Travelling with your dog? Try Uber Pet

Anyone that loves to take their dog out and about with them, one of the struggles can be transporting them if you are catching public transport.  To help, the Uber Pet service launched in 2020, which allows riders to match with a driver-partner willing to transport their fur friend too.

Since launching this , the Uber rideshare service has seen a 79% increase in pet owners travelling around the country with their beloved pooches, with a 97% increase in riders commuting to and from work with pets, which I think is pawsome!

Uber Pet is a service that will hopefully continue to grow and see more drivers feeling help comfortable about letting our dogs come along for the ride with us.

How Uber Pet works

• Uber Pet is available in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Canberra, Newcastle, Hobart, Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Geelong, Wollongong and Darwin.
• The Uber Pet service will attract a $6-7 ‘pet fee’ on top of the standard ride fare.
• If you’re travelling with a service animal, you should continue to select your regular Uber trip option. Assistance animals are legally allowed to go everywhere their owner goes and by law driver-partners cannot refuse a rider because they have a service animal.

How to request an Uber Pet trip

1. In the Uber app, enter your pickup and dropoff location
2. Under ‘Choose a ride,’ select ‘Uber Pet’
3. Tap ‘Choose Uber Pet’ to confirm

Tips when using Uber Pet

To help ensure it is a good experience for everyone involved Top Uber Pet rider Michaela,who travels frequently with her pooch Archie, has shared her top tips.

1. Make sure your pet has the opportunity to use the toilet before you order your Uber Pet trip, to avoid any possibility of accidents or your pet feeling anxious during the trip. There’s nothing worse than travelling in the car and busting for the bathroom, no matter what species you are!
2. Ensure, when you order your Uber Pet trip, you’re adhering to the guidelines, such as only bringing along one pet, and keeping them restrained throughout the trip, on a leash or harness, or in a travel crate.
3. Ask the driver their preference on where your canine companion sits before hopping in the car. Smaller pooches should comfortably sit on your lap, whereas the floor of the backseats may be more comfortable for bigger dogs
4. Make sure your pooch is regularly groomed to help avoid any unpleasant smells, dirt or hair from being left behind after your ride. Keeping their nails short also helps avoid them catching on fabric or marking leather. If your dog sheds, a towel or blanket on the floor/ protecting the back of the seat in front of you is always appreciated by your driver.
5. Make sure your pooch is well versed in doggy manners to ensure they are a five star passenger. I recommend bringing treats along for the trip to reward good behaviour and make it a pleasant travel experience for both you, your dog and the driver. For tips on how to help a dog that gets anxious on car rides, click here.
6. Remember that although you adore your pup, sometimes drivers haven’t had the chance to learn how to tell if a dog is friendly or nervous. They’re doing us pet lovers a favour by driving us safely from A to B, so make sure you’re respectful of their space too and don’t let your dog approach them unless the driver has said they’d like to.
7. Remember to leave a tip as a big thank you for getting you both safely to your destination!

Lara Shannon is a certified dog behaviourist and trainer, pet food nutrition specialist, Executive Producer and Host of Pooches at Play on Channel 10 and editor of Poochesatplay.com. Lara also runs her own dog training business in Melbourne’s Bayside area and is the Author of World of Dogs and Eat, Play, Love (Your Dog).