Road trip with dogs - advice please!

[jjeepa]

We're considering a rather lengthy, 3000 miles round trip, road trip.  My dc really want to bring the two dogs.  They are both pretty small and have no issues in the car.  BUT we've never done this before and I'm nervous about all the potential problems.  Anyone have any advice for making a road trip with dogs a success?  Any tips about how to find hotels that allow pets?  Are we nuts?  

[Rachel]

We are contemplating the same thing, what I am concerned about is sight seeing. If we do something where dogs are not allowed, what will we do with him? In the summer he can't really stay in the car.

[Rachel]

We saw a guy a couple weeks ago that brought a tie out for his dog. I guess he was careful about where he parked, where we saw him he parked near the edge of the parking lot and staked the dog out in a field. I realize that isn't practical everywhere though.

[gingersmom]

I traveled 2000 miles with a 90 pound dog and no one (including the dog) wants to do it again.

 

Pet friendly hotels fill up fast during summer months.

 

We did take out from restaurants and ate in hotel/car or outdoor seating at McDonalds/Culvers.

Edited June 11, 2017 by gingersmom

[zimom]

I would really consider about whether or not this is the best choice for the dogs???  Yes, DC want the dogs to go but consider the dogs.  We have a service dog so she travels with us everywhere but honestly it is still difficult.  We are out of town right now for a swim meet and it can still be a hassle.  The drive was only 2 1/2 hours each way but its just the day to day when we travel that is much harder for us and her.  We have to think about giving her plenty of potty breaks (and of course finding trash cans after cleaning up after her each time), water, keeping her on her feeding schedule, just running into the store really quick is either getting her geared up, take her for potty break before running into the store or someone stays in the car with her.   Swim meet, making sure she has plenty of shade, plenty of water.  For longer drives, making sure she gets extra exercise to make up being in the car for so long.  My daughter rode with her friends for one part of the trip and I needed to pick something up, then she couldn't run into the store with me (because technically my daughter needs to be with her).  I could have broken the rules but I don't.  

 

There is just sooooo much to think about with traveling with dogs.  Service dogs you can not leave alone unattended in a hotel room.  I don't know what the rules are if you are paying a fee, maybe it is ok if they are crated??  

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by zimom

[scoutingmom]

We used to travel with our dog all summer when I was a kid, but that was in the 70's, and we were also camping the whole time. I was also young so I don't know what things my parents might have had to do to make it work.

 

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[MercyA]

No, you're not nuts. We've driven across the country once with a small dog and traveled by plane with him more times than I can count. There are many nice hotels that allow dogs; just use a "pet friendly" filter when searching on Travelocity or Expedia. There are also some chains that allow dogs at all their locations; just do a Google search for those.

 

We just took either a crate or a collapsible play pen with us and left him in the room when we went out for the day. We gave him chew toys and water and put a sign on the door asking housekeeping not to enter. (I am paranoid and didn't want anyone bothering him or accidentally letting him out.) He was a neurotic little guy but a remarkably good traveler and quickly adjusted to the routine. If your dogs are barky, though, you might not be able to leave them. Since you have two dogs, they can keep each other company, which might work out better than traveling with a single dog.

 

Mealtimes can be tricky while on the road. Plan on getting drive-through food and eating it in your vehicle; picnicking in parks; or looking for restaurants that allow dogs in their outdoor seating areas. 

 

You may have to make time in the middle of your sightseeing to come back and let the dogs out to potty.

 

Did you have any other specific concerns?

 

ETA: And, of course, you have to be absolutely committed to keeping them leashed or contained the whole time you are traveling. If a dog bolts in an unfamiliar area, it can end very badly.  :( And, like Dot said, don't plan on leaving them in the car at any time. Heat is a danger, but so is theft. 

Edited June 11, 2017 by MercyA

[KungFuPanda]

If there is someone who they like who will keep the dogs for you, they will probably be happier in a house/yard than in a van for weeks. They would have each other. If the choice is to board them, they might be happier with you. Since it is so long, I'd decide based on the best scenario for the dogs.

