Let’s face it, whether you’re road tripping or flying adventuring with a live animals entails a host of considerations.  Some dogs simply aren’t cut out for life on the road.  They need calm consistency away from their triggers.  Some dogs are game for anything. Over the past 4 years we’ve traveled with a variety of dogs. Each time we encounter a range of struggles and adventures. The experience is full of trade off’s. Either you’re negotiating with friends and family to care for your pup (and their list of special needs) or we’re shelling out the cash for housing in commercial or private boarding facilities.

In the days and weeks leading up to our adventure we plan a more detailed itinerary.  For any activities that take us away from the camper for more than 6 hours we’ll prearrange a pet sitter in the area we’re visiting to stop in for a potty and social visit.  I also make sure that her tags are attached in the event of a worst case scenario where she gets loose.  This time I also reached out her veterinarian and requested a prescription of Trazadone to help her take the edge off.  We’ve definitely noticed a difference!  The kids call it Deja’s Chill Pill!  Timing administration so that it is most effective for her when she needs it is challenging but it’s definitely helps take the edge off.

Deja gets a her own bag.  A few years back I ordered logo bags for my trainers to use when they meet with clients.  I substitute our sales gear for travel gear for Deja.

Here’s what I pack:

When we reach our destination we’ll park the camper at a camp ground.  It’s important to choose pet friendly lodging as some have breed or size restrictions or don’t allow dogs at all.  Pet friendly RV Parks are jam packed with travelers and their companions.  Watch closely and many campers who travel with dogs are easy to identify by their temporary barriers.

At campsites you’re expected to clean up after your dog, not leaving them outside unattended, or letting them wander off leash.  In our experience most campsites haven’t required proof of vaccination upfront.

It probably won’t surprise you that dogs on the road tend to have the same struggles that they have back at home.  We frequently encounter anxious reactive dogs and inattentive owners.  Just this morning we were charged by 2 unattended huskies behind a flimsy exercise pen.  I try to be aware of approaching dogs but these ones caught us off guard.  Deja is well trained but has become sensitive to these kinds of environments after being charged multiple times by tethered dogs.

Walks in the camp grounds are always a challenge.  I walk Deja on a Freedom No Pull Harness and a 15′ leash.  In these situations I let the harness do it’s job and simply keep on walking.  No point in trying to chastise her when she’s feeling threatened.  Once we were a little past the huskies I switched to the ‘Super Bowls’ Pattern game from Control Unleashed: Reactive to Relaxed.  Going slow and waiting for check-ins before moving forward we were able to retrace our steps past the Huskies without further reaction from any of the dogs.