoileting your own dog.
I can't tell you how many dogs,and I went through this myself.
When I moved to the UK, Ibrought my Jack Russell.
(02:44):
I didn't realize I had thisissue.
I had to stop probably aboutevery half hour because he
traveled over on the plane andhe would not toil it.
He wouldn't toil it.
He wasn't at home, he would nottoil it.
And I cannot tell you how muchstress that caused me.
So we see here at the holidaycottages, if I'm leaving in the
evening, I'll see a guest goingup and down the lane trying to
(03:07):
get their dog to toilet beforethey go to bed at night.
So that's another reallyproactive thing you can be doing
right now, immediately.
Get your dog comfortable withtoileting in different places,
because that can be reallystressful for an owner.
Go on, give us a few tips.
SPEAKER_01 (03:20):
How can you do that with dogs?
So how can you get them used totoileting in new places?
SPEAKER_00 (03:24):
So monitor their drinking.
So one of the tips I give all ofmy clients is take some fresh
canine with you.
So this is going to help outcoming back to that motion
sickness.
We've had really good successwith clients coming down, giving
their dogs sips of water withfresh canine in it.
But fresh canine is going tohelp hydrate them.
So that's going to cause them todrink water, which is going to
(03:46):
cause them to need to toilet.
So if you know they've got atoilet, take them out, get them
used to like find a spot that islike grass.
Some dogs prefer gravel, someprefer longer grass, some prefer
shorter grass.
Take them to toilet.
And when they do toilet, have amassive party, reward them, tell
(04:06):
them that they're really good,but get them toileting in
different places and monitorthat intake of fluids so that
you know that they have to go.
That would be my top tip.
And it's going back topuppyhood, really.
It's the same thing as toilettraining a puppy.
It's no different, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (04:21):
And I think when you get a dog to go on queue, it
just makes life so much easier.
So, how about thinking aboutgoing on holiday with your dog?
What kind of things should youmaybe prepare to bring or
prepare to sort of pack or startto think about what are you
going to need?
SPEAKER_00 (04:36):
The first thing that always pops into my head,
towels.
Lots of towels.
You can never have enoughtowels.
You can use them as bedding.
They're great for drying offyour dogs.
If anything happens, you can usethem for first aid.
They're really useful to have.
Packing your dog's food, makingsure, and I can't tell you how
many times this actually doeshappen.
It's going to sound a bit silly.
Don't forget your dog's harnessand lead, if that's what you
(04:58):
use.
Because we have had guestsarrive, and the one thing that
they've forgotten is theirharness and lead.
And actually, this is anotherfunny one.
We have actually had a guestforget the dog.
SPEAKER_01 (05:08):
Yeah, we have.
We've had a guest forget thedog, and we've also had a
student forget their dog.
So they come to class withouttheir dog.
Another one for me would behigh-value food, low-value food,
two sticks, something your dogcan gnaw on, like an antler or a
whatever's appropriate to youand your dog.
Some people say, Oh, my dog doesthis with an antler, or my dog
does that with an antler.
You know what?
Whatever's the most appropriatething for your dog, use that.
For me, another one that Ireally like is a long line or a
(05:32):
puppy line.
Why?
Because sometimes you go to newareas and you just want that
backup and that safety netalmost when you're using things
like that.
I love whistle recall, so I'llalways take a whistle with me
because I think a whistle recallis really impactsful and really
important.
And in addition to all of these,anything you'd normally use
around your day-to-day livingwith your dog.
So if your dog's on anymedication, then you would have
(05:52):
medication.
If your dog's on anysupplements, take your
supplements.
If your dog's on any level ofdifferent feeding, take your
different feeding.
Now, here's an interesting one.
My dogs are typically fed raw.
I'm not taking my raw with me.
What I'm going to do is I'mgoing to find out the local
suppliers and I'm going to usewhichever I think is the best
quality locally.
With raw, and I think with mostfoods, I think it's very good to
(06:13):
keep your dog adaptable.
So your dog will eat lots ofdifferent foods, and my dogs
will eat loads of differentfoods.
So when I travel, other than theimmediate meals that I've got
with me, my dog then will Ipurchase something when I'm
there.
I was about to say my dog willpurchase, which they probably
would if they had a choice, butI will purchase something for my
dogs when I'm away.
So those would come in handy forme.
SPEAKER_00 (06:31):
And another tip is do try before.
And I'm thinking of anexperience I had with a dog with
a specific type of chew.
Make sure they've had it beforeyou take them in the vehicle,
because I had a terribleincident with having to clean a
crate out because I hadn't givenmy dog what they had to chew on
in the crate before and it upsettheir stomach a bit.
That's where those towels comein handy, having fresh canine
(06:54):
and having different things offirst aid kit as well.
So having some rescue canine,there's a really good paste that
you can get.
SPEAKER_01 (07:02):
Yeah, I think that would be a must actually.
I forgot that one.
So your rescue now or rapid orimmediate like response is an
amazing opportunity for you guysto grab hold of.
It's on the a-oquine.com store.
So go and grab one of those.
