Planning a Road Trip with your Dog
#TravelingWithCaesar
Hello friends, today I will share some tips on preparing for a road trip with your dog. I will also share some pointers to keep in mind while booking a pet-friendly stay option. We traveled to Jaipur from Noida by car with Caesar when he was 6 months old.
I wish someone had shared these tips with us before our trip. Anyways, you will get to read about our experience of traveling with Caesar in the next part. So, stay tuned!
You may read Part 1 of the series here – In memory of our fur baby, Caesar!
Part 2 of the series here – How we met our fur baby, Caesar?
Part 3 here – Caesar’s First Month & Health Issues!
And, Part 4 here – Caesar’s First from the First Year!
How to Prepare for a Road Trip with your Dog?
Now, coming back to the question of how to prepare for a road trip with your dog. Well, there are two main aspects that you need to take care of, travel & stay. Here, I am going to write about traveling by car. Also, I want to state that these tips are based on our learnings & experience.
As I mentioned earlier, we traveled with Caesar, 6 months old untrained labrador. We were a total of four adults, excluding our cab driver. And, we had booked an 8 seater Toyota Innova Car.
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10 Things to keep in mind when traveling by car
1 – First and foremost, make an appointment with the vet & get a general check-up done for your fur baby. Ask for a list of emergency medicines for your dog.
2 – Pack your dog’s essentials, including his favorite toy, bed & blanket. Treats are a must.
3 – Make sure your dog wears a collar with a name tag. Don’t forget to put your phone number on that.
4 – Your pet should get a comfortable seat; make it cozy by putting his favorite sheet or blanket on it. Leave the boot space for luggage.
5 – Feed your dog a light meal 2-3 hours before taking the trip. Avoid feeding your dog in the moving car.
6 – Make several stops ( better if timed) for your pet. Keep him hydrated.
7 – From time to time, roll down the windows a little to let in some fresh air. Dogs don’t feel comfortable in a closed car, even if the AC is ON.
8 – When taking your dog out of the car, keep him on the leash even if he’s highly trained. Just don’t take any risks on the highway.
9 – Don’t leave your dog alone in a locked car in any weather. It is not safe at all.
10 – Don’t get irritated by your dog’s behavior. Try to understand what’s bothering him. And, if nothing works, try comforting him by sitting with him.
Road trip with your dog
Now that the traveling part is taken care of, next comes the accommodation. You need to find the right place to make the stay comfortable for your fur baby.
Some hotels and resorts mention ‘pet-friendly’ on their websites, but if you go through their policy or rules & regulations page, you may notice several restrictions on having a pet.
Some may not allow the pet to enter the rooms or the lawn. They may insist that you keep your pet leashed and tied at the hotel gate. Some may ask you to change rooms if the other guests are not comfortable.
So, it is always better to research a bit before finalizing the hotel. You would not like to stay away from your fur baby while on vacation. Right?
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10 Things to keep in mind while booking the accommodation
1 – Choose a resort over a hotel, as resorts are big & have lots of open space.
2- If you decide to stay at a hotel, book a room on the ground floor, preferably garden facing.
3 – The hotel/resort should have a pet-friendly environment. Do check their policy for keeping pets.
4 – It’s better if the room is spacious, best if it comes with a private garden or a balcony. Your dog can roam around freely & he will be more comfortable.
5 – The open lawn area in the hotel/resort is a must where you can play with your pet. Do check if they allow pets to enter the lawn.
6 – Check for any restrictions, rules & regulations for pets.
7 – It is always better to clear all your doubts over a call before making the final booking.
8 – Always carry a copy of your pet’s vaccination card & other medical documents.
9 – Never leave your fur baby unattended at any time, not even inside the locked room.
10 – I would advise keeping your pet on a leash if there are kids or other dogs in the resort.
That’s all for now. I hope you find these pointers helpful while planning a road trip with your fur baby.
