Well, after all the times we've taken our vacations and boarded Bailey, we finally managed to plan a short vacation to a place where she can join us. We have a place we love in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia that we love and they take pets, so this will be a first for us.

Seems we're taking more for her than we are for us. We're taking her cage, two beds, food, toys, treats, lots of plastic bags and small shovel, medical records, leashes (long and short), and collars. We are also taking a thread we read here seriously about first aid kits for dogs and are packing a small one ourselves. The place is great. Lots of parks and hiking trails, including the Applachian trailhead, so we'll be spending plenty of time outdoors. We might run into some stray dogs on the mountain but we have pepper spray and use trekking poles.

In addition to any advice you can offer, I do have a question about the travel itself. Bailey is great in a car but we've only taken trips of one to two hours in length. Should we do anything different for the 7-8 hour trip? We plan to take frequent stops to allow her to relieve herself and stretch her legs. We're bringing Benedryl but not sure if she will need it. I'd be interested in your thoughts on that or anything else we may have overlooked. We're really excited about having her with us.

Hi Greg,
In addition to the items in your list, I also use to take his boots in case there are a lot of sharp rocks on the trail.
Hope this helps

Be sure the contact info on her tags is the cell phone that you will have with you, and not a phone back at home.

If you plan to use a different kind of food, be sure you acclimate her to it well in advance.

I usually carry bottled water in case the motel tap water is vile (and sometimes it is!).

I take a collapsible water bowl and of course her food bowl. If you use canned food, be sure you have some spoons to get it out and a can opener.

If you are camping, I would take a clippy thing that attaches her line to your jeans for when you are in your campsite but she is not in her crate.

I always locate the nearest e-vet and have the driving directions with me.


I take rabies vax proof with me. Of course your vet has it, but time differences, etc . .....


Just want to add that all the planning is so worth it. I'm very envious. There are few things I like better than a road trip with my dogs (and they agree).

I love it that there are so many dog-welcoming motels these days, too.

 Quote: SebastienDELPEUT

Hi Greg, In addition to the items in your list, I also use to take his boots in case there are a lot of sharp rocks on the trail. Hope this helps

Good things to consider. We don't normally use boots, even though we have them for walking on icy roads that have been treated with salt. Her pads are pretty tough since we hike on wooded trails almost every weekend but it sure wouldn't hurt bringing them along. We're bringing her backpack and can simply keep them stored in it, just in case. Thanks!

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Be sure the contact info on her tags is the cell phone that you will have with you, and not a phone back at home. If you plan to use a different kind of food, be sure you acclimate her to it well in advance. I usually carry bottled water in case the motel tap water is vile (and sometimes it is!). I take a collapsible water bowl and of course her food bowl. If you use canned food, be sure you have some spoons to get it out and a can opener. If you are camping, I would take a clippy thing that attaches her line to your jeans for when you are in your campsite but she is not in her crate. I always locate the nearest e-vet and have the driving directions with me. I take rabies vax proof with me. Of course your vet has it, but time differences, etc . ..... Just want to add that all the planning is so worth it. I'm very envious. There are few things I like better than a road trip with my dogs (and they agree). I love it that there are so many dog-welcoming motels these days, too.

Great suggestions, Connie. Thanks!

We're bringing her normal food so that shouldn't be an issue. Hadn't thought about potential issues with water so taking some bottled water from here might be a good thing, at least until we check things out. Her collapsible bowl is a standard take-along thing with us.

Thankfully, we won't be in a motel. It's a cabin rental we've used before that is awesome. Large, luxurious and on plenty of land so you think you're the only one on the whole mountain. Wasn't sure if providing a link here would be appropriate but I can make a recommendation through PMs if anyone is interested in this place. She'll have plenty of room to move around and explore in the cabin and on the property so I expect she'll have a ball. Our challenge is to keep her on a leash or at least well managed while on our property because you never know about intruding wildlife or stray dogs that may pose a danger.

I also appreciate all the good thoughts about e-vets and vaccination records. Will definitely make sure we have that covered.

Thanks for all the good things to consider!

I drive all over the country with my boys all the time! It seems you've hit most of the important stuff here....I'd also add....

Buy a USB drive and load it with your FULL contacts and reward for return information (don't say how much, just that there is a nice reward) and attach it to your dog's collar like a tag. They're pretty tough and suprisingly water resistant I usually get about 5 trips out of them.

I also have special "I'm Traveling" tags for my boys' travel collars with phone numbers for me, email (I travel with my ipad), and the #s of my traveling companions if I have any. And I have a flash drive for me with "Lost Dog" posters premade and ready to bring to a print shop.

On first trips (or trips where I'm transporting unknown dogs) I typically harness a dog or use a martingale collar (double collared/leashed) while at rest stops until I know they don't freak out and try to collar slip. I also bring a good amount of cleaning supplies for the dogs who maaaay not handle car travel quite so well, a roll of paper towels and a plastic back for the initial scoop and wipe, a bit of water to get all of the mess up, then lysol wipes and disinfectant spray to finish it off, then febreeze deep clean to refreshen.

Great suggestions, Jamie! Thanks!

Sounds like someone with lots of experience in this area. Those are excellent ideas about the flash drive. She's micro-chipped and we have the tag info covered but the idea of using the flash drive with all the info you suggested is a wonderful thing to consider, as is having lost dog posters premade. I'd like to think that's something that will never be needed.

Hadn't even considered the cleaning supplies you listed. We are definitely adding them to our "must bring along" list. She travels well but you never know with a trip this long. Her backup collar is a martingale, along with her prong, so we have that part covered.

Thanks again!

Great post, Jamie!

Greg, I like to think that doing all that stuff means you WON'T need it.



And yep .... Jamie's travel-with-dogs experience is legendary.

Great call on the cleanup supplies. You never know, on the first long trip, how the dog's GI system will react. It's so easy to be calm and upbeat facing a dog accident (from either end of the dog) when you have the discardable rags, the paper towels, the baggies (way more than you think you'll ever need), the water, and the Febreze .....

I've done a lot of road trips (RV) with our pack. Super fun way to have new experiences with your dog. You'll have a ball.

I think the biggest thing is to try and keep the routine on the road (and at your destination) as much the same as she's used to at home. Eating at about the same times, going outside at about the same times, etc.

Having a "command" word for making pee and poop will come in handy. Some dogs are hinky about doing their business in new places, on unfamiliar surfaces, with new distractions, etc. So if you don't already have a word that means "go pee right now in this spot" you can work on that before you leave. It's come in handy many times for me when all you have to offer the dog is a tiny patch of grass between a truck stop and the highway, in the rain.

Have fun!

I've done a lot of traveling with my dogs and the only thing I'd add is if you stop in a rest area, and you leave the dog in the car have someone keep it in sight at all times. I had an experience where someone tried to open my car door, and an attendent told me they'd had some dogs stolen from cars, I don't know if that's still going on. Also ask locals if they know any good dog places, when I took Amber to ky, I asked at the hotel and was directed to a really nice off the beeaten path park where we had a ball. We never would have found it if we didn't ask. Enjoy your trip, it is so much fun to travel with your dog.