Paws for Safety
Preparing Pets for Travel
When I first conceived of Freewheeling, I knew our sweet and adorable little dog, Penny, had to be a part of it. As a conscientious pet owner, I don’t like leaving her behind when we travel. Maybe it’s not so much about being conscientious as I just plain miss her and feel bad for excluding her.
While traveling with a pet is not always possible (or wise), here’s what we’ve done to make sure that Penny is as safe and happy as possible while we’re on the road. I’d like to point out that we didn’t specifically purchase our travel trailer for her, but it definitely makes things easier. One of my friends (who is a fellow travel blogger) actually bought a Class A motorhome so he could travel with his cats. It’s a thing!
[TLDR: skip to the bottom for a list of pet must-haves while traveling. Also note that there are links to some Amazon products. If you purchase, I may get a small commission at no cost to you.]
Even before your first trip is mapped out, you need to have your pet properly identified in case they happen to get lost or separated from you. Redundancy is key. Penny has both an engraved ID tag on her collar and a surgically implanted microchip. We try not to ever let her be out of her collar when traveling, just as a matter of safety. Honestly, she is rarely out of her collar at home either. You never know if you’ll have a house fire or if the fence gate will blow open. I’ve also heard sad stories of pets running off in fright during car accidents. Better safe than sorry.
Penny’s microchip came with her when we adopted her at the humane society, but that was 8 years ago. So to be sure, I recently asked our vet to check it at a routine visit. Sure enough, they were able to tell me that her unique ID was in their system. A study showed that microchipped dogs are twice as likely to be returned to their owners if lost. If your pet doesn’t yet have one, it’s a quick and easy injection they can do at the vet just like a vaccination. The chip itself is encased in a small glass cylinder the size of a grain of rice and injected just under the skin, usually between the shoulders. This outpatient procedure should cost no more than $50.
Another added measure of safety is your pet’s ID tag. These can be incredibly simple or use some new technology. Penny’s is simply an engraved tag that we got from a machine at PetSmart. It contains her name and my cell number. There are companies currently advertising RFID tracking collars for dogs, but we haven’t tried that yet. Think Apple AirTag or Tile for pets. There’s also one called Hey Buddy touting its product as ‘The World’s Smartest Pet Tag” that links your pet with a unique QR code, scannable by any smart phone. You can add pictures, medical information, emergency contacts, and more to your pet’s online profile. No subscription is needed, just the initial product purchase of about $15. I just talked myself into buying one and will report back later.
Now, you’ve planned your dream road trip and you’re ready to load up the car. But before you pop your pet in there, you need to insure that it’s a safe, secure, and comfortable environment. For many years, Penny rode up front - either perched on the console or on the lap of the front seat passenger. Neither of these was particular comfortable for anyone, least of all even a little bit safe. Dogs really should not be riding in the front seats of cars, especially if not restrained.
So the first things we purchased for Penny were a harness and a pet car seat. We got this one.
She’s a small dog (16 lbs.), so this set up works well. There are harnessed seat belts available for larger dogs and of course crates/kennels, which are considered safest.
Penny’s seat elevates her enough to see out the window while still being able to achieve the customary and euphoric head-out-the-window stance. Did she love it at first? Not really. She let us know with some whining. But our first car trips were local and no more than an hour long in order to get her used to it. After a few longer trips, she seems to have settled into the idea and rarely complains. In fact, she seems a lot more comfortable than she used to without the comfy seat. Sorry Penny, your wild and crazy days of console surfing are over!
The harness we bought her is nothing special, but it connects her to the car seat, which is seat-belted in at the base somewhat like a child’s booster seat. It also hooks over the headrest. The harness is necessary so that the safety strap is not just connected to the collar around her neck. We don’t want to have her choked or dangling from her collar in the event of an accident. Instead, the harness has a clasp and ring on top, mid-back.
It’s not a perfect situation and doesn’t seem even close to as safe as tethered infant/child seats, but it brings peace of mind that it’s much better than no restraint at all. It also keeps our laps doggy-free.
Similar to traveling with kids, pets can make life more cluttered and complicated. Simple preparations make a big difference.
OK, now we’re cruising down the highway, finally underway! In the side pockets of Penny’s comfy seat are her leash, a collapsible water bowl, and some little snacks. Having these essential items in arm’s reach makes life a lot easier. At each rest stop we can easily get her in and out and watered without opening backpacks, hatchbacks, gloveboxes, trunks, suitcases, etc. Similar to traveling with kids, pets can make life more cluttered and complicated. These simple preparations make a big difference.
