7 Tips for Taking a Road Trip with Your Dog
You’re probably looking forward to hitting the road with your furry best buddy – but also a bit nervous about how he’ll react to life on the road, especially if it’s his first long trip. Don’t worry: I’ve been down this road many times before (quite literally), and have plenty of tips to make sure the ride is a smooth one. Keep reading for tips for taking a road trip with your dog.
1. Visit your vet first
When on the road, you might be exposing your canine friend to potential harm without your knowledge. The best way to avoid doubt is to first pay your vet a visit to ensure that your dog is current on all his shots and, if needs be, administer additional medication. This helps keep threats like Lyme disease at bay during your trip.
2. Plan a pet-friendly trip
As you plan for your road trip, it’s worth taking a bit of extra time to make sure the route you are about to take is pet-friendly. What do I mean by pet-friendly routes? Major roads usually have rest stops that provide amenities for dogs like play area and bathrooms when you decide to pull up for a short stretch. Even if it makes taking a less direct route, it’ll be more enjoyable for both of you.
3. Do short practice trips before the main trip
These short trips will help you discover the level of anxiety and nervousness of your dog. Once you have an idea of some of your partner’s mannerisms, you can then employ some behavioral training techniques before the trip to help your dog adapt to the road conditions beforehand. Associate car trips with good places like parks and pet stores and not just vet visits. This will give the dog something to look forward to.
4. Pack a bag for your dog
When packing for your trip, I recommend that you ensure you have packed your dog’s supplies separate from your own. This makes it easy for you to access them while on the road in case your dog needs something. The length of your trip and your destination will determine what you pack – but common supplies you’ll need for any trip include protective clothing, food and bowl, medications, treats, brush and shampoo, poop bags, dog towel, and a blanket. If your dog is small enough for a portable carrier, the familiar and enclosed space often reduces anxiety Pet Carrier Verdict has some great pet carrier guides.
5. Get rid of excess energy
Some surveys suggest that a tired dog is mostly a well-behaved dog. Therefore, before your trip, you can take your dog for a run or a walk in the park. Running around will drain some of his energy and when he gets to the car he will need some rest. He will either sleep the fatigue off for a portion of the journey or generally be relaxed and not overly excitable.
6. Don’t forget to take frequent breaks
Just like you would need some break from a long trip, so will your canine friend. After a while, pull up to a rest stop and take a brief break to stretch out. I recommend breaking after roughly 2 to 3 hours. You can use these stops to play around with your dog or feed him some treats for behaving through the trip. By the time you get back on the road, the dog will have adjusted and will be more settled.
7. Try to maintain your dog’s routine
Even though being on the road can be limiting, you can try as much as possible to maintain your routine exactly as you do back home. A dog understands consistency: a break from the norm might evoke some unwanted or unusual behavior. You don’t want this on your road trip with your dog. Even though the environment will be different, you can still feed him or take him on brief walks just as you would at home at the scheduled times.
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