364 - Healthy, Happy Travels to Westminster Kennel Club

02/06/20 • 30 min

Healthy, Happy Travels to Westminster Kennel Club

Dr. Marty Greer provides thorough and thoughtful advice for keeping your dog healthy and happy on the way and at the big show.

Preparing the Dog

Enter the dog.
Assure the entry has been accepted.
Arrange travel.
Have an appropriate travel bag or crate, depending on if the dog will travel in the cabin under your seat or in cargo, with or without you on the airplane.
Do NOT try to pass the dog off as an “ESA” – Emotional Support Animal if this dog is not certified as such. There is current proposed legislation that will restrict the use of this term as it has been overused and misused by many travelers.
A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) is required for all animals crossing state lines. This applies whether you are driving or flying the dog to the destination. Most of the time, you will not be asked for this document. However, if you are without it, your travel plans may be interrupted. This must be issued by a veterinarian who is “Accredited” by USDA. Not all Veterinarians are accredited so be sure you have a veterinarian who can sign this paperwork.
A current rabies certificate is also required for all dogs traveling.
A “Letter of Acclimation” if the dog is flying in cargo. This will reflect the temperatures the dog has been acclimated to prior to travel. This is issued by your veterinarian.
Microchip and identification collar with your current cell phone number.
Anti-anxiety medication if indicated. Acepromazine and Benadryl/diphenhydramine are NOT anti-anxiety medications. Alprazolam, trazodone, or gabapentin may be suitable if indicated and prescribed by your veterinarian.

Preparing the Equipment

Make a list of the least amount of equipment and supplies you can manage with. Consider shipping these ahead to the hotel.
Arrange to rent equipment
Travel bag, leash and collar. A quiet toy to keep your dog busy and avoid annoying fellow travelers.
Travel crate, absorbent material, leash, collar, ID, small bag of food enough for one meal, bowls (the kind that flatten are easiest) and a toy to keep your dog busy.

Preparing you!

Buy tickets for admission to Westminster.
Make flight arrangements. Be sure you include the dog(s) on the reservation.
Make hotel reservations. Be sure you include the dog(s) on the reservation.

Healthy, Happy Travels to Westminster Kennel Club

Dr. Marty Greer provides thorough and thoughtful advice for keeping your dog healthy and happy on the way and at the big show.

Preparing the Dog

Enter the dog.
Assure the entry has been accepted.
Arrange travel.
Have an appropriate travel bag or crate, depending on if the dog will travel in the cabin under your seat or in cargo, with or without you on the airplane.
Do NOT try to pass the dog off as an “ESA” – Emotional Support Animal if this dog is not certified as such. There is current proposed legislation that will restrict the use of this term as it has been overused and misused by many travelers.
A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) is required for all animals crossing state lines. This applies whether you are driving or flying the dog to the destination. Most of the time, you will not be asked for this document. However, if you are without it, your travel plans may be interrupted. This must be issued by a veterinarian who is “Accredited” by USDA. Not all Veterinarians are accredited so be sure you have a veterinarian who can sign this paperwork.
A current rabies certificate is also required for all dogs traveling.
A “Letter of Acclimation” if the dog is flying in cargo. This will reflect the temperatures the dog has been acclimated to prior to travel. This is issued by your veterinarian.
Microchip and identification collar with your current cell phone number.
Anti-anxiety medication if indicated. Acepromazine and Benadryl/diphenhydramine are NOT anti-anxiety medications. Alprazolam, trazodone, or gabapentin may be suitable if indicated and prescribed by your veterinarian.

Preparing the Equipment

Make a list of the least amount of equipment and supplies you can manage with. Consider shipping these ahead to the hotel.
Arrange to rent equipment
Travel bag, leash and collar. A quiet toy to keep your dog busy and avoid annoying fellow travelers.
Travel crate, absorbent material, leash, collar, ID, small bag of food enough for one meal, bowls (the kind that flatten are easiest) and a toy to keep your dog busy.