It's a paste, it's a bit like aprocain, but for me it's better
again because you've got yourit's effective like a it's a hug
(07:24):
for your dog's tummy.
You it's like a clay for yourdog's tummy.
It really puts the tummy backtogether again.
But you've got electrolyte inthere, you've got all of your
good, good sort of bacteria andall your healthy bacteria, and
that all goes into the gut torepair the gut and to make the
gut feel a little bit more justhappy again.
You really want that gut happyagain.
So we've got lots to pack andwe've got lots to think about.
And I would never go awaywithout that one now, my tube.
(07:45):
Like that for me is like a it'sa perfect thing to have.
The only thing I would say isyou're now sort of on your way
to your holiday.
What are you gonna do when youget to your holiday space?
So we have so many people arrivehere wanting a holiday and and
coming on holiday.
And in the past, before absolutedogs and before all of the
learning, they'd immediately gettheir dog out and start running
(08:07):
the dog around.
SPEAKER_00 (08:08):
Yeah, and that that that's actually the last thing
you want to do.
The last thing you want to do isget your dog out.
So leave your dog in thevehicle, make sure you go in,
suss out the cottage, check outthe garden, and get them set up.
So you want to set them up forsuccess that when they walk into
the cottage, everything isarranged.
So bring your own dog's bed ifyou can.
(08:28):
If you use a crate, if you canbring their own crate so that
they've got their own bedroom,they've got stuff that smells
the it's familiar, it smellslike home.
SPEAKER_01 (08:36):
For me, it's almost like a conversation starter in a
new place.
They go into a new place andthey go, Oh, hi, nice to meet
you.
You're here.
This is good.
Like they kind of feelcomfortable straight away.
So for me, I really like takingsomething off my dogs.
Typically, I would take a crate,a pop-up crate.
I love the pop-up crates, and Iwould take one of their back on
track beds, mine have back ontrack beds, and although Nell
(08:58):
keeps chewing them, the littlemenace.
And I would also take probablysome level of home chew.
And I would also take somethingfamiliar, like mine have often
got teddies, they'll have ateddy in their crate or with
their bed or whatever they'retraveling with.
Some of my dogs will sleep incrates, some of them will sleep
loose, it depends on the dog.
And so for me, again, taking theappropriate thing.
All of my dogs, this is a greatpre-training before you come
(09:20):
here, so a really brilliantpre-training.
All of my dogs have such solidboundary games.
Yes.
So because they've got suchsolid boundary games, boundary
games make a massive differenceto me.
How about you, Michelle?
SPEAKER_00 (09:31):
Oh, amazing difference because if I go into
a new place, I can cue them togo onto their bed and I know
that they're not going tointerfere with anything.
They're not going to jump on thesofa.
A few of our cottages are studiotype cottages where the bed is
in the living area.
I don't have to worry about themleaping all over the bed.
I don't, I don't know about you,but I like to sleep in my bed
without the dogs myself.
SPEAKER_01 (09:52):
And I think it's a really important thing, guys.
You do you.
So you can do whatever you wantto do, but I would say
boundaries are going to helpyou.
Oh gosh, yeah.
Boundaries are gorgeous.
Now, I know there's an ebook,Michelle, that everybody can get
hold of.
What's in this ebook?
It's completely free.
It's for you guys to have evenbetter travels with your dog,
like even better, even morecomfy travels with your dog.
SPEAKER_00 (10:12):
So it's got everything in it.
We've jam, it's jam-packed fullof information.
So it's called Happy Travelswith Your Dog.
www.devondogs.co.uk.
Happy hyphen travels hyphenguide.
And we walk you through from thetime you book your holiday to
planning your journey so thatyou make sure you hit services
(10:33):
that are dog friendly all theway to arriving at your
destination, making sure thatyou've checked the local bets
out, making sure you've got IDtag on your dog.
So it's packed full of littletips and tricks.
It tells you what things to put.
We got a packing list in therefor you.
And then while you're onholiday, how to make sure you
get the very most out of yourholiday.
And then afterwards, how do yousettle your dog back into home?
(10:56):
Because we've had feedback froma few clients where they've
asked for help because theirdogs have settled into life in
the holiday cottage.
And then life going back home isa little bit tricky to adjust.
SPEAKER_01 (11:07):
I feel like that some days.
I was in a hotel the other dayand I thought to myself, this is
like a young person's retirementhome.
I could do this.
So it's like a moment ofadjusting back.
Maybe I'll stay here.
And then when you come home,you're like, oh my god, reality
hits.
You've got to do all the things,and there's so many things.
And so you can feel the the wantto um run away.
And so, yeah, I can imagine forsome dogs the the being on
(11:29):
holiday in the middle of thecountryside versus maybe living
in the city might be quiteattractive for so many dogs.
So, Michelle, any typicalproblems that people come and
they experience maybe whenthey're on holiday that we can
of course help to solve whenwe're here training them, but
some people might not be goingon a they might not be lucky
enough to be going on a trainingholiday.
SPEAKER_00 (11:46):
So I guess the biggest thing people are worried
about when they go on holiday,and we've had guests come here
that have told us they've leftplaces because of this barking.
