The portal Dobrodruh.sk is one of Slovakia’s best-known travel sites, with a long-standing focus on real on-the-road experience, practical tips, and interviews with people in the field.
So we were all the more delighted when we got the chance to talk about our hands-on experience traveling with a dog—what can go wrong, where the most common problems arise, and what actually decides whether you and your dog get across the border.
The interview was originally published on Dobrodruh.sk and, with the editors’ permission, we’re sharing it here as well. For international readers, it’s also available in other languages.
Interview
At first glance, traveling with a dog looks romantic—shared adventures, new places, and experiences with a four-legged companion. The reality is often more complicated: logistics, rules, the dog’s travel stress, and a shift in how you think on the road.
We spoke with Boris, co-founder of IBO GUIDE, about what traveling with a dog really looks like without the gloss—what works, what doesn’t, and what they would do differently today.
Boris, do you remember the moment when you realized traveling with a dog wouldn’t be an occasional trip but a lifestyle?
It actually started quite unassumingly.
In 2021, my girlfriend bought a fox terrier. We named him Ibo—after an island in Mozambique, so a born traveler. He’s a bit of a “covid dog”—he grew up when we were all spending most of our time at home.
As a result, he doesn’t handle our absence very well—even for everyday things like a quick run to the shop.
At first, when my girlfriend and I planned trips together, Ibo ended up either in a dog hotel or, at best, with my mom. We took several trips like that, but it quickly became clear that we simply missed him—and, more importantly, that he probably missed us.
We also realized something else: even when we were thousands of kilometers from home, these were places where a dog could have been with us without any trouble.
That’s when it shifted. Not a grand decision—more a simple realization: on the next trip, Ibo would come with us.
Before your first big trip—what did you imagine traveling with a dog would be like, and what turned out to be pure illusion?
It may sound odd, but before our first major trip (from Slovakia to Paraguay and Bolivia), I felt like we were attempting something completely crazy.
Very quickly—already en route at the airports—we realized that people visit even these destinations with dogs. Moving long distances with your dog isn’t all that unusual.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy. There’s a lot of prep behind it, but like anything, it’s a skill you refine over time. What seems complicated at first gradually becomes routine.
The second illusion was that it would be hugely stressful for Ibo. It turned out we were the most stressed—while he lay calmly in his crate.
When did you first think: “OK, this is much harder than I expected”?
We remember this very clearly—on the way back from Bolivia.
We spent almost a month there and assumed we’d sort the paperwork for re-entering the EU with a single vet visit. When planning, we’d focused almost entirely on getting there.
The reality was very different. The return turned out to be far more demanding administratively than we expected. We had to sort out things we hadn’t prepared at all—while dealing with a language barrier and a system that doesn’t always work the way we’re used to in Europe.
After that experience, we looked back at previous trips with Ibo and realized we’d sometimes underestimated certain things—both the requirements of specific countries and the EU rules for returning. It hit us that it’s not just about the journey itself but an entire chain of conditions—and that coming back is often the trickier part.
What was the biggest mistake you made at the start—something you’d never repeat today?
The biggest mistake was not starting to travel with a dog sooner. For a long time we felt it would be needlessly complicated—logistics, restrictions, responsibility—so we kept putting it off. In hindsight, many of those worries were in our heads rather than in reality. Had we started earlier, we’d have learned the ropes faster. That’s the point: you won’t nail it perfectly the first time, but if you start and keep going, you build your own system.
Did having a dog change how you travel—or why you travel in the first place?
Traveling with a dog is, in many ways, like traveling with kids—you simply adapt the plan to their pace and needs.
Crowded, hectic places fall out of the equation. Our travel pace naturally slows, and we choose more carefully where it makes sense to go.
In many cases, a dog is a kind of filter—it protects you from pointless attractions and nudges you toward a more authentic way of traveling.
There’s another unexpected effect: it really helps with meeting locals. A dog is a natural “icebreaker” that opens conversations and situations that wouldn’t happen otherwise.
Many people weigh the car-versus-plane dilemma. When does flying with a dog make sense to you, and when is it simply a bad idea?
I tried to get an answer to that directly from Ibo. Unfortunately, he didn’t understand me. Jokes aside—based on recent experience, I’m starting to think flying isn’t as stressful for a dog as many people assume. With good preparation and training, it doesn’t have to be a big drama. Of course, it always depends on the individual dog.
For shorter distances, there’s usually no point forcing it. A car does the job—offering comfort during the journey and more flexibility once you arrive.
Has any country or place surprised you by being unexpectedly dog-friendly—or, on the contrary, totally impractical?
So far, it’s almost always been better than we expected—regardless of the country.
We noticed small hints of impracticality in Montenegro, for example, but these were exceptions tied mostly to cultural and religious customs.
It wasn’t anything unmanageable—more a reminder that dogs don’t hold the same privileged status in every culture as they often do at home.
