8 tips on having the perfect road trip with your dog
Traveling with your dog is going to be a lot of fun but it can also result in a lot of different challenges.
The main thing that needs to be remembered is that you always need to put their needs first and you must ensure that they are well taken care of and safe at all times.
Below are my top tips on how to go on a road trip with your pup.
Our rescue doggie Mali will be the model for this blog post!
Before your road trip
1. Vet visit/meds
Before going on a road trip with your pooch, make sure you have all of the needed medications for your dog.
Including any prescription medication as well as the usual vaccines such as rabies.
If your dog is on any specific medication make sure you have enough for the duration of the trip.
Also, don’t forget to have your dog treated for internal and external parasites especially if you’re going during the summer and if you’re going somewhere where there is a lot of tall grass.
Some people prefer to just book a vet appointment and ask about anything needed before the trip.
Remember: shots, parasites meds, and any specific meds.
2. What to pack
This depends on how long your trip is, the destination, and some of the points depend on the size of your fur baby. However, here is a list of the items that you should consider bringing with you:
– 1-3 towels – (depending on the size of your dog) in case it rains, you want to be able to dry their fur.
– Bring dog ID and tags – if you’re staying in a hotel, you might get asked to provide proof of vaccination. The easiest thing to do is just to clip them on your dog’s collar. You can also bring any printouts/receipts from your vet that prove that your dog has been vaccinated.
– Assortment of leashes – I don’t know about your dog but mine is able to get extremely dirty with the speed of light. I bring one extra collar in case he gets really muddy. If you have a smaller dog you should consider bringing a harness instead of a collar. Also, I bring two leashes one regular length as well as one extendable (I bring this one on hikes so he can still be on the leash but be able to explore a bit more).
– Dog bowls – I usually bring his actual bows from home, one for water and one for food, as well as a retractable water bottle that I can take with me during the day.
– Dog bed – this one is not really necessary, if you don’t have space you can just use a towel. However, I like having my dog’s bed because he recognizes his scent on it and he knows it’s his place.
– Dog food and treats – my dog is 92 lb and he eats like a small pony so most of the time I just bring his entire food bin. If you have a smaller dog, you can just pour their food in a bag as it would be easier to carry versus a bulky bin (I only bring the whole thing because he eats a lot). Also, don’t forget to bring some treats to praise your dog when they’re being good.
– Toys – my dog doesn’t play with toys anymore (sob) but if yours has a favorite toy or a blanky or teddy bear it would be nice if you brought it along. That will help your dog feel more relaxed.
– Carrier – if you have a small dog you might need to find a carrier/small cage for them to stay in during the ride. Our dog is too big for a carrier so he is just leashed to the back seat with a harness. This will avoid your dog from getting hurt if you make a sudden stop or sharp turn.
– Poo bags – no explanation needed here; always need to scoop the poop
– Cleaning products – hopefully, you will not need those but I always bring a pet carpet cleaner and a small towel just in case the puppy has an accident. When dogs travel their stomach can get a bit upset so you don’t want to be stuck with a hefty hotel fine because your dog had diarrhea on their carpet. If your dog is as messy as mine, you might also want to bring a waterless shampoo in case they get sprayed by a skunk or they get really muddy.
– Colorful vest – if you’re going anywhere in nature you might want to put something colorful on your dog, especially if your dog is large. That can be a colorful vest or a bandana. Some people will put a little bell on their dog’s collar. The reason for that is sometimes people can be hunting in the woods and if they see a big animal they might try and shoot it (I know! Horrible!). Having a colorful ribbon or bandana tied on your dog will help any hunters distinguish your dog from the rest of the wildlife. This might seem far-fetched but a close acquaintance has told me on multiple occasions that there have been accidents in the past in the area where they live.
– Doggy first aid kit – if you’re going for a very long time, and if you’re doing a lot of extreme hiking and camping you might want to consider bringing a doggie first aid kit. They do sell some on Amazon, however, you can make your own by just buying the individual products. If you don’t have space or time to assemble a doggie first aid kit before you go, I would suggest bringing a tube of Polysporin (topical antibiotic, used for humans but also safe for dogs). Also, grab a roll of bandages and that would probably be enough.
Again you don’t have to bring all of those things, it really depends on how long you’re going for, what is your destination, and the size and behavior of your dog.
On the road
3. Always have water available
Dogs need a lot of water so make sure you have enough, especially in the car.
Offer your dog water frequently even if it doesn’t look like they’re thirsty.
If you’re going hiking for example bring enough water for yourself as well as for your dog.
This is really important, you do not want your dog to overheat and collapse.
If it is too hot, pour some of the water on them, especially around the head area to cool them down.
4. Never leave your dog alone in the car
This one goes without saying however I’m still going to mention it because I constantly see this on the news.
Please, do not leave your dog alone in the car, especially in the summer.
Even though outside might not be that hot inside the car the temperature rises extremely quickly.
The sudden increase in temperature can lead to a heat stroke or even death.
I would not recommend leaving your dog in the hotel room as well, most hotels will not even let you leave your dog alone.
If we travel with our dog, he is with us all the time.
5. Don’t let your dog eat the plants
My dog is a pig and will eat anything which is why we have to be very careful with him when we travel.
Some plants could be toxic to dogs or lead to really bad stomach ache or diarrhea.
As a rule of thumb, I would recommend not letting your dog eat anything off the ground.
But be especially careful in desolate places where there could be some harmful vegetation.
If your dog starts chewing on something that you don’t know what it is, try and offer them a treat which will result in them dropping whatever they were eating.
6. Try shorter trips first
In the beginning, our dog would not go inside the car.
He used to be a street dog from Eastern Europe and has probably never been in a car before.
It took a while to finally get him to jump in.
Once he was more comfortable in the car, we did a few small trips first in the neighborhood (15 mins) and then to visit my parents (30 mins).
So we did a bunch of short trips before we felt confident that he would be okay on a longer journey.
He’s still not a hundred percent, he still feels a little stressed but it is a work in progress.
I would highly recommend doing the same – do a bunch of short trips before you embark on a longer one.
7. A lot of rest stops
When you have your dog in the car, you will have to do a lot more rest stops along the way.
Let them stretch their legs, pee, drink water, etc.
So you will have to adjust your expectations for the trip, considering that you would have to stop a lot more frequently.
A trip that would normally be 2 hours, may end up being 2 hours and 45 minutes.
8. Avoid traveling in high heat and humidity
If possible avoid traveling with your dog, if the temperatures are extremely high.
That is especially important if your dog has a big fluffy coat.
Please avoid hot and humid weather and if that’s not possible provide shade, a lot of water, a cooling pad, AC in the car and in the hotel.
Have you ever traveled anywhere with your pup? Have you done a road trip with them before?
