How to Have the Best Road Trip with Your Pup

Summer is the best time to take a vacation and one of the most fun ways to get to your destination is driving. Road trips are often much less expensive than plane tickets, and you don’t have to sit next to strangers who want to talk your head off for four hours. Plus, you can take your dogs with you!

If you’re planning on a summer road trip with your pup, we at Landers Kia have a few tips for you.

First, whether you’re taking your Soul, Niro, Sorento, or other vehicle , make sure your car is in top shape by having a little routine maintenance before hitting the road. Knowing that you have plenty of fluids and no loose screws or bolts will give you peace of mind before heading out with your family and fur babies.

Next, take your dog to the vet for a checkup to make sure their shots are up to date. This is especially important if they’re going to be around other dogs and animals.

You also want to make sure you know the best route to your destination before loading the car. Sure, you can google stops that are pet-friendly along the way, but it’s much easier if you already have your pet-friendly rest areas, restaurants and hotels planned out. A great resource for finding these places is GoPetFriendly.com . It’s based on Google Maps and is super helpful in locating hotels and other stops along your route.

It’s also a great idea to know where the nearest pet store and emergency clinic is at your destination and overnight stops along the way.

How to Pass the Time on a Long Road Trip

Now, let’s talk about everybody’s fav topic: food. Along with your favorite human road trip munchies, make sure to pack plenty of food and water for your pooch for the trip. Keep them on as normal a schedule as possible.

Other things on your doggy packing list should be toys, a long and short leash, lots of doggy bags, a copy of their vet records and a photo. The last two are in case of an emergency.

The last thing you should pack for your pet-friendly road trip is a smile and good attitude. Your dog most-likely isn’t used to spending a ton of hours in the car and that could lead to unusual behavior, like acting our or abnormal bodily functions. Just relax and try to be as calm as possible.

We sincerely hope these are useful tips for your road trip with your pet! Let us know if you have any additional tips in the comments or on Facebook!