5 Tips for Road Trips With Dogs

March 27, 2023

Written By: Earth Buddy Team

image of white dog with grey and black spots smiling on a snowy rocky mountain hike. Read this blog to learn about road trips with dogs.

Road trips with dogs can be a lot of fun. The scenery is usually beautiful, and you get to visit new places and take your dog on adventures he might not have been able to enjoy otherwise. But even when you’re ready for the road, there are some dog road trip tips that can make a road trip with your dog more enjoyable for everyone involved.

 

#1: Crating on Road Trips with Dogs

When you’re planning road trips with your dog, you’ll need to decide if you want to crate your dog or not. It’s important to remember when traveling with your dog is that a crate is not a punishment. It’s a safe place for your dog to be while you’re driving, and it’s also a great way for them to get some much-needed rest.

If you decide that crating is right for your dog, then here are some tips:

  • Make sure the crate fits in your car and that it’s big enough for your dog. The crate should be large enough for them to stand up, turn around and lay down comfortably
  • Have a few toys and dog treats handy so that every time they go into their crate, they get something positive from it. If they do well with this at home, then hopefully they won’t mind going into their travel crate when you get ready to go on a trip!
  • Add a dog bed to their crate to make your dog comfortable, especially if you’re planning long car rides.

 

#2: Grab a Harness for Back Seat Riding

If you choose not to crate your dog and you want them to ride in the back seat, there are several measures you should take to ensure your dog’s safety. Thanks to the harness and seatbelt, your dog can enjoy a ride in the car. If you’re going on a road trip or just heading out for a quick errand, it’s important that your dog be restrained properly.

The best way to do this is with a harness and seatbelt. While some people choose to use only a collar and leash, that can lead to problems if your dog becomes scared or excited while in the car.

There are many reasons to use a dog harness instead of a collar. The first is that it’s safer for your pet. Collars can slip off and choke your dog, or get caught on something and break his neck. A collar does not offer any protection from sudden stops or bumps in the road.

A harness fits snugly around the body and helps disperse pressure from the neck down to the shoulders. You’ll know it’s working if you feel less pressure on your hands when you’re walking your dog. Harnesses also help prevent dogs from jumping out of cars or out of crates.

And, don’t forget to grab a seat cover designed specifically for pets. You will be thankful for this if your dog is one that gets car sick while road tripping.

brown dog with white spots getting ready to take earth buddy’s full-spectrum cbd for dogs out of a dropper.

 

 

#3: Calming Supplements for Road Trips With Your Dog

 

It’s important that you keep your dog calm and comfortable on the drive, whether it’s to the next town over or you’re planning a cross country road trip. The following are three suggestions to help keep your dog relaxed:

Full Spectrum CBD Oil for Dogs

image of earth buddy 1000mg hemp extract for dogs in front of a rock with white background. CBD is great for long road trips with dogs.

Hemp extract has a number of benefits that make it an excellent choice for dogs, including:

  • CBD Oil promotes a sense of relaxation and mental alertness without drowsiness and supports normal emotional balance.
  • Helps maintain contentment during separation, travel, motion sickness and tension caused by changes in your pet’s daily routine
  • Helps animals maintain a normal and relaxed disposition
  • Supports normal recovery from stress
  • Eases tension associated with road trips with dogs

New! Dog Calming Chews

Earth Buddy’s new soft Calming Chews for Dogs are a great tool if you’re planning road trips with dogs! They are tasty Earth Buddy's 2 new CBD dog treats for anxiety in with car rides, vet visits, fireworks, and thunderstorms. Come in Beef flavor and Duck flavor with full spectrum CBD oil.and easily digestible and can act as a reward in the longer car rides. Our new CBD treats for dogs also include:

  • Limited ingredients with meat as the first ingredient
  • Grain free without the use of sugary binders commonly found in soft treats for dogs
  • Regionally sourced ingredients with no artificial flavors or preservatives
  • Come in two different strengths and flavors with Beef & Pumpkin at 10mg of CBD and Duck & Apple with 5mg CBD in each calming chew.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are the concentrated, volatile, aromatic essences of plants. They’re extracted from flowers, fruits, leaves, and other parts of a plant through distillation or expression. Each type of essential oil comes with its own set of benefits, but the ones that are recommended for a road trip include:

  • Lavender: Lavender is among the most popular essential oils and may help your dog cope with external stresses.
  • Chamomile: Chamomile promotes relaxation to help your furry friend be more comfortable.

