As with all complex journeys, you should first consider if it is appropriate to travel with your dog. Our dogs are not trained or familiarised in certain modes of transport such as air, cruise or extended coach tour travel. These modes of transport can place stress on your dog due to the various changing measures within the environment.
Guide dog owners must carefully consider their dog’s health, welfare and veterinary needs and how they will meet these prior to arranging travel. We ask all guide dog owners to contact the Dog Welfare Team via Guide Line on 0800 781 1444 (open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm) to discuss their dog’s needs prior to arranging long distance travel.
In the cases of extended travel, for example by air, cruise ship and coach tours, the availability of veterinary care for your dog will be limited or non-existent. Guide dog owners must consider what they would do in the event of their dog suffering a serious medical condition during their journey and the risks associated with this. Under no circumstances should a dog be sedated for any period of the journey.
Guide Dogs advises that you get a full veterinary examination for your guide or assistance dog, before undertaking any international journey. This should be done to ensure your dog is fit to travel and to ensure your dog is up to date and prepared with relevant vaccinations and treatments.
You should make yourself aware of any contagious canine diseases that may be present in the country you are visiting and consider how these might be reduced. You should discuss this with your veterinary surgeon before you leave the UK.
As you will be charged for veterinary care for your dog while away, you may also wish to consider suitable insurance for your dog, which will cover things like veterinary care, an extended time away if your dog becomes ill, and repatriation of your dog in the case of your dog returning to the UK after your return. You should also be aware of the potential language barrier you may have to overcome with regard to veterinary support for your dog when away.
Are you planning to work your dog during your travels, and if so, are you prepared for the environments you will be using?
While you are entitled to travel with your dog to most countries, the rules that are in place relate to a working dog, so you should have your dog’s harness, jacket, identification tag and documentation with you at all times.
You should consider what situations on your journey may cause stress for you and your dog, and how you might reduce or eliminate them. You may find that it may be in your dog's best interest for them not to accompany you on your trip.
Whilst considering travelling with your dog, you should think about the following:
Before leaving the UK, you should plan all stages of the journey, including your return to the UK. There are a number of rules and regulations that you and your dog will have to comply with including:
You should ensure that your dog is well groomed before and during your travels, to reduce your dog’s coat shedding as they will be in close proximity to other passengers.
Consider when, where and how you plan to feed your dog prior to travel, and on the journey. You may be restricted as to when you should or can feed your dog, dependent upon the type of transport you are taking and the length of travel, (a dog's total digestive process is more rapid than in humans).
You should be aware that products containing meat and meat-based dog food/treats may not be taken into the country you are visiting or taken back to the UK on your return.
You must not restrict access to water for your dog at any time; however, you may want to think about the amount of water your dog has access to and how you provide it.
You also need to be aware that you may be limited or restricted in taking water through security checks, so may have to purchase water in the departure area of a port or once you are on your mode of transport.
You must give your dog an opportunity to relieve itself several times on its preferred surface prior to entering any secured area if travelling by air, sea or international rail. You should be aware that usually, once at the airport/port/station, your dog will only have access to concrete relief areas and will have to relieve itself while on the lead.
If you are travelling by road (coach/car) offer your dog the chance to relieve itself at each scheduled stop, or every two to three hours if possible. Most service stations have grass areas, and you should ensure you clear up after your dog and dispose of its waste correctly.
If you are travelling by rail, try to establish appropriate places to relieve your dog prior to travel and where changes between trains occur, you may want to factor your journey to include a suitable break between rail journeys.
You should consider carrying equipment for your dog, including:
In some situations, like long haul flights, the airline may insist on you providing a dog fleece and incontinence pad as a prerequisite of you flying with your dog.
When you have arrived at your destination, you should consider establishing new feeding and spending regimes for your dog, especially if you have travelled to a different time zone or are planning activities that will impact on their normal routine.
It is vitally important that you observe guidelines for disease prevention specifically for the country or continent you are visiting. Much of the regulation in place for dogs is to control issues for public health, however it is just as important to consider your dog’s wellbeing when travelling. Many countries have diseases not found in the UK or Europe.
It is also important to note that Guide Dogs does not permit travel of our dogs to countries where the guide dog must be quarantined in an external facility.