Nowadays, traveling with pets isn’t as difficult as most people assume. With a bit of research and planning, taking your furry friend along on a trip has become easier than ever before.
As a traveler (and a proud dog owner since last year), I was patiently waiting for the times when I will be able to hit the road again. It was obvious that I won’t be traveling abroad any time soon, but a small trip, like going to visit my family, was planned long before the quarantine. I was going to bring my dog along for him to meet everyone as well.
I’ve started searching for information about how to travel with a pet and came across dozens of articles on this matter. However, I mostly needed to know how could I travel with a dog in my own country, in Ukraine.
Transportation
Planning the trip, the first thing I already knew was that I would definitely travel by train. It’s not that other modes of traveling aren’t available, I just knew that the train will be the best comfortable way, for me and for my dog.
As I don’t drive and don’t own a car, the only left options are the bus and the train. The reasons I didn’t choose the bus are the following:
- My dog Teddy gets motion-sick in a car. We’ve already had a couple of short trips with the car and he definitely isn’t a fan. It will take some time in the future for him to get used to it but I’m sure he will love it afterward.
- Travelling by bus would take up to 12 hours in order to cover the 755 km distance (around 470 miles). That’s a long night journey, in a sitting position, with no possibility to stretch your legs. Not to mention walking the dog.
- It is said that every passenger is allowed to bring a pet on board and to pay the fee established by the driver or the company. But in reality, not every drive and passenger wants to have a dog on board, especially if it’s a private-owned bus company.
So for that matter, I’ve decided to take the train for this journey as it’s the most comfortable way. Even though it’s a longer trip (16 hours), I love it more for the following:
- On the train, especially on long distances, you are able to lay, to stand, you have a lot more space. The dog is also more relaxed because the movement is causing less discomfort if any.
- There are stops along the way every few couples of hours, short (5–10 minutes) and long ones (20–40 minutes). Long stops are the best relief breaks along the route.
- You arrive at your destination relaxed and fresh and have the whole day ahead to enjoy.
Rules
After choosing the transportation mode, the next step to do is checking the rules for the transportation of animals. That’s what the Ukrainian railways have to say:
- Small dogs must be transported in a carrier or crate, must be placed under the seat, on the passenger’s hands, or in places for carry-on luggage. You can bring up to two pets for a passenger. One must pay a fee as for 20-kg luggage or for each dog individually at the station’s ticket office and have a receipt on hand.
- Large dogs have to be on a leash and must be wearing a muzzle, on a long-distance train the owner must buy the whole compartment in a carriage. Usually, it’s 4 seats and one has to pay the full price for all free seats. But with the situation that COVID caused, I was lucky enough to have to pay only for 2 seats because of the social distancing. Needless to say, I was happy that I won’t have to pay the extra cash.
-Your pet must have a valid veterinary passport with all actual vaccinations, indicating that the pet is clear of rabies and other infectious diseases. Basically, that’s all you need to have on hand when boarding the train, including the tickets. For the dog’s safety, you may consider getting your furry friend microchipped and a collar with the name and owner’s contact.
What to bring on the train for the dog.
In order to make the trip more comfortable for Teddy and for the other passengers, I’ve packed some things. Here’s what I brought along:
- The collar, or the harness, and the leash,
- A blanket that has his smell and he likes to have around to sleep on,
- His favorite chewing toy, his first toy,
- Water and his water bowl,
- Poop bags and napkins for any unexpected situations.
How to help your dog to get more comfortable during the trip?
Preparing your dog for the upcoming trip isn’t less important. You can start training at an early age. Unfortunately, until he reached his 1st year, we didn’t travel with him and he had no experience before arriving in Ukraine. He has been around cars though and he also knows the sound of the train and he isn’t scared.
- It is better not to feed the dog at least 8 hours before the journey. You can only take water, especially if it’s a long distance.
- Your dog may get motion-sick, even from stress and from the transport’s movement as well. Consult your vet if your pet needs any medications for that purpose.