So when they get to their newlocation, their dogs have a hard
time settling and they'redealing with barking.
So with that, you're looking athaving a plan in place, using
your food, making sure you'vegot that high-value food so that
your dog's got something to do,and boundaries are critical.
(12:09):
And just having a plan in placeso that you know how to manage
it, so that you're able to helpyour dog settle down and be
relaxed and be calm.
So the guests we had traveled tous here left a month or so
before, left their holiday afterthe first night because the dog
was barking nonstop.
And they came to us and theyspent a whole week and they had
the absolutely amazing time justby changing a few things.
(12:32):
The dog's familiar bedding,using appropriate food, and then
having a management strategy forwhen barking took place.
SPEAKER_01 (12:39):
It's a big one, really, really big one.
And if you guys are listeningand thinking, oh my goodness,
I'd love to come on a holidaylike this.
Can people come on a holidaylike this with us, Michelle?
SPEAKER_00 (12:47):
Oh, absolutely.
You just have to go to ourwebsite and book your book
yourself in.
We would absolutely love to seeyou.
Our cottages are purpose builtfor dog holidays.
SPEAKER_01 (12:58):
In fact, we won't welcome you without a dog.
Well, that's the level.
You need to have a dog.
You need to bring a dog.
SPEAKER_00 (13:03):
Or we can lend you one if you don't have one.
SPEAKER_01 (13:05):
You know what?
Yeah, we have people come fromall over the world actually.
So we have people come fromAmerica, Australia, New Zealand,
Singapore.
We've had people fromeverywhere.
We've had people from SouthAfrica, we've had people from
literally all over the world,and they've come here, they've
trained one of our dogs.
If they're not able to bring adog, like New Zealand,
Australia, it's hard to bring adog.
They've trained one of our oneof our dogs, and then they've
taken the um learning back totheir country and back to their
(13:27):
dog.
But equally, maybe you're inyou're in Dorset, or maybe
you're in um Lincoln, or maybeyou're in Scotland, like lovely
Claire, who's just arrived thisweek.
Yes.
And actually, you can come down,you can bring your own dog, you
can bring multi-dogs, you canbring four dogs, five dogs, six
dogs, potentially in some of ourcottages.
So you actually can come downand stay with multi-dogs, and
they are they are designed fordogs.
So the the cottages and thespace is designed for dogs.
(13:48):
So if people want a holiday,where do they go, Michelle?
SPEAKER_00 (13:51):
I'm gonna have to get some.
SPEAKER_01 (13:53):
No, no, no, it's fine.
So we just www.devondogsogs.
SPEAKER_00 (13:55):
Seven dogs, it's seven dogs now.
SPEAKER_01 (13:56):
So um we'll put an edit in here, Dana.
So if people want to so peoplewant to go for a holiday, where
do they need to head?
SPEAKER_00 (14:04):
Just hit our hit our website, devondogs.co.uk, and
book yourself in.
SPEAKER_01 (14:09):
I think the biggest thing, the biggest thing, if you
want a holiday, go do it.
Like, don't be scared with yourdog, don't be shy with your dog.
It can be a really, really,really lovely experience and it
can certainly be something thatI think truly like
life-changing.
The memories that you make, theopportunities that you get
together, like for me, it'smagic.
And it's whenever I look back onmy holidays, both with dogs and
(14:33):
without dogs, dogs for me makemy holidays, and also those
memories last a lifetime, andthey really do last a lifetime.
So when you're looking back onyour life, there's no regrets
because you've lived everymoment and you've had the
opportunities with the dogs andyou've done all the fun things
with the dogs.
And so for me, maybe it is downhere somewhere like this, where
we're on Moorland, we're closeto beaches.
Michelle can take you to thebeach, she can take you to the
(14:55):
moors, she can take you to allof the gorgeous spaces.
But like I said, if you're alsoabroad and you want the
experience, you can come heretoo.
There's there's coolopportunities there.
SPEAKER_00 (15:02):
Yeah, and do it now.
Don't think about it.
Just go to devandogs.co.uk andfind your dates and book in.
SPEAKER_01 (15:10):
In fact, I'm gonna say, if you do it now after
listening to this podcast, thereis gonna be an opportunity.
You can mention the podcast, youcan say, I listen to the
podcast, and there is a specialopportunity for you to get 15%
off your booking.
So, whatever your booking mightbe, you can get 15% off your
booking.
Why?
Because we're celebrating thepodcast, we're celebrating the
fact that you want a holiday,we're celebrating that you
deserve a holiday.
(15:30):
Your dog deserves a holiday.
Like we all work so bloominghard.
Oh, absolutely.
You deserve a holiday.
And Michelle, if anyone wasthinking, sat on the fence, like
worried about whether it's gonnasuit their dog, worried about
whether they're gonna be okay inthe environment, what would you
say to them?
SPEAKER_00 (15:43):
Don't panic.
We have got your back, and weget such great feedback from dog
owners saying that it was apleasure to come on holiday with
their dogs.
And if you've got any questionsat all, just send us a message.
We're happy to answer.
