Sophia Hutchinson I Travelling with dogs

Dog photographer - Sophia Hutchinson shares her experiences with travelling with dogs.

Blanka

Welcome in today's episode. I'm here with Sophia Hutchinson all the way from England. Welcome!

 

Sophia

Thank you.

 

Blanka

Would you like to introduce yourself to the listeners?

 

Sophia

Of course. So I'm Sophia. I'm a dog photographer from England and the owner of two Dalmatians called Django and Amber.

 

Blanka

In today's episode, we were thinking to talk a bit about traveling with dogs. Since you're an AV traveler yourself, most recently you have been actually doing a road trip, all the way to Switzerland with your dogs. So I will ask a few questions about that. So first just to just start off, what got you into traveling with dogs?

 

Sophia

So I think it was all down to wanting to take them with us and create memories. I mean, Dalmatians, are quite high energy dogs and, they do need a lot of attention. So finding if we were to leave them at home, we would have to find a suitable dog sitter for them, which can be quite hard. And we know that, Django, my male Dalmatian, he's very sensitive about who he's with, and he has to trust them over time. So it was also just more comfortable for us knowing that he was going to be happier if we just came on holiday with them.

 

Blanka

I think that's something that's so many people can relate to. It's not easy to find someone you dare to trust your dogs with.

 

Sophia

No, exactly, and I think all of our dogs have like different quirks and different needs and it takes a while to understand, like how they communicate. So yeah, it's also like an ease of mind for ourselves.

 

Blanka

In the beginning, once you started out traveling or even maybe today as well, you mentioned that Dalmatians are quite high energy dogs. How does that work together with the traveling.

 

Sophia

Really easy surprisingly. So we just did ten days, I think, in Switzerland in a camper van. so obviously you're limited on space, which is another thing to think about. But it was because the traveling itself is tiring for dogs, so that you have to factor in mind, like enough time for them to rest. I think that's the biggest thing because even though they sleep in the camper van when you're driving, that's still tiring because they're not getting like the full sleep and like the peace, full sleep that would they would get home like in their own space. So you always have to, what we did, we would factor in like rest stops where even during the day we might just do like, absolutely nothing for like, two hours, just so we know they're getting enough sleep. I think that's one of the biggest things we learned.

 

Blanka

And it's very nteresting, because one would think that it's, yeah, all about just like the activity and everything. But yeah, it is really tiring for the dogs to travel all the new experiences to take in. Did you ever find that challenging, that it's like it's a completely new place, a completely new situation. How do your dogs take that?

 

Sophia

So, just with some of, like the methods of travel that were new to the dogs, we'd have to, like, ease them into it and understand that it's a completely new environment for them. So we went in to was like the Eurotunnel from England to France, which is essentially a train underground under the sea. So it's a completely different. We've never done anything like it. And when we got on there we could see they were, you know, a bit spooked, like, where am I? What is this? What are these noises? So we just use it as, a training exercise. So always making sure you've got, you know, whatever method it is good for positive reward training. So we had treats and it just is basically. You're on holiday, but you're using everything like a training exercise to make sure they’re comfortable. So then on the way back when we were back on a train, they were completely fine with it, like completely relaxed and just slept the entire way. Another example is when we were in Switzerland, of course, we got quite a few gondolas up to the mountains, and the first one we were planning to go up to. They'd been a one before, so I kind of knew how they would respond, but this one was a 25 minute gondola ride. So, yeah, quite a long one. to be honest, I probably had more anxiety with it then the dogs. So I planned to have, like some frozen licky mats for them. Just something to keep them distracted and, you know, engaged on. We did that and they were fine. Absolutely fine. Just completely chilled. I've shared some videos of them, just like nosing, looking outside the gondola, everything around of the scenery. So that's amazing.

 

Blanka

One of my dogs is so terrified of high, so I think it's been his nightmare. But, it sounds like that you were just so prepared ahead of the situation, so that's like a very good advice to other people, too.

 

Sophia

Yeah. Really. Think about the different parts that you will do of your trip. Stuff that you might not think about as something like new or maybe challenging, but you have the dogs, they experience it very differently. So be prepared for that. That's exactly like we obviously we had, you know, kind of tried a shorter gondola ride before. So we had an idea of how they would be. But it is just kind of putting your mind in their perspective of what something's going to be totally new and out of their comfort zone and just being prepared to help them be comfortable.

 

Blanka

Did you ever get in a situation where you had to just like, turn or change pants because of the dogs?

