Train travel, doggie style: top tips for taking dogs on trains

'You're taking your dog? On a train?!' the incredulity the first time I told one of my friends I was taking Basil on a 600-odd mile journey by public transport did make me question my sanity slightly...

Basil sleeping on my half-packed bag before a trip!

Basil is a seven-year-old cocker spaniel. He has all the usual crazy cocker tendencies, and he is a rescue dog - so his obedience training was a bit late in life. He has more energy than the Duracell bunny, will eat anything he can get his paws on and gets a bit barky when anxious. Not, perhaps, the best 'model' or 'perfectly behaved'  candidate to try doggie train travel with.

I really didn't want to drive to Scotland... he can't fly, and yet I didn't want to leave him behind either. That said, I did think carefully about what I was doing, but decided it was worth a try.

The first time I took him was just before New Year. My boyfriend and I had booked a cottage near Dunoon - the plan was to do plenty of walking... It would be a real doggy heaven. The only problem was getting him there.

The timing of my trip meant it was mid-way through the Christmas break. It would be quiet. The biggest problem as far as I could see was my route took me through London. On the way home there seemed to be good connections to travel cross country, but on the outward journey it seemed that I needed to go via London. Figuring it would be quiet I sort of decided 'in for a penny...'

Basil on the underground

It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Although it was a bit stressful - especially navigating the tube with bag and dog in tow - he was amazingly well behaved and people were sooo helpful. From fellow passengers to the ticket inspectors and tube staff. On the train, the soothing motion was similar to the car and he soon fell asleep. He needed some distraction when the doors kept opening and closing on the tube, but otherwise he was fine.

Since his trip to Glasgow, Basil has been to Inverness and Aberdeen on the train and we even travelled by bus from Inverness to Aberdeen when we missed a train. He loves it, so many new smells, people and places - he always sleeps particularly soundly after travelling, which is a bonus if you want a lie in the next morning! The shared experience helped us to bond even further and I'm much more confident about taking him to places. It has meant he's been able to enjoy some fabulous places around the UK and meet lots of people. It's definitely worth the effort!

Basil and I up in the hills near Dunoon on New Year's Day - a fabulous walk which he couldn't have enjoyed if I hadn't taken the plunge and tried doggie train travel for myself!

Top tips for doggie train travel

Basil asleep while I work on a trip to Inverness

1. Book seats where you can - you can do this very easily if you buy your tickets online at the time of purchase. If you're not sure of your return time, most operators will let you book seats for your return even after you've bought your ticket - you'll have to ring up and it's a bit of a pain, but worth it. The best seats are window seats - avoid a table seat as your dog will spread out under the table and this can be awkward on busy trains unless those sharing your table are dog-friendly. If you have a dog people will often choose to sit elsewhere to give you a bit more room if there are spare seats.

2. Take a rug or blanket that you can put on the floor to encourage your dog to sleep on the floor- remember although it is free to take them, they aren't entitled to a seat and it's very useful if you can train your dog to sleep happily at your feet- it makes coach/ bus travel an option as well.

3. Try to exhaust your dog with a massive run or walk the morning of your journey - even if this means getting up even earlier - the bonus is he will sleep on the train and so can you!

4. Be aware of his need for comfort breaks. Amazingly Basil has never had any accidents on trains - peeing in a station concourse is probably the most embarrassing danger as you can't exactly pick it up!!! But he always seems to prefer the street so as soon as we get somewhere I get him out on to the street and walk with him until he does something in the toilet department. On the longer hitches I also took him out briefly when we stopped at a quieter station- although he generally preferred to wait.

5. Have plenty of poo bags in every pocket - remember even if he is good and doesn't do anything too embarrassing, you are juggling luggage as well - Basil chose one of the walkways between the tube trains once, very embarrassing and the faster you can react the minimal the embarrassment!

Basil with one of his favourite toys

6. Take plenty of treats and a water bowl - make sure you have food if there is the slightest danger you might be delayed beyond mealtime (our train to Inverness was two hours late and didn't arrive until 10pm!). A folding bowl is brilliant and if you have a bottle of water handy you can always ensure he gets a drink when he needs it. I usually take a rawhide bone and a couple of his toys as well, both for his final destination and for the journey.

7. Take care getting on and off trains - widths vary between train and platform and sometimes over-eagerness to get on or off can mean your pet misjudges the distance.

8. A flexi length lead is very useful giving you more options - I found setting it to the right length and the wedging it between the two seats was an ideal solution on the train.

9. Stay calm... if you are nervous, your dog will pick up on it. Remember there are lots of people around more than willing to help you out take advantage of their kindness at every opportunity to fit in your own toilet breaks or grab some food.

10. Enjoy! It's much more fun travelling with a dog, you'll meet many more people and find it strengthens your relationship with your pet.