We'll give you a call, we'llexplain how it is.
And there's great photos of thecottages on the site as well.
So we want to make sure you havea great time.
(16:04):
We look after you, and we wantto make sure you have a great
holiday with your dog.
SPEAKER_01 (16:08):
Now, I've traveled all over the world with my dogs.
I've been in America, I've beenin Norway, I've been in
Switzerland, I've been inSweden, I have been all over the
world with my dogs.
And we're just gonna finish on afew like short fast fire tips
for dogs.
Michelle, having seen dogs a lotin this country, me having
travelled the world with with mywith my dogs.
My first tip traveling withdogs, get your paperwork sorted.
(16:29):
If you're traveling abroad, makesure your paperwork is really
kosher.
Like you have to make sure yourpaperwork's good.
Check in with your vets, checkin with all the regulatories,
make sure that your paperwork'sgood, and then double check it
again.
Over to you, Michelle.
What's one of your top tips?
SPEAKER_00 (16:41):
I have food and hydration handy.
SPEAKER_01 (16:43):
Nice, really, really easy one.
Next one for me is if you'retraveling in airlines, make sure
that you absolutely have yourcrates and everything checked,
and then you also have anability to have open
conversations with the airlineswhere you say, No, this really
is the right thing to travel in.
Because sometimes the airlinesaren't so used to seeing dogs,
so you sometimes have topersuade them otherwise.
(17:04):
However, I've traveled lots andlots and lots and I've never had
an issue, but I'm also fairlystrict on we are getting on this
plane, and I think you do needto uh understand what your
rights are when you'retraveling.
So I think that's really, reallykey.
Go on over to you, Michelle.
SPEAKER_00 (17:16):
Travel your dog securely.
So seat belted in, harnessed in.
Ideally, my preference is acrate, but just make sure
they're secure however youtravel them.
Really nice one.
SPEAKER_01 (17:26):
Next one for me is when you're moving vehicle to
vehicle and vehicle to vehicle.
Again, pop-up crates, pop-upcrates are so, so handy and
they'll pop up anywhere, and youcan move them from vehicle to
bedroom to next Airbnb to nextvehicle.
It makes it so, so simple.
And for me, don't feel bad aboutleaving your dog in their crate
when they're secure.
My dogs are much happiersometimes in their crates than
(17:46):
they are running around in newspaces.
So don't feel bad when you getsomewhere to give them a bit in
a moment of time in their crateso that they can happily settle
before you dash on to the nextmission, whatever that might be.
SPEAKER_00 (17:57):
Make sure their ID is up to date.
So their microchip is up to dateand they've got some form of we
we prefer flexi type tags thatattach onto them, but make sure
they're identifiable because youwon't be near home.
You're on holiday.
SPEAKER_01 (18:10):
And my last one for you is be really flexible as an
owner.
So many things might not go toplan, but at the end of the day,
the more flexible you are, themore that you're going to feel
good in the outcome.
An example of that for me, whenI'm away, my raw feeding
changes.
I go with different foods, I gowith different brands, I go with
different times of day, I gowith different everything.
And because I'm flexible, mydogs are flexible, it doesn't
(18:32):
really cause us anything butexcitement, really, because
we're excited to try somethingdifferent.
Last one from you.
SPEAKER_00 (18:37):
Last one, take lots of photos and videos.
SPEAKER_01 (18:39):
Yeah, make the memories.
Yeah, and then share them.
Share them with friends, sharethem with your socials, share
them with whatever makes youfeel happy, and sometimes just
take them for yourself.
So that's all really huge.
Now I thank Michelle for joiningme.
Holidays, I mean, what could bea better topic and a holiday
with your dog?
Even better.
That was this episode of theSexiness Girl podcast.
Thank you for joining us and goand book that holiday.
Welcome to the Absolute Dog Sex in a Squirrel
Podcast.
I'm Lauren Langman.
I'm one of the world's leadingdog trainers, and it's my
mission to help owners becometheir dog's top priority.
In each episode, you'll discoverhow to gain trust and
communicate with your dog likenever before, creating
unbreakable bonds that make youthe most exciting part of their
world.
Okay, it's holiday time with ourdogs.
(00:32):
Michelle, you deal with peoplewho are going on their holidays
with their dogs day in, day out.
Where do we start?
SPEAKER_00 (00:38):
First of all, start by booking a holiday.
I always think that that's agreat place to start.
And as soon as you've booked,then start getting ready because
you want to enjoy your holiday.
And what is the expression?
Plan to that.
Fail to prepare, prepare tofail.
SPEAKER_01 (00:54):
There you go.
There you go.
Now we just had a lady arrivehere, and I know obviously,
Michelle, you run holidays fordogs.
Yes.
So you are day in, day outworking with people who are
going on holiday with their dogand they're travelling and
they're travelling for some funwith their dog and they're
travelling for some training,maybe with their dog.
Or sometimes they're justtravelling because they want to
be near the coast with theirdog.
Now, a lady that we've seentoday, she's arrived today,
(01:14):
she's come here all the way fromScotland.
Oh, she's so excited.
She's so excited.
