Gear Up for Pet Travel

There are 3 categories of toys, says Sandy Robins, a pet lifestyle expert with PETCO. Comfort toys, which are anything soft or that the animal likes to carry around; action toys to play with on the beach; and distraction toys, which you stuff with treats. The animal will keep busy trying to extract them -- it's both mental and physical stimulation.

Distraction toys can often double as action toys, as is the case with the JW Pet Hol-ee Roller 5, a rubber hexagon with cut-outs that can be filled with snacks. Your dog can chew on it, fetch it or spend time trying to get the goodies out while you're busy packing or out on the town for a few hours.

Keep canines (and yourself) safe on road trips by first securing them in a harness like the  Kurgo Tru-Fit Smart Harness, and then hooking them to a Kurgo zip-line. It allows a dog to move somewhat freely in the back seat or cargo area, but will prevent dangerous seat-jumping. For small dogs who like to look out the window but can’t quite reach that high, install a booster seat; Kurgo makes one that collapses when not in use.

And you can easily monitor a dog’s temperature on a hot day by outfitting him in the LuvGear line of temp-alert harnesses and clothes, each emblazoned with a heat-sensitive icon that reveals the word “alert” if the outside temperature reaches approximately 100 degrees.

Crate options for flying pets are fairly standard because they all have to adhere to strict IATA rules. A cool way to keep your pet at a comfortable temp during a journey is the Snoozer Outlast Dog Crate Pad. The pad’s core material was originally developed for NASA; it collects body heat and reflects it back when the climate changes, preventing big swings in temperature that can be harmful to pets.

If your pet will join you onboard the plane, a popular choice for carry-ons is the SturdiBag. Its fiberglass ribbing prevents it from being crushed under the seat. Consider, too, carriers offered by Sherpa Pet Group and PETCO’s Guaranteed Onboard program, for which the companies teamed with major airlines to ensure that the bags meet all size and safety requirements.