Many dogs love to travel and taking Fido on vacation with you can be a lot of fun. Many hotels these days have become far more dog friendly and welcome canines as guests. However not every dog is a born road warrior. Here are some useful tips to make a traveling with your dog a little bit easier:

Identification – Even if your dog is micro chipped (which many are these days) he should still be wearing a collar with a tag that clearly states his name, address and telephone number when traveling. If your dog wanders off at home, chances are that a neighbor will recognize him, but while on vacation in a strange place it is essential that he can easily identified and returned quickly to his owner.

Food and Water – When traveling by car always keep a good supply of fresh clean water at hand for your dog. To avoid tummy upsets bring your dog’s regular dog food along with you on the trip as well. Some dogs are already prone to a little travel sickness so feeding him a strange brand of food may only exacerbate the problem.

Crates – The best way for your dog to travel in the car is in a comfortable dog crate. Allowing your dog to be loose while you are driving is not a safe situation for either of you. If he doesn’t use one at home and you have to purchase one especially for the trip, look for a model that is big enough for him to stand up and turn around comfortably in, but not so large that sudden movements of the car will have him slung around all over the place.  There are many places in the online world to buy pet supplies, so be sure to pick out a quality dog crate that will fit your dog’s needs.

If your dog turns out to be a really bad traveling companion (and some just are), rather than make him miserable by shutting him up in a car where he does not want to be, leave him home with a reliable friend or neighbor or find a good boarding kennel for him to stay at while you enjoy your vacation.

Many people think that all dog food is created equal, but that simply is not the case today.  In fact, most commercially produced dog food is little more than starch and filler product, and it is no small wonder that most foods readily offered up many dogs are in fact allergic to.  Finding the right type of chow for spaniels and spaniel puppies is not usually too much tougher than it would be for any other breed of dog, but a few things must be considered.   

The first thing about Cocker spaniels specifically is that they have a long luxurious coat, and said coat is going to require a whole heck of a lot of protein to keep it in top shape.  That means even more than the average high quality dog food allows for.  Corn is going to make the coat greasy, which will in turn make it hard to groom and can cause the spaniel to have flakey, itchy skin, and over eighty percent of domestic dogs are allergic to it.  Rice is not a good call either, I don’t mind brown rice so much but white rice is a bad call for Cocker spaniel dogs. 

Remember, your dog will only feel as good as the food he is eating, and you would not expect your kids to thrive on a fast food diet so why make those expectations of your pet?  One of the number one causes of skin irritation in dogs is food allergy, and some foods are so indigestible that the dog will vomit, or else have stool so loose he cannot maintain healthy weight.  Some dogs become so grossly obese eating this high carbohydrate diet that they are lethargic, not wishing to play or exercise.  It is your job to make sure that this doesn’t become your dog, so look into quality food for your pet.

Sometimes, for whatever reason, we may be forced to give our dog a food that they are not accustomed to eating. Many dogs make the change without any problem at all. Some dogs though, are sensitive to certain ingredients and will not respond well. Here is an example of what happened with a pet who had dog food allergies.

James was reclining on the couch resting when his phone rang. He made Thunder, his Labrador Retriever get off of his lap so he could get the phone. It was James’ boss. They talked for a while and James learned he had to fly out the next morning to go to Memphis to take care of a client’s issue.

The next moment James realized that his mother, who lived near him, would not be available to watch Thunder since she was at his aunt’s house. James quickly went through people that might take him and thought of Brad, a neighbor that had a friendly mutt named Sandy. Thunder and Sandy got along well enough and James was in a pinch, so he called Brad.

Brad said he would be happy to do it, so James dropped Thunder, his food and instructions off the next morning before leaving town.

James’ trip that was only supposed to last 4 days ended up taking three weeks. When James spoke with Brad, James was assured that it was not a problem and that everything would be fine.

When James finally returned, he found Thunder in a lot different shape than he left him. His normally carefree pup was scratching at different areas of his body and had lost some of his coat in those areas. James at first thought Thunder had gotten fleas, but after a thorough inspection, he did not find any. Before leaving, James asked Brad how long Thunder had been like this, while trying really hard not to offend his friend. Brad said the scratching had only happened a few days ago. With further questioning, James learned that Thunder had run out of his regular food and James had given him the same food that Sandy ate.

James quickly realized that Sandy’s food had wheat and corn in it, to which Thunder was allergic. Thunder had been placed on a special food a few years before after having problems with dog food allergies. James explained the situation to Brad, and Brad felt terrible. Sandy had eaten the food for years, but never had a problem.

If you believe your dog has a dog food allergy, it is important to get them to a vet to be properly diagnosed. A non-seasonal itchiness could be caused by a dog food allergy, but could also be due to fleas. Your vet will be able to help determine the cause.

Dogs love to eat and owner’s everywhere can see the joy on their pooch’s faces when they fill up the food bowl. One of the happiest we will ever see our dogs is when they leap and pant with anticipation for what they are about to devour. The easiest way to satisfy a dog’s nutritional needs is to buy canned or packaged food from the pet store. In fact, such items are so popular and mainstream that they can be found in the local supermarket alongside human food. But for those of you with the time, one possibility is to provide your dog with a real treat – a healthy and hearty home cooked meal.
You probably won’t be cooking for your dog on a regular basis, but if you do make sure to consult your veterinarian so that you are able to meet your dog’s nutritional needs. Dogs have unique requirements so it is best not to introduce too much variety into their diet without adequate guidance from a trained professional. But for a once-in-a-while occurrence, you can cook things like hamburger and chicken for your dog. If your pet has been a really good boy, you can even give him a steak! You should cook for your dog the way you cook for yourself (hopefully) – that is, in the healthiest way possible. Avoid excessive oil or salt and mix in nutritional elements such as vegetables or eggs. If you manage things properly, you can even prepare a dish that both you and your dog can enjoy together. Food is an expression of love and preparing a delicious meal for your dog will let it know how much it is appreciated.
Not into cooking? Then check out this alternate diet for your dog: the BARF diet.