As summer unfolds, many folks are making Fido-friendly road trip plans to reunite with friends and family. If a dog is your co-pilot, here are some things you need to know before you go. 

The Car

Create a secure comfy space in your car just for your dog. Whether it’s a hammock, car seat, crate, or seat belt harness, make sure your dog is secure to avoid distracting the driver and prevent escape. 

Tire your dog out before hitting the road. Ideally your dog will sleep through your terrible singing in the car. Exercising with a game of fetch, find it, or training games before the trip should encourage your dog to tuck in for a nap during it. 

At the start of the trip, offer your dog a long lasting chew or lickable frozen food puzzle. This encourages your dog to self-soothe and chill out. If you’re riding at dawn, wait to feed your dog her breakfast in the car. 

Let sleeping dogs lie. While your dog is sleeping, drive as far as you’re comfortable before stopping. You may notice your dog resisting getting back into the car after pit stops. Stick to the least amount of stops necessary. 

Don’t become a roadside attraction! Make sure to leash up your dog before letting him hop out of the car at a rest stop. New places can be exciting, distracting, even daunting to dogs. Keep your dogs safe on leash so you don’t have to chase your dog down and halt traffic. 

Have a dog who becomes nauseous or anxious in the car? Call your vet now and discuss easier car rides through chemistry. 

The New Place

Make sure your dog potties before going into your home away from home. Yes, even if your dog is fully potty trained. Potty training can backslide in new places. Make sure to keep an eye on your dog and give your dog extra potty breaks the first day. 

No fence? No problem. Bring a stake, long leash, and harness with you. This is perfect for early morning and late night potty breaks. Be sure to watch your dog from the window while she’s outside.

Home alone time should wait. Some dogs are a wee bit anxious in new places, so it’s best to give your dog a transition day. Plan to stay with your dog for a day or so before leaving her home alone in the new place. 

New place, same old routine. Be aware that new places can heighten a dog’s nervousness, so try to keep things as low-keyed as possible. Try to stick to the same routines you have at home. Play the same relaxing music, bring the same dog bed, feed your dog out of the same food puzzles. Avoid rowdy celebrations that might overwhelm your dog. Go at your dog’s pace.

Introducing Another Dog

Start with taking the dogs for a walk away from the resident dog’s home. Walk the dogs in the same direction across the street from each other. This is often called a parallel walk. You’re not looking for your dog to be interested in the new dog. On the contrary! You’re looking for your dog to be aware of the new dog, and still be able to walk with slack in her leash, sniff the ground, and pay attention to you. Ideally, the new dog will do the same. During this time, both parties should generously share fabulous treats with their own dog. 

If both dogs seem relaxed and are able to respond to cues, start closing the distance between dogs. Keep closing the distance as long as the dogs continue to stay relaxed and ignore each other. The time it takes to close distance varies based on the dogs’ behaviors. Eventually, guide your dog behind the new dog. Allow your dog to sniff the new dog’s butt for no more than three seconds before calling her back to you. Giving a wide berth, swap places with the new dog. The new dog now walks behind and sniffs your dog’s butt. As long as all dogs are relaxed and unfazed, go to a fenced-in yard and let them off leash together. Don’t have a fenced-in yard? Parallel walk near a private rented yard via Sniffspot. Use my link for a $5 credit!  

Keep in mind, the introduction doesn’t always end up with butt sniffs or being off leash in a shared space. If at any time one or both of the dogs are too anxious, rambunctious, uncontrollable, or even too still, stop and go your separate ways. Make sure to have a contingency plan should the dogs not be able to share the same space. Crate or secure one dog in a bedroom, while the other dog has the rest of the house to roam. Rotate between dogs. This is commonly referred to as crate and rotate. Alternatively, stay with your dog at the home of another family member, friend, or dog-friendly hotel. 

And if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that teletraining with your favorite dog trainer is an effective way to receive dog training and behavior support while you’re on the road – so please reach out if you need help. May these dog-centric travel tips help you avoid a bumpy ride the next time you travel with your dog.