What are the benefits of bringing your dog on holiday? Find out more about how your pet as well as the family can get more from their holiday when bringing your dog is an option.

Benefits Of Bringing Your Dog On Holiday

If you are planning a holiday and debating whether or not to take your dog with you, there are several reasons why you absolutely should. It may seem like there are not a lot of dog-friendly accommodation options to choose from. However, there are more and more pet-friendly guesthouses, hotels and B&B's becoming available all over the world. 

Bringing your furry friend with you for the journey will also push you to be more active as you will likely do a lot more walking, and in turn, this will allow you to see and experience far more than you would have travelling alone. Dogs will always make far more fantastic travel companions than people, as dogs are always enthusiastic and up for anything. 

Dogs are also an excellent way to meet new people or break the ice with locals whilst on holiday as they always attract a crowd on their travels. Another benefit to taking your dog on holiday with you is that you won't have to shell out all of that extra money on a shelter or pet sitter or go through the stress of trying to find somebody to look after them. 

Travelling with your dog can come with a number of benefits. Some of these benefits are significantly more obvious than others. Some of the notable benefits that are typically talked about include how your dog gets to experience new things like different sights and sounds, how you won't have to sit on holiday missing them if they are spending quality time right there beside you or worrying about them getting the proper care. 

However, there are lots of other, less obvious benefits that people may not even think to consider when deciding to take their pet on holiday with them, such as how such an experience can seriously strengthen the bond you have with your animal. Taking your dog with you on a road trip or holiday can completely change the way you experience and enjoy your trips away. Many benefits apply to you, but there are also benefits that apply to your dog too. 

Benefits To You

A Closer Bond

Whether you are camping, hiking or exploring cities, a new place is going to leave your dog a little out of their element. 

They will constantly be looking to you for direction and guidance. The consistent one-to-one attention will typically cause you and your dog to form a much closer bond than if you were just at home or in a familiar location. 

This newfound bond can last long after your holiday is over for days, weeks or even forever. 

Flexibility

Whether you are travelling with or without your dog, holidays typically require a lot of planning. When travelling alone or with other people, we tend to stick to a particular plan or itinerary. Still, when going on holiday with a dog, this is usually not the case as when dogs are involved, you generally have to pander to their schedule. 

For example, you might have planned to go hiking down a particular trail, but when you get there, you realise that the route does not allow dogs along it. 

This means you may have to seek out an alternative route nearby, and this could be just as good if not better than your original plan and could lead you to make new and exciting discoveries that you may not have made if you had travelled alone. 

Watching the excitement in your dog's eyes as you discover new things, sights and smells will remind you that the needed flexibility and need to sometimes change plans is still okay. The only thing that matter is that you and your canine best friend are out making precious memories together. 

Slow Down

When going on holiday with other people, you have to try to accommodate each person's travelling desires as everyone will have different ideas of how they want to spend their time and where they want to go. Whilst this can be an exhilarating experience for everyone, it can also be incredibly exhausting. 

However, taking a trip with your dog is generally a far more relaxing experience as dogs are calming and slower-paced creatures that enjoy taking things slow and stopping to enjoy the world around them. 

If you ever find yourself caught up being too busy, you can always look at your dog, notice how much enjoyment they are getting from their experience, and take a leaf out of their book. Dogs tend to live within the moment, which can remind you to take a deep breath and appreciate things through their eyes.

Meeting More People

There are a few ways in which travelling with your dog will allow you to meet more people. The first is that when travelling alone, we can often become too caught up in our own little world, trying to work out where we are next heading and what the next thing on the to-do list is. 

Being too absorbed in our thoughts can often leave us very little time to actually stop and connect with the people around us. Another way bringing your dog will help you meet more people is by slowing your pace down and just going with the flow. 

This way, you can discover new places, meet new people, experience the local culture and just really explore wherever you are in the moment, making it easier to connect with the people and places around you. 

Lastly, everybody loves dogs, and they are great conversation starters. Dogs attract people who want to pet them, say hello and perhaps ask questions about their breed or colour. All of these things act as great ice breakers for a deeper conversation, allowing you to connect to new people easily through your furry friend. 

Discover New Things

A lot of the time, the main tourist attractions whilst on holiday will be off-limits to dogs. This means you may have to dig deeper when trying to find activities you can do and places you can go that are dog-friendly. 

A lot of these things you probably wouldn't have even considered doing if you didn't have your dog with you, and they could turn out to be the highlight of your trip. Having a dog with you encourages you to try new things and see new sights. You may even discover a hidden gem.

Cost-Effective

Even though many dog-friendly accommodations will charge a pet fee, it still works out drastically cheaper than if you add together all of the expenses you would have to pay out when leaving your dog in a kennel or paying a pet sitter. 

If you choose to camp or manage to find a hotel that allows dogs to stay free, then this can lower the overall costs significantly. 

A Sense Of Security

Dogs provide us with a sense of security, so bringing your furry friend along with you on your travels is bound to help you feel more safe and secure. Bigger dogs are like having a natural bodyguard constantly by your side. Whilst smaller dogs can be loud, attracting attention quickly if needed. 

Dogs can also become aggressive if they feel anxious in stressful environments or feel like their owner is in danger, so they are always great to have with you for physical protection should anything go wrong. 

Dogs are very observant and constantly aware of their surroundings, so they are more likely to notice when a situation doesn't feel right quicker than you are.

Benefits For The Dog

Socialisation

Exposing your dog to brand new sights, smells and experiences is essential for improving their socialisation. This can be especially important when your dog is of a young age. 

When travelling with your canine companion, they will adapt to being around new people and on new surfaces, experiencing the world in a completely different way than they know. If you expose your dog to fresh places and situations regularly, they will become much better at adapting to any changes that may happen later in life, such as house moves and new pets. 

Focused Attention

Travelling on your own is an entirely different experience when you travel with others. When travelling with somebody else, you will spend more quality time with them and focus on the experience as a couple or group rather than doing your own thing or making friends with strangers. 

This is essentially the same when it comes to travelling with your dog, as they become your primary focus and companion. 

Fitness

When visiting another place with your furry companion, you will typically get more exercise daily than you would at home, and as will your dog. 

Dogs will generally spend a significant part of their day lounging around at home whilst you are away at work or doing other things. Being on holiday means you are both on the move, walking and doing activities. 

When doing more things during the day, such as walks exploring new and exciting places, you and your dog will be getting a substantial amount of exercise and bettering your health. 

Are you looking for dog friendly holidays in the Cotswolds? If you would like to learn more on our self catering, dog-friendly cottages in Stow-On-The-Wold, please follow to links below.