Top 10 essentials for travelling with your dog

With the start of the summer holidays, many of us are looking forward to our big family holiday. We’re stocking up on beach towels, inflatable whales and all the essentials we need for a successful trip. A Ruffle Snuffle mat is a great addition to your holiday kit when you’re travelling with a dog, perfect for relieving boredom on a journey, or as a boredom buster if the British weather turns bad.

Here’s three reasons we think you’ll love bringing your Ruffle Snuffle with you on your next trip.

 

Car Capers

While the whole family will be very excited about your holiday, when you’re packing up your dog they won’t have any idea that they’re about to go for a trip. On a long drive, everybody else knows – just about – that it’ll be worth the long journey at the other end, but for your dog a long time in the car is just several hours in a small space, with no food, no toys and no chance to go to the loo. If you forget about your dog’s welfare in all the excitement they could have a nightmare trip. Taking the time to make sure they are comfortable and happy is really important.

If you’re on an especially long journey and you need to feed your dog on the road, giving them their food in a Ruffle Snuffle is a good way to reduce boredom at the same time as feeding. Because they’ll take longer to get to their food in the fleecy folds, it’ll take much longer than a quick scoff out of the bowl, meaning your dog will get a proper break out of the car. And the excitement of snuffling after their food will make a valuable stimulus and a change from the time spent in their crate.

 

Home Sweet Home                                                       

Although a new place is very exciting for your family and your dog, with lots of new places and smells to discover, an unfamiliar environment can also be quite stressful. So it’s important to make sure your dog feels comfortable and at home. Playing with your dog in their new location will help them to settle in and enjoy themselves. A Ruffle Snuffle mat is ideal for this. Like most animals, dogs associate eating with safety, so supervised play where you help your dog root out treats is the perfect way to settle your dog into their temporary home.

And if the heavens open and all the family are stuck indoors with nothing but smartphone games, your dog will be very grateful for the enrichment of their Ruffle Snuffle!

 

Day Tripper

Hopefully you’ve chosen a destination where your dog can come with you on most of your trips, and won’t be left in the holiday house or caravan all day. Mostly your dog will be as excited as you are to discover a new place, so they won’t be too bored.

If you do choose to go out for a period without your dog, giving them some enrichment before you head out will help calm them so you won’t have to worry about them. Your Ruffle Snuffle will come in useful here, too. Before you go out, you and your dog can spend some time together sniffing out treats. Your dog will love the bonding – and the snacks!

It’s really easy to make sure your dog has as much fun on holiday as you do. Spending time and attention making sure they have what they need will help your dog relax and feel right at home while you’re away. Whether it’s breaking up the tedium of a long journey, settling into a holiday house or passing the time between rain storms, a Ruffle Snuffle really is a must-have travel accessory for your dog.

 

Don't forget your Dog Sunblock too. New and exclusive from Nifty Pet it's 100% powder that's safe for dogs.

 

So that's the most essential bit of kit, but what else? Here's a handy checklist for you.