Your canine best buddy is the ideal traveling companion if you enjoy taking in the scenery while you’re on a summer road trip. The following are our top recommendations for a dog-friendly road vacation.
Make your dog at ease in the vehicle.
A cross-country road trip with your dog in tow should not be the first thing on your to-do list if your dog has never had to drive anywhere other than the veterinarian’s office. Make sure your dog is at ease and content in your car before thinking about bringing them far and wide.
To prepare them for success as adults, it is best to introduce children to car travel when they are as young as feasible. Don’t worry if you didn’t take them on automobile rides when they were puppies or if you adopted them later in life. They can also gain driving expertise.
Start off with short automobile trips and work your way up to longer ones. If they require motivation, shower them with compliments and give them valuable treats. In order to prevent any vomit on your backseat, try not to feed them for at least a couple of hours before to the time you need to start driving if they have issues with motion sickness.
Stretch it out longer once they are comfortable on shorter journeys. Take a journey that lasts the entire day, if possible. They are prepared for the long haul once they get that down.
Give them a seat on their own
Every dog has a favorite location in the house to hang out, and the same is true for your automobile! Set up a unique canine car seat, blanket, dog bed, or crate for them; they’ll feel safer and happier in their own space. They won’t have to swerve as they attempt to jump on your lap on the highway because they will always remember to go to their spot when they get in the car, which will make the journey more enjoyable for both of you.
Bring the necessities and their preferred items.
Consider everything your dog requires throughout the day, and make sure it is packed in one of your bags. That includes necessities like food, water, leashes, and poop bags, as well as items that make your best buddy happy and goods that you keep around just in case, like dog tags and immunization papers. Along with plenty of food, you can include their favorite ducky toy or the soft blanket they use to sleep.
Maintain a Schedule
When you’re traveling cross-country, maintaining regularity may seem like a difficult task, but it’s the simple things that count. Ensure that your dog has constant access to water, exactly as you would at home, and that breakfast and dinner are served at the same times every day.
You must also account for frequent bathroom breaks. Maintaining your dog’s regular eating routine can help you plan how frequently to stop on your road trip with them—roughly how frequently you let them out on any given day. With a huge dog along for the ride, you can plan on taking fewer potty breaks. If you’re traveling by car with a puppy, prepare for numerous stops and pack some piddle pads in case of spills.
Select pet-friendly vacation spots
Even while we wish we could take our dogs everywhere, not all places to visit share our enthusiasm. When you get at the state park only to find that dogs are prohibited practically everywhere, doing your homework while you’re still in the planning stages of your vacation will save you a lot of hassle.
To identify dog-friendly activities and hotels—and even which ones are close to dog parks—you may use a dog road trip app or pet travel planning website like Bring Fido. For instance, if you’re arranging a canine-friendly road trip to Florida, a few short searches can tell you about a variety of lodging options and the best Everglades tours that will allow Marshmallow to travel with you.
Should you travel by car with your dog? Although you are the best person to ask about your dog, we think it’s a really decent idea. This will be an experience that both you and your canine best friend will remember for the rest of their lives, whether you’re loading the family into the minivan or hitting the open road for a solo road trip with your dog.
