Need to escape from the city but don’t want to leave your dog behind?
Road trips with dogs can be fun as long as you prepare well. Moreover, they are a big way to spend quality time with your best friend.
Road Trip with Your Dog: The Ultimate Guide
Here’s how to set up your dog for road trips:
So how can you ensure that you and your dog stay safe and happy during long trips on the road?
We rounded up experts’ top tips for road trips with your dog. Don’t hit the road without this reading these points!
Table of Contents
Plan a pet-friendly route.
When you are on a road trip with your dog, you will have to plan around their requirements—pulling over for potty breaks and exercise.
Check to ensure your route has excellent, safe places to let your pet stretch their legs.
Most major rest stops have dog areas for them to go to the bathroom, stretch their legs, and play.
You should take COVID-19 precautions into account while you’re planning to. Your route should avoid crowded places or where you’d be unable to maintain 6 feet of distance between yourself and another person.
Your dog should stay 6 feet apart from other humans, too. A general rule is to treat pets like family members.
Use Positive Reinforcement & Reward Your Dog with Treats
A compliant dog will be easier to road trip with than a dog constantly misbehaving. We’ve been training Charlie using the positive reinforcement technique.
That means we reward him with a Wellness Core 100% Freeze-Dried all-meat dog treat when Charlie does what he is told. These treats are 100% raw protein and completely grain and filler-free.
Charlie is a picky eater….but he especially loves the Wellness wild boar and turkey bites, and these give him a tasty and healthy incentive to be on his best behavior.
For example, when he first jumps up in the van, he gets a treat which shows him that getting in the truck without being coerced is what he’s supposed to do.
Then if we stop at a gas station and he goes to the bathroom, he gets a treat. Then, when we call him back into the car and jump in, he gets another pleasure.
On the road, if we are eating lunch in the car and sitting silently in the back without begging, he gets a treat.
Over time, they learn to do that desired behavior, treat or not merely, but positive strengthening with treats is a great tool when you first start to road trip with your dog.
Another thing about the Wellness Core, 100% Freeze, Dried dog treats is that they are bite-sized, so even if you reward your dog regularly, the bag should last a while on your road trip.
Take practice trips ahead of time.
Consider trying behavioral training methods if you know that your dog is predominantly anxious during car rides.
Before leaving on a long road trip with your dog, take some short practice trips that end in joyful experiences for them.
Rides to the dog park or a favorite pet store, for instance, will help form more positive alliances with driving.
Pack the essentials
It’s always an excellent thought to travel with your pet’s necessities, particularly now.
Packing your pet’s food and water treats, medicine, toys, feeding bowls, and other supplies will assist keep you out of stores and veterinary offices, which can be crowded places that put you at augmented risk of contracting the virus.
Remember to bring equipment to pick up pet waste so that everything can be disposed of securely.
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Have a Copy of His Medical Records on Hand
Just in case of an emergency, you should bring a copy of your pup’s medical records.
It’s a good idea to store them on your phone and have hard copies because you could end up in an area with bad cell phone service.
Find Pet-Friendly Accommodations
Several hotel chains provide pet-friendly accommodations for you and your canine best friend.
They include Aloft Hotels, Best Western, Comfort Inn, Clarion Inn & Suites, Courtyard Marriott, Holiday Inn Express, Red Roof Inn, and Sheraton.
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