But her dog was actually verytravel sick.
Yes.
So she was concerned abouttravelling, and she arrived in
the car park a minute ago andshe'd had a lesson I know
beforehand with you.
And she said, She travelledgreat, she's amazing, it went
really well.
I'm so happy.
I suppose what are some of thecommon struggles you see with
people bringing their dogs onholiday or even just like
(01:36):
traveling generally?
What are some of the things yousee as typical troubles and
struggles that people might beable to work on beforehand?
SPEAKER_00 (01:42):
So you mentioned already travel sickness.
So that's just rehearsing,taking them in the car.
Just take them on journeys.
And then as part of the cartravel, here in the UK, you
actually take your dog in avehicle to travel, which was a
bit unusual for me coming fromBermuda.
But you want to rehearseeverything that you're going to
do on holiday.
So get them used to hanging outin the car, make it a really
(02:03):
cool place to be, give themtheir meals in the car, make it
just and make it home away fromhome, basically.
Because once you get on holiday,the only place your dog is going
to have that's familiar to themis your vehicle.
So make it really cozy, make itcomfy, and make it a place that
they're used to hanging out in.
So when you stop at theservices, because I don't know
(02:23):
about you, but every time I stopat a services, I have to toilet.
It's a thing.
So I want to make sure that mydog's going to be totally
comfortable in the vehicle whileI'm taking care of my own needs.
And then also that brings intoileting your own dog.
I can't tell you how many dogs,and I went through this myself.
When I moved to the UK, Ibrought my Jack Russell.
(02:44):
I didn't realize I had thisissue.
I had to stop probably aboutevery half hour because he
traveled over on the plane andhe would not toil it.
He wouldn't toil it.
He wasn't at home, he would nottoil it.
And I cannot tell you how muchstress that caused me.
So we see here at the holidaycottages, if I'm leaving in the
evening, I'll see a guest goingup and down the lane trying to
(03:07):
get their dog to toilet beforethey go to bed at night.
So that's another reallyproactive thing you can be doing
right now, immediately.
Get your dog comfortable withtoileting in different places,
because that can be reallystressful for an owner.
Go on, give us a few tips.
SPEAKER_01 (03:20):
How can you do that with dogs?
So how can you get them used totoileting in new places?
SPEAKER_00 (03:24):
So monitor their drinking.
So one of the tips I give all ofmy clients is take some fresh
canine with you.
So this is going to help outcoming back to that motion
sickness.
We've had really good successwith clients coming down, giving
their dogs sips of water withfresh canine in it.
But fresh canine is going tohelp hydrate them.
So that's going to cause them todrink water, which is going to
(03:46):
cause them to need to toilet.
So if you know they've got atoilet, take them out, get them
used to like find a spot that islike grass.
Some dogs prefer gravel, someprefer longer grass, some prefer
shorter grass.
Take them to toilet.
And when they do toilet, have amassive party, reward them, tell
(04:06):
them that they're really good,but get them toileting in
different places and monitorthat intake of fluids so that
you know that they have to go.
That would be my top tip.
And it's going back topuppyhood, really.
It's the same thing as toilettraining a puppy.
It's no different, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (04:21):
And I think when you get a dog to go on queue, it
just makes life so much easier.
So, how about thinking aboutgoing on holiday with your dog?
What kind of things should youmaybe prepare to bring or
prepare to sort of pack or startto think about what are you
going to need?
SPEAKER_00 (04:36):
The first thing that always pops into my head,
towels.
Lots of towels.
You can never have enoughtowels.
You can use them as bedding.
They're great for drying offyour dogs.
If anything happens, you can usethem for first aid.
They're really useful to have.
Packing your dog's food, makingsure, and I can't tell you how
many times this actually doeshappen.
It's going to sound a bit silly.
Don't forget your dog's harnessand lead, if that's what you
(04:58):
use.
Because we have had guestsarrive, and the one thing that
they've forgotten is theirharness and lead.
And actually, this is anotherfunny one.
We have actually had a guestforget the dog.
SPEAKER_01 (05:08):
Yeah, we have.
We've had a guest forget thedog, and we've also had a
student forget their dog.
So they come to class withouttheir dog.
Another one for me would behigh-value food, low-value food,
two sticks, something your dogcan gnaw on, like an antler or a
whatever's appropriate to youand your dog.
Some people say, Oh, my dog doesthis with an antler, or my dog
does that with an antler.
You know what?
Whatever's the most appropriatething for your dog, use that.
For me, another one that Ireally like is a long line or a
(05:32):
puppy line.
Why?
Because sometimes you go to newareas and you just want that
backup and that safety netalmost when you're using things
like that.
I love whistle recall, so I'llalways take a whistle with me
because I think a whistle recallis really impactsful and really
important.
And in addition to all of these,anything you'd normally use
around your day-to-day livingwith your dog.
So if your dog's on anymedication, then you would have
(05:52):
medication.
If your dog's on anysupplements, take your
supplements.
If your dog's on any level ofdifferent feeding, take your
different feeding.
Now, here's an interesting one.
My dogs are typically fed raw.
I'm not taking my raw with me.
