If you’re like me, it’s highly possible that you take your best friend, your dog, with you wherever you go. However, taking your furry friend on a long road trip can be extremely daunting and stressful for them, which is why you’ll have to ensure that you prepare yourself, your vehicle, as well as your dog properly.
How can your guarantee that everything and everyone is properly prepared? Well, it’s relatively simple, there are some tips that you should follow. Fortunately for all dog owners that are planning on taking their pup with them on a long road trip, here is what you’ll have to do to ensure that it’s comfortable and enjoyable for everyone involved:
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First Things First – Update The Dog Tags
One of the first things that you should seriously consider doing is to update your dog tag. Why? Well, the inscription might have faded, you might have moved, or your pup might have lost it while playing in the park, nonetheless, ensure that the dog tag feature updated the information in case your furry friend somehow manages to get away from you. This must also apply to the contact info left on the microchip. Hence, if you haven’t updated it recently, this is the first thing that you must do.
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You’ll Need a Copy of The Vaccination Records
You’ll be taking a long road trip with your furry companion and the last thing you’ll want is for them to get sick while on the road. Unfortunately, there are times where this cannot be avoided, hence, you must take a copy of the vaccination records with you. You can even take a picture with your smartphone to make things easier for yourself or if you have a scanner and printer at home, copy it and place it with your travel documents or in your wallet.
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They Need to Have a Comfy Place in The Vehicle
Whatever means of transportation you’re planning on using – truck, car, mini-van, camper, and so on – one of the last things you’ll want is to make your dog squeeze between all your bags and equipment with no room to lay down and sleep. Hence, the third step is to determine where you will rest while you’re driving. Also, the more space they have, the more obedient they’ll be, so, bring a dog bed, a mat, or blanket that your dog can use for sleeping while in the car.
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Water is The Most Crucial Thing
If there is one thing that you should take away from this article, it’s the fact that you must always, I repeat, always provide your pup with access to clean and fresh water. After all, your companion shouldn’t have to wait until you stop to fill up your tank so that they can get refreshed. According to the experts from billige-hunderbur, there are water bottles that are connected to plastic bowls, which means that you can easily squeeze some water from the bottle and into the bowl and give it to your dog without any mess or spills.
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They’ll Have to go to The Bathroom as Well
Just as you’ll have to pee, your furry friend will have to as well. Now, keep in mind, even if you’re in a rush to get to the next location on your map, always guarantee that you have several extra minutes to stop and allow your pup to go out and do what they have to. Also, this will allow them to stretch their bodies and legs after a long drive, and if you want to ensure that they’re extra obedient, you should do a few laps with them.
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Don’t Forget The Toys!
Besides the food, water, and dog pad, their toys are important too! In fact, if you want to make sure that they’re behaving along the way, there is nothing more important for you to bring than your dog’s favorite toy. Besides them having fun, it’ll keep your dog occupied for some time, meaning that they won’t annoy you while you’re driving. You might want to bring durable toys with you so that you don’t have to clean up the mess if your pup ends up spreading the stuffing everywhere.
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Look For Some Dog Parks
No matter what cities, sightseeing spots, or locations you’re planning on visiting, do some research before arriving at a particular place and see whether or not there are some local dog parks that you can visit with your pup. After all, once they spend a few hours in the car, they’ll have endless amounts of energy that you’ll want them to spend before continuing the trip. Thus, check and see what parks you can visit with your best friend – which will also allow your pup to socialize a bit more.
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Camping is Better Than Hotels
Last on our list, but equally beneficial as everything else we mentioned is the fact that you should opt for camping rather than staying at various hotels and motels. Why should you do this? Well, it can be hard to find pet-friendly hotels, and even if you manage to find them, your pup might not like it. On the other hand, camping will be healthier for everyone that’ll be on the road trip, but more importantly, your dog will have a place to run, play, and explore.
Conclusion
Though most people think that they can simply put their dog in a car and take a long road trip with them, this isn’t true, especially since there is a wide range of things that you’ll have to prepare. From taking a copy of their vaccination records with you all the way to ensuring that they have enough space for sleeping, you shouldn’t neglect any of the tips we mentioned in our list above.
So, since you’ve now learned what you’ll have to do and prepare if you want to take a road trip with your furry companions, you shouldn’t spend any more of your free time. Instead, you should go back to the beginning of our list and start with the first tip we mentioned – which is making sure that the dog tags and microchip information are updated.
