If your family vacations include (or even revolve around) bringing your pets, you’re not alone. Travel is a way of bonding with pets. The rising demand is leading to increased options from pet-friendly travel products to hotels that welcome our furry family members with pet beds, water bowls and treats.
Still, family vacation fun with Fido or Fluffy requires some planning. Before you hit the road, here’s what to buy and what to do to ensure the trip works for everyone.
Taking a Road Trip with a Pet: What to Pack
We like to keep a duffel bag filled with our dog’s toys and treats to keep him happy on the road. He’s even got his own car seat. Here are more ideas:
- Travel makes some pets anxious. The NHV Natural Pets Travel Essentials Kit calming herbal remedy can help manage your pup or cat’s travel anxiety. It also includes a spray to ward off fleas, ticks, lice, and mosquitoes while camping or hiking. There’s also an ointment to help soothe injured paws and skin.
- No more playing cat and mouse trying to get your cat into a pet carrier. The Cozy Comfort Carrier from Cat-in-the-Bag features a heads-out design, roomy interior, and an adjustable Velcro collar to ensure your cat feels calm and comfy. In addition, front Velcro ports and a zippered bottom make grooming an effortless task. The travel cat body carrier also features a long padded strap and a seat-belt pass-through loop for comfortable carrying and safer car rides. The carrier comes in a variety of colors.
- All fun road trips need good snacks, right? Melmo’s pet treats come in a variety of flavors. For dogs, Melmo offers beef stew, homestyle chicken, punky peanut butter, and other flavors. For felines, there’s Melmos Meowsers.
- Keep your car seat clean and your dog safely harnessed with the Vailge Dog Seat Cover. . We use this all the time from errands to outings and trips. It’s 100% waterproof with a mesh window, and is machine washable.
- Great for walks or longer hikes, this Onetigris Dog Vest Harness has pouches for treats, poop bags, or whatever your dog needs. My son even attached a Junior Ranger Joshua Tree National Park velcro badge to his dog’s vest on their camping trip. These sturdy vests are available for small, medium and large dogs.
More Handy Pet products
While on the road, remember that safety comes first. Don’t leave home without an emergency kit for your family and a separate pet first aid kit. Have the first aid kits handy so you don’t have to unpack the whole car to reach them. It’s also a good idea to pack copies of health certificate and medical records.
Essential pet items include:
- food and water bowls
- leashes
- pet wipes
- travel bed
- poop bags
- soft travel crate
- medications
- bottled water
- It’s also a good idea to have a harness and seat belt or car seat for your dog. Most airlines approve the Snoozer Roll Around Travel Dog Carrier Backpack 4-in-1 travel carrier. It converts to a backpack, dog bed, and car seat. It also has wheels so owners can tow their pets through an airport.
Pros and Cons of Pet Travel
Things to consider before taking a road trip with a dog include:
- Your pet’s temperament
- Physical limitations
- Illness.
Whether you are road tripping or flying with a pet, consult with your vet before the trip to ensure your pet is up to the trip. And book pet-friendly accommodations — don’t take the chance that you will find a hotel on the road. Take some time to find pet-friendly restaurants, too, so your pet doesn’t have to spend all of his time in the car or the hotel room.
Also, plan for more road trip stops to let your pet out of the car for exercise and potty breaks. Most rest stops along the interstates have areas specifically for pets.
Once you arrive at your destination, find activities to keep your dog active so he will spend more time sleeping when he’s alone in the hotel room..
Planning Your Pet-Friendly Trip: Hotels
There are thousands of dog-friendly hotels in the United States. Not so pet-friendly are the fees that come along with some of these stays. It is always best to check with individual properties but the following chains advertise no pet fee:
- Aloft
- Red Roof Inn
- Kimpton
- Motel 6
- Virgin Hotels
Always check with the hotel before you book. Some hotels have restrictions on the size and breed of animals allowed to stay. And leave the “do not disturb” sign on the door — you don’t need to stress your pet or the housekeeping staff with a surprise encounter.
Finally, leave a phone number with the front desk so you can be reached if you plan to leave your pet in the room alone. That way, staff can call if your pet sounds distressed.
Pick the Right Destination
Take your dog’s health into consideration when choosing a destination.
For example, if your dog is old and has hip problems, you probably shouldn’t take him on a hiking trip unless you plan on carrying him in a backpack. If your dog is a barker, you may want to book rental home accommodations instead of a hotel stay. Or hire a dog walker/doggy daycare at your vacation destination if you will leave your pet unattended at any time.
Plan a Vet Visit
If you’ll be flying with your pet or your trip will be long, it is a great idea to squeeze in a visit with your veterinarian before you go. Your vet can assess your pet’s fitness to travel.
Planning to travel internationally? The American Veterinary Medical Association is a great resource for proof of vaccinations you might need (including USDA certification). Ask for a printed copy of your pet’s health record to carry with you in case an emergency comes up on the road.
Before you leave, have your pet micro-chipped for identification, and bring a spare tag with your phone number.
Doggy Dos and Don’ts for Riding in the Car
Designate a safe place for Fido in your car. That means your pets shouldn’t sit on your lap or jump between car seats.
It’s safest for dogs to be contained in a carrier, secured with a harness or seat belt, or lying down in the back seat. Try to make their area comfortable with a bed, blankets, and familiar toys. Some cars even have great pet-friendly features like washable, fold-down cargo areas or cargo barriers that keep your dog safe in the back of the car or SUV. This cover will ensure the back seat stays fur-free. We recommend bringing dog grooming gloves since travel stress can cause excess shedding and hair removal will be as easy as patting Fido.
Plan for More Pit Stops
Give yourself plenty of time to stop for breaks. Be sure you allow extra travel time on your road trip for bathroom breaks for your dog. It’s also a good way to prevent car sickness.
BringFido.com has listings of pet-friendly hotels, restaurants and activities along your route so your dog can stretch his legs after a long car ride.
Upon Arrival at Your Destination
One of the first things we do upon arrival is take our dog for a long walk. Dogs are curious about their new surroundings. On her first trip to Big Bear, Maya explored every room in the cabin. But mostly she enjoyed sniffing pine cones, trees and other new smells outdoors. We brought her on hiking trails and to the lake.
Including dogs in our activities is a lot of fun. After all, that’s the main reason we travel with them, right?
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