Tips for Car Travel with Dogs

Car travel with a dog is likely a foregone conclusion if you view the family dog as a bona fide family member. Anticipating his travel needs and thoughtfully preparing for them can help divert problems on a road trip with your dog before they happen. We’re here to help with handy tips for travelling by car with your beloved canine, brimful of advice for the most dogged road warrior and the novice alike. We want to help make travelling with your dog a smooth sailing success.

I. Properly Identify Your Dog for Travel

Your dog needs proper I.D. at home and when he travels with you. Redundant systems are a good thing: put critical information on his I.D. tags and personalise his dog collar with his name and your telephone number. And microchipping your dog is always an excellent backup strategy. The idea that he’d bolt at a rest area (or at the beach or on a forested trail) is unthinkable. Best to be prepared: identifying your pet improves the likelihood of his safe return home to you should the unthinkable happen.

II. Bring Essential Dog Gear for Car Travel

• Food, Water, & Bowl Always keep fresh bottled water and a travel bowl in the car, and try to keep your dog on his regular feeding schedule if possible. When you pack his kibble, measure only what you need for the trip so you don’t overfeed him. If he’s an opportunist, secure his food in a place he can’t reach while you’re driving—a plastic bin with a tight lid, for example. And if he’s prone to canine carsickness, avoid feeding him a big meal before you hit the road.

• A Spare Dog Lead and Collar Pack an extra of each, and personalise his spare collar.
• A Canine First Aid Kit You may never need it, but it could buy you some time in an emergency or save you a trip to the vet for a minor problem. And don’t forget his prescription meds; use a pill dispenser just like yours to apportion what he’ll need for the trip.
• Veterinary Contact Information Be prepared for dog emergencies; pack contact information for vets in your destination city or town.

III. Keep Your Dog Comfortable While travelling

• Bring his dog bed if it fits comfortably in the car, or at least include a familiar blanket or something else that smells reassuring to him.
• Regulate the car temperature. Even if the air is on full tilt and it feels great in the driver’s seat, the sun may be belting your dog where he’s sitting. Use suction cup window shades if he’ll be riding in direct sunlight for long periods.
• Give him adequate breaks. Stop at least every few hours, and by all means honor your dog’s request if he’s telling you he’s got to go. Frequent breaks are good for you, too—it never hurts to stretch and grab some coffee to stay alert.
• Pack your dog’s favourite toys. Switch them up to keep him stimulated on long car rides. And the familiar smell of his plush toys in particular will help minimise dog travel anxiety.
• Bring his favourite dog treats and give him a few from time to time. And smaller treats given at well-timed intervals in lieu of a large meal before travel will help keep a dog who is prone to carsickness sated enough for comfort over the long haul.
• Use a backseat extender for a large dog to give him more wiggle room in a small car. This is a bolster that fits in your car’s rear seat wells and creates more surface area for your dog to comfortably stretch out on long trips.

IV. Choose and Use a Dog Restraint in the Car

The car harness is far and away the best dog restraint system to use when you travel with your dog; it works with the car’s seatbelt system, using a tether that loops around the belt on one end and clips to the dog harness on the other. Your dog retains the freedom to move around some, but stays secured to the seat.

V. Keep Your Dog and Your Car Clean During Travel

Start with a stem-to-stern detailing before you go. Then use these strategies to maintain your car’s interior and keep your dog clean while you’re travelling:

• Use protective seat covers or a rear seat hammock. Seat covers safeguard all kinds of upholstery from dog hair, dirt, and unmentionables, and protect leather upholstery in particular from sharp doggy claws.
• Treat cloth seats with fabric guard as an extra line of defence before you install seat covers.
• Place a clear, removable plastic coating on your car’s windows if the doggy drool bothers you, or make your peace with it and use window cleaner as needed.

• Bring dog shampoo and grooming supplies for bathing your dog during your trip. And keep small, moist towels or wipes in the car to clean his muddy paws and belly, or to wipe toxic de-icing chemicals from his pads if you travel in the winter.

Road tripping with your dog or dogs can be challenging but need not be hellish. He wants to go with you and probably made this known the instant you pulled out the suitcases. Make the car trip safe and comfortable for your dog and for yourself and other passengers with preparedness and patience. Expect the unexpected: invoke the “ounce of prevention” wisdom and keep it in play during the trip. And the more often you bring him with you, the more seasoned you’ll both become at car travel together. Above all, enjoy the journey.