Now that we’ve arrived at our destination (hooray!), it’s time to make our campsite pet safe. A good tie-out cord is something we always keep with us. We’ve seen a lot of campers use modular fencing to make a small yard for their pet(s) and themselves. We may try this at some point, but for now we keep Penny on a simple vinyl-coated pet cable when we’re sitting with her in the campsite. And yes, it absolutely gets caught on literally everything possible - the picnic table, the chairs, tips over the water bowl, ALL the things. Ugh. Can someone please invent a brilliant product to prevent this from happening??
When we’re in the trailer making meals or relaxing, Penny goes in also. With wildlife all around, it is not only unwise, but also against regulations, to leave pets unattended. The only exception to this would be to leave your pet in a locked, climate-controlled RV while you make a short excursion or day trip. We do plan to try this, but haven’t done it yet. I’ve seen advertisements for a device called Waggle to monitor the temperature of your RV and that seems like a great idea. Note: we will never, EVER in a bazillion years leave a pet in a hot car! Even 70 degrees is too hot (see below).
If you’re staying in a hotel or rental home, make sure pets are allowed to stay unattended. In these situations, it’s great if your pet is crate trained so they can be in a safe and familiar space while you’re out.
Other little things we always bring along include a blanket for Penny to relax on. She is adamantly opposed to the idea of dog beds. We also have a blinking LED collar we put on her in the evenings around the campsite and on night walks. This is the Nite-Ize NightHowl Mini Rechargeable LED Safety Necklace. It’s color-changing and USB rechargeable and really ups her cool factor. Other dogs, take note.
In your trailer, tent, hotel, AirBnb, what-have-you, make sure that you have your pet’s food and any medications they may need. Penny eats a combination of soft food and hard kibble. We need to keep her soft food refrigerated. If you don’t have a trailer with an electric hook-up, you’ll need to have a reliable cooler or hotel mini fridge for food and possibly medications.
No matter where you travel (and especially when camping) it’s vital to have your pet’s vaccinations up to date. Annoying pests like mosquitoes, fleas and ticks can cause deadly illnesses in pets such as Heartworm, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Lyme Disease. You also have to consider rabies in the event that your pet is approached by a rabid animal. And that’s not all! Your pets should be vaccinated against Leptospirosis, which is spread in the urine of animals such as rodents, deer, raccoons, and even livestock. It resides on grasses, soils, and in fresh water. It’s terrible to think about these things happening to your sweet pet, but simple vaccinations can put your mind at ease.
Speaking of water, Penny likes to join us when we paddleboard, so she has the cutest little doggy life vest. This one is made by Ruffwear. It has a handle on the back for scooping her up if she falls/jumps in. We HAVE had to use the handle a couple times. We’re not sure she’s a very good swimmer and most of the lakes around here are quite cold. Again, peace of mind.
When she’s not paddle-boarding, Penny still needs things to do to prevent boredom. Not surprisingly, her favorite thing to do is eat. Finding long-lasting chew treats has been challenging. We try to avoid rawhide, so it’s very hard to find anything that lasts more than 5 minutes. Recently, we got her the WOOF Pupsicle and it can keep her busy for about 20 minutes, depending on what you fill it with. Kong Classic toys are good also. We usually fill the Kong with peanut butter and small or broken-up crunchy treat bits.
And finally, this is not essential, but something pretty handy. It’s a paw washer! For those muddy, rainy times that you just can’t avoid. Just stick each paw in what looks like a coffee cup filled with cool water, swish it around, and it’s scrubbed by a soft brush on the way out. There are many different brands of these, but we have the Paw Plunger. It’s so handy before letting your pup back in the car or the camper. Bring a towel for drying each paw, BTW.
This all may seem like overkill and most of us certainly didn’t treat our childhood pets this way, (unfortunately). But we feel as though Penny at least deserves safety and comfort at these unfamiliar locations we’re taking her to. She does actually seem to enjoy the travels and all the new sniffs and is a fairly easy companion. If only she would sleep on a dog bed instead of ours…
ESSENTIALS LIST:
Harness
Leash
Tie Out Cable
Pet Car Seat , Harnessed Seatbelt, or Crate
ID tag on collar with your phone #
Microchip ID (placed by vet)
Light-up Collar for Evening and Night
Food/Water Bowls
Food/Water
Medicines, If Any
Vaccinations up to Date (i.e. rabies, heartworm, flea/tick prevention, leptospirosis, etc.)
Snacks (long chews, quick rewards, etc.)
Dog Toys
Extra Rag Towels
Optional:
Collapsible Camp Chair
Dog Bed (ha!) or Blanket
Life jacket for water sports
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Great post, lots of good useful information.
Penny is so cute!