Tips for Road trips with Your Pets

One of the biggest challenges for pet owners is what to do with the family pet. For many years, families were forced to find a pet sitter or kennel to take care of their pet. This has changed over the past years. Our pets have become family members and recreation areas are recognizing this. They have made accommodations that now allow us to bring our pets with us.

I travel with 5 dogs. It is a challenge to travel with dogs and find places that will let allow me to have this many pets. However, it is doable with some pre planning.

I am currently planning an upcoming road trip and will share with you how I prepare.

Tip #1

Decide how you will travel. Will this be by car, RV, or plane? I found several years ago that the easiest and least expensive way for me to travel : buy a van and convert it for camping.

Traveling in my van, provides a place to sleep and safety. As an older solo traveler, safety comes first. In addition, being able to have the dogs in a secured van keeps them safe. I don't have to worry about them escaping from a tent and wandering off.

It is extremely difficult to find hotels and motels that will accept more than 1 to 2 dogs. I find that many state parks and private campgrounds are more liberal with allowing multiple dogs in 1 campsite. However, it is still important to check out the rules and regulations.

Tip #2

Map out your road trip. You can use any of the map apps available. You want to check for available rest stops, gas stations, and local parks. Why? plan on stopping every few hours for breaks. It is important for your health to get out and walk around. Your dogs also need breaks and the chance to burn off energy. Your trip will be more pleasant, if your dogs are calm and tired.

I try not to drive more than 6 to 8 hours per day. My personal goal is to be off the road by 3 pm each day. I preplan where I will be staying each night. It may be at a Walmart or local campground or do some boondocking. I am mindful that my overnight spot needs to be somewhere, where the dogs will not disturb others.

Tip #3

Pack a separate bag for the dogs. I have a small gym bag that contains extra leashes, collars, harnesses, sweaters, poop bags, etc. In addition, I keep a small folder that has copies of all the dogs vaccination records and contact number for the vet's office.

It is also important to carry a first aid kit that is geared specifically for a dog's needs-check with your vet for recommended items.

Tip #4

Bring water from home or use bottled water. Some dogs have very sensitive stomachs and the change to different water, while traveling , can cause them to have upset stomachs.

I have a 2 gallon water container that I fill, prior to leaving home.

Tip #5

Use a container to store dry dog food. With multiple dogs, I need to carry a fairly large amount of food. However, due to limited space in the van, carrying a 20 lb bag of food takes up a lot of room and can attract other critters. I found an inexpensive way to address this was to buy some plastic containers that would normally be used for rice or flour.

I pre measure the amount of food to bring and then keep the food in the containers.

# travel #dogs #vanlife