Doggie Road Trip - Tips for Traveling with Your Dog

Planning a fall road trip and want to take Fido along for the ride? Make it a pleasant travel experience for you and your dog with these doggie road trip tips.

Bagged and Tagged

Before hitting the road, make sure your dog is up-to-date on all vaccinations. Make copies of shot records and medical history and place inside a sealed Ziploc bag to take along on the trip. If Fido is taking medication, leave medication in original containers and place them in a separate Ziploc bag for the road trip.

Dogs should wear a tagged collar with vaccination ID, your cell number and hotel contact information just in case they get separated from you during the road trip. The tagged collar should be worn even by dogs who are microchipped; the microchip contains your home information, not your travel information.

Don't Let Fido Ride Shotgun

For your safety as well as your dog's safety, Fido should be restrained during the road trip. Use a crate that is secured with tether anchors, seat belt or a doggie restraint seat (similar to a child's car seat) to keep your dog in while the traveling. Even when the dog is safely restrained, he should not ride in the front seat or near an air bag. In case of an accident, the force of the air bags being deployed could seriously, or even fatally, injure your dog.

Never allow your dog to stick his head out of an open window in a moving vehicle. The dog could inadvertently place his paw on the power window switch, causing the window to go up and crush his wind pipe. Road debris could fly into the dog's eyes, nose or ears, and as many dog owner's know, some dogs are canine Houdinis and can wiggle out of even a tiny opening in the window.

Packing for Pooch

Pack a bag for Fido to make the road trip go smoother. Bring along plenty of water and a water bowl for the trip, and don't forget to pack Fido's favorite food and food bowl. Pack a large towel that can be used for a travel bed, security blanket and/or furniture protector. Add an extra leash, poop bags for those long walks to enjoy the fall foliage and a comb and scissors to remove debris from Fido's coat after walking. Pack a container of Benadryl (talk to your vet for dosing instructions) to treat minor bug bites, allergy symptoms and doggie nerves. One last thing should go into Fido's bag, a list of local veterinarians (with phone numbers and addresses) that are located along your road trip route, just in case.