Road Trip With Your Dog: The Complete Checklist
A road trip with your dog is one of the best parts of having one. It is also the trip most likely to go sideways if you pack for yourself and improvise for them. Here is the checklist we use, in the order it actually matters.
1. Secure the dog before anything else
An unrestrained dog is the single biggest risk in the car, for them and for you. A loose dog distracts the driver, can be thrown forward in a sudden stop, and can bolt out of an open door at a rest stop. A fitted car seat with a built-in leash attachment solves all three. Pick the size by weight, not by breed: up to 15 lbs, 15 to 35 lbs, 35 to 50 lbs, or 50+ lbs or two dogs. If you are between two sizes, read the size guide first.
2. Do a shakedown drive
Never let a long trip be your dog first long trip. Two weeks before you leave, do a 20 minute drive with everything set up the way it will be on the day. You will find out whether your dog settles, whether they get carsick, and whether the seat position works, while you still have time to fix it. Our 7 day plan covers the build up.
3. Pack the dog bag separately
- Water and a collapsible bowl, refilled at every stop
- Their normal food, measured per meal, plus one spare meal
- Poop bags, more than you think
- A towel that lives in the trunk
- Any medication, in the original packaging
- A spare leash and a spare collar with an ID tag
- Vaccination records and your vet phone number
4. Time the meals
Feed a light meal three to four hours before you leave, not right before. A full stomach plus motion is how most dogs end up carsick. Water is different: offer it at every stop, in small amounts. If your dog is prone to nausea, read why dogs get carsick before the trip.
5. Stop every two to three hours
Fifteen minutes is enough: a toilet break, water, a short sniff walk to burn off tension. Clip the leash on before you open the door, every single time. A dog that has been still for three hours will not be thinking clearly when the door opens next to a highway.
6. Set the cabin for the dog, not for you
Dogs overheat much faster than people. Aim the vents so air reaches them, keep the cabin cooler than you would choose, and check the seat surface with your hand if the sun has been on it. Raising your dog so they can see out of the window also helps a lot with motion sickness, which is one reason a bolster style seat beats a floor bed on long drives.
7. Never leave them in a parked car
On a 70F day the inside of a car can pass 100F in twenty minutes, with the windows cracked. Plan stops around places you can take the dog with you, or where someone stays in the car with the air on.
8. Know the law where you are driving
Restraint rules change from state to state and country to country, and some places will ticket you for a dog on your lap. Check our state by state guide before you cross a border.
The short version
Secure the dog, test the setup before the real trip, pack their bag like you pack yours, feed early, stop often, keep them cool, and never leave them alone in the car. Do those seven things and the drive stops being the stressful part of the holiday.