What’s the most challenging logistical aspect of traveling with a dog that hardly anyone talks about?
Timing everything right surprised us the most. On road trips to nearby destinations it’s rarely a big issue. But if you want to fly with a dog—especially outside the EU—things get complicated. You have a dream travel date, yet some tests and documents need to be started well in advance, though not so early that they expire in the meantime.
Then come the scenarios you didn’t plan for: a test needs repeating, results are delayed, or a health issue pops up. The departure date is getting closer and you realize not everything may be ready in time. On top of that, you might need certified translations and other formalities. In the end, it’s a bit of a jigsaw—and you have to piece it together well.
What does an ordinary day on the road with a dog look like—the kind without Instagram moments?
We try not to make it too different from a day without a dog. Of course, some things need adjusting and the plan has to adapt. It’s also important that the day doesn’t differ too much from your dog’s normal routine. If they’re used to a certain rhythm, keep it on the road—especially walks, feeding time, and play. If your dog is used to, say, playing fetch, we wouldn’t skip it—even if that means a quick game in a ferry corridor.
If you had to recommend just three pieces of gear that genuinely improve comfort when traveling with a dog, what would they be?
Always have water and food at hand. It removes the stress of hunting for them—at the airport, in transit, or in the mountains.
Second, a favorite toy. In unfamiliar surroundings it provides a sense of security and helps your dog handle new situations more calmly.
Third—and maybe the least “visible,” yet crucial—a small binder with all the necessary documents and veterinary certificates. When everything’s in one place, it saves you time, nerves, and often sticky moments at borders, airports, or the vet.
Do you feel a dog limits you on the road, or has it opened doors and experiences you wouldn’t have reached otherwise?
A dog narrows your options but improves the quality of what remains—and that’s a trade-off that makes sense to us.
Did traveling with a dog teach you anything about patience or travel pace that you wouldn’t have learned otherwise?
Absolutely. Life with a dog is largely about patience—and that carries over into travel.
The pace naturally softens. You rush less, you notice more about where you are. And, surprisingly, that often brings more than the urge to “do it all.”
It’s a strange paradox: something slows you down, yet gives you a richer experience. Many travelers without a dog may never fully discover that.
Why did IBO GUIDE come to life—was it a planned project or more a need to share what you yourselves were missing?
It didn’t start because we decided to build a project. It started because we kept running into the same problem: information about traveling with a dog exists, but it’s scattered, unclear, and often hard to use in a real situation.
We thought we’d try to solve that. The goal was to create a universal platform for dog owners—not only in Slovakia but abroad too. That’s why most content on our site has been available in multiple languages from the start.
IBO GUIDE began as a content platform where we share our own experiences. Articles from specific trips followed—Norway, Croatia, later South America—and practical pieces like airport and ferry reviews or tips for hikes and city breaks.
We quickly realized content alone wasn’t enough.
So we started thinking about tools that would genuinely make traveling with a dog easier. One of them is the BorderCooler®.
It’s a tool that, once you enter your route (from country A to country B), gives you an overview of the key administrative and veterinary requirements for entering with a dog and for the return. In other words, it answers the question everyone asks before a dog trip: “What exactly do I need for this journey?”
It already covers information for 100+ countries and their requirements for traveling with a dog. It relies on official sources and updates data regularly to keep it as reliable and practical as possible.
Is there something on IBO GUIDE for people who don’t travel with a dog?
Of course.
We don’t write only about dog-related travel. My partner and I have traveled to many corners of the world, and it’s true that we did a lot of that without a dog. That naturally shows in the content too.
On IBO GUIDE you’ll also find itineraries, place recommendations, road-trip experiences, and practical advice useful for any traveler.
Our slogan sums it up: “We’ll get you—and your dog—on the road.”
When people write to you today about starting to travel with a dog, what’s their most common worry—and is it justified?
Most people who find us are those still considering traveling with a dog or preparing for their first trip. We mostly get questions about specific entry requirements for different countries, but also practical ones—like dog-friendly accommodation in places we write about.
The most common worry is paperwork—whether they have everything right, whether they’ve missed something, and whether border control or the airport will spring a surprise. And honestly, that concern is absolutely justified. That’s why we work to make this information as clear and accessible as possible, so people can navigate it without unnecessary hassle.
If you had to tell someone considering their first trip with a dog one honest sentence—what would it be?
Go for it.
Put time into planning and preparation. And if you hit a snag or doubt creeps in, drop us a line—we’ll gladly help. High paw to that!
Conclusion
Our thanks to Dobrodruh.sk for the opportunity and interest in our project, and for the smooth cooperation in preparing this interview. We appreciate the chance to bring the topic of traveling with a dog to a wider audience and believe collaborations like this help make practical information more accessible to travelers.
Are you planning a trip abroad with your dog? Check the entry requirements for various countries directly in BorderCooler®.