 

Sophia

Yeah, we did actually in Switzerland. So we had planned so many like hikes and amazing adventures in a day, but Django, he started to get stiff on his back and his like his right side. And so we had to obviously put him first and cancel those plans and just have like a plan B option. Which is why we took a lot of the gondolas up to the mountain, because he could only do a limited amount of exercise before he got stiff. So we would kind of just find an alternative solution that was, for him really, and just take it a bit easier. So we did miss out on a few things, but it just means we have to go back again.00:05:56:22

 

Blanka

Yeah. True. When you're traveling in the UK, do you also use a campermwhen you’re there, or do you just do road trips with your own car?

 

Sophia

We just do road trips in our own car, super easy. I mean, we've already set up with, you know, the crate. And so, yeah, it's just easy to get in and go and explore with them.

 

Blanka

What type of accommodation do you choose then when you're traveling within England?

 

Sophia

We do a mixture, to be honest, but a lot of them are, maybe like Airbnbs or self-catering. Mainly it's just our dogs. We know them. They like their own space, so it's just easier to manage that way.

 

Blanka

Do you have any special ways to prepare for, sleeping in someone else's house or in, like, a completely different environment than your actual home?

 

Sophia

So I think it's important to obviously bring the, you know, their own bed, something they're familiar with and comfortable with that they use at home just so then they can kind of settle in, a lot more easily. Our dogs, even though they don't sleep on, like the beds or furniture at home, as soon as they get somewhere new, they're like, "Yes, let me on." So we always have to bring blankets because we check what the terms and conditions are within that accommodation. Because some people say, no, you can't have any dogs on furniture, which, you know, you have to respect. But some do. And so for those ones, we always bring our own blankets or bedding just so we can, you know, be respectful, keep everything protected. And then the dogs get a nice comfy sleepover.

 

Blanka

Do you feel like the dogs, in a way grow with each trip? Like, do you see any difference between maybe your first trips and the trips you're taking now?

 

Sophia

Definitely. I'd say their confidence has grown dramatically compared to that very first trip we did. They’re just so much more at ease with kind of new experiences and not fazed by a lot. And it's really good socialization just for other people. Because, Django had like an issue of reactive barking through like windows or cars, but because he was exposed to it in such a positive way on our holidays, that's kind of eased now. So he's a lot more comfortable just people watching.

 

Blanka

Yeah. That’s amazing.

 

Sophia

Which is quite funny. You just see him sat in the driver's seat looking around.

 

Blanka

Well, that's super that, he was probably, like, exposed, in a positive way. That's very cool.  I think honestly, the dogs just love going on holiday. It's like a massive holiday for them. It obviously does limit a bit where you can go, because I don't know if you tried flying with dogs before.

 

Sophia

No, I've not done flying with dogs. Mainly for me, because I have a fear of flying myself. So like, I feel I couldn't, I'd be worrying about too much stuff if I had my dogs on the plane.

 

Blanka

I understand that completly.

 

Sophia

But I think if I had a smaller dog because I know some airlines allow the smaller dogs on to like the cabin area. I think I'd feel comfortable knowing, you know, the dogs, are they're, I can see him or her, but with my dogs being so big, they would have to cargo. So, yeah, I haven't flown, so I can't. Yeah. Maybe one day, but.

 

Blanka

Yeah, I but I think it's really nice not to fly everywhere. So my question would be actually like how to find adventures around your home place? Places that does not require you to fly to a completely new country. But just like, yeah, traveling locally with the car.

 

Sophia

So I guess, you know, it all depends on where you live, but it's so easy, like, so many places are dog friendly now, and the way we actually plan the holidays is we kind of look at a location we want to see and then we look around that for all the dog friendly amenities, like whether there's accommodation that's dog friendly locally or whether there might be a restaurant that allows dogs so that we can actually go out if we wanted to. But we've never found it difficult at all. I think so many places are a lot more dog friendly now, and even for reactive dogs, a lot of places are a lot more accommodating. So yeah, definitely shouldn't stop anyone.Yeah.

 

Blanka

I think, maybe during the recent like the lockdowns, then it became a bit more popular to travel within your own country. And I very much support that because I feel like whenever I go to my home place and sometimes, yeah, just look at it a bit more with a touristic eye. Yeah. I can explore so much more. Yeah. So it's, and then the dogs can join. So it's just the perfect combination.

 

Sophia

Yeah. It is.