What I'm going to do is I'mgoing to find out the local
suppliers and I'm going to usewhichever I think is the best
quality locally.
With raw, and I think with mostfoods, I think it's very good to
(06:13):
keep your dog adaptable.
So your dog will eat lots ofdifferent foods, and my dogs
will eat loads of differentfoods.
So when I travel, other than theimmediate meals that I've got
with me, my dog then will Ipurchase something when I'm
there.
I was about to say my dog willpurchase, which they probably
would if they had a choice, butI will purchase something for my
dogs when I'm away.
So those would come in handy forme.
SPEAKER_00 (06:31):
And another tip is do try before.
And I'm thinking of anexperience I had with a dog with
a specific type of chew.
Make sure they've had it beforeyou take them in the vehicle,
because I had a terribleincident with having to clean a
crate out because I hadn't givenmy dog what they had to chew on
in the crate before and it upsettheir stomach a bit.
That's where those towels comein handy, having fresh canine
(06:54):
and having different things offirst aid kit as well.
So having some rescue canine,there's a really good paste that
you can get.
SPEAKER_01 (07:02):
Yeah, I think that would be a must actually.
I forgot that one.
So your rescue now or rapid orimmediate like response is an
amazing opportunity for you guysto grab hold of.
It's on the a-oquine.com store.
So go and grab one of those.
It's a paste, it's a bit like aprocain, but for me it's better
again because you've got yourit's effective like a it's a hug
(07:24):
for your dog's tummy.
You it's like a clay for yourdog's tummy.
It really puts the tummy backtogether again.
But you've got electrolyte inthere, you've got all of your
good, good sort of bacteria andall your healthy bacteria, and
that all goes into the gut torepair the gut and to make the
gut feel a little bit more justhappy again.
You really want that gut happyagain.
So we've got lots to pack andwe've got lots to think about.
And I would never go awaywithout that one now, my tube.
(07:45):
Like that for me is like a it'sa perfect thing to have.
The only thing I would say isyou're now sort of on your way
to your holiday.
What are you gonna do when youget to your holiday space?
So we have so many people arrivehere wanting a holiday and and
coming on holiday.
And in the past, before absolutedogs and before all of the
learning, they'd immediately gettheir dog out and start running
(08:07):
the dog around.
SPEAKER_00 (08:08):
Yeah, and that that that's actually the last thing
you want to do.
The last thing you want to do isget your dog out.
So leave your dog in thevehicle, make sure you go in,
suss out the cottage, check outthe garden, and get them set up.
So you want to set them up forsuccess that when they walk into
the cottage, everything isarranged.
So bring your own dog's bed ifyou can.
(08:28):
If you use a crate, if you canbring their own crate so that
they've got their own bedroom,they've got stuff that smells
the it's familiar, it smellslike home.
SPEAKER_01 (08:36):
For me, it's almost like a conversation starter in a
new place.
They go into a new place andthey go, Oh, hi, nice to meet
you.
You're here.
This is good.
Like they kind of feelcomfortable straight away.
So for me, I really like takingsomething off my dogs.
Typically, I would take a crate,a pop-up crate.
I love the pop-up crates, and Iwould take one of their back on
track beds, mine have back ontrack beds, and although Nell
(08:58):
keeps chewing them, the littlemenace.
And I would also take probablysome level of home chew.
And I would also take somethingfamiliar, like mine have often
got teddies, they'll have ateddy in their crate or with
their bed or whatever they'retraveling with.
Some of my dogs will sleep incrates, some of them will sleep
loose, it depends on the dog.
And so for me, again, taking theappropriate thing.
All of my dogs, this is a greatpre-training before you come
(09:20):
here, so a really brilliantpre-training.
All of my dogs have such solidboundary games.
Yes.
So because they've got suchsolid boundary games, boundary
games make a massive differenceto me.
How about you, Michelle?
SPEAKER_00 (09:31):
Oh, amazing difference because if I go into
a new place, I can cue them togo onto their bed and I know
that they're not going tointerfere with anything.
They're not going to jump on thesofa.
A few of our cottages are studiotype cottages where the bed is
in the living area.
I don't have to worry about themleaping all over the bed.
I don't, I don't know about you,but I like to sleep in my bed
without the dogs myself.
SPEAKER_01 (09:52):
And I think it's a really important thing, guys.
You do you.
So you can do whatever you wantto do, but I would say
boundaries are going to helpyou.
Oh gosh, yeah.
Boundaries are gorgeous.
Now, I know there's an ebook,Michelle, that everybody can get
hold of.
What's in this ebook?
It's completely free.
It's for you guys to have evenbetter travels with your dog,
like even better, even morecomfy travels with your dog.
SPEAKER_00 (10:12):
So it's got everything in it.
We've jam, it's jam-packed fullof information.
So it's called Happy Travelswith Your Dog.
www.devondogs.co.uk.
Happy hyphen travels hyphenguide.
And we walk you through from thetime you book your holiday to
planning your journey so thatyou make sure you hit services
(10:33):
that are dog friendly all theway to arriving at your
destination, making sure thatyou've checked the local bets
out, making sure you've got IDtag on your dog.