You can choose to provide a diluted essential oil by itself or in combination with other suggestions. If you’re using an essential oil on the drive, grab a diffuser specifically designed for the car so your dog can enjoy the aroma of the oil you’ve chosen.

 

#4: Planning a Road Trip With Dogs? Plan to Stop Frequently

You should plan to stop at dog-friendly destinations every few hours, even if it’s just a quick walk at rest stops. Dogs need to go outside, and they can get carsick if they’re stuck in the car for too long without opportunities to stretch their legs, take a bathroom break, and eat or drink water. If you’re going on a long road trip with your dog, be prepared to take frequent breaks. image of black dog and white dog running through a field of green grass in the rocky mountains. Read this blog for tips on road trips with dogs.

Stop every hour or two so they have plenty of chances for bathroom breaks and snacks, and maybe even some playtime. Who knows, you may also need a potty break, and it’s good for you to stretch on your journey. You’ll probably feel better once you reach your destination.

If you can find dog parks, that’s even better. As long as you aren’t in a time crunch, you can allow your dog to spend 15-30 minutes exercising with other pups. This can help wear them out a little so they won’t be as concerned with the road trip.

 

#5: Pet Friendly Accommodations

Finding dog friendly accommodations can be difficult, but fortunately, there are an increasing number of places becoming dog friendly these days. To find one close to where you want to stay, check out these tips:

Booking a Hotel

If you’re booking a hotel, it’s important to find one that allows pets. Some hotels have a strict policy against allowing them, while others are more lenient, but regardless of their policy, it is always best to ask before booking your room.

The first step in finding pet-friendly hotels is visiting their website and looking at their pet policy page. Most websites will have this information listed on their homepage under “What We Offer” or similar categories, so look there first.

If you cannot find a dog-friendly hotel, give them a call and ask about their policies directly to see if they’re dog friendly. You never know what surprises might await when speaking with customer service reps over the phone. You should also bring proof of vaccinations with you when checking into your room in case you’re asked what vaccines have been administered thus far.

Finding a Campsite

If you’re planning on camping with your furry friend, try looking into campgrounds that are dog friendly. Most national parks will allow dogs at specific sites, but they must be on a leash at all times. Be sure to ask about fees, if any.

While campgrounds aren’t typically designed for long term stays, they can make great overnight stops on the way to your final destination. Many campgrounds offer cabins or small houses that allow dogs and other pets. If you want to stay in one of these accommodations, consider booking at least two nights so that you can get settled before moving on to the next place.

Never Leave Your Dog

Never leave a dog or any pet in a parked car, even if you’re just running in to grab some snacks at the gas station. You want to keep your dog safe, and leaving your dog unattended is never a good plan. Even on the coldest days of summer, temperatures inside a car can reach dangerous levels within minutes. Even with windows cracked open, the sun’s rays can heat up the interior to lethal levels in just minutes.

Dogs are especially vulnerable because they can’t cool themselves off by sweating and panting the way humans do. They also have a higher body temperature than humans, which means they heat up faster and suffer greater effects from high temperatures.

Planning Ahead

The most important thing you can do to ensure your dog’s safety is to make sure he or she is properly identified with a microchip and rabies vaccination certificate, as well as their license and medical records. You should also grab the supplies you’ll need for road trips with dogs, including food, water, and some toys or treats. Also, get acquainted with where everything is in the car so it’s easier to find things when you need them.

Plan ahead. Write everything down you’re going to need for your trip. Grab the calming supplements, have a tentative route mapped out with dog-friendly accommodations, and make your dog is never left in the car alone.

Planning ahead for road trips with dogs that suffer from car stress or tension, should also involve a well thought out plan with calming supplements. Expecting magic the first time you give your dog CBD, especially dogs that do not like car rides, is unrealistic. Instead, begin dosing our full spectrum CBD to your dog around 3-5 days prior to your trip at a low to moderate dose daily. It may even be worth doing some trial runs of administering CBD to your canine companion and pretending to go on a car ride 30-35 minutes later. This can ease the tension involved with car ride stress for your dog.

White dog with pink leash inside the back seat of a car taking a Earth Buddy Calming treat for dogs with full spectrum CBD to help with car anxiety.

Lastly, do not be afraid to experiment with your dog’s CBD dosage prior to your trip to keep your dog calm and relaxed. Journaling their response is another way to pay closer attention to how they’re responding. Finally, on the day of the trip, you can give them an increased dosage from your daily dose about 30-45 minutes prior to your trip.

After you have all your i’s dotted and your t’s crossed, you can head out on your journey. Above all, don’t forget to have fun with your pup!

For further reading, we recommend:

 

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