Dogs quickly become family and a family vacation often includes them. Now that people are choosing road trips it is easier than ever to take the fur babies. Proper planning and some supplies are necessary to ensure a safe and fun trip!
We have traveled with our rescue dogs throughout the states and along the way learned a lot of lessons. Here are a few tips we learned along the way to keep everyone (dog and human) safe and happily enjoying the journey.
Disclosure: Some links on our site are affiliate links. If you purchase a linked item, we will make a commission, at no extra charge to you.
The first product is a great harness. I wish I could link the perfect harness, but it truly is a trial and error experience on this. All three of our dogs have different harnesses to make them safe and comfortable.
On the Road Safety
Next is the car seat. We wanted something to restrain them from roaming the car and something to lift them to see out the windows. (We have one that loves the journey, one that has extreme FOMO, and another that tucks his head and sleeps.)
After trying out two pre-made car seats (for each dog), we developed this system. It works well for our babies and gives them space to spread out.
The products we used can all be found on Amazon.
- Seat Protector
- Seat Belt Harness Clips
- Outdoor Cushions (Ours are similar to the bottom cushion of these, but we had them on hand. We use it to raise the dogs to see out the windows.)
Our Adventure Waggin’ aka Dog Stroller
On the go we have a dog stroller to contain the doggos on restaurant patios and out from under feet on busy streets. All three dogs fit in our current stroller and it can be attached to our bikes when needed. (We added the words “Adventure Waggin” because we are ridiculous.)
We started with two strollers (one dog stroller and two dog/large dog stroller) but wanted to combine into one stroller. They were both great options too.
Eating, Drinking and other Necessities
Food and water are other aspects to consider. We tried a couple of water bottles made for dogs, but like that this one keeps any water they don’t drink. You simply squeeze it to add water to the “bowl” and release it to put the water back in the bottle. We have these silicone collapsable bowls for water when we are stationary and food.
We keep these dog wipes just in case they get too messy on their adventures. Don’t forget to take enough bags to clean up after your dog. We use these biodegradable bags.
Off the Road Safety
Because we aren’t always able to control the environment all the dogs have booties to protect their feet from hot sand or sharp rocks while walking.
Several campsites will be on the beach, so we grabbed cute life jackets for the dogs.
Mermaid for Gracie. Shark for Loki.
At the campsite, we have this shelter with screened sides so the dogs don’t have to be tethered constantly.
RV camp electricity can go up and down so we take precautions when leaving the dogs in the RV. We use a doulbbe system to ensure our dogs stay safe. This Marcell Monitoring System alerts us of temperature changes with its own cellular connection and this WiFi temperature monitor to give us alerts if the temperature is changing in our rig.
Don’t forget to grab their favorite toys and have fun! Share your adventures with us on Instagram using #FittingInAdventure. Join our journey by giving us a follow at AngelaMDiLoreto, FittingInAdventure, and GraciesGrandAdventure.
Disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links. If you purchase a linked item, we will make a commission, at no extra charge to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Always check with your vehicle’s owner manual for specifics. Every dog is different. This works for us, but may not be appropriate for all dogs, drivers, or cars.