So it's packed full of littletips and tricks.
It tells you what things to put.
We got a packing list in therefor you.
And then while you're onholiday, how to make sure you
get the very most out of yourholiday.
And then afterwards, how do yousettle your dog back into home?
(10:56):
Because we've had feedback froma few clients where they've
asked for help because theirdogs have settled into life in
the holiday cottage.
And then life going back home isa little bit tricky to adjust.
SPEAKER_01 (11:07):
I feel like that some days.
I was in a hotel the other dayand I thought to myself, this is
like a young person's retirementhome.
I could do this.
So it's like a moment ofadjusting back.
Maybe I'll stay here.
And then when you come home,you're like, oh my god, reality
hits.
You've got to do all the things,and there's so many things.
And so you can feel the the wantto um run away.
And so, yeah, I can imagine forsome dogs the the being on
(11:29):
holiday in the middle of thecountryside versus maybe living
in the city might be quiteattractive for so many dogs.
So, Michelle, any typicalproblems that people come and
they experience maybe whenthey're on holiday that we can
of course help to solve whenwe're here training them, but
some people might not be goingon a they might not be lucky
enough to be going on a trainingholiday.
SPEAKER_00 (11:46):
So I guess the biggest thing people are worried
about when they go on holiday,and we've had guests come here
that have told us they've leftplaces because of this barking.
So when they get to their newlocation, their dogs have a hard
time settling and they'redealing with barking.
So with that, you're looking athaving a plan in place, using
your food, making sure you'vegot that high-value food so that
your dog's got something to do,and boundaries are critical.
(12:09):
And just having a plan in placeso that you know how to manage
it, so that you're able to helpyour dog settle down and be
relaxed and be calm.
So the guests we had traveled tous here left a month or so
before, left their holiday afterthe first night because the dog
was barking nonstop.
And they came to us and theyspent a whole week and they had
the absolutely amazing time justby changing a few things.
(12:32):
The dog's familiar bedding,using appropriate food, and then
having a management strategy forwhen barking took place.
SPEAKER_01 (12:39):
It's a big one, really, really big one.
And if you guys are listeningand thinking, oh my goodness,
I'd love to come on a holidaylike this.
Can people come on a holidaylike this with us, Michelle?
SPEAKER_00 (12:47):
Oh, absolutely.
You just have to go to ourwebsite and book your book
yourself in.
We would absolutely love to seeyou.
Our cottages are purpose builtfor dog holidays.
SPEAKER_01 (12:58):
In fact, we won't welcome you without a dog.
Well, that's the level.
You need to have a dog.
You need to bring a dog.
SPEAKER_00 (13:03):
Or we can lend you one if you don't have one.
SPEAKER_01 (13:05):
You know what?
Yeah, we have people come fromall over the world actually.
So we have people come fromAmerica, Australia, New Zealand,
Singapore.
We've had people fromeverywhere.
We've had people from SouthAfrica, we've had people from
literally all over the world,and they've come here, they've
trained one of our dogs.
If they're not able to bring adog, like New Zealand,
Australia, it's hard to bring adog.
They've trained one of our oneof our dogs, and then they've
taken the um learning back totheir country and back to their
(13:27):
dog.
But equally, maybe you're inyou're in Dorset, or maybe
you're in um Lincoln, or maybeyou're in Scotland, like lovely
Claire, who's just arrived thisweek.
Yes.
And actually, you can come down,you can bring your own dog, you
can bring multi-dogs, you canbring four dogs, five dogs, six
dogs, potentially in some of ourcottages.
So you actually can come downand stay with multi-dogs, and
they are they are designed fordogs.
So the the cottages and thespace is designed for dogs.
(13:48):
So if people want a holiday,where do they go, Michelle?
SPEAKER_00 (13:51):
I'm gonna have to get some.
SPEAKER_01 (13:53):
No, no, no, it's fine.
So we just www.devondogsogs.
SPEAKER_00 (13:55):
Seven dogs, it's seven dogs now.
SPEAKER_01 (13:56):
So um we'll put an edit in here, Dana.
So if people want to so peoplewant to go for a holiday, where
do they need to head?
SPEAKER_00 (14:04):
Just hit our hit our website, devondogs.co.uk, and
book yourself in.
SPEAKER_01 (14:09):
I think the biggest thing, the biggest thing, if you
want a holiday, go do it.
Like, don't be scared with yourdog, don't be shy with your dog.
It can be a really, really,really lovely experience and it
can certainly be something thatI think truly like
life-changing.
The memories that you make, theopportunities that you get
together, like for me, it'smagic.
And it's whenever I look back onmy holidays, both with dogs and
(14:33):
without dogs, dogs for me makemy holidays, and also those
memories last a lifetime, andthey really do last a lifetime.
So when you're looking back onyour life, there's no regrets
because you've lived everymoment and you've had the
opportunities with the dogs andyou've done all the fun things
with the dogs.
And so for me, maybe it is downhere somewhere like this, where
we're on Moorland, we're closeto beaches.
