On the Road…with Dogs: Part I

July 15, 2009 -

Now if your experience with road trips and dogs is anything like mine, you’ve have had both good ones and bad ones, but mostly bad ones. There are many reasons for that, but usually it’s down to doubling the time the trip should take to stop, play, go to the bathroom and drink water, dogs competing with over-packed luggage for backseat space and the general look of concern on the pups’ faces over precisely what’s taking so long.

As the driver, you have a particular goal in mind: reaching your destination safely. The dogs have goals too: they generally revolve around being pampered, staying cool, eating treats, and wanting to ride in the front seat.  

Ironically, in most instances, everyone is in this for the same end result – fun. With all parties wanting the same outcome, you’d think life on the road with dogs would be a lot easier. But there’s obviously more to it, because “easy” is not a word I’d use when describing driving for extended periods with the canine part of my pack.

So, if you are planning a sacrifice to the gods of road trips past this summer or anytime, I offer up some of the following tips. Live them, love them, add to them.

1. Water: It’s not as innocent as it seems

Bringing lots of water along on a road trip seems like a no-brainer. And don’t forget a bowl the dogs can drink out of. Better yet, one of those fancy cantinas with a built-in bowl is eco-friendly and convenient. But here’s a tip only experience can buy: offer the water up to your dogs OUTSIDE of the car or suffer on the way home. Because spillage is inevitable and water, plus a crowded car with all the windows rolled up equals pure, unadulterated stink.

2. Tired dogs are good dogs

By this, I am not referring to tranquilizers. Here, I’m talking about a good healthy game of fetch, a few thousand tosses of the Frisbee or even a nice long walk before your trip. It’ll help mellow the dogs for at least the beginning of the trip and make for less nervous or excited energy in general. Do it every time. Really.

3. Secure dogs are good dogs

You might think the dogs would love a bunch of space to stretch out in while in the car. But in this case, with my pack at least, less is more. In fact, space to stretch only means space to slide around in and panic about. This translates into multiple stops during which my boyfriend is forced to pack and unpack the car until the dogs have just the right amount of space. As alienated from society as I feel when I put the dogs in their car seats, in retrospect, securing them in that manner would have been better for all of us. Not to mention my boyfriend’s back.

4. Plot your stops 

When push comes to shove, it pays to plan ahead. Too many on-the-fly stops will only make your trip last longer. Unless that appeals to you, don’t rely on hope and a prayer to plot your course—map out your stops based on your dogs’ needs before you leave the house. And, if you plan to make the same trip twice, mark your map up so next time, you’ll know which rest areas were most optimal for the pups and be able to easily hit them again.

In the end, I think road trips with dogs are always worth it. Eventually, you get where you’re going and the real fun begins.