There are so many reasons to love a Chihuahua and traveling is just one of them. Chihuahuas make excellent little travel buddies! But there are actually benefits of traveling with your Chihuahua you may not have even thought of. Some are pretty obvious and some may be quite a surprise!

You can go to any blog about dogs and find an article that will tell you the obvious reasons that it’s good to travel with your dog. For instance:

• Your dog gets to experience new sights and sounds, different people and places.
• You don’t have to miss them and worry about how they are doing at home.
• You don’t have to find or look for a pet sitter or where to board them.
• You know they are well taken care of because no one can care for them better than you do!
• More fun and quality time with your best friend
• You’ll get some great pictures and videos to upload to your social media and share with friends and family

Traveling with your Chihuahua can strengthen your bond and they learn to trust you more. There are benefits that can apply to both you and your Chihuahua.

Benefits Of Traveling With Your Chihuahua

Flexibility and Going with the Flow

Most people do a lot of planning and making an itinerary before traveling. When traveling alone or with other people, you try to stick to that itinerary to make sure we check off all the things we wanted to see and do.

When you travel with your Chihuahua things are different. You have to accept that you need to be flexible in order to meet their needs. For instance, you may have done your research but when you arrive at a destination or on a sightseeing tour, you may find that it is not pet-friendly after all.

It happened to us once when we were traveling all over Colorado with our two (at that time) Chihuahuas. We booked a hotel that was “pet-friendly”. When we arrived, however, their “pet-friendly” rooms were all “smoking” rooms. Because of health reasons as well as preference we could not stay in a “smoking” room.

As a result, we had to scramble to find another hotel and were still charged for the “smoking” room we did not stay at. Our first inclination was to be disappointed. The first hotel had some beautiful views and was a beautiful hotel next to a mountain. However, the alternative we found was not a hotel but a condo. The condo was nicer, more private, and the views were spectacular! There were also walking paths that we and our Chihuahuas enjoyed that we would not have had if we had been able to stay at the first hotel.

Traveling With Your Chihuahua Forces You To Slow Down

We, humans, tend to pride ourselves on being “busy” all the time. Dogs, on the other hand, are zen kind of creatures. They live in the moment. When we are with our dogs we tend to watch them enjoying being in the moment and just enjoying where they are at the moment.

I’ve found that I would begin following their cues and stop and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells around me. Instead of rushing to get to our next destination, I began to just enjoy being in the moment.

You’ll meet more people

There are three reasons that you tend to meet more people when you are traveling with your Chihuahua.

1. When we humans are traveling without our dogs, we tend to be focused on our plans and where we are going next. For that reason we don’t take the time to connect with the people around us. Consequently, people around you sense that you are pre-occupied with your own thoughts and they tend to leave you alone.
2. When you are with your Chihuahuas and slowing down and living in the moment you tend to see things and the people around you that you wouldn’t have before. This can lead to more connections with the people around you.
3. Most people love dogs. I have found that when they are with me more people will smile and say things like “cute dog” Or people will ask me a question about them. And often they will stop and talk and interact with your Chihuahua. These icebreakers can lead to deeper conversations and real connections with people you wouldn’t otherwise have met.

Although I think all my Chihuahuas, past and present are all cute, beautiful, and sweet little dogs, I found that it is Remedy that gets the most attention. Each and every single time. Remedy is a pear head blue merle Chihuahua. It is her unique markings that stop most people in their tracts and comment on her markings. Many say they have never seen a Chihuahua like her. I really enjoy these conversations and talking about my Chihuahuas … who doesn’t?

Wondering what a pear head Chihuahua is? Watch this video on youtube.

It’s Often Actually Cheaper

If you are camping with your Chihuahua some campsites do charge a fee for pets. The same is true of hotels, B&B’s as well as condos. However, they are usually nominal, especially for small dogs. If you add up all the pet fees you spend on your vacation they are almost always less than it would cost to board them or to pay a pet sitter.

When Traveling With a Chihuahua You’ll feel safer

Even though Chihuahuas are small, they are fantastic guard dogs. If you are staying in a hotel room, they will definitely alert you of anyone lurking outside your door. Dogs are also very intuitive. They will become aware of a situation or a person that just doesn’t feel right long before you do.

Socialization

I have preached — maybe “expounded” is a more appropriate word — about how important socialization is for any dog, but so much more so for Chihuahuas for a very long time, so I’m sure you are aware of the importance. While it is true that it is best if socialization begins at a young age, it also needs to continue throughout their entire life.

What better way to expose them to a variety of different situations, people, objects, etc. than to take them with you when you travel? While you should take measures to ensure that they feel safe you may be surprised at how much all these new experiences will empower them to be less afraid.

You best know your Chihuahua so, do not expose them to situations that may make them anxious and afraid. This will result in a reactive dog. Chihuahuas are fear aggressive, meaning they may react with aggression when very unsure or afraid of a certain unfamiliar object or situation.

Encreased Exercise and Mental Stimulation

Let’s be honest. We know that our Chihuahuas need daily physical and mental exercise. However, life tends to get in the way when we are at home. But when we are on vacation and traveling with our Chihuahuas we BOTH get more exercise and mental stimulation than we would if we were at home.

As you can see there are many obvious and less obvious benefits to traveling with your Chihuahua. Have you traveled with your Chihuahua? Do you take them with you everywhere? Tell us in the comments below 👇 where you have traveled with your Chihuahua and what it was like. We’d all love to hear about it!