I am doing a blog series this month in memory of our fur baby, #My_Son_Caesar.
You may read the other parts of the series here, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4.
Since this is the month of #MyFriendAlexa by Blogchatter, I will be linking all my posts to their website. Do check out the new reloaded Blogchatter website to discover some amazing blogs, bloggers, and campaigns.
Click on the below link to read the next part
Traveling with Caesar | Weekend Getaway – Blog Series (Part-6)
These are important pointers for all dog parents. Carrying vaccination cards along is a good thing to do.
We do not have a pet but have seen a close friend doing all this before they are off on any trip. This really seems like a great list of things to prepare a trip with a dog
wow Neha. I am impressed with your organized way of planing for the travel. I am sure, it must be needing a proper presswork before heading out on a trip with a pet. Pet vaccination card is a wise suggestions.
Yes, not many people realize that carrying a copy of a vaccination card and medical records can come really handy in case of any emergency. I am glad you found the suggestions on point. Thank you.
These are some awesome pointer. Planning makes execution more easily. Love the way you prepare yourself for traveling. This is such a helpful post.
Wow that’s so nice. I wish all this was known to me when my doggy was with us. It would be an experience to know how I manage with 2 kids and a dog on a trip.
You blogs are an absolute must read for all pet owners, I am in love with the detail in which you cover every single aspect. Keep posting
Great tips Neha and I agree there are so many important thing that you should need to keep in mind while traveling with pets. You had covered all these so well in this post. Pet check up before travel is must to avoid end moment emergency.
no one can better write om this topic then you.. amazing pointers now I wish I had one what fun would it have been to take the dog along wherever you go
Wow this post really covers all important pointers which all pet parents should know…I will share with friends and family who own a pet
We have a German shepherd and we have also taken him on a road trip frm Mumbai to our home town and he throughly enjoys the drive. We also take all care n precautions for him when taking him out.
Such an informative post for all the pet lovers wondering how to handle pets while traveling. I can’t even imagine the level of patience you guys might have shown while traveling with your fur baby. Appreciate!
Well, we don’t have a pet but I’m sure these pointers would be so helpful to pet parents while preparing a trip with their pets!
I never realised how many important things one must keep in mind while travelling with pets. This is a good post for reference to ensure our family vacations are complete with our furry babies.
I have done long trips with my dog many years ago and you have covered the tips to keep in mind very well.
This is again such a well-written post-Neha, Loved your tips, you have covered all aspects so well. finding a pet-friendly resort is importance. once we had to change our hotel last minute because they weren’t allowing pets, So now we always cross-check while booking a place.
A dear friend of mine was planning a trip with her pet and was looking for some tips. I am saving this and going to share this with my friend, I am sure this will be super helpful for them 🙂
These are very good tips shared in the post Neha. Must say your series are truly helpful and heartfelt.
Road trip with pets is a task. I don’t have any pet but I feel like that .your tips are really helpful in this case ..
That’s quite an exhaustive and well thought of list. I don’t have dogs or any pets myself, bit can appreciate the kind of planning that goes into traveling with a dog.
A road trip with your furry baby is a different ball game. I have never ever got this chance to take a full-fledged trip with my dog, however, just the rides to the vet were also full of adventure. They are so curious and excited to jump off and haul at things they feel exciting.
all 10 points you have mentioned are so important.
we have not yet been to a pet friendly resort, i think that would make for a lovely trip for the whole family
Though I have never had a pet at my home but reading your this series I am able to understand the pet parents responsibility. Being a travel blogger I know of pet-friendly resorts and this trend of being pet friendly is slowly increasing. Great tips for travelling with pet.
A very well-drafted post. This serves as a template for pet-lovers and a simple yet detailed checklist for a perfect road trip with your pet.
Great tips for pet owners. Really informative tips ,when I will have pet I will surely keep this in mind while traveling.
Great tips for pet owners Though i never had pets but i do understand the needs of pet owners and travel tips for them .