Cesar Millan Gave Me 5 Tips for Traveling with a Dog—And None of Them Include Treats

Ahead of the summer travel season, I asked dog training expert Cesar Millan how to make the most of traveling with dogs. Whether you’re taking your pooch on a road trip like I am, or flying with Fido, there are ways to reduce her anxiety, increase her comfort and make everyone in your travel group love your canine companion. While I expected Millan to give me hard-and-fast rules for traveling with dogs, I was surprised to find that his advice included more open-ended suggestions that can be tailored to every dog’s needs—and your role as pack leader. (I was also surprised that Millan mentioned that he used the same principles when he took his now-grown sons on trips when they were young.)

“Overall, travel more because you know, life is about ‘follow, play, explore,’” Millan says. “Pets are about following you, playing with you, exploring with you. And when you travel, you get to do follow, play, explore, right? Follow, play, explore. This is the beauty of planet Earth, to walk it, to swim it, to fly it, whatever you can do. But if you don't want to swim or fly, just walk with the dog.” Here are his suggestions, including mental state, pre-planning, calm energy and more, for a successful trip with your dog.

According to Cesar Millan, "the preparation is extremely important because an animal has to be in agreement to go inside the car.” He emphasizes that an owner should never put a dog inside a crate or a car when they are full of physical energy, bored or frustrated or confused. “If your dog is going to be in a car, the goal is not to be full of physical energy, because that gets him a little bit uncomfortable, right? Restless," he says. The dog's mind needs to practice "waiting," which Millan says is a relaxed mental state similar to what a human would perceive as meditation.

Millan highlights the importance of the "transition of migration, especially because it's done in such a technological way." Upon arrival at a new destination like an Airbnb or hotel, after handling logistics, the first thing to do is "take a really good walk—it accelerates the process of knowing that we're in a different land, and different land means different smell, sights and sounds.” And remember: When walking in a new city, ensure "the dog needs to beside you or following, because it's a migration" and you, the human, are leading it.

Cesar Millan stresses that "the human just has to be the same energy source anywhere," even away from home. Ideally, this means having "silence, calmness, confidence, love and joy,” which are "five energies that allow you to be able to provide protection and direction.” He warns that if "the human worries, if the human is afraid, or if the human is lazy, or if the human doesn't have a plan of action," it will make it difficult for the dog to adapt. He advises against giving affection if a dog is uncomfortable, because "if a dog is not comfortable, do not give affection because you're nurturing that discomfort." Instead, to help, follow the example of paramedics: "Silence, calmness, surrender."

For a dog's well-being and good behavior, Millan states that "the best way to for a dog... is exercise and for the mind to learn rules, boundaries and limitations." When the mind learns these, "that mind is organized, that mind is understand self-discipline.” He provides a simple formula for good behavior: "Exercise, discipline, affection.” This formula applies to both "kids and dogs". Even with tools such as a wireless dog fence like the Halo collar, he explains, "you need to have rules, boundaries, limitations because the technology is not going to tell the dog this is what it’s for. You the human, by understanding how to introduce tools, you can reinforce on your rules, boundaries, limitations, that allows you the freedom that everybody dreams of with their dog."

Millan asserts that “if a dog's mind doesn't associate the car with patience and calmness, it will be a problem.” He explains that "the only reason why people have to put Alicia in the car is because the mind of a dog doesn't know how to be patient and calm, or waiting." He emphasizes that "patience and calmness" are two very important energies to teach a dog, and you can do that by teaching something as simple as to wait. For dogs, a significant lesson is to "learn to detach, not to follow the human everywhere.” While traveling with your dog is "piece of cake and makes sense to them, waiting for you is a new mind thing that they have to learn."