Preparing you!

Buy tickets for admission to Westminster.
Make flight arrangements. Be sure you include the dog(s) on the reservation.
Make hotel reservations. Be sure you include the dog(s) on the reservation.

Previous Episode

363 — Reactive Dogs: Learn their Language

Reactive Dogs: Learn to Speak “Dog” for Better Outcome

Kristin Sandstede, Big Moose Dog Training, is back with some great conversation about "reactive dogs." We narrow the topic down to reactive, non-aggressive dogs and learn to speak "dog" for some great solutions. Dogs speak in body language, Sandstede reminds us. They use "distance increasing and distance decreasing body language." For example hard, sharp barks, growls and showing teeth are distance increasing signals. Dogs when they play bow and offer "circle wags" are telling their playmates to come closer. Drilling down on that behavior more, Sandstede observes that a "hip check is friendly, a shoulder check is not." Reactive dogs are often just plain scared, Sandstede said. "Many dogs learn that the best defense is a good offense, Sandstede said. "The big reaction saves them from having to get into interaction that makes them scared." Lack of early socialization, negative experiences and a second fear stage at around 9 months, can all cause the problems the dog is experiencing, Sandstede said. "You can do all the right stuff in the 0-16 weeks timeframe and still have 2^nd fear period. It’s a real thing and it happens." So, if this is happening to your dog, your first move is to avoid the "threshold" that causes the reaction.

Going forward

"Don’t get after the dog," Sandstede said. "While we’re embarrassed and don’t want our dog to act that way, all (a correction successfully does) is stress out the dog, create more fear/anxiety. Scared dogs don’t know what to do. Give them things to do. If you take away a behavior you don’t like, you have to replace it with a better one. The more time focused on what the dog does right, also decreases his stress level."

Traveling to NYC

Folks traveling to Westminster Kennel Club with reactive dogs need to consider the high traffic, lots of noise, lots of people as potential triggers to the dogs fears. Counter-conditioning to solve the underlying issue takes time. So the next best option is to manage the dog's anxiety. Cut down on their external stimulation when possible and utilize products such as CBD oil, melatonin or lavender oil to reduce anxiety.

Next Episode

365 — Junior Showmanship from Competing to Judging

Junior Showmanship from Competing to Judging

Marti Day and Sarah Congleton are a mother-daughter junior showmanship judging juggernaut. Sarah and her brother Tanner started showing in juniors in 2005. Marti was the support person and chauffer. Mother and daughter both judged the huge junior showmanship competition at Orlando before the AKC National championship. The family traveled to dog shows regularly, putting 250,000 miles on the family Suburban’s odometer. Sarah and Tanner competed in 4-H, juniors and regular breed competition, eventually working for handlers and breeders. “We were so fortunate to work with top notch breeders,” Marti said. “We had people who offered us dogs and helped the kids learn how to groom. Parents should never do work for the juniors.” Marti said she was rarely worried about her children traveling with breeders and handlers. The siblings generally were together, Marti said, adding “the Dog show world, in terms of children, really look after each other in an incredible way.” As a parent, Marti expressed pride for her children’s success. “The sport has made them outspoken, compassionate, understanding, motivated, organized young adults,” Marti said. Sarah observed that junior entry numbers are decreased in recent years and throughout the purebred dog fancy “more has to be done than just saying juniors are the future of the sport.” Mentorship along the lines of “Jody’s Juniors” and building a “dogmanship” program are some of Sarah’s emphasis. “It’s not just running around the ring in a Saint John’s suit, we need to teach basic animal husbandry,” Sarah added. Marti and Sarah both emphasized safety in judging junior showmanship, as well as “who would I trusty MY dog to.” “I like to see the juniors and their dog relax. Everybody on edge isn’t good for either one. And, don’t be a prima donna. I want to see the rapport between you and your dog,” Marti said.