Michelle can take you to thebeach, she can take you to the
(14:55):
moors, she can take you to allof the gorgeous spaces.
But like I said, if you're alsoabroad and you want the
experience, you can come heretoo.
There's there's coolopportunities there.
SPEAKER_00 (15:02):
Yeah, and do it now.
Don't think about it.
Just go to devandogs.co.uk andfind your dates and book in.
SPEAKER_01 (15:10):
In fact, I'm gonna say, if you do it now after
listening to this podcast, thereis gonna be an opportunity.
You can mention the podcast, youcan say, I listen to the
podcast, and there is a specialopportunity for you to get 15%
off your booking.
So, whatever your booking mightbe, you can get 15% off your
booking.
Why?
Because we're celebrating thepodcast, we're celebrating the
fact that you want a holiday,we're celebrating that you
deserve a holiday.
(15:30):
Your dog deserves a holiday.
Like we all work so bloominghard.
Oh, absolutely.
You deserve a holiday.
And Michelle, if anyone wasthinking, sat on the fence, like
worried about whether it's gonnasuit their dog, worried about
whether they're gonna be okay inthe environment, what would you
say to them?
SPEAKER_00 (15:43):
Don't panic.
We have got your back, and weget such great feedback from dog
owners saying that it was apleasure to come on holiday with
their dogs.
And if you've got any questionsat all, just send us a message.
We're happy to answer.
We'll give you a call, we'llexplain how it is.
And there's great photos of thecottages on the site as well.
So we want to make sure you havea great time.
(16:04):
We look after you, and we wantto make sure you have a great
holiday with your dog.
SPEAKER_01 (16:08):
Now, I've traveled all over the world with my dogs.
I've been in America, I've beenin Norway, I've been in
Switzerland, I've been inSweden, I have been all over the
world with my dogs.
And we're just gonna finish on afew like short fast fire tips
for dogs.
Michelle, having seen dogs a lotin this country, me having
travelled the world with with mywith my dogs.
My first tip traveling withdogs, get your paperwork sorted.
(16:29):
If you're traveling abroad, makesure your paperwork is really
kosher.
Like you have to make sure yourpaperwork's good.
Check in with your vets, checkin with all the regulatories,
make sure that your paperwork'sgood, and then double check it
again.
Over to you, Michelle.
What's one of your top tips?
SPEAKER_00 (16:41):
I have food and hydration handy.
SPEAKER_01 (16:43):
Nice, really, really easy one.
Next one for me is if you'retraveling in airlines, make sure
that you absolutely have yourcrates and everything checked,
and then you also have anability to have open
conversations with the airlineswhere you say, No, this really
is the right thing to travel in.
Because sometimes the airlinesaren't so used to seeing dogs,
so you sometimes have topersuade them otherwise.
(17:04):
However, I've traveled lots andlots and lots and I've never had
an issue, but I'm also fairlystrict on we are getting on this
plane, and I think you do needto uh understand what your
rights are when you'retraveling.
So I think that's really, reallykey.
Go on over to you, Michelle.
SPEAKER_00 (17:16):
Travel your dog securely.
So seat belted in, harnessed in.
Ideally, my preference is acrate, but just make sure
they're secure however youtravel them.
Really nice one.
SPEAKER_01 (17:26):
Next one for me is when you're moving vehicle to
vehicle and vehicle to vehicle.
Again, pop-up crates, pop-upcrates are so, so handy and
they'll pop up anywhere, and youcan move them from vehicle to
bedroom to next Airbnb to nextvehicle.
It makes it so, so simple.
And for me, don't feel bad aboutleaving your dog in their crate
when they're secure.
My dogs are much happiersometimes in their crates than
(17:46):
they are running around in newspaces.
So don't feel bad when you getsomewhere to give them a bit in
a moment of time in their crateso that they can happily settle
before you dash on to the nextmission, whatever that might be.
SPEAKER_00 (17:57):
Make sure their ID is up to date.
So their microchip is up to dateand they've got some form of we
we prefer flexi type tags thatattach onto them, but make sure
they're identifiable because youwon't be near home.
You're on holiday.
SPEAKER_01 (18:10):
And my last one for you is be really flexible as an
owner.
So many things might not go toplan, but at the end of the day,
the more flexible you are, themore that you're going to feel
good in the outcome.
An example of that for me, whenI'm away, my raw feeding
changes.
I go with different foods, I gowith different brands, I go with
different times of day, I gowith different everything.
And because I'm flexible, mydogs are flexible, it doesn't
(18:32):
really cause us anything butexcitement, really, because
we're excited to try somethingdifferent.
Last one from you.
SPEAKER_00 (18:37):
Last one, take lots of photos and videos.
SPEAKER_01 (18:39):
Yeah, make the memories.
Yeah, and then share them.
Share them with friends, sharethem with your socials, share
them with whatever makes youfeel happy, and sometimes just
take them for yourself.
So that's all really huge.
Now I thank Michelle for joiningme.
Holidays, I mean, what could bea better topic and a holiday
with your dog?
Even better.
That was this episode of theSexiness Girl podcast.
Thank you for joining us and goand book that holiday.
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