Keep your furry friend’s tail wagging the entire journey with these tips and tricks for moving cross country with a dog.
Dogs and cars often don’t mix, so moving cross country with a dog is full of stressful obstacles. If you’re planning on moving any time soon, you’ll need to plan ahead to ensure that you and your pup are safe during the drive to your new home.
The good news is, with a few preparations beforehand, you’ll have no trouble moving cross country with your furry friend. It can even be an enjoyable experience!
Take a look at these tips and tricks to help you navigate the bumpy road of driving long-distance with a pup in the vehicle.
Install a Harness or Kennel
Traveling in a moving vehicle with a roaming dog is a danger to everyone involved.
At any moment, your dog might have a burst of energy and try to get into your lap while you’re driving. He could bump into your shoulder or try to lick your face. These are all terrible distractions for a person trying to drive and often lead to potential accidents.
That’s why it’s important to have a way to keep your dog in place. For some dogs, a simple harness installed into the car is enough. For others, a proper kennel is a better idea.
Regardless of which anchor point is enough for your dog, it’s a vital safety step to have some way of keeping your dog in one place. Make sure that you do a little research to find the anchor that’s the perfect fit for your dog’s size and energy levels.
Practice With Smaller Trips
If you’ve never needed to use a harness or a kennel before, you don’t want the big trip to your new home to be the first time. Any number of complications could arise that make the trip even more stressful than necessary.
Instead, practice getting your dog in and out of the vehicle, securing him in place, and driving around for a while. Smaller trips are a great way to test the waters and it’ll let you know right away what sort of adjustments you’ll need to make before the real trip.
Doing this a couple of times before a long journey gets your dog acclimated to the new sensations and makes traveling easier. Increase the length of the journey as you continue practicing so that your dog gets used to the idea of being stuck in the car for several hours at a time.
Place Supplies Nearby
When it comes time to make your long distance move checklist, make sure to include car supplies for your dog. Things like treats, water and food bowls, leash, and bags for cleaning up are great to have on hand during your travels.
Don’t forget special medicines or other things your dog needs daily.
Bring Toys and Distractions
Toys are also a necessity to have in the car. Chew toys or bones are perfect for long trips since they’ll keep your pup distracted and entertained for a while, allowing you to drive without problems.
If your dog has a favorite toy, bring it along and keep it in his section of the car or his kennel.
Your children are another good way to keep the dog happy during the journey. Have them play with the dog or pet the dog as much as possible to keep both the kids and the dogs calm.
Take Plenty of Bathroom Breaks
During the long hours of a cross country move, we all get the need to get out of the car and stretch our legs. Dogs are the same way but to a heightened degree. They’re used to moving around a lot throughout the day, so staying in place for so long is like torture for them.
Bathroom breaks are the best excuse to give your dog a break as well. He’ll need to use the bathroom like the rest of the family, but he’ll also need some extra time to run around for a little bit.
Plus, by letting your dog expend all of his energy during breaks, you’re making the next leg of the trip a lot easier for everyone. It’s nice to drive without needing to worry about your canine friend as he sleeps.
Keep Your Pup Inside the Car Around Traffic
Filling up on gas or stopping for some food are other ways to give everyone a break from the confines of the car. For a dog, these areas present new dangers.
Dogs want to explore and see everything that’s going on outside. When you’re distracted by trying to fill up gas, it’s far easier for your dog to get himself into danger.
If there’s heavy traffic around these areas, it’s much better to keep the dog inside the car until you can put all of your focus on him. You don’t want your pup to slip out of the car when there are lots of vehicles racing past.
Give Lots of Extra Attention
Throughout the entire trip, your dog is going to be as stressed out as the rest of the family. This is a whole new experience that it might not like very much.
It’s important to offset all of these strange new things by giving your dog special attention and love.
Whenever possible, pet and play with your dog. Give him treats for good behavior, and maybe an extra one because he’s cute. Let him know that despite the weird things going on around him, you still love him.
Don’t worry, you’ll both get through this move in one piece!
Moving Cross Country With a Dog Is Easy With a Few Precautions
With the help of the above tips and tricks, moving cross country with a dog is no problem at all. You’ll have everything secured and ready for when you start the big journey to your brand new home.
It’s a good idea to adjust your travel plan to meet all of your dog’s needs. Each dog is different and might need a little extra care along the way.
Make sure to check out the rest of the blog for more travel and pet-friendly content!