How to Take Your Dog on a Road Trip

Vacationing doesn't have to mean leaving your dog at home. The stress of leaving your pet behind, in a pet hotel or with a friend can sometimes be harder than planning a trip that includes him. Besides, road-tripping with an animal can be fun and exciting. It is a scientific fact that dogs make people happy. Their excitement is infectious and it can be fun to watch them discover new places, people and things. Here's a simple guide to make traveling with your pooch just a little less stressful and a lot more fun.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Dog food
• Water
• Dog bed or blanket
• Crate
• Dog seat belt (car restraint)
• Select toys
• Leash
• Up-to-date tags
• Vaccination records
• Portable food bowls

1. Make sure that you can find a hotel that allows pets. Make reservations ahead of time and check to see if there is an additional fee for animals.
2. Consider that if your dog rides well and doesn't need to be crated while driving, make a spot that is comfortable for him. You should also purchase a car harness seat belt, which buckles into a universal seat belt clip and allows your dog to sit, lie down and maneuver a small amount while being safely buckled in.
3. Know that your dog may be great at driving around town, but some animals can get car sick over long distances. Using his dog bed or a blanket will serve two purposes; making him feel more at home while keeping some of the dog hair contained to his area.
4. Know that it is not as safe to keep your dog in a crate while driving, but if this is absolutely necessary make sure that the crate is properly restrained. The best way to do this is to run the seat belt through the top handle on the crate. In a severe accident the handle could be pulled off, but any restraint is better than none at all. In an accident, a loose crate can cause tremendous damage to you, your passengers and your pet.
5. Pack a dog bowl, leash, a few toys and waste bags so that they are easily accessible. You'll want to make sure your pup is properly hydrated through the entire journey and you may need to stop more frequently in order for him to relieve himself. Make sure you are cleaning up after Fido at every stop.
6. Bring enough food to last your entire trip. Dogs are habitual and they need schedules to operate, so going on a road trip will throw their bodies off. This is not the time to experiment with new brands of dog food from random grocery stores along your route. NEVER feed your dog restaurant scraps. Even if your dog is used to occasionally eating people food, it is not wise to treat them on a road trip. They'll just get sick all over your car.
7. Be sure that your dog's vaccinations are up-to-date, that your tags have your current contact information and keep an extra set of his records in the glove compartment, especially if you're crossing over state lines.
8. Be wise about leaving your pet alone in the car. In some instances it is unavoidable, but never leave him alone in hot or very cold weather. You chose to bring him along, so you must deal with the hassles attached to it.

Tips & Warnings

• Bring enough of his regular brand dog food for the entire trip
• Have two sets of vaccination records; one in the car and one with you at all times.
• If you're traveling to any state parks make sure to check the pet laws before you leave home to make sure that dogs are allowed.
• Do some research on car restraints for dogs. It is important to have your dog properly restrained to ensure the safety of him and your passengers.