Winston & Gizmo are definitely our pride and joy over here and we aim to keep them comfortable in all aspects of their lives. We have learned quite a bit from these two knuckleheads, especially about how to travel with dogs. I was reminded of how helpful these tips have been when we decided to take the boys on a little road trip to Wilmington with us last weekend.
When we have taken them on longer roadtrips, like the time we took them to Asheville, we made sure to exercise them a bit more than normal the day before and then take them on a 2 mile walk before we left. Both Winston & Gizmo are part German Shepherd and Gizmo has Golden Retriever in him as well. They are both incredibly active and need constant brain stimulation, so exercise has always helped level them.
We also make a point to make room for them to lay down comfortable on their beds, but not to be able to move too much back and forth. Gizmo generally likes to lay closer to DG and me, while Winston prefers space in the back of the car.
Y’all, look at Winston’s side eye.
For longer trips, like our Asheville trip, we made a pitstop halfway through the trip to walk them around and give them some water. Wilmington was a pretty quick trip, only about an hour and 45 minutes, so we made a point of heading straight to lunch at a spot with a large lawn for them, but also with outdoor seating so they could readjust.
Items we pack for travel with dogs:
slip leads (super helpful for getting in and out of the car at the rest stop)
favorite toys (Gizmo loves his hedgehog)
kennels (if staying overnight)
blankets
extra towels
paper towels
reusable bottles for water
2 bowls (if overnight 4; 2 for food, 2 for water)
We love any time we can bring the boys with us places, and they definitely have grown to enjoy car rides. Gizmo still is skeptical about new people, but we have found that walking Gizmo away from people, has helped with his comfortable level. We also love when people ask if they can pet our dogs, because Winston is really social, whereas Gizmo prefers to be left alone, so that helps us control that.
What are your tips on traveling with dogs?
I hope you have a great weekend!
xx
Looking for other travel tips? Check out how to plan a staycation here. Also, here are 10 dog friendly venues in the Triangle and essentials for owning a dog.
P.S. Check out this week’s posts: The Best Places in Raleigh for an Açaí Bowl and one of my favorite restaurants, The Freez.
Linking up with Amanda, April, and Tiffany
Sweet boys! Bella gets SO anxious when we go anywhere but at the same time she loves being in the car. She's so weird!
Oh my goodness! Just thinking of traveling with dogs makes me anxious! Sounds like a great trip though!
xo,
Sara Kate Styling
Such sweet babies!! Winds usually walks back and forth from my lap to the back seat. He will usually eventually settle on my pillow in the back seat. He doesn't mind car rides and I'm so glad he doesn't get overly anxious or sick.
I’ll have to check out these anxiety chews! Our dog, Millie, used to be okay with car rides, but one time we left her at my parent’s house while we traveled further on to Nashville, and she hasn’t been the same since. She’ll stand up and pant and shed like crazy because I think she’s scared we’re going to abandon her 🙁 If you’re taking a long trip, it’s a good idea to find a place that is dog friendly when it comes for stopping somewhere to eat.
Aw, poor thing! Our boys have gotten better about car rides because most of the time they’re in the car, they’re going to doggie day camp. I hope those chews help! And great suggestion about the dog friendly spot to eat!