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how to Travel cross country with dogs

& How we did it with our two boys!

There are a couple things to consider before bringing your pets on a long road trip…
~ How have your pets traveled in the car on short drives?
~ does being in a car make your pet nauseous or vomit?
~ does your pet not like going new places?
~ is your pet aggressive to other people/pets you’ll encounter on your trip?

If you answered negatively to any of the above questions then you might want to do some extra prep work on getting your pup ready! Come back soon to check out that post! It will be linked here.
our road trip Prep

I have taken numerous road trips with my boys before our Colorado road trip! These trips ranged from driving a few minutes to over 6 hours in the truck. Because of all this previous travel over the years, I knew They do well on a longer road trip. also, neither coop or Chase have ever shown any signs of travel anxiety when going to a new place. They both actually get excited to get in my truck and go somewhere! what does help train them to traveling is the Majority of days I am not working they go for a car ride with me whether it be to go hike, run an errand, or visit a friend! They actually like being with me in the back seat of my chevy!

Because of all this I had no doubts they would be great driving cross-country!

packing for Cooper & chase

the point of this road trip was to go live in another state for 3 months. I needed a car and I will never put my boys under an airplane unless absolutely necessary so we had to drive! I had to pack their necessities for them to live for 3 months in a temporary home, so much of the road trip packing would be items they already had on my list for our 3 month stay! The items they would need daily such as their food, bowls, treats, medications, and leashes were just placed in the most accessible spot to grab daily while packing the truck.

Click on the below italicized link to be brought to my master packing list!
Packing for a road trip with pets
driving with the boys

Before we got in the truck to leave I gave them food and water, which, they never finish but I give them the opportunity to eat if they want. and they always get a potty break prior to loading up! I have a 4Knines back seat cover for my truck to keep the dog hair and the boys as contained as they can be. I put the back seats up so the boys are actually standing on the floor. They are comfortable with these types of coverings and for long road trips I put a bed in the back seat for comfort. They jump up in the truck no problem and look out the windows until they have had enough and will lay down. On every food, gas, or bathroom stop for us we let the boys out to do their business. On this long road trip we brought them on a solid walk every day to break the day up and let them off leash when we could to get those zoomies out! During the drive they get snacks and water offered at all the stops. when mom and dad got food if some parts were doggie friendly, they would get a little part of my snack too. At the end of the day they always went for another walk, got full food and water bowls again and then they rest up with us for the upcoming day!
the boys in the truck alone

I know some of y’all are going to judge me for this, but yes I do leave the boys alone in the truck sometimes.

When I travel by myself (or even with someone) with the boys I have an extra dog barrier that goes from the floor cover to the ceiling. I do get out of the truck and leave the boys in the truck sometimes by themselves. For example, when I walk in a restaurant to get my takeout, grab a bite to eat, or when I run in the store to pick up some items. I’d like to share, I only do this when the weather is appropriate and the windows are always cracked, and I even run the truck sometimes to have the heat or AC running. Before I got this barrier Chase would jump all over my interior and got dirt, mud, or water all over. The boys would rather be with me, and sometimes it’s just easier to stop while we’re already out and about hiking or such. We all like to spend the most time together we can! I certainly enjoy being able to keep them with me, safe in the back seat and they have seemed to become quite comfortable with it.

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