Dog Road Trip Essentials: What To Pack For A Safe And Happy Journey

Road trips and dogs—two of the best things in the world, together at last. A lot of dogs love going on the road—but even for dogs who are a bit more wary of long trips, packing the right things can go a long way to creating an unforgettable, joyful experience.

At Pet Stop, we create wireless dog fences to keep dogs safe and give them the ability to enjoy their surroundings. We want to help you do the same on your road trip, so we’ve created this list of essentials to help you and your pup have the best road trip ever!

Important Points To Remember

• You should go on a few long car rides with your dog before a road trip, especially if you just got a new dog.
• Visiting the vet before a road trip can help you avoid illness on the road.
• Dogs can get anxious or upset on the road; schedule breaks, and disrupt their routines as little as possible.
• We’ve provided a detailed list of things you should pack, but you know your dog best; if we’re missing something your dog loves, consider bringing it!

Why Road Tripping With Dogs Requires Careful Planning

Any road trip requires planning; that goes double for road trips with dogs. When you’re on a road trip with friends or human family members, it’s easy enough to improvise; they can tell you when they need to stretch their legs, use the washroom, or grab a bite to eat.

Your dog? Not so much; they can vocalize and send body signals, of course, but these can be a bit tougher to interpret.

Then there’s the matter of health and safety. Your neighbors might know your dog by sight, but strangers on the road most certainly will not. Identification is important. Crossing the border? You’ll also need to bring vaccination records.

On a road trip with your furry friend, you absolutely must:

• Plan frequent rest stops to let your dog stretch.
• Make sure there’s plenty of room in your vehicle for your pup to be comfy.
• Bring a whole bunch of toys and games to keep your dog occupied.
• Pack dog travel essentials, from poop bags to treats and food.

Not sure what to pack? You’re in the right place; we’re going to give you a comprehensive breakdown of everything you need to keep your pup happy, healthy, and safe on your next road trip.

The Ultimate Dog Road Trip Packing List

We’re about to make a lot of recommendations for the things you should pack on your trip; here’s a quick cheat sheet to help:

• Vaccination records
• A first aid kit for your pup
• A collar with ID tags and microchip info
• Two leashes or harnesses (bring a spare)
• All of the medications and supplements your dog needs for the trip, plus a few days extra
• Tick prevention medication before the trip, tweezers and other tick removers on the trip
• A travel-friendly crate
• Dog food
• Lots of water
• Feeding and water bowls
• Toys
• Treats
• Bedding
• Grooming supplies
• Waste bags
• Seat covers
• Storage containers

Health And Safety Essentials For Road Trips With Dogs

Vaccination Records

Crossing the border—or even state lines? Be sure that your dog’s vaccinations are up to date. The most important is an up-to-date rabies vaccination, but requirements vary from state to state (and country to country, if you’re going to Mexico or Canada on your road trip). Complete vaccination records can also help if you ever need to visit the vet on your trip.

Thankfully, we live in a modern world, and most of your vaccination records can be stored on your phone—but if you want to be extra prudent, you can always print out a paper copy.

First Aid Kit

You can modify your own first aid kit with items for your dog, from flea combs to soft muzzles. Alternatively, you can prepare or purchase your very own pup first aid kit. Take inspiration from this article from the American Kennel Club; there are also plenty of excellent kits available for purchase online (we’re not going to recommend a particular kit; we don’t want to make anyone jealous).

Medications & Supplements

Get your pup a traveling case for their medications and supplements; it makes it easy to track whether or not you’ve given them their meds, which is especially useful on long road trips where days can seem to blend together. Bring enough medication for an extra few unplanned days on the road, especially if your dog would face serious health risks without it.

Tick Prevention & Removal Tools

Planning on taking hikes with your dog? Get ready for ticks. Check the tick forecast in the areas where you plan on hiking; even if the forecast is low, tick prevention and removal are affordable.

We highly recommend PetMD’s guide to flea and tick prevention; it’s an incredible resource that will help you choose the right tick prevention medication. You should also talk with your veterinarian, who can give you more insights into the right form of tick prevention for your pup.

Dog first aid kits will often include tweezers or other tick removal tools; if you’re building your own first aid kit for your pup, be sure to include something you can use to remove ticks.

Identification And Security Must-Haves

Collar With ID Tag

Your dog should wear their collar at all times on the road trip, even in the car; the golden rule here is to expect the unexpected. Unfortunately, you cannot bring our underground dog fences with you on a road trip, so the possibility of your pup making a run for it is higher on the road.

The ID tag on the collar should feature:

• Your name
• Your phone number
• Your address
• Specific medical information (if needed)
• A note if your dog is microchipped

Speaking of microchipping: Get your dog microchipped before a road trip. Collars can get lost. Microchips can’t; they’re the most reliable way of ensuring your dog gets back to you.

Leashes & Harnesses

Whether you use a leash or a harness to walk your dog, you should bring more than one on your road trip. Things happen; leashes and harnesses can get lost or damaged on the road, and you cannot afford to end up in a situation where you can’t let your dog out of your vehicle.

