Tips for Traveling With a Dog

First, Is Your Dog a Car Lover?

Some dogs seem to become instantly excited by the idea of a car ride. If your pet fits this description, and you’re about to embark on a road trip, you’ve probably already cleared a major hurdle. Our Maverick falls into this category. Despite many trips to the vet’s office for regularly scheduled prodding and poking, he still can’t wait to hop into our SUV. He’s truly never met an open car door he didn’t like.

You can easily test your dog’s affinity for car travel. Just take him or her out to the family vehicle, open the door, and see what, if anything, happens. He may jump right in. She may seem reluctant and require some coaxing. Or, he may seem visibly afraid or hostile to the idea, in which case we’d suggest not forcing the issue.

Whatever the reaction, the “open car door test” may help you decide if your dog is a good fit for auto travel.

Creature Comforts and Essentials

And, to make you more comfortable, be sure you don’t forget the dog essentials that will make your life easier, such as a leash, collar, and a dog dish or two.

Once you’ve decided to take your dog with you, it’s probably wise to make your pet’s car ride as comfortable as possible. We think dogs are a lot like us in this respect. The more comfortable they are on a long trip, the more appealing they’ll find the notion of getting back into the car after a pit stop.

Here’s some things we’ve found helpful:

If possible, take along a familiar dog bed or blanket. Something familiar always seems to make a new experience less daunting.

If your dog is accustomed to a being in a kennel, there are several good reasons to take one along. Our dog is small and loves to sleep on his dog bed inside his kennel while traveling. We simply set the kennel sideways on our vehicle’s second seat, place the dog bed inside, and open the kennel door so he can enter and exit as he pleases. This may not be feasible in your car, especially with luggage and other travelers. If it’s going to be a tight fit, take your dog, kennel, and bed for a test ride before you leave to see if your pet adapts to this idea.

Even if you don’t have room to use a kennel for car sleeping, consider taking along a portable, fold-up kennel. Portables can be folded flat, so they take up very little space inside a car. If your dog is accustomed to being in a kennel, they will appreciate the familiarity of having one once you reach your destination.

Check your car for dog essentials each day before you head out. Once you’ve reached your cabin or room and unloaded your car, it’s easier than may think to forget to reload certain essentials the next day when you hit the road.

While you can always stop and buy a new leash, a new doggy bowl, or more dog food if you have to, it may not be easy to find these things when you really need them. Take it from us. It’s not as simple to find a dog leash for sale near Mt. Washington, New Hampshire as you might think!

Make sure your dog is micro-chipped. In many areas, dog-owners are required to have their pets implanted with a micro-chip containing information about the animal’s owner or veterinary office. Micro-chips are implanted just beneath the pet’s skin and are virtually painless to install. They are often all that stands between a dog being permanently lost or reunited with its owner.

If your dog is lost, someone is apt to take your pet to a local veterinarian or animal shelter. Such facilities are usually equipped with micro-chip readers. If your dog has a chip, the vet or shelter will be able to identify the dog as yours and contact you or your local veterinarian.

Remember the Pit Stops

It may seem obvious, but don’t forget to stop periodically to let your dog stretch their legs and “do their business”.

Once we’re in “open-road mode” on a lengthy trip, we’ve found it’s easy to forget how much time has passed since the last stop. As the old saying goes, “be safe, not sorry”. Your dog may not be trained to alert when it needs to visit the great outdoors, and you don’t want your first notice to be an unpleasant smell or mess.

Be the Courteous Pet Owner

There’s a simple adage we try to remember: Not everyone is as enamored with our pet as we are.

We aren’t at all suggesting being paranoid about your pet or keeping your dog hundreds of yards away from every person you encounter. Most dogs need socialization, and you certainly can’t please folks who simply don’t care for pets. However, based on our experiences, we’d offer a few simple suggestions:

Keep your dog on a leash. Unless you’ve stopped in the middle of nowhere or in a very small town, there is probably a leash law in effect. If you aren’t sure, err on the side of caution and use a leash.

While some communities may be lax on leash law enforcement or go easy on unsuspecting visitors, it’s not worth taking a chance. Once you’re issued a leash law citation, the only option other than paying a fine may be to appeal by returning to the community months later for a scheduled hearing.

Even if you’re sure there aren’t leash laws, we think a leash is a good idea. It allows you to control your dog and avoid unpleasant encounters with other travelers or their pets. Retractable leashes are a great way to give your dog room to run and play in open areas while still maintaining control.

Clean up after your dog. Okay, honesty check here. We’ve fallen short in this area. We’ve found ourselves in the boondocks miles away from civilization and haven’t felt compelled to bag and hold doggy poop until we reach the next garbage can.

However…if a dog makes a deposit square in the middle of a well-traveled trail, public park, or highway rest-stop, common courtesy dictates a clean-up. Even if you don’t believe a mound of poop can ruin the world’s ecosystems, think about the shoes of the next, unsuspecting person. And if for some reason you’re unable to doggy-bag the offending residue, sticks are well-suited for whisking poop off a trail. Just think of it as a great opportunity to not have someone mad at you!

Consider whether you can leave your dog in a room or rental unit. This is a major point to consider that can impact your entire trip. Some dogs, like ours, do not like to be left alone – especially after spending several hours with their owners. We think this is very understandable, since your dog may suddenly find herself all alone, surrounded by strange noises and unfamiliar voices just outside a door.

If your dog is prone to isolation anxiety, you may need to be prepared to take him or her with you each time you leave your room or lodging. 

Plan a Dog Friendly Itinerary

Many more attractions and even restaurants are dog-friendly now than in the past. But, there are still many places that prohibit non-service animals.

Here’s some things you may want consider when planning your trip:

Think through your trip ahead of time. Through trial and error, we’ve found it advisable to sit down and think about all the places we really want to visit, check whether those places are completely or partially pet friendly, and then decide how badly we want to see the ones that aren’t.

Decide how to handle attractions that may be only partially pet-friendly. Many sites offering dog-friendly outdoor attractions sometimes also include historical buildings or other indoor venues where pets are not welcome.

If you plan to visit such spots, plan ahead. You can do as we have and take turns going inside non-pet friendly buildings while the other person dog sits outside. To avoid disappointment and frustration, we suggest making sure you understand whether a site is completely dog-friendly before visiting.

Plan ahead for successful dog-friendly dining. In many areas, it’s possible to find dining establishments that welcome pets. There are several websites and apps that track and report on restaurants where pets are allowed.

A word of caution: In many cases the pet-friendly section of a restaurant may be an outdoor patio, deck, or sidewalk. Before you decide to eat at a pet-friendly establishment, we’d suggest calling to make sure the dining arrangements will be acceptable. Heat, cold, cramped conditions, and steep steps are just a few things that can detract from a good meal.

Before visiting a congested area, be sure your dog will be comfortable there. If you plan to spend time walking in a city or town, it may be a good idea to consider how well your dog adapts to crowds, noises, and traffic. If you aren’t sure, take your dog for a test walk in your own downtown.

Be careful. Your pet may be more sensitive to crowds and noises than you expect.

So, Go and Enjoy the World Together

For most dog-owners, a pet is a part of the family. We can vouch for how great a traveling companion a dog can be. If you’ve thought about taking your dog along on a trip but just haven’t quite mustered the courage, seriously consider giving it a try. Start small with a day trip. We think you may find it a very rewarding experience, and we hope the information offered here is useful.