Road Trip Advice For Happy Traveling With Your Dog

Road trip advice for happy traveling with your dog.

Our entire family loves to travel. When our son was born twenty-five years ago, we took him south near the equator and north over the arctic circle within his first year. We love to go and have been going ever since. As a matter of fact, our suitcases, along with our dog bag, stay half-packed, so we are ready to go.

As much as the three of us love to travel, a member of our family loves road trips even more. One of our beloved two Shih Tzus, Daisy Mae, was easily the world’s best traveling dog.

Traveling With Your Dog Should Be Happy For Both Of You

When the suitcases came out, she was ready. She sat on the edge of the bed beside the luggage and watched intently at the packing process. As if she was helping with the selections and making sure our needs and hers were included. 

Once the luggage was packed and ready to go, she would never let them out of her sight. She was so afraid we would leave her behind, and she would miss out on the adventures. She sat next to the suitcases and waited. Once her bed, bag, food, and balls were packed, she could relax.  

She was the navigator when we finally hit the road. Daisy never rested when sitting between us on the console or next to me on the armrest. She didn’t want to miss anything on the road. She would make eye contact with the semi-drivers and scan the sides of the roads for whatever would catch her eye. Likewise, we never had to worry about deer in the roadway because she would spot them and alert us.   

Try this great spot that is dog friendly and will make you happy. Better yet, it’s easy to get to right off the interstate.

Driving into a drive-thru restaurant was a highlight of the day for her. She would anxiously wait to see what came out the window and hope that it was offered to her. We learned our lesson early if an ice cream cone came out of the window to watch out for her long tongue. She often managed to get a swipe at the ice cream before we caught her.

Be Careful Where You Stop While Traveling With Your Dog

Daisy had a unique ability that most dogs don’t have. Specifically, she would pee on command. All we had to say was, “Daisy, go potty.” Now, this is definitely a benefit for traveling with your dog. No need to spend a lot of time walking her. Also, great for staying in a hotel on a road trip. Most dogs sniff and sniff until they find a place, not Daisy. 

The only time the pee on command didn’t work was her first time in New Mexico. She refused to pee because there was no grass, only gravel landscaping near the hotel. We drove around for a while, searching for a grassy park to help with the issue. 

Finally, the next day she realized that rocks would have to work while in the desert. 

We also wrote about Easy Ways That Will Keep You And Your Dog Safe When Hiking With Snakes because we want everyone to stay safe.

Once, while we were driving through Kansas, we stopped in a parking lot for Daisy. She got out of the car and, on our command, peed. Then, we noticed her walking strangely and got worried. We had told her to pee in a patch of pricker weeds. Poor thing had all kinds of prickers in her feet that we had to remove.     

You can download the Pet First Aid App from the American Red Cross for bigger emergencies.

Create Routines On Your Road Trip For A Happy Dog

Staying at hotels was also a highlight for Daisy. Traveling all day, she was always excited to arrive at the hotel for the night. The first thing she gets is her food and water, then her favorite travel ball. We found that a routine is quite important to help dogs feel at home no matter where they are. 

If she was fortunate enough, we would allow her to sleep in the extra queen size bed by herself and get rewarded with fresh scrambled eggs for breakfast. She would have been in heaven if only dogs were allowed in the hotel pools.

To find over 250,000 places to take your dog with you, check out Bring Fido, either their website or app.

Dogs make great travel companions and are just fun to be with. They look and see things differently and are always there to make a frustrating day of traveling ok again. 

Traveling with our dogs on road trips makes us more relaxed. We don’t have to worry about how they are doing while we are away.

When Traveling With Your Dog, These Items Will Make Them More Comfortable

Follow our road trip advice for happy traveling with your dog.

•  A traveling water bottle that opens to a bowl so your friend can drink on the road.

• A blanket or bed from home to make him/her more familiar with new places.

• A seat belt to hook into your pet’s harness.

• Dog food and water, along with their dishes.

• An extra leash and harness, just in case.

• If your dog is small, a pet stroller is extremely helpful. By putting your small dog in a stroller, they can go inside almost everywhere and don’t have to stay in the car.

• Toys for the hotel room.

• Shampoo for all the needed baths after running in the sand or the dirt.

• Make sure you have your dog’s vaccine info with you, just in case.

Final Thoughts For Taking A Road Trip With Your Dog

Taking a road trip with our dog makes us happy since they are part of the family. You can have a happy road trip if you consider their needs like a family member. Most importantly, find what makes your dog comfortable and keep as many routines as possible. Everyone will be more relaxed and happy as a result.

Sadly, last year we lost our beloved Shih Tzu Daisy Mae at the age of 14. She had a wonderful adventurous life traveling with our family and loved every minute of it. Our other Shih Tzu, Madibelle Mabel, is 13 and still traveling. She is not as adventurous or observant as Daisy but is still a joy to take along.

Thanks for reading Road Trip Advice For Happy Traveling With Your Dog!

Kristi