Crates For Car Travel

You might have a dog who loves riding in the car, or a dog who can get a little nervous; either way, it’s a good idea to have a car-friendly crate or kennel for your dog. They give your pup a safe place to go when they’re tired or anxious. You can also use them to secure your dog when you’re going on bumpy roads, going through customs, or encountering any other situation where having a dog on the loose in your car might cause problems.

Dog Food And Hydration Supplies For The Road

Dog Food

Bring plenty of dog food on your trip, and make sure to bring a formula that your dog is used to; now is not the time to be experimenting with a new diet. As with all of the supplies we’re recommending here, you should bring more dog food than you think you need, in case something happens to your supplies. This is less important if you’re going down well-traveled roads with a lot of cities, but it’s incredibly important if you’re going off the beaten trail.

Water

Water can be harder to come by on a road trip than you might expect, and even if you’re moving from town to town, you don’t want to have to use gas station water bottles to fill your dog’s water bowl.

The solution? Bring a lot of water with you; we’re talking a water cooler jug’s worth or more, depending on the length of your trip. Dogs need about 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day, and that number goes up when they’re hot, stressed, or being physically active. Use that information and the amount of time you’ve planned your trip for to determine how much water you should bring.

Feeding & Travel Bowls

There are all kinds of portable, packable, and collapsible dog bowls for travel available on the market; they can be great if your road trip involves camping, trail hiking, or other overnight stays away from civilization. Bring one water bowl and one food bowl; these items can be replaced with other containers if need be, so it’s less important to pack multiples.

Comfort And Enrichment For Long Drives

Dog Treats

Whether you have an anxious dog or a pup who loves road trips, be sure to pack lots of treats. They’re going to be sitting in a car for hours on end, exploring new environments, and asked to walk, heel, recall, and more—all in exciting and unfamiliar environments. That’s a lot of hard work for a pup; be sure to show your love with some of their favorite treats!

Enrichment Toys & Chews

Anyone who has spent hours on the road can tell you it can get boring pretty quickly; who hasn’t played 20 Questions, told dumb stories, or listened to their favorite music and podcasts to pass the time?

Your dog will get bored, too, even if they normally love car rides. Keep them occupied with puzzles designed for dogs, chew toys, new toys, and other games to keep their minds occupied while you’re on the road. Even with all the toys in the world, don’t forget to stop regularly for breaks!

Favorite Toys

Comfort is key on a road trip, for people and dogs. Along with any new toys and puzzles you bring along for your pup, bring some of their favorites. You can put them in your dog’s travel crate to make them feel a little more at home when you’re out on the road. Don’t bring all of their favorite toys; leaving a few at home can be handy if the ones you bring get damaged or lost.

Dog Bedding

Old blankets and pillows make for excellent dog bedding; you can also buy cooling mats for hot days, crate mats, and even elevated dog beds and folding dog cots for the outdoors. Ideally, you’ll just bring the dog bed your pup uses at home, but you can always get a new one designed for camping and the outdoors if that’s the plan for your road trip!

Clean-Up And Hygiene Items For Travel

Waste Bags & Cleaning Supplies

Your dog will poop on your road trip, and there are no doggie outhouses, even on the most well-appointed rest stops. Though some rest stops will helpfully include poop bags, you need to bring your own; your pup might not always make it to a rest stop, and not all rest stops have waste bags.

Bags aren’t the only thing you need for clean-up; spills and accidents happen. Pee pads, paper towels, wet wipes, scented sprays, and dog-friendly cleaners are all must-haves on a long road trip.

Shower Nozzles & Grooming Gear

A comb, some pup-friendly shampoo, and even a shower nozzle for your water jug can all help your dog stay clean, even after a long day out on the trail.
Vehicle Organization For Dog-Friendly Road Trips

Seat Covers & Floor Storage

Seat covers are useful if your dog is going to be sitting in the front or back seat some of the time, though, as we’ll discuss next, we recommend giving your dog a more elaborate setup if your vehicle allows. Seat covers are a breeze to clean, which makes managing fur and accidents a lot easier.

For storage, we like collapsible bins that fit on the floor of your vehicle; once the bin is empty, simply collapse it for more space for your pup!

Vehicle Setup Tips

For pet parents with larger vehicles like SUVs and vans, we highly recommend setting your dog up with a space in the back of your vehicle. Fold the seats down or remove them entirely, then put in all of your supplies, your pup’s crate, some comfy blankets, and toys. You can even create a small partition between the luggage and other supplies you’re storing and the area you’ve reserved for your pup.

Final Thoughts: Being Prepared Makes The Trip Enjoyable

A road trip with your dog should be a bonding experience—and a relaxing one, at that. By making sure you have absolutely everything your dog needs before you travel, you can ensure that you and your pup enjoy stress-free travels.

At Pet Stop, we want all of your experiences with your dog to be stress-free. We want your pup to be able to enjoy your yard, engage in their natural instincts, and become the talk of the neighborhood for all the right reasons. Our underground pet fence solutions keep your dog safe at home; we hope this guide helps you keep them safe on the road!