Dog anxiety is surprisingly common and is a big topic amongst our canine community, with one study finding up to 70% of our four-pawed friends exhibit stress-related behaviours! It’s never nice to see a member of your pack in distress and we believe planning is key to a relaxing holiday that you and your anxious dog can both enjoy.
You know your own precious pup better than anyone, so chances are you already have a good idea of what makes them nervous – whether it’s car travel, crowds or other dogs – and can think ahead.
But if you’re not quite sure where to start or just want to be certain you haven’t missed a trick while putting together your dog-friendly holiday, we’ve gathered a few hints and tips for a safe and calm break with your highly-strung canine.
Use our ideas below to plan a worry-free break and, before you travel, be sure to take a look at our guide on how to calm an anxious dog while on holiday.
If you’re ready to dig in and start searching, click the button below to see our full pet-friendly cottages collection.
A quiet, peaceful location is key
Janine Pemberthy, Canine Behaviourist and Training Advisor at Battersea, has helped us out with a few pointers and advises that if your dog becomes anxious around noise and lots of hustle and bustle, then when looking at holiday properties it's a good idea to focus your search on places away from busy towns or villages.
Research the local area and find a beautiful place to stay that you know is in a quiet location, far from the liveliness of vibrant high streets or resort seafronts. Instead, pick out a cottage hidden away in the countryside or set on the edge of a village where your dog will be able to settle and so can you.
Find a cottage that feels like home – literally!
Another piece of advice from Janine is to find a holiday let that reflects your dog’s usual environment. She says:
"It can help to look at properties which suit your dog and are similar to what they are already used to, as this can help them settle in more easily. If your dog isn’t used to stairs, for example, then it's a good idea to look at properties that are all on one level."
If your family pet is used to sleeping in a corner of the room, then find a cosy corner spot for the dog bed, or if your pup is used to carpets rather than slippery wooden boards, choose a cottage with fluffy carpeted flooring.
Create a safe space for your dog
Dogs often like familiarity, routine and being near their pup parents, so put together an area full of familiar items for your canine companion in a quiet room where they can keep an eye on their human family – perhaps a corner of the sitting room.
Your dog can then have their own area full of smells they know and can return to throughout the day, and a safe space to sleep in at night. Janine says:
“Once you’ve arrived, create a safe, quiet space in a less busy part of the property. This can be made with bedding, blankets and toys brought from home which will smell familiar and help reassure them that everything is OK.”
Repeat reassuring behaviours
It might sound strange, but if your dog isn’t used to travelling to new places and staying away from home, it can be useful to teach them how to relax. You can then provide them with a safe environment to do so and prompt them to take a rest when needed.
Janine recommends doing some training, such as teaching your dog to settle, or to lie down, before travelling, in order to help them ease into their new surroundings. You can also use food enrichment, like puzzle feeders, long-lasting chews or an exciting new toy to help reassure them and keep them busy.
An enclosed back garden
While it’s easy to believe this only applies to flighty dogs and escape artists, in new surroundings there is potential for any dog to get spooked and run away. When dogs panic, they can escape through the tiniest of windows or jump over the highest of fences, so an enclosed garden is important.
Not all gardens are the same either – a standard fence may be enough to keep small dogs from making their great escape, but larger dogs or high jumpers may need something more substantial.
Alongside high fences, look out for a garden with a light by the back door or dotted throughout the shrubs so that when your anxious pup goes out for an evening wander, they won’t be in the dark and are less likely to get spooked.
Keep your dog’s microchip up to date
Keeping the details on your dog’s microchip current is always advisable, but particularly when travelling.
Janine suggests that as part of your pre-holiday checklist, make sure that any contact numbers on your dog’s microchip are all up to date and ideally attached to a phone you will have with you on the trip. It is also important that your dog wears a collar and tag with contact details in case they become lost.
A cottage set back from the road
If a nervous dog gets startled, they may make a run for it – this is something that’s particularly good to be aware of around
bonfire night.
In the event your anxious dog makes an unexpected dash out of the front door, it’s a good idea to be set back from the road so you have space to recall your pup.
If loud noises are likely to frighten your four-pawed pal, it’s also useful to be far away from busy roads with the potential for beeping cars or police sirens passing too. Large front gardens or a particularly rural setting gives you space to calm down a spooked pup.
Nearby bigger space to let your dog run on a long-line lead
When out and about on walks in new places, Janine recommends keeping your dog on a long-line lead.
“It's a good idea to make sure any dog has a solid recall, and will reliably come back to you when called, but this can be especially important with nervous dogs, especially before you head out and about together in new locations.”
Pick out a destination with a big, scenic parkland where you can let out a long-line lead for your dog to really stretch their legs. A long-line lead is brilliant for when you’re teaching your dog good recall and it ensures your canine pal can still get their exercise in with a good run around while you keep tabs on them.
Local, quiet, spacious walks
All dogs love quality W-A-L-K-I-E-S, so find a holiday let with lots of wonderful, pretty walking routes that both you and your waggy-tailed companion will adore.
Pick out a scenic destination with views or fantastic flora that you can enjoy while your pup sniffs about picking up scents they’re not used to.
For nervous dogs, walks can be relaxing and a great distraction from the fact you’re staying in a new place. Exercise releases good chemicals in both humans and canine creatures and, when you return to your holiday cottage, there’s every chance your tired pup will forget their nerves and rest up with a much-needed post-walk nap.
Find a cottage to suit your best pal
Plan a stress-free, peaceful holiday with your canine pal that you can both enjoy. We have a wide selection of coastal huts, remote log cabins, and country cottages where you and your anxious pup will be able to completely relax without a care in the world.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.