Dog Vacation

[SumDay]

Our son has invited us to spend some time on Emerald Isle (NC) next month. We'll be driving from the Midwest, and he REALLY wants us to bring the Boxer, because his Boxer loves our Boxer.

We've never taken him more than a few hours away in the car, and this will be two 9-10 hour days. I already have pet friendly rooms booked coming and going so we aren't doing it in one day.

Anyone have any tips for traveling with a big slobbery dog? He's very good natured, and as long as he's with us there's usually no anxiety.

I read someone else on this board said they take their water as 'unfamiliar' water tends to upset their dog's digestion which I could see happening with Sir Farts A Lot.

Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[CardsFan]

If your dog does fine with the 2 hour trips, I think you will be fine with the longer one. We always bring her bed to sleep in, while driving, and once we get there. Never worried about the water, though she gets bottled water while in the car, just because that is what we have for us.

Your vet can get you some "doggie downers" for the trip. Might be worth getting just in case. We did this for a previous dog that had a little more anxiety in the car.

Most rest stops have pet areas where you can walk the dog. We have never had to make a stop because of the dog. We usually need to "go" before she does.

For the hotel/motel, try to get a ground floor room. Taking the dog up and down an elevator can be a pain if there are other people, or dogs.

Be prepared for your dog to not eat as regularly for a few days in each direction. Unfamiliar surroundings can change their habits.

Good luck and enjoy your time with your son.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

While traveling, keep your dog under some kind of restraint. There are harnesses that can connect with a seat belt. If you have space for a kennel, even better.

There are several reasons for doing this: if you stop suddenly, you don't want the big guy flying through the air and getting hurt because he has no way of anticipating your actions; if he becomes fearful, he may try to crawl into your lap/under your feet while you drive, impairing your ability to control the vehicle; and if you do get into a collision, he may get out of the damaged vehicle and get hit by passing traffic or run off to an uncertain fate.

 

[Whisper66]

(1) If Sir Farts A Lot barks much, don't plan on leaving him alone in the hotel. (2) Consider bringing a folded kennel so if you do leave him alone in the room for a few minutes, he isn't free to damage anything. (3) In case of an emergency need to board dog for a day or two, download the Rover app on your phone so you can easily find a place (4) Similarly download the Tripadvisor app and learn how to identify dog friendly hotels if needed .... never know when a car may breakdown for example. Can also find dog parks if needed in Tripadvisor. (5) Don't forget any meds he may be takng or needs at the new location (6) Bring certificate of rabies vaccination - some places don't accept just the tags the dogs wear. (7) If your desination is run by folks that really like things clean, get your dog groomed before going.

 

[CardsFan]

(1) If Sir Farts A Lot barks much, don't plan on leaving him alone in the hotel. (2) Consider bringing a folded kennel so if you do leave him alone in the room for a few minutes, he isn't free to damage anything. (3) In case of an emergency need to board dog for a day or two, download the Rover app on your phone so you can easily find a place (4) Similarly download the Tripadvisor app and learn how to identify dog friendly hotels if needed .... never know when a car may breakdown for example. Can also find dog parks if needed in Tripadvisor. (5) Don't forget any meds he may be takng or needs at the new location (6) Bring certificate of rabies vaccination - some places don't accept just the tags the dogs wear. (7) If your desination is run by folks that really like things clean, get your dog groomed before going.

These are really good, particularly the bolded. We actually did need to board our dog when in FL for February (took a day trip to Key West). Fortunately, we keep the papers in the car. But if we did not have them, no boarding.

 

[Sunset]

Think about how you are going to eat along the way, as you can't leave the dog locked in the car while you dine in McD's for lunch.
Taking turns, or getting the food to go and eating outside with the dog works, or pack at least 1 lunch so you just stop at picnic/rest stop and picnic outside with the dog.

 

[SumDay]

Think about how you are going to eat along the way, as you can't leave the dog locked in the car while you dine in McD's for lunch.
Taking turns, or getting the food to go and eating outside with the dog works, or pack at least 1 lunch so you just stop at picnic/rest stop and picnic outside with the dog.

Yes, we've discussed this. Lots of drive thru and take out for us. Lots of dog friendly outdoor restaurants where we're staying in NC, so he'll get to dine out with us.

I'm trying to look at this as an adventure.

Thanks for the great suggestions guys. I'd never thought about the vaccination records!

 

[slingshot]

Create a Lost and Found poster with your dog's pic and all your info, all his info, and a blank space for "last seen". Print a couple and put on a thumb drive if you need to print more in the middle of nowhere.
Put this in a folder with a list of dog Temperature, Pulse, Respiration. Common medical OTC remedies. Phone numbers of veterinary emergency centers where you will be traveling. And your health cert, vaccination info.
Pack a pet ER kit. Tweezers, scissors, benadryl, canned pumpkin, hydrogen peroxide, saline, bandage material. Flashlight or headlamp. Extra towels.
Doing all of the above almost guarantees that you will not need any of it!