[Pawz4me]

We have an RV and travel with our dog all the time. He's a small, very low shedding dog. But in the past we traveled with two medium sized dogs who were shedders. The RV definitely makes it easier since we have all the necessities of home at our fingertips, plus a generator so we can run the AC anywhere and leave the dog in the RV. But some things are pretty universal.

 

Off the top of my not-yet-caffeinated head --

 

You'll want to make sure they both have on ID tags with easily reachable numbers. Your current cell phone number and a number for someone who isn't traveling (just in case they get lost in an area where you can't get a cell signal). I'd make sure they're microchipped and that the chip registration info is current.

 

Keep a supply of puppy pads on hand. They're useful for SO many things. If a dog gets nauseous in the car--use a puppy pad to catch anything. They work to protect the vehicle interior from muddy paws (and shoes!), for protection from messes when giving food or water in the car, in a pinch one can be used to dry a wet dog. Lots of things.

 

I'd use bottled water. It's a small inconvenience to buy and carry, but I feel that eliminating potential tummy upsets from all sorts of water sources is worth it. Keep an ample supply on hand. Dogs can get nervous/excited and pant a lot when traveling. They need to be offered water frequently.

 

If you feed kibble you've got no problem. If you feed any type of food that needs refrigeration you'll need to come up with a plan for that.

 

If you leave them in a hotel room while you sight see you'll need crates and I always want to feel confident my dog(s) won't bark and disturb other guests. Always leave a cell phone number with the front desk.

 

Collapsible crates take up the least room but aren't the safest for travel. You will need to figure out the logistics of restraining them safely while traveling.

 

Check with your vet before traveling. There may be health risks in the areas you're traveling through that will need to be addressed. Dog flu is an issue in some areas right now (mostly Florida and the southeast from what I've heard, but I'd want to check on that). Some people recommend getting a certificate of health from your vet before traveling. I've never bothered.

 

Make sure to bring any needed doses of medication, included heart worm and flea/tick preventative, with you.

 

Bring along hard copies of immunization and (mostly importantly) rabies vaccination. A rabies tag is not legal proof of vaccination. You need the certificate that identifies the dog, the manufacturer of the vaccine and has the vet's signature and info on it. You will likely be asked to produce that at some hotels. I keep copies on my phone, too.

 

Keep a large supply of poop bags on hand. Keep a few in your pocket at  all times. Be a conscientious pet owner in this regard, always.

 

Think about what grooming supplies, if any, you'll need to bring with you.

 

Teach them to not get out of the vehicle until you give a command. My dogs are always taught that "wait" means "freeze in your tracks and don't move until I give you the release word." That is, IMO, the command with the most life saving potential for a dog.

 

I may think of other things when the caffeine kicks in.

[Pink and Green Mom]

I have found that some hotels, while they allow dogs, specifically state that dogs are not to be left alone in the room.  We travelled with our dog twice (once when we were moving, once to visit inlaws) and we ran into that both times. 

[mmasc]

I don't want to derail, but do puppy pads *encourage* dogs to urinate on them somehow? My 3-yr old dog is housetrained, but when we travel she does.not.like. to pee while on a leash...AT ALL! She holds it for hours and hours. :(

[Pawz4me]

I don't want to derail, but do puppy pads *encourage* dogs to urinate on them somehow? My 3-yr old dog is housetrained, but when we travel she does.not.like. to pee while on a leash...AT ALL! She holds it for hours and hours. :(

 

Some of them have an attractant applied that's supposed to. I don't know if it really works or not. I've had the opposite problem -- our current dog is trained to use pee pads when necessary but he prefers to go outside. When we're traveling he will NOT use them! He wants to go out and sniff everything and do the macho marking thing. It's quite aggravating when we're not in what I consider to be a safe area to walk him or it's pouring rain and it would be so much easier and safer if he'd just go on a pad.

 

Maybe a long shot, but is your dog used to going out in a fenced yard to take care of business? Does she get walked frequently at home? Sometimes it's the being on leash part that throws off dogs who are used to a fenced yard and don't get walked regularly while at home. And you could work on that just by taking her out on leash, even in your own yard.

[Carrie12345]

We've only done 1/3 of that distance with our itty bitty dog, but it was a success.  Packed meals, drive throughs, rest stops, and we've never had an issue with hotels, though it's slightly annoying to pay $50 (at some places) just to have him sleep in his itty bitty crate when we've paid less than $200 for 7 humans.  :glare:   But I get it. They don't know our dog and I'm sure some people's pets jack the place up.

