Planning a Road Trip with Your Dog

Man’s best friend can also be a traveler’s best friend!  Planning a road trip with your dog can be more fun than road tripping with people, they won’t fight you over the radio.  However, you have to take several things into consideration before hitting to open road with Fido.

• Is your vehicle large enough to comfortably accommodate your pup, your luggage, and all your dog’s necessities?
• How long is your trip and will there be adequate places for them to run and stretch their legs along the way?
• Is dog friendly lodging available?

Once you cover the basics, it’s time to dig a little deeper before planning a road trip with your dog.

• Can your furry friend join you on your daily outings or will he have to stay behind?
• Are there dog friendly places to eat?
• Are there certain leash laws that you’ll have to abide by?

Unless you are like me and bought your vehicle specifically to travel with your dogs, you may want to puppy-proof your interior.  You can protect your car with a waterproof seat-covering hammock.

Time to get packing!  Like kids, dogs will need comforts from home to help them relax.

• Be sure to bring their regular food and their food and water bowls.  A gallon or two of water is always a good idea, in case the places you stop don’t have a spigot to fill up the water bowl.
• Make a little nest in your vehicle for them to snuggle up in, using the bedding or blankets or even a pillow that they like to sleep on.
• Does your pup have a stuffie or bone or ball that keeps them occupied?  Be sure to throw those in!
• Pack any needed medicines or vitamins and the clever way you disguise the pills, like a spoon and peanut butter or those little pill pockets.

You’ll also want to plan for the unexpected.  If you have an accident prone puppy like me, you’ll want to bring a pet-safe first aid kit.  Benadryl can be used for bee stings, allergies, or for when your dog sits on a pile of fire ants!  Tri-buffered aspirin or vet prescribed pain meds are handy for those hiking injuries, or for when your dog breaks his tail and ends up looking like Eeyore (again, Duke did in Colorado!).  BE SURE TO CHECK WITH YOUR VET BEFORE GIVING ANYTHING OVER THE COUNTER TO YOUR DOG, I’M NOT A VET OR AN EXPERT OF ANY KIND.

Using these simple tips, your can have a wonderful road trip with your dog.  And your precious pup will have the time of her life, even if you just go a short distance!