 

[irishgal]

I do performance sports with my dogs and we drive sometimes 15 hours straight with short potty breaks every 4 hours. Mine are crated in Gunner crates and the crates are strapped down.
If your dog isn’t used to longer trips you will want to stop more often. I recommend stopping at either a nice rest stop so you can walk a bit or one of the large travel plazas as they have areas for dogs to do their business.
Bring Pepcid and give half a tab if your dog starts to get an upset tummy due to the car ride or just stress.
Also bring benedryl, bottled water and feed him on his normal schedule even if you are at a rest stop.

When you stop at a motel try to get a ground floor so you don’t have to deal with stairs for the potty breaks. Stuff a towel under the door to block some of the noises that may make him nervous at night. Before you bring him in the room, check behind the chairs, under all the furniture and everywhere else for weird stuff that wasn’t cleaned up. I’ve found Tylenol, a razor, a Valium, gum, candy, a chicken bone. You don’t want your dog to find those first.
Have fun!

 

[Teacher Terry]

We travel with our dogs all the time. All the tips are great. They won’t eat as much on travel days. We always take them for a walk in the morning before leaving so they are ready to sleep. When we arrive at the motel one person unloads the car and the other walks the dogs. Ours love to travel.

 

[Nemo2]

Even before the fulltime Rving we'd take long road trips with our dog. He was a Border Collie and the only problem we had was when he was driving he'd often want to pull off the road and round up the sheep he'd noticed in a nearby field.

 

[ckelly78z]

Maybe set him up in the back seat with his favorite dog bed, and some familiar toys from home. I would bring a supply of treats, his food, and several gallons of familiar water. Also bring a couple of towels, and other cleaning supplies (just in case). Stop every hour or two to stretch his legs (and yours) in quiet places with grass.

 

[MRG]

Is he crate trained? Our two little dogs will be quite happy in their crates, sleeping for 14+ hours. The first time we realized how easy they traveled we left Estes Park at -10•F headed to KC. They were giving plenty of breaks to go out, nah it's cold out. They refused to go all the way home.

 

[Amethyst]

I would go online and zoom in on potential rest stops, so you can pick out ones where the big guy (and you) can get exercise and fresh air. Some Interstate rest stops in Virginia and North Carolina are so beautiful, they are almost parks. Trails, woods, picnic tables - I always see people walking dogs and picnicking.

Here is one resource; I am sure there are more. https://www.interstaterestareas.com/map-of-rest-areas/

Our son has invited us to spend some time on Emerald Isle (NC) next month. We'll be driving from the Midwest, and he REALLY wants us to bring the Boxer, because his Boxer loves our Boxer.

We've never taken him more than a few hours away in the car, and this will be two 9-10 hour days. I already have pet friendly rooms booked coming and going so we aren't doing it in one day.

Anyone have any tips for traveling with a big slobbery dog? He's very good natured, and as long as he's with us there's usually no anxiety.

I read someone else on this board said they take their water as 'unfamiliar' water tends to upset their dog's digestion which I could see happening with Sir Farts A Lot.

Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[LOL!]

Tip #1: Don't do it.

Tip #2: Don't do it.

Tip #3: You know what Tip #3 through Tip #241 are.

 

[COcheesehead]

Bring their favorite things, toys, blanket, etc.

 

[bhoferp]

Our dog is a boxer and she has been traveling with us since she was a pup. She tends to be anxious, so I give her Rescue Remedy before we leave and again before we go into the hotel room. She will just sleep in her bed in the back seat. We usually have to stop before she does. I take trazadone and pepcid, but I can't ever remember using them on a trip. Rest areas usually have a specific place to walk dogs. If we need to stop between rest areas, we stop at a gas station with a convenience store. They frequently have grassy areas to walk her in. We only drive about 6 hours a day, so don't have any experience with longer travel days.


We prefer not to stay on the first floor at the hotel because there is more foot traffic. Our dog is fine on the elevator. If there is another dog on the elevator or lots of people, we just wait for the next one. I have her sit as soon as we get in the elevator.


You might find some useful info on Gopetfriendly.com and petswelcome.com

 

[SumDay]

To close the loop, we have returned from our 3,000 mile dog vacation, and it went FAR better than I anticipated.

I never needed to use the LOST DOG signs I made (thank heavens!), he never puked, and DH and I didn't kill one another.

Some Love's Truck Stops now have fenced dog parks, which were much appreciated. Once a day we got him a plain cheeseburger, so now when he sees the Golden Arches, he gets pretty excited.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. Benadryl was our friend, by the way.