Ok, I realize that this travel lesson is the most debatable. In fact, there is a very strong case to be made against traveling with a furry companion. I imagine that dog lovers and non dog people alike can contribute endless reasons for leaving a dog at home when you travel the world. Building a pet-friendly itinerary, hauling extra supplies and packing a shedding-resistant wardrobe are among the first challenges that come to mind. We practically had to amend our travel budget to account for lint-rollers.Â
But this is my list, so it made the cut!Â
When we told people that we were taking our dog with us to travel Europe we received surprised and perplexed looks. While some people were enthusiastic and supportive, many others asked if we had considered leaving him at home. Of course, we considered leaving him at home! It, undoubtedly, would have been easier. But the instant we considered a year or two without him we knew that leaving him behind wasn’t an option. We consider Zuri to be part of our family and we made a commitment to caring for him. So, if we were going, so was he! Â
And, honestly, we couldn’t imagine the adventure without him.Â
We love watching him run in the mountains and swim in alpine lakes. Few things make us feel as contented and grateful of our travels than the sight of a happy dog doing zoomies in a stunning location.  A dog perfectly in the moment, without a care in the world. And, at the end of the day we always have a loyal companion curled up peacefully at our feet. It is nearly impossible to avoid a warm and fuzzy feeling when we watch him sleeping peacefully, interrupted only by an occasional dramatic sigh or sleepy, full-bodied stretches.
Traveling with someone else, human or otherwise, is about making compromises.  I sometimes give up going to museums or art galleries, in order to travel with my husband. But ultimately, I would rather compromise the freedom of independent travel in order to share the experience with him. As it turns out, Züri doesn’t particularly care for museums either. So it seems to be a compatible match.
Yes, I have experienced moments of frustration when I longed, briefly, for a dog free travel experience.  But, if I am being honest, I have had similar thoughts about Rich (and I am sure he can say the same). Fortunately, these moments are short-lived.  And, in my opinion, the advantages of traveling with both of them far outweigh the disadvantages.Â
Overall, we are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to travel the world for the last year. And even more thankful to have our furry family with us. We recognize that this is an experience that not many people, and even fewer dogs, are able to have. And having hundreds of adorable dog pictures to document the trip is icing on the cake! (some turn out better than others)
Read my other travel lessons here.
