Two years ago we pulled into a small town gas station parking lot in Virginia and picked up the sleepiest little blue eyed puppy. His eyes were so blue in fact that before we left the parking lot I performed a quick vision test on him to make sure he wasn’t blind (such a nurse move lol). If that little puppy could have anticipated how much time he would spend road tripping the country with us I think he might have refused to get in the car with us and leave his nice farm home. Since having obtained Ares, he has traveled across the USA three times, and spent a week onboard a boat. The only thing he has yet to do is fly on a plane, to check off all the main methods of transportation! I like to think that he has a very rich life for a dog, and love that he is a active part of our family, and not just a pet that lives in the backyard all day.

I used to stress about traveling long distances with a dog. During all our time spent on the road we have come up with some tips and tricks that make hotel stays and visiting landmarks a little easier with a pet. We love to share some of our favorite things we’ve learned with you!

Do the pre-work – We spent time with Ares in the car frequently before ever taking him on a long road trip. He quickly learned that car rides weren’t anything to be afraid of, as that they often led to destinations he got to enjoy, like the dog park :). We taught him basic commands (thanks Youtube for some very helpful training tips!), and made sure that he was comfortable walking on a leash as well. I know shock collars are controversial, but we have a strong willed dog by nature, and they were a great aid for allowing him to safely be off leash in approved areas, and now that he knows the collars warning beep, we very rarely need to use the shock function. Sportdog is our favorite brand. It has a long lasting battery, and the shock levels have all been tested by Stephan himself for safety.

Use Find Fido for dog friendly spots – This app has been wonderful as a resource for where to go when traveling with Ares. It is free to use and lists everything from pet friendly hotels and airbnbs with reviews from other dog owners, to which restaurants have pet friendly spaces. Dog parks, and human parks with dog specific areas are also mapped out for you on the app. You can search for locations by city and we often find unique locations that we wouldn’t have known about otherwise just by using google maps when we check Find Fido.

Keep what you can consistent – Even with as well as Ares does in the car, we know that travel does stress him out to some degree. On the trip to Alaska his usual flavor of dog food was not available at the store near us. Even though we bought the same brand in a similar flavor, it was a few days before he would eat the food, and once on the boat, we had no other options to provide him with. Since that experience, we have made sure that we pre-buy and pre-bag as many days worth of food as he will need before we travel to insure that his diet can remain consistent. We also bring along his bed that he sleeps in every night and even in pet friendly hotels will often bring it in with us so that he has a place he feels at home in even amid the new smells and sounds. On long car rides with make sure to stop to feed him at the times he is used to, and we try to stop every few hours in an area with some open space so he can play fetch for a bit, and get a good stretch in for his legs.

Don’t be afraid to ask – Even if a Airbnb or hotel is listed as not being pet friendly, we still call or email to see if there are any exceptions. We have been pleasantly surprised to find that especially with Airbnbs, many owners who do not list their location as being pet friendly will allow Ares once we explain his training and temperament, or will consider allowing him for a small additional fee. If the weather is nice, we ask if they would permit him to stay on the property inside our vehicle. (We only do this when the temperature is pet safe, and he will be in a private parking area) Hotels that don’t list themselves as being pet friendly have sometimes allowed him to stay with us in the room if it is during their offseason, or they have a few selected pet friendly rooms open. We have also been able to take Ares to shops and events that did not specify their policy on pets with just a friendly “hi, do you allow dogs?” and a cute puppy face sitting politely by us to prove that he is well behaved.

Remember that dogs are adaptable – When we first moved into the Airstream I worried about how life in a 28ft long space would work with two people and a dog. However, with some simple boundaries in place, and the creation of a little nook under the table where Ares bet fits perfectly, things have gone really smoothly! We keep his toys to a minimum and stash them in a bin that he now knows is his, where he can pull they out when he wants them, and that we can toss them back into when he’s done. (we haven’t taught him to clean up after himself yet 🙂 Are’s is a super active dog, and could not stay in a 28 foot pace all day long so we make sure to take him outside for at least a few hours a day. This is also great for getting us outside and moving too! Sometimes Ares does get underfoot when we are cooking or having people over, but we can ask him to lay on our bed or his, and he does so happily, still able to keep an eye on everything while being out of the limited footpath inside in camper.

Leave things better then you found them – We know bringing our pet with us to unique places is a privilege. Unfortunately careless pet owners are the reason pets are banned from many spots. We always clean up after Ares, and make sure to bag up and throw away his feces quickly when he does use the restroom in an area. We also make sure not to allow him up on furniture without direct permission and often carry and blanket or towel to lay under him if he is allowed or furniture. It’s our goal to have Ares leave a positive impact behind him when he travels somewhere so that more pets will be welcomed there after him.

Traveling with a dog never fails to create new possibilities and friendships that I don’t think would happen otherwise. He forces us to get outside and be active even on dreary days. People love to come up to us when we are out with him, and often ask to pet him. This gives us a chance to ask if they have their own pets, and often leads to some really fun conversations, and more recommendations on where to take Ares from locals who know unique spots in the area. I now love traveling with a dog, and hope our journeys can encourage others to integrate their pets into more facets of their life then they may have though possible.