Summer is a time for travel, and what better way to travel than with your dog? Here are our general rules to follow for a fun and stress-free summer road trip with your dog.
1. Don’t underestimate the heat
Don’t Leave Your Dog In The Car
Think of your car as a greenhouse, where the inside temperature can rise 20 degrees in less than 10 minutes. Even on cooler days, the sun can heat up the mass of air trapped in a car and quickly cause extremely hot and dangerous temperatures. Dogs left in a parked car in warmer temperatures are at serious risk of heatstroke or even death.
Choose Dog Friendly Stops
If you need to use a restroom while on the road, consider leaving the AC running and park in the shade. Or wait to reach pet friendly stores like Petsmart where you can go inside with your dog. If you need to pick up necessary items on the road, many stores like Target have drive-up options where you can place an order 1-2 hours ahead of time and they’ll bring it to your car.
Keep Breaks Short
When driving for hours, it’s important to stop for exercise and bathroom breaks for your dog. But consider the heat and humidity, as well as your dog’s breed, age and otherwise overall health when deciding where, when, and how long their exercise is. These are major factors that can limit your dog’s ability to breathe and cool themselves in warmer temperatures. Aim for shade, keep exercise breaks short during the warmer parts of the day, and make sure to have extra water for your dog.
Know The Signs Your Dog Needs To Cool Down
Even if you plan on taking all the necessary steps to make sure your dog doesn’t overheat, make sure you know the indicators that your dog’s body temperature is increasing. Forceful or heavy panting, as well as an increase in the length or width of your dog’s tongue, are indicators that you need to cool them off.
Other signs include lethargy, glazed eyes, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, slowed pace, lowered tail, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure, rapid heartbeat and unconsciousness.
Know How To Address Overheating
If your dog exhibits any signs of heatstroke, they should be immediately moved into shade or air conditioning. Let your dog lick ice cubes or drink small amounts of water and place ice packs or cool towels to their head, neck and chest or run cool (not cold) water over them. Immediately call a veterinarian, even if your dog appears to have cooled down.
2. Prepare For Your Dog’s Comfort
A first road trip can go pretty smoothly for both you and your dog if you put in the preparation beforehand.
Do A Practice Run
Do a practice run to determine your dog’s level of comfort, especially if the traveling conditions are different than they’re used to. If your dog is used to just five minute trips to the vet, go for a twenty minute ride. Practice with the harness or crate you’ll be using to restrain your dog. A practice run will allow you to gauge your dog’s level of comfort and make any adjustments needed well ahead of your trip.
Know Signs Of Anxiety
Our dogs can’t tell us how they feel, so know how to identify the signs that your dog is anxious. Signs of anxiety in dogs include:
- Reluctance to get into the car.
- Whining, panting, or barking.
- Pacing or acting restless.
- Excessive drooling.
- Yawning.
- Lip licking or lip smacking.
- Shaking or trembling.
It’s important to rule out motion sickness, which can also cause excessive drooling, panting, and licking of the lips. If your dog does have motion sickness, your vet might be able to prescribe a medication such as Cerenia. Your dog may also develop car anxiety from the motion sickness, so make sure to rule it out both for your dog’s comfort and to prevent a larger problem.
Use Desensitization And Counter-Conditioning
If your dog shows signs of anxiety, start using desensitization and counter-conditioning. Desensitization involves gradually and repeatedly exposing your dog to an anxiety or fear-inducing stimulus. Counter-conditioning helps change your dog’s negative feelings to positive by associating that stimulus with a positive reward. This could mean simply sitting with your dog in the car and giving them treats or a special toy. Once your dog is completely relaxed, try driving down the driveway or down the street, repeating the same process. The process to help your dog love the car or longer car rides can take days or weeks, so make sure to get a head start before your trip so that your dog can be as comfortable as possible when the time comes.
Speak To Your Veterinarian
Speak to your vet about your dog’s anxiety beforehand. They might recommend medication such as Trazedone, which is helpful for situational anxiety.
Create A Positive Environment
Make sure your dog is comfortable and relaxed in whatever crate or harness you’ll be using. If not, use desensitization and counter-conditioning to teach your dog to enjoy it. Consider covering the crate to help your dog feel safe and secure (just make sure to monitor your dog). Bring your dog’s favorite blanket or other familiar items to help your dog familiarize to the new environment.
3. Bring The Essentials (and More)
Medical Records
Bring paper and electronic copies of your dog’s medical records in the event of an emergency. Doggy daycares, boarding, off leash “yappy hours” and even some hotels require proof of vaccinations, so it’s always useful to have them on hand just in case. Distemper/Lepto, Rabies, and Bordetella vaccines are often the standard. If crossing state lines, check to see if a health certificate from your vet is required.
Food, Water and Medications
Bring enough food, water and medications for the duration of your trip and then some, in case it takes longer than expected. Even if you know there are stores nearby and plan on grabbing more of what you need, make sure you have more than enough in case you can’t. Always carry extra water in case your car breaks down and you’re left waiting for help in the heat.
Identification
Make sure your dog is microchipped and has up to date identification tags. Even if you don’t think your dog would ever run away, there are a number of ways your dog could get lost, especially in an unfamiliar environment with new sights and sounds. Making sure your dog is microchipped and has identification increases your changes of being reunited in the event something does happen. A GPS collar can also help you locate your dog if lost, especially in more rural areas.
4. Secure Your Dog
Restrain Your Dog While Driving
Keep your dog restrained or in a crate while driving. Not only can an unsecured dog be a distraction while driving, but they can get lost or seriously injured in any type of accident.
Leash Your Dog During Breaks
Leash your dog during bathroom and exercise breaks. Even if your dog has good recall, new sights, sounds, and wildlife and other distractions can overcome that recall. Keep your dog safe by using a leash until your get to your destination. If your dog needs more exercise, some rest stops have small enclosed dog parks. Or look up public dog parks or Sniffspot private dog parks on the way.
5. PLAN AHEAD
Plan Potential Stops
Spontaneous road trips are fun, but when traveling with your dog, it’s essential to have some sort of plan ahead of time. Research rest areas or pet friendly stops along your route so you have an idea of where to stop, especially in warmer weather. Screenshot or bring a copy of directions in case you lose cell service or your phone suddenly stops working (it happens). Even if you just want to pull over and find a hotel whenever you get tired, look at potential dog friendly hotels on your route ahead of time so you know their rates and rules.
Prepare For An Emergency
We hope you won’t have to use it, but make a list of veterinarians and their information (including hours) who are on the way and at your final destination. Make sure you have their number listed so you can call before you get on your way. We learned the hard way that Google hours aren’t always up to date and the time spent driving to a closed vet is time wasted.
HAVE FUN!
Taking a road trip with your dog during the summer adds an extra layer of preparation, but it’s worth it knowing that your dog is safe and comfortable. The most important rule is HAVE FUN!