Dog on train & tube

[stillnotjustamummy]

Tomorrow I have to take my lovely lab to work with me as doggy daycare is closed at short notice what are the rules for trains & tubes and any tips on keeping him calm?

PestDog comes on the train and tube with me all the time. With tubes the only real rule is that they have to be carried on escalators as they can get their paws trapped - or you can use the stairs or lifts. For trains it's pretty much a case of keeping them off the seats and not letting them be a nuisance to others.

Has he been on a train / tube before?

If he is a bit nervous about the new experience (or just a bit of a nervous dog), be aware that lots of people will want to pat him and this may wind him up more, so discourage them if that's the case. Also, make sure no-one walks into him/treads on him as they don't all look. If it is possible, I try to get onto an emptier coach/carriage and, on train, take the dog to one end of it so not too many people will be trying to get past or, if tube, I go for the "luggage/pushchair/priority" fold up seats area near the exit (you can get the dog slightly under the seat and sticking out less in those seats). When getting off the train I usually let others of first so we don't have to walk in a crowd. On the tube, we just take our turn to get out, trying not to get dog knocked about while we do so. On the tube check that the stations you are using to enter/exit have either flights of stairs or lifts so you can avoid escalators.

Thankfully it's escalator free route, he's 40kg - he's not been on public transport before and is usually quite bouncy- not trying to pester other passengers might be an issue. I will bribe heavily!

On the tube try and sit at the end of a carriage or on the fold-down seats - our dog usually sits underneath these so he's out of the way! I'd also try and go in a bit later or earlier if you can and avoid rush hour if he might be nervous or unsure.

Took my dog for the first time the other day. Absolutely fine on the train but a bit nervous on the platform.