Today we’re going to be talking about the top 5 tips for going on a long road trip with your dog. We are talking with my friend Scott, who’s, going on a long Road trip to Alabama with his dog Stella in a couple of weeks, so I thought I’d share with you guys what I would tell him about going on a trip with your dog and I’m.
This summer, we did a little over eight thousand miles with two energetic herding dogs in three weeks, seeing seven national parks. We’ve also done four German Shepherds, one cattle dog, two humans, and a minivan down to Florida from Connecticut in 24 hours.
Many experiences everywhere from British Columbia down to Florida up to Toronto, Holland, dogs, pet dogs, and service ox. So I have a lot of experience with dogs on the road. Let’s get into our top five tips for what to do with your dog on a long road trip so everybody is happy, healthy and comfortable.
TIP NUMBER ONE: Don’t go for that long trip all at once. To start with, don’t throw your dog in the van and say: hey. We’re going to drive for fifteen hours.
I hope you do well. We don’t want to do that. We want to start with short trips to your friend’s houses. Maybe a trip for the weekend a couple of hours away, then perhaps a six-hour trip you want to build up to that big trip.
Suppose you can get so that your dog isn’t shocked the first time he has to sit in a car for an extended period. You also know your dog better. You’ll know his tolerances, you’ll know what he likes.
You will knows how he settles in the car, and that’s really what we want. We want a calm, relaxed dog. Having short trips that go well will help build up to that big longer trip.
So if you know, you’re, going on a big trip tomorrow and you have to leave it like 6 a.m. I’m going to make sure that today he goes on a long hike. He goes running with me. He goes biking. He does some very vigorous exercise for a couple of hours if he’s tolerant of that and used to that type of thing so that he’s tired for tomorrow.
TIP NUMBER TWO: Exercise your dog first.
If you know you’re going on a big trip tomorrow and you have to leave it like 6 a.m., I’m going to make sure that today he goes on a long hike. He goes running with me. He goes biking. He does some very vigorous exercise for a couple of hours, if he’s tolerant of that and used to that type of thing. Let’s make sure that he’s tired for tomorrow’s trip.
I want to pre-exercise my dog now. If I’m leaving later in the afternoon, I’m going to do that exercise in the morning so that they’re exhausted on travel day.
TIP NUMBER THREE: Keep your dog safe in the car. The safest way for your dog to travel in most cars is in a crash-tested crate in your vehicle away from the back.
You want to keep your dog in a crate if they’ll tolerate it, because it keeps them the safest. In the event of an accident, nobody wants an accident to happen, but sometimes it does, and having your dog crated means that they won’t become a projectile or go through your window.
I know it’s a little dark, but it does happen, and nobody expects it to happen. So, if you can create your dog, the other reason to crate your dog is to relax more and settle when they’re in a confined space.
Also, if you need to run into the store or get some gas, you know the dog is not wandering around the car getting into trouble, so it keeps them safe. It keeps them protected, and it gives you peace of mind, knowing that your dog is not getting into any trouble during the ride, and they will be more likely to relax in a crate.
If you cannot crate your dog, you want to seatbelt your dog. You want to give some way that your dog is protected in the event of an accident and stays put when they need to. So, you want to get a crash-tested seatbelt.
You should have some way to contain your dog on a road trip, sitting on your lap while driving, not safe.
If your dog is stepping from the back into the front while you are driving, that can cause an accident. You want to make sure everybody in the car is safe, including your dog.
TIP NUMBER FOUR: Brings a lot for your dog to do in the car.
So that means chewing project. A chewing project is something like raw hide or bully stick treats. Those kinds of things that will keep your dog entertained.
Please do it for your dog. So you want to bring something engaging that they want to chew on, so in those periods where they get a little bit restless, you can say hey, why don’t you chew on this. Have them calm down, relax, and they’ll start associating this long road trip with something awesome that they like.
Doing so definitely bring a lot for your dog to do while they are stationary in the car. Last tip…
TIP NUMBER FIVE: Take lots of bathroom breaks. When you’re getting gas or stopping to switch drivers, let your puppy do a few laps around the car.
You want to let your dog out to stretch their legs, take a bathroom break and maybe have a little game of tug or frisbee. When I’m on a long trip, I also try to find a park periodically for that longer leg stretching.
So, if your dog loves to play ball or loves to play frisbee, I’m going to look at my GPS and see, hey, there’s a park nearby. Let’s stop there and give the dog a walk around.
Let them stretch their legs play a little bit. They get themselves a little bit tired if you bring them back in, and they sleep for the rest of the ride. So, I do that every six or seven hours or so – but I do pee breaks more towards three or four hours to make sure that he doesn’t have to go to the bathroom. He’s all set to keep going and isn’t uncomfortable. We want our dog to feel happy going on road trips.
You love your dog. You want to go everywhere with you, so you want to make sure that they’ve got their bathroom habits under control and also a little bit of exercise every time you stop, so that’s it.
Those are my top five tips for road tripping with your dog, so now get out there and have an adventure with your pup.