And I think like during, after that lockdown lifted, that was what got us out to like our first kind of like staycations in the UK. And we started exploring more of our own country. So we would, which we had never done. I think that first year we must have gone to about five places we've never been to before with the dog.00:11:00:01 - 00:11:01:18

That's super cool.

 

Blanka

Many dogs, I don't know if that's the case with your dog, but they are very much needing like a daily routine. They have that like, okay, we get up, we eat, we yeah, do the normal things. Are your dogs needing a routine and how does it work when you're traveling?

 

Sophia

So I think every dog is different in that way. So Amber, our female Dalmatian, she's so easygoing in a sense. She doesn't need a routine. She'll just go with the flow. But, Django, he has to have a routine. If he doesn't, he's confused. He gets a bit unsettled. So whenever we travel, we always make sure that he eats at exactly the same time. You know, he would have like his normal what we would call, like just a toilet walk at the same time. So like morning and evening as well as whatever we would do during the day, and like sleeping arrangements, we would try to keep like the same.

 

Blanka

That's very useful to know because I know some dogs they get just like, very confused, like what is happening, new place, new environment, everything is new and not even the routine is the same. Yeah. I think it's amazing to help them with that.

 

Sophia

Yeah, definitely.

 

And I think sometimes you can overthink it and you can see your dog maybe just being a bit more unsure. Maybe doing some different behavior and like, the reason for it is just because of the routines change. So it's so important to keep it for them.

Blanka

Traveling in summer. Did you find that more challenging than traveling at other times of the year?

 

I would say a little bit, yes. So we didn't plan to travel in August. We would have chosen to travel earlier in the year when we knew the temperatures would have been cooler. So for this trip, knowing when we were going to travel, we obviously researched what the weather temperatures were going to be. Some days were looking a bit too hot for the dogs. Well, I wouldn't want to take them out or have them exercising because it would be unsafe. So for those days, I looked into some activities or locations where the temperature would be lower. So those were the days when we took the gondola up to the mountain, so it was cooler for them. And so yeah, we just managed it like that and just made sure we planned.

 

Blanka

That’s super to have some alternatives.Higher up or maybe by water or just like, more chilled than planned originally.

 

Sophia

Yeah. But it's definitely very important to check the temperature of where you're going because there's nothing worse. And unlike a day when it's 30 degrees and you look outside and you see dogs being walked.

 

Blanka

Yeah. I also obviously I feel like if they are live around the area. They are maybe a bit more exposed to it and get a bit more used to it.

 

Sophia

Definitely.

 

Blanka

But I also feel the same that sometimes I see dogs out in weather where like my dogs are just like put in the shadow with their water bowls and like, oh please don’t do too much. So it's very challenging, I feel, because sometimes even while one is driving, the car just gets so warm. If you don't have, like, perfect air conditioning or maybe the dogs are traveling in the back part of the car and it's not the same air ventilation system. So, it's definitely something to think about as well when traveling this summer that even during the drive, the cargo parts can really warm up.

 

Sophia

Yeah, we found that. And we've actually managed to find, was actually a friend, who bought them for me. They're like fans you put at the back of the crate just to help that circulation of air. So it's another thing.Yes.

 

Blanka

We also put up a small thermal meter that is actually like showing us the temperature in the different boxes.

Sophia

Oh that’s really cool.

 

Blanka

And then like, okay, now we have to stop and air out and take out the dogs because it's just like, not. Because you forget when you're up at the front with all the air conditioning, it just comes at you. Also sometimes, because, you know, in the summer it's all nice to make them swim. And then we would travel further. But it gets so humid in the back. So then we would, after a while, probably just like stop and really, like, air out the car.

 

Sophia

Yeah. So, it, definitely has its own challenges.

 

Blanka

But then again, in the winter, it's cold. So then, some people might find that more challenging.

 

Sophia

Yeah, it all depends on the dogs as well. And like, how, you know, they respond to different temperatures.

 

Blanka

Absolutely. Would you have like a general tip for anyone looking into traveling with their dogs or like your best tip, for traveling with dogs.

 

Sophia

Yeah, I think definitely don't have any hesitancy because I think sometimes it can be overwhelming when you start to think about it. I think the first thing, try a staycation in like your own country or an area, and you'll see how easy it is. I mean, it's, it's just what we do every day, but we're just doing it somewhere else.

 

Blanka

Yes, true.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and tips with us. I think we got some just very good insight into travelling with dogs. So I look forward to follow your next travels on your profile.

 

Sophia

Thank you.

 

Blanka

I hope to see you soon again.

Thank you.