Laura Reeves on Dog Show Mentor – Safe Travels

At Pure Dog Talk we are proud to support all of our friends providing educational resources to the purebred dog fancy. Lee Whittier, the Dog Show Mentor, recently invited Laura Reeves to talk with her members about travel and safety tips while attending dog events. Lee was gracious enough to return the favor and share the interview with our listeners!

Tips from Laura Reeves

Whether traveling by car, RV or airplane, long distance or short, we have tips and recommendations to help ease the trip.

• PICK UP after your dog!!
• DO NOT wash dogs in the hotel bath tub!!
• Carry a leash and a gallon of water for every dog in the vehicle.
• Pack for safe ingress/egress.
• Carry shade cloth in summer and chains in winter.
• Always be prepared.
• Install a temperature monitor.
• Nothing is more important than your animal’s safety and well-being.
• The best guarantee of your animal’s safety is direct supervision.
• RV maintenance — tires, generators, etc
• Electricity — know what it can and cannot do.
• Long-distance, cross country driving — get dogs out every 4 hours. Get food, fuel, potty dogs and people all in one stop. Plan ahead for shorter drives to accommodate this schedule.
• Keep a light weight pen on top of the stack to set up for young dogs to contain.
• Avoid feeding before driving to avoid car sickness
• Air travel — Not all airlines are created equal — Alaska is amazing.
• Know airline and their requirements.
• Be prepared to provide a bigger crate if needed.
• Fly your own wheels.
• Freeze water buckets to hang in crate.
• Put a small scissor or sharp object in an easily accessible pocket of checked baggage to cute zip ties on crates.
• Easier to travel with a friend.

Personal Safety

As a final topic, Laura offers the Dog Show Mentor some awareness topics for personal safety while on the road.

Input from retired Law Enforcement Officers

• Stay alert and aware.
• Pay attention to your surroundings.
• Body posture, head up, shoulders back.
• Stay in well-lighted areas.
• Situational awareness.
• Avoiding conflict is vastly better than fighting.
• Keep keys and cell phone with you.
• Bad guys don’t want to be the center of attention. Make a racket.
• If you have to fight, cheat. Your goal is to win, stay alive.
• Stay in touch with a friend or family member as regards expected travel.
• Make use of non-lethal deterrents… Pepper spray etc
• Dogs help deter, but don’t assume it will always work.