#How To Make Road Trips with Your Dog Easier?

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How To Make Road Trips with Your Dog Easier?

Road trips can be fun and bonding activities for families and sometimes even pets. You can take your dog with you on your road trip instead of leaving them behind. However, it means you will have a lot of planning to do, but with some tips, you are on your way to planning and having a fantastic trip with your dog.

Here are some tips to help make your road trip with your dog fun and more straightforward.

Pack essentials

One of the perks of road trips is that there is no weight or fee restriction like there is in air travel. Thus you will be able to pack your dog’s necessities and keep from being stranded when you need something, and there are no stores available. You might forget to bring some essentials like a dog bed in the hassle of packing and preparing for the trip. Here are some of these necessities that you must remember are:

Dog bed or leash: if your road trip is mostly outdoors, a bed will be most suitable. Check out here for the best ute bed rack. A leash is best if the journey is just you and your dog in the car.
Veterinary records just in case your dog gets sick on the road.
Toys; they will make the journey more manageable as the dog will be entertained and engaged.
Portable food and water bowl
Dog poo bags
Grooming kit, e.g., wipes
First aid kit; especially a tick remover
Plenty of freshwaters

Visit a vet

The moment you are sure you will be going on your road trip with the dog, visit a vet. The vet will help clarify whether your dog is healthy enough for a road trip. And if your canine has any underlying conditions, the vet could guide you on how to take care of it on the road. You could also get some good advice on how to help your dog deal with anxiety.

Plan Your Trip Along a Pet-friendly Route

During your route planning, make sure that you consider your dog’s needs, such as bathroom breaks and exercising. When picking your route, you should search to see whether there are safe places where you can pull up on the roadside for a quick bathroom break and stretch for you and your dog. The roads should not be in isolated places.

Also, ensure your accommodation area is pet friendly. Do they charge a pet fee? It would be a real letdown when you have traveled such a long distance only to get to your destination and find that they do not allow pets or that you do not meet the criteria for one to keep a pet.

Have an Up-to-date Dog Tag and Current Photo of Your Dog

Roadtrips are always full of unplanned surprises, but you can try to be prepared for some of them. While hiking in the woods or just trolling around new towns, your dog could wander off and get lost. Such an incident could spoil the mood for the whole trip.

To avoid such an incident from occurring, you could have your dog microchipped, buy it a GPS collar tag, or you could at least put an ID tag around the neck. Such precautions could come in handy in helping you keep track of the dog or make looking for it easier. As an extra step of caution, take a current photo of your dog before leaving for the trip that you could print out flyers from or show at a local shelter while searching for your dog.

Take Test Drives

If you are planning a long road trip, it may be wise to take your dog with you as you run errands, and you can stretch out the distance gradually. The drives will help your dog adjust accordingly to being in a car for long hours. Their confidence is also built, and this will make your road trip happy. If the dog has no confidence during the road trip, it could be anxious and fearful, making them so troublesome.

You will also be able to take note of any issues that your dog may have during the test drives. And you will be able to address them accordingly in preparation for the trip.

Create a Comfortable Spot for Your Dog in the Car

As much as you have a lot of stuff that needs to fit in your car, make sure that there is enough room for your pooch. Do not pack too much stuff in the back seat and then cram your dog between them. Traveling in a squeezed position would also be uncomfortable for you, especially for long distances, so do not let your dog go through that. A comfortable dog is well behaved, which eases the trip.

Conclusion

Traveling with your dog is both rewarding and challenging. If you plan it right, then you’ll have a memorable experience. However, a slight mistake before or during the trip can ruin your road trip. And that’s why you can’t underestimate planning.

If you’re looking to travel with your dog, our guide provides you with important tips to make your traveling easier for a remarkable adventure. So, use it to make your next road trip with your canine friend a success.

by Emma G

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