Travelling with your dog: within Morocco and abroad

Taking your dog on holiday, bringing it along when you move, or leaving for abroad with it: all of this is possible, as long as you plan ahead. A car journey takes a little organisation, a departure for Europe several months of preparation. Here is how to travel calmly with your dog, in Morocco and beyond its borders.

Should you take it?

Before booking, ask yourself honestly. A young, sociable, healthy dog adapts well to travel. An older, sick, very anxious or travel-sick dog will often be better at home, looked after by a relative, or in a trusted kennel.

Think about the destination too: will it be welcome there? Will it be very hot? Will it have to stay alone in unfamiliar accommodation while you sightsee? If so, care at home is probably the best option. You will find kennels and sitters in the services listings.

By car

This is the simplest means of transport, as long as you follow a few safety rules.

Secure the dog

A loose dog in the car distracts the driver and becomes a projectile in a sudden stop. There are three solutions:

• the travel crate, wedged in the boot or on the back seat, which is the safest;
• the safety harness clipped to the seat belt, for the back seat;
• the guard or dividing net for a boot open to the cabin.

Don’t let it put its head out of the window: dust and insects injure the eyes, and the risk of a fall is real.

During the journey

• Give it a light meal three to four hours before leaving, not just before.
• Stop every two hours: a walk on the lead, fresh water, a few minutes in the shade.
• Clip on the lead before opening the door: at a motorway service area, a frightened dog that bolts is in great danger.
• Use air conditioning or ventilate, and never leave it alone in the car, even for a short stop. See protecting your dog from the heat.

Travel sickness

Panting, heavy drooling, yawning, then vomiting: many young dogs are sick in the car. Get it used to it gradually with very short trips that end with something pleasant, have it travel on an empty stomach facing forward. If the problem persists, your vet can prescribe a suitable treatment.

By train, coach and taxi

Conditions vary from one company to another and change: some accept small dogs in a bag or crate, others refuse animals, others still require a muzzle and a ticket. Ask the carrier directly before you travel, and get clear confirmation. For a taxi, say so when you book and bring a blanket to protect the seat.

Finding accommodation

Hotels, riads, guest houses and rentals don’t all accept dogs. Ask explicitly before booking, stating your dog’s size, and get the agreement confirmed in writing. Find out about any supplements, whether it can be left alone in the room, and where it can stretch its legs.

On site, respect the place: bring its bed, don’t let it onto the beds, pick up its droppings and don’t let it bark while you’re out. That is how accommodation keeps welcoming dogs.

What to pack

• its health record and documents;
• its usual food, enough for the whole stay: changing food while travelling causes digestive upsets;
• water and a folding bowl;
• its lead, its collar with a tag carrying your phone number, and a harness;
• its bed or a blanket that smells of home;
• poop bags;
• its current treatments and parasite products;
• a small first-aid kit and a tick hook;
• a recent photo of it, in case it gets lost.

Find a vet at your destination in advance. The vet listings will help.

Leaving for abroad: plan months ahead

Each country sets its own entry conditions, and they are strict for animals coming from Morocco, where rabies is present. The rules change: always check current requirements with your vet, the consulate of the destination country and the ONSSA veterinary services before spending any money.

To the European Union

To enter the European Union with a dog from Morocco, the usual conditions are, in this order:

1. Microchip identification, fitted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination.
2. A valid rabies vaccination, on a dog at least twelve weeks old.
3. A rabies antibody test: a blood sample taken at least thirty days after the vaccination, analysed at an EU-approved laboratory. The result must reach the regulatory threshold.
4. A three-month waiting period between the date of the blood sample and entry into EU territory.
5. A health certificate in the European format, drawn up by a vet and endorsed by the official veterinary services in the days before departure.

In practice, between fitting the chip and departure, allow at least four months. A puppy born in Morocco can’t enter the European Union before about seven months old. Some countries, like Ireland, Malta or Finland, also require a tapeworm treatment in the days before arrival.

The test remains valid as long as rabies boosters are given with no delay at all. A single late booster, and the whole procedure has to be restarted: note the date.

Coming back to Morocco

If you live abroad and come to Morocco with your dog, the Moroccan formalities are simpler, identification, rabies vaccination and a health certificate, but it is the return that is a problem if the antibody test wasn’t done before leaving. Have the blood sample taken before leaving Europe: in that case, the three-month waiting period doesn’t apply on return.

Restricted breeds

Moroccan law bans certain dogs classed as dangerous, and many countries apply their own restrictions. Check your dog’s situation on both sides of the border; our article dogs and the law in Morocco covers this.

By plane

Each airline has its own rules, to check when booking, as places for animals are limited.

• In the cabin: reserved for small dogs, in a bag or soft crate placed under the seat, within a weight limit that includes the carrier.
• In the hold: in a rigid crate meeting air-transport standards, big enough for it to stand and turn round.
• Short-nosed breeds are refused in the hold by many airlines, because of the breathing risk.
• Avoid flights with a stopover and strong heat: some airlines suspend hold transport in summer.

Get your dog used to its crate several weeks ahead. Don’t give it a tranquilliser without veterinary advice: these products disturb temperature regulation and breathing at altitude.

By boat

For crossing the Strait, ferry companies generally accept dogs, depending on the ship in kennels on board, in the vehicle or in dedicated cabins. Conditions differ between companies and vessels: check when booking, and bring water, as the heat on the car decks can be strong.

If you can’t take it

Three solutions: care at home by a relative or sitter, a host family, or a kennel. Visit the kennel before committing, check cleanliness, shade, space and outings, and ask which vaccines are required. A trial day or night before the big departure reassures everyone.

Key takeaways

For a trip in Morocco: dog secured, regular stops, water, never alone in the car, accommodation confirmed in advance. For abroad: chip, rabies vaccine, antibody test and three months’ wait, at least four months of preparation in all, to be checked with your vet and the relevant authorities.