Staycations for Older Dogs

Taking your dog away, whether it is for a few days, or a few weeks can be a fun experience for you all. Your dog will get to experience and explore new places they have never been to before, meet new dogs and people and most importantly, they get to spend some extra quality time with you and your family rather than spending the week at the kennels.

As your dog begins to get older, there may be some things you need to consider or changes to be made if you are planning on staying away with your dog.

Location & Accommodation

When planning a station for older dogs, the location is very important. Older dogs may not be able to walk as far as they used to. It is best to choose an area where there are local activities to visit, giving your dog a rest rather than walking for miles every day.  

Best cities and towns for staycations for older dogs:

• Edinburgh is an extremely dog friendly city with lots to choose from. They even have ‘Dogs Welcome’ stickers in the windows of dog friendly bars, restaurants, cafes, and shops, making it easy to identify which to visit. 
• Newcastle has lots of dog friendly options to eat and drink. Dogs are even welcome on the metro system for free making the city yours to explore. There are also local beaches at Tynemouth or South Shields for you and your dog to venture to.
• Keswick is the perfect place for dogs of all ages and breeds, there is something to do for everyone and almost everywhere is dog friendly. Keswick has even been awarded the ‘Most Dog Friendly Town’ in Britain by the Kennel Club three years in a row. 
• York is a very dog friendly city with so many places for you and your dog to explore. It is perfect for a city break as almost everywhere is dog friendly, so you are sure to get a nice warm welcome.

Travel

When travelling with a dog of any age there are a lot of things to consider. However, older dogs take a little extra care and consideration when travelling. Below are some things to consider when travelling with an older dog.

• Plan your journey and make time for plenty of breaks. Make sure you stop at places where your dog can get out and stretch their legs. Breaks will help stop your dog’s joints seizing up, making the journey for them much more comfortable.
• Provide them with plenty of bedding. Make sure your dog is extra comfortable as this will help reduce stiffness.  
• Stock up on supplies. If you are unsure of what to pack, we have a staycation checklist to get you started. Click here to view our Staycation Checklist. 
• Avoid travelling when the weather is hot. If your dog is too hot it may cause them to become stressed making the journey extra difficult for them.  
• Stay longer if possible. Try not to put your dog through a lot of travelling for just one night. If possible, stay longer to allow them to relax before tackling another long journey so soon.  

Activities

Plan an itinerary for your staycation. Plan some dog friendly activities to do while you are there. If your dog struggles with lots of walking, plan shorter, more frequent walks with lots of breaks along the way, or you could stop at cafes while they have a rest. Older dogs don’t know their limitations, they will still wag their tails for walks, but this may cause them to ignore the fact they need time to relax and recover.