- Walk your dog before the trip. If it’s a long-distance journey, more than 12 hours, you’ll have to make sure that you get out at stops and walk your friend, you both need some fresh air and a bit of stretch.
- Don’t be too hard on your dog during the journey, especially if he/she doesn’t behave as you expect. He’s already stressed and scared.
And at last, here is the story of how our trip was like, personal experience.
4 weeks ago, Teddy and I hopped on the train to go visit my family. Needless to say, I was so nervous about the trip because it was the first time I would travel with my dog. Deep inside I knew everything will be just fine and I just have to stay positive. We arrived at the station 40 minutes before the departure. The station’s hall was closed because of the quarantine and we went straight to the platform.
Teddy was familiar with the sound of the train but he never was on it before. When the passengers were finally allowed to get on the train, we have waited to be the last ones boarding in order to not bother the people.
Teddy has occupied his seat as soon as we entered our compartment as if he has always traveled on the train. That was a relief. As soon as the train started accelerating, he managed to sit by the window and kept looking out as the people were waving “goodbye” to their loved ones.
There were a few long stops every couple of hours until midnight, so we did get out to stretch our legs and enjoy some fresh air. When the train was on the move, Teddy would sleep, and on the 20-and 40-minutes long stops he would play around and research the area. Luckily, we managed to find tiny parks or grass at every station where we had the breaks, so he could enjoy the walk and not bother the other passengers.
During the night we’ve slept, although I’d woke up a few times at Teddy’s attempts to warn me if there was someone passing our compartment — my own security guard. LOL. We arrived at our destination safely and Teddy was more than happy to be finally on land.
The trip back home, to Kyiv, didn’t start on a positive note though — all because of the new rules of the Ukrainian railways that I didn’t know about. The thing is that, when we booked the tickets from Kyiv, due to the social distancing and corona, the railway company would sell only two tickets instead of 4. That meant that if I buy only two tickets I still get the whole compartment only to myself. That’s exactly what I did and Teddy’s first-ever train trip went great, we had no problems at all.
The rules changed 2 weeks before our trip back home — they started to sell tickets for 4 seats again, and I had no idea about it. I bought the tickets prior to the change and had no clue about it. When we arrived at the train station, as I showed the tickets to the train conductor and mentioned that I am traveling with the dog, he asked me why I didn’t buy the whole compartment. My reply was that I did, at which the conductor said that there have to be four tickets and not two.
Because the railway was selling 4 seats again, it meant that in the compartment I had the tickets for, there were 2 more passengers already. They could mind having a big dog traveling with them, or they could be allergic. That’s why we couldn’t board the train. At that moment, I thought I won’t make it back home as I planned. I thought I’d have to wait who knows how much longer because the train was fully booked ahead at least for another week or so.
My husband had to call the hotline of the railway to see if there was anything we could do in order to board the train because there were only 10 minutes left before the train’s departure. He was promised that the problem would be resolved. Our train’s manager came to us right away and I was proposed to pay for the two tickets I haven’t bought which were the same price as the ones I already had. I had to agree because there was no other option and the time was limited.
As we couldn’t take the seats in the compartment I bought the tickets initially, we had to stay in the conductor’s compartment instead. It has only 2 seats, which means it was just me and my dog inside, it’s close to the exit/entrance, and no one would bother us. Perfect. I was happy and so relieved that we are on the train and we are finally going home. What a day!!!
Lesson learned from that day — double-, triple-check everything ahead. You don’t want your dog to be stressed out just like you. Remember, your friend can easily pick up on your stress, and the travel maybe not as pleasant as you’d like it to be.
There was no better feeling than to see my dog happy upon our arrival. He was so excited to be home that he went straight to his favorite spot.
Traveling is fun. Always. And sharing that fun with your furry friend is double happiness. Even if you can’t travel to faraway destinations at the moment — don’t be sad. Start with a small trip to the nearest big park in your town. You’ll see how much you could miss if you just stay home.
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