Samoyeds are a very active breed. They require about 2 hours of daily exercise to stay happy and healthy. Samoyeds also don’t like being alone. They want to spend as much time with their owners as possible. These two traits can cause problems when it comes to Samoyed travel, especially on planes.
However, with the following Samoyed mental exercises and strategies, they can learn to love travel and to see it as an opportunity to go on a journey with their best friend.
This article will break down traveling with your Samoyed by car, train, and plane, and what steps you need to go through to make the trip comfortable.
Table of Contents
Getting Ready For Samoyed Travel
Before you even start to plan your trip or look at a map, you need to get some priorities in order regarding your Samoyed. Anything can happen during travel so it’s important that you are prepared. We’re sure you heard news stories of dogs losing their way on vacation, never returning to their owner. There are measures you can take to avoid your Samoyed losing its way.
Make sure you equip your Samoyed with a strong collar that will not break off. Your Samoyed’s collar should have its name and your personal information in case it gets lost. When you arrive at your destination, add in the address of the hotel or residence and your phone number. In addition to a good collar, you might want to have your Samoyed microchipped to access its exact location at all times.
Take Your Samoyed To The Vet Before Travel
If you are going on a long journey, you should take your Samoyed to the vet for a checkup to ensure all of its shots are up to date. You’ll want to have physical documentation to verify that your Samoyed received all of its shots since most airliners will want to check before boarding.
Bring A Lot Of Food
Changing up your Samoyed’s diet when you arrive at your vacation spot will be no fun for you or your furry friend. It takes time for dogs to get accustomed to a new brand of food. That’s why it is important you bring a large bag of your Samoyed’s favorite food and treats with you. You should have enough food to last you throughout your travels.
Samoyed Travel By Car
Is there a better thought than hitting the open road with your Samoyed behind you, the wind in your hair, listening to some good tunes? No, it doesn’t get better than that! However, this is the ideal image of Samoyed traveling in a car. You may need to make some adjustments to this ideal image, but these changes can go a long way to making a trip successful.
Dogs In The Back
As much as you may want to have your Samoyed sit front and center with you, acting as your co-pilot, it’s better to keep them in the back seats. While this takes away from the buddy-buddy atmosphere, it allows you to focus on the road and it also gives your Samoyed some personal space. You want your Samoyed to stay still and move around as little as possible. For a puppy, we recommend bringing a crate, an important Samoyed mental exercise.
Crates help your Samoyed stay calm on longer journeys, especially if it is already crate trained. Bring a crate that’s large enough for them to stand up and turn around. Make sure the crate is sturdy as well, with handles for easy transport. The crate should also have extra identification, including your puppy’s name and your contact info. Putting a chew toy in the crate can be helpful, and a puppy pad is a must.
Samoyed Mental Exercise Tips For That First Long Car Ride
Not all dogs appreciate long car rides, so training them for one is essential. Start taking them with you on drives so they can get used to the experience. Make time for Samoyed travel as much as possible. For example, if you’re going to buy groceries, bring your Samoyed with you.
It’s also worth noting that some dogs, like humans, experience car sickness, usually because they are not used to sitting in moving cars. Let your Samoyed travel on an empty stomach, but make sure they have plenty of water. This will help to alleviate any car sickness.
Try To Have Another Human In The Car
Although traveling on the open road with only your Samoyed is peaceful, it can be helpful to have another human for support. The two of you can take turns driving and spending time with your Samoyed. There are other bonuses to having another human on the trip.
When you have to make a bathroom stop, one of you can stay with your Samoyed either in the car or put them on a leash and get them some exercise. Or let them go to the bathroom too.
As a reminder, never leave your Samoyed or any other pet alone in a car for any reason.
One More Thing About Car Travel
This final step might be the least fun, but it will protect your Samoyed’s health. While driving, you might notice dogs sticking their head out the window and absolutely enjoying life. The wind is blowing through their fur, there’s a smile on their face, and they are happily sticking out their tongues.
Unfortunately, this can be dangerous for any dog. Debris could fly into their eyes, for example. So even though it looks like a lot of fun, your Samoyed will be better off keeping its head inside the car.
Samoyed Travel By Plane
For a Samoyed, traveling by plane can be risky. Even though you want to take your Samoyed with you on vacation, it might be best to find a kennel for it to stay in. Good kennels will ensure that your dog spends enough time with humans, gets proper exercise, and receives any grooming it requires.
Traveling With Your Samoyed In The Cabin And In Cargo
Most airlines will allow you to bring a small dog inside the cabin. However, Samoyeds are medium-sized dogs, so this would only work if you decide to travel when they are puppies. Airlines will not take responsibility if your dog is unable to fly. Each airliner has different rules, so be thorough.
A larger Samoyed will travel in the cargo holding area. Some airliners require a crate meeting certain standards before allowing a dog to travel in cargo. This carrier will have to pass through the airports’ security system, which means your dog needs to be taken out of the crate, so bring a leash.
Cargo is certainly not the best place for your dog, especially Samoyeds. As stated before, they are an active breed that needs exercise and attention, so if this is your only option then any kind of Samoyed mental exercise is key here. Longer flights may make a Samoyed restless and aggressive.
Taking a direct flight can help mitigate this. It may be helpful to consult your vet about a tranquilizer option if flying is your only option, but it is still recommended to stick to grounded modes of transportation when possible.
A Note About Temperature Regulation
There are federal regulations in place to prevent dogs from traveling in cargo if exposed to temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) or above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius). These temperatures are considered inhumane and unhealthy for any dog. This is true for Samoyeds too, even though their thick, double-layered coats will protect them from much colder temperatures.
To help battle the temperatures, try to travel in the spring or fall months. If you must travel in the summer, look for an evening or morning flight when temperatures are cooler. In the winter, opt for an afternoon flight when temperatures are at their peak.
Traveling By Train, Bus, Or Boat
If you’re a Samoyed owner trying to catch a bus, train, or boat to your ideal destination, you might be out of luck.
Samoyed Travel By Boat
Few cruise liners will board dogs, although guide dogs and service dogs are an exception, so if you own a Samoyed service dog, chances are it will be permitted on the cruise ship. Most ships also offer kennels where the dog can stay. Make sure you look into the quality of the kennel before leaving your dog there.
Samoyed Travel By Train or Bus
In most circumstances, dogs will not be allowed on buses. In the United States, Congress passed the Pets on Trains Act which allows Amtrak to host passengers with dogs on their trains.
The dogs must be under 20 lbs (9.07 kilograms) though. So your Samoyed puppy will be allowed, but an adult Samoyed cannot board the train. European trains usually allow pets to board as well.
In Conclusion
Samoyed travel is not for every owner, and it’s certainly not for every Samoyed. These Samoyed mental exercise tips can help, but the best tip of all is knowing your Samoyed and the way they act. Car rides give you all the control. You can decide when to stop the car and when to exercise and explore. So if you want to take your furry friend on a journey, make sure it’s a road trip!
Have you traveled with your Samoyed? What was the experience like? Let us know in the comments section below!