🧳Travel and safety for your dog

Vet visits, holidays, moving house: sooner or later your dog will travel. The right carrier, proper car restraint, journey prep: our guides cover the gear and habits that turn a trip into a non-event.

The key point : In a car, an unrestrained dog is a projectile: a crash-tested crate, a safety harness or a partition grille are the three serious options.

Our dedicated guides

• Anxious dog in the car: motion sickness or real fear of the ride?

  Dog car travel anxiety: what a veterinary study shows about the signs of travel-related problems and the factors that explain them best.

• Microchip or tattoo: which ID actually gets a lost dog home?

  Dog identification: what a study shows about return-to-owner rates depending on whether the dog is microchipped or not.

• Attaching your dog's leash to your bike: why it's dangerous

  Attaching a dog's leash directly to a bike is risky for both rider and dog. What can go wrong, and which safe bikejoring attachments exist instead.

• Hot pavement: protecting your dog's paws in summer

  In summer, pavement can top 50 °C and burn a dog's paw pads in seconds. How to test the ground, adjust walk times and protect the paws.

• Dog ramp or stairs: reaching the car and the sofa without injury

  Incline, non-slip surface, maximum load: how to choose a dog ramp or steps suited to the car, the bed or the sofa.

• Dog life jacket: essential for boating and swimming?

  Buoyancy, grab handle, size and adjustments: how to choose a dog life jacket for boating, paddleboarding or sporty swims.

• Small dog carrier bag: choosing the right one for trains, the metro and city life

  Approved dimensions, ventilation, comfort: how to choose a small dog carrier suited to trains, public transport and city journeys.

• Dog safety gate: securing the stairs and rooms of the house

  Pressure-mounted or screw-fitted, height, adjustable width: how to choose a dog safety gate to protect the stairs, kitchen or bedroom.

• Dog muzzle: when it's needed and how to get your dog used to it stress-free

  Public transport, the vet, certain regulated breeds: a muzzle is sometimes required. How to choose the right type and desensitise a dog that refuses to wear one.

• Car seat cover for dogs: how to choose the right one

  Fur, scratches, mud: the back seat takes a beating with a dog on board. What to look for in a genuinely protective cover, and why it's no substitute for a safety harness.

• Dog sick in the car: understanding and beating motion sickness

  Drooling, panting, vomiting: motion sickness mainly affects young dogs. Step-by-step habituation, boot setup and gestures that reduce nausea.

• Boarding your dog for the holidays: kennel, foster family or pet-sitter?

  Going away without your dog: comparing boarding kennels, foster families and home pet-sitters to choose the calmest option for your dog's temperament and your budget.

• Retractable or standard leash: which one for your dog?

  Safety, leash training, comfort in town: retractable or standard leash, the comparison to choose the right lead for your dog and your walks.

• Choke collar for dogs: why it is a bad idea in disguise

  Risks to the windpipe, contested effectiveness, modern alternatives: the choke collar for dogs is a bad idea in disguise, here are the solutions that actually work.

• Preparing your dog for a baby’s arrival: equipment and method

  Gates, refuge zone, new rules, safety: how to prepare your dog for a baby’s arrival during pregnancy, with the useful equipment and the mistakes to avoid.

• Moving house with your dog: equipment and stress-free organisation

  Safe transport, refuge room, familiar landmarks, updating identification: how to move house with your dog serenely, from moving day to the first weeks.

• Going on holiday with your dog: the complete equipment checklist

  Transport, documents, first-aid kit, everyday gear: the checklist for going on holiday with your dog, with budgets and the pitfalls of summer and winter alike.

• Pug: brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and car safety precautions

  A landmark study identifies the facial traits that worsen the Pug's obstructive airway syndrome, with heat and exertion as key aggravating factors. How to adjust car trips to limit respiratory distress episodes.

• Cycling with your dog: basket, trailer or handlebar bag, which one?

  Basket, trailer or handlebar bag: how to safely cycle with your dog depending on weight, age and the budget to plan for.

• Traveling by train or plane with your dog: what you need to know

  Traveling by train or plane with your dog: paperwork, an approved crate and preparation for a stress-free trip.

• Dog left alone in a car: what science says about the heat risk

  Dog alone in a parked car: how fast the temperature climbs, why cracking the windows isn't enough, and the right reflexes to have.

• Dog car safety harness: what are crash tests really worth?

  Dog car harness: what independent crash tests reveal about the actual strength of straps and anchor points.

• Dog travel crates for the car: standards and smart choices

  Crash tests, materials, dimensions, boot installation: everything you need to choose a genuinely safe car travel crate for your dog.

• GPS collars for dogs: how to choose the right tracker

  Subscription or not, battery life, accuracy, waterproofing: the criteria that matter when choosing a GPS collar so you never lose your dog again.

• Dog car barriers: the guide to choosing the right one

  Universal grille, vehicle-specific or boot net: how to keep your dog safely separated from the cabin and travel with peace of mind.

Travel & safety by breed or species

• Labrador Retriever
• Golden Retriever
• German Shepherd
• Australian Shepherd
• Border Collie
• Belgian Malinois
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• French Bulldog
• English Bulldog
• Pug
• Chihuahua
• Yorkshire Terrier
• Jack Russell Terrier
• Shih Tzu
• Maltese
• Bichon Frise
• Poodle
• Lhasa Apso
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• English Cocker Spaniel
• Brittany Spaniel
• English Springer Spaniel
• Beagle
• Basset Hound
• Dachshund
• Dalmatian
• Boxer
• Rottweiler
• Doberman
• Great Dane
• Dogue de Bordeaux
• Cane Corso
• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Newfoundland
• Saint Bernard
• Leonberger
• Great Pyrenees
• Siberian Husky
• Alaskan Malamute
• Samoyed
• Akita
• Shiba Inu
• Chow Chow
• Pomeranian
• Eurasier
• German Shorthaired Pointer
• English Pointer
• English Setter
• Vizsla
• Weimaraner
• Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Whippet
• Greyhound
• West Highland White Terrier
• Scottish Terrier
• Fox Terrier
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Bull Terrier
• Shar-Pei