[MercyA]

I don't want to derail, but do puppy pads *encourage* dogs to urinate on them somehow? My 3-yr old dog is housetrained, but when we travel she does.not.like. to pee while on a leash...AT ALL! She holds it for hours and hours. :(

 

My dogs pee on command ("hurry up"), assuming they have to go, and that helps a lot. It just takes a few weeks of saying your chosen phrase every time she pees and then giving her a treat.

 

That said, the only dog I ever tried pee pads with refused to use them, even when given the command and even when I tried placing them outside on the grass! Some pads do have an attractant scent, but maybe it's more effective for puppies? 

[wintermom]

My dh and I drove across Canada with our 2 dogs (before kids). There are some daily problems travelling with dogs that made things tough enough that we'd never willingly do it again.

 

Firstly, are the stops - to eat at restaurants, to shop at grocery stores, to do any sightseeing. If it's hot, the dogs can't be left in the car, so someone will always have to be with the dogs to keep them outdoors. And you'll have to search for suitable locations for the dogs to do their business along the way. This adds time and extra work multiple times every single day of your trip.

 

Secondly, is accommodation at hotels can be challenging. If you are planning on camping along the way, it's a lot easier, but if you have to make an emergency stop at a hotel you may not have a lot of options. 

 

Thirdly, if any emergencies come up along the way (e.g., car problems, health issues for an adult, child or dog) you are going to have a lot bigger head-aches ensuring that someone is looking after the dogs.

 

 

These are things that your dc may not have thought out in the least. It seems like a fun idea to bring the dogs along, but ensuring the dogs' health and safety is a full-time job while on holiday. It means that the humans will have to take on this job instead of being part of the family vacation experience. Are you willing to make this sacrifice?

 

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by wintermom

[Mama Geek]

We have traveled with our dog a lot.  La Quintas, Red Roof Inn, Candlewood Suites all allow dogs.  There are lots of other places that do to.  Sometimes it is limiting, but if your plan is to get to a hotel and do sightseeing where you are staying, leaving a dog in the room isn't bad.  http://www.dogfriendly.com is a good site for hotels and attractions where you can take your dogs.  We like doing lots of nature stuff while traveling and usually the dog can go with us for things like that.

[Pam in CT]

We've taken ours all kinds of places in all kinds of weather.  It's much easier when the weather is good -- you can provision or take out and picnic in rest stops; many restaurants have outdoor spaces that allow dogs on leashes; even when you stop at a restaurant it's less burdensome for one person to do a good-length walk while the rest of the family settles in and orders, and then you can tag team so the dog's not alone in the car.

 

This is a good site to find out what hotels and restaurants you can take a dog to.  For long haul trips where we're just trying to get from Point A to Point B, to keep planning simple I pretty much map out a route of Sheratons -- many of their properties don't charge at all, and they've (therefore) figured out which floors work best.  Often we've had a walk-out room on the ground floor from which someone can stumble out in pajamas with the dog on a long leash for a last-night or first-morning pee.... much nicer than having to go down the elevator and through the lobby, lol.  I'd make a particular pitch for the net dog-and-family-friendliness of Sheraton's aLoft line, where the lobby where dogs are allowed also has access to a pool table, video games, the (limited but adequate) bar menu and is mere steps from laundry machines, #Brilliant.

 

We always bring a copy of immunizations, which we make sure are up to date -- most hotels don't ask, but every so often one does.  Campsites nearly always ask.  They're looking both for rabies and bordatella.  Many hotels have a rule that you can't leave a dog unattended in the room, because barking.  Some allow it if the dog is crated, because housekeeping.  Our last dog was fine with a crate but our current one is not, so we always take him with us when we leave the room, which pretty much precludes doing something like a museum.  Which is a PITA.

 

 

[jjeepa]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice!  My plan is to sit down as a family and sort through all the issues that were raised in this thread.  Thankfully, my dc are older and can help both with figuring out a plan and implementing it if we go ahead and take them.  I greatly appreciate everyone's help!  :001_smile: