Are you planning a trip this summer that includes traveling with your dog?
Do you have everything you need to keep your dog comfortable and safe when traveling in a car long distances?
With a few exceptions, dogs love riding in cars.
We have all seen it, the car window is down, and a dog’s head is hanging out pointing into the breeze, with not a care in the world.
I have never had a problem getting a dog into my car. I open the door, and the dog is in like a shot – they know they are in for an adventure. Usually!
Coming home again can sometimes take a bit of encouragement. After all, who wants to go back to the yard, confined to quarters?
But, some dogs don’t travel well at all. Like humans, some dogs can experience motion sickness in vehicles, which can be stressful for the dog and the human occupants alike.
If you are traveling with your dog for the first time, then I hope that the following tips and recommendations help to make it a safe and enjoyable trip for you and your dog.
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How Long Can a Dog Travel in a Car
That is such a loaded question because there are so many factors that first need to be considered.
First and foremost would be, is your dog house trained? Then how old is your dog? If your dog is young, say under six months then, you’d want to be stopping often for pee breaks. But if your dog is older then you might get away with 3, possibly 4, hour stretches on the road without a break.
However, as a general rule, I’d say two hours at a time is good for an adult dog. But it really depends on your dog, and you should have some idea of their routine. If not, start taking notice of the time of day and how often your dog goes to the toilet.
And in most cases, your dog will let you know when s/he needs to go. and when they do, try to pull over as soon as you can, else it’s going to get messy real quick. And then you are stuck with the consequences for the rest of the journey.
However, it’s not just pee breaks that we need to think about. Because, if not, more importantly, we also need to consider what goes in. We need to make sure that your dog stays hydrated. Cars can get hot and dry, especially if the air conditioning is on, so we need to make sure the dog has the opportunity to hydrate often.
I have tips on how, where, and when to safely stop below.
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Is It Stressful to Travel With Dogs
Who is asking, you or the dog?
Traveling with your dog does not need to be stressful. Although it can be if you have not planned and prepared for the journey. And the longer the journey the more prepared you need to be.
If you have driven this journey before then you may well know about the safe places to stop for a toilet break for your dog, and ideally other occupants of the car too.
Prepare the car for the journey with your dog in mind over and above that of the human occupants. Start with where they will sit, and will your dog need a Booster Seat, seat cover, or a Dog Crate Carrier?
Ensuring that your dog is comfortable on long journeys takes a lot of the stress out of traveling. And as much as most dogs love to be in a moving motor vehicle, there is a limit before the fun wears off.
In the sections below, I cover things like motion sickness, anxiety, water, and how to safely let your dog out of the car in a foreign environment.
Dog Motion Sickness and Prevention Medication
If your dog does not travel well, and you need to travel, talk with your vet about medications to prevent and treat motion sickness.
Some dogs respond well to medications such as Nausx Anti Nausea/Motion Sickness Treatment and Preventative for Dogs.
But, if your dog doesn’t respond well to motion sickness medication, the vet may provide tranquilizers. But, I am not a fan of using these.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if your dog is experiencing motion sickness or is over-excited. Either way, take a few minutes to watch this short video on the DOG CALMING CODE
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How to Stay Safe When Traveling With Your Dog
Much like children, dogs should be secure (restrained) when traveling in a vehicle. How you restrain your dog will depend on the type of vehicle, the age, and the dog’s size. And whether the dog is comfortable traveling in a car.
There was a time when I would have said that a dog crate would have been okay. That was because there were not a lot of choices back then.
Things have changed. Dogs have endured their way into our hearts, so much so that we consider them as family. Sometimes we even treat them better than children.
Dog car seats and dog seat belts are the safest way to travel with a dog in your vehicle. There is a wide variety of choices and at reasonable prices – can one put a price on your dog’s wellbeing?
Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with securing your dog by placing them in a crate in a station wagon or van. Dog owners have done it that way for years.
But what if?
What if you need to brake hard or have an accident? The dog will get thrown about in the crate, which might not end well for you and your dog.
I am not trying to make you feel guilty here, but consider an alternative to a dog crate the next time you travel.
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Dog Separation Anxiety
And I am not talking about the dog this time. I am talking about the anxiety of a dog owner whose dog, which was not restrained, has run off down the road.
We must also consider the dog because once the euphoria of being free wears off, s/he will feel scared and alone in a strange place.
Even dogs that are obedient at home – that come when called – can get separated from their owners when traveling.
Your dog can get excited by all the new and exotic smells, sights, and sounds. Not to mention the sudden freedom of being free after the confinement of the car.
As well as a means to restrain your dog in the vehicle, you will need a firm collar and identification tags.
A bit like insurance, which we cover in another article, it is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Traveling with your dog should be fun, for both of you!
Related article: Is Pet Insurance Worth it For Your Dog?
The identification tag should include:
- the dog’s name,
- mobile number – as this is the best contact when traveling
- home phone number and address if there is someone else at home
Note: It might be a risk to include your address if there is no home while traveling.
If you plan on traveling with your dog over long distances and moving around a lot, then an identification barrel might be helpful. You place a piece of paper inside the barrel with your details and change this as you travel around.
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Dogs Are at Risk of Running Away
When traveling with your dog, you will need to stop and let your dog out for a potty break at some point in your journey. The toilet stop is where your dog is most at risk of running away.
The sense of freedom, the exotic smells, sights, and sounds will have them racing off, and they may not come back.
So before you open the car door, put a leash on your dog and hold on tight as you open the door.
Walk your dog to a quiet area, if possible, away from the road to do their business. And I am sure that I don’t have to remind you about cleaning up number twos!
It pays not to feed your dog before traveling; but, they will need water. The hotter the car – weather and air conditioning – the more water your dog will need.
There are collapsible water bowls and dispensers to suit almost any travel situation. Check out this range of dog travel bowls on Amazon.com to see what might work for your dog.
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Never Leave Your Dog in a Car Unattended
While this is the last piece of advice, it is the most critical piece of advice on this page. NEVER, EVER, leave your dog unattended in your car with the windows closed.
Do not underestimate how quickly a car can heat up, causing your dog to overheat and die.
Here are some random and rather sobering facts about dogs left unattended in cars:
Let’s start with an 85-degree day.
A car with windows closed on an 85-degree day will reach 120 degrees within 30 minutes. That is equal to the dead of summer heat in the Arabian desert.
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Did you know that dogs don’t sweat?
No, neither did I; even though I have owned dogs for years, I’d never noticed nor thought about it.
Dogs don’t sweat as humans do because they only have sweat glands on their paw pads and noses. So, dogs cannot sweat through their skin to cool down.
A dog has two primary means of cooling down – their respiratory tract and finding a cool shady place.
Dogs with more prominent noses, such as Labradors and German Shepherds, are better at dispelling heat than Bulldogs and Pugs.
And as well as a dog’s nose, we can’t ignore their tongue as a radiator that cools with the evaporation of saliva.
When a dog pants, air moves over the tongue and into the mouth, evaporating moisture and cooling the dog.
Additionally, cool freshwater helps to cool a dog’s temperature and helps with hydration.
When traveling with your dog, allow plenty of extra time for the three W’s stops, as I refer to them, “Water, wee’s, and walks.”
In summary
Traveling with your dog can end in disaster IF you have not planned the trip with your dog’s needs in mind.
- Keep your dog safe in the car with a dog restraint
- Put a leash on your dog before getting out of the car.
- NEVER leave your dog unattended in the car – EVER!
- And being mindful of the three W’s – water, wee’s, and walkies, is all you need to enjoy many miles of happy traveling
PS. If your dog is an Emotional Support Animal be sure to have the relevant paperwork if your travels cross boundaries – state or country, as each has its own rules.
Click here to get your dog approved as an Emotional Support Animal by a licensed doctor quickly and easily with a click of a button.
Alternative to Traveling With Your Dog in the Car
If you need to travel a really long distance you may want to consider shipping your dog to the end destination with a professional pet shipper. You can find a pet shipper near you on the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association website.
Update:
Is it cruel to travel with a dog?
I recently received a message asking the question “Is it cruel to travel with a dog across the country?”
The question was asked by a lovely lady who was moving back home from New York to Seattle. Based on previous trips, she estimated it to be 4-5 days without the dog and 5-6 with it – traveling about 12 hours per day, depending on her mood and distractions on the way.
Her dog was a 7-year-old labrador, who was a little arthritic and slept a lot.
What a question. If it were a four-hour trip from New York to Washington DC, I’d say no problem, and from what she said, she might get away without stopping, although one stop halfway would be good.
But a 40 hour + road trip stretching over 5+ days from New York to Washington State that’s another thing altogether. And in this case, I think it is cruel to travel with a dog that distance in that time frame.
That’s a long time for a human to be stuck in a car let alone a dog. So I suggested that she’d consider using a pet transporter, as mentioned in the section above.
Using a pet transporter for this trip has so many advantages and takes a whole lot of stress off of the dog and the driver. It is easier to get better motel rooms without a dog. She won’t need to stop as often, although having a reason to stop is sometimes a good thing for drivers on a long trip.
And there is less hassle arranging food and water etc. Because to be honest, from my experience on a long road trip like this that can get messy.
Sadly, or fortunately, I do not know what she ended up doing, but I think she was leaning towards the pet transporter.