Road Trip With Dogs Planner – Van life with a dog is incredible. If you follow me on Instagram, you know our dog, Charlie (who has his own Instagram account -@charlietheadventuredog). He’s a border collie/mini-Australian mix who is crazy, a little neurotic (thanks to his breed), and has incredible energy. He spent most of his life on the road with us in our Sprinter van, covering over 50,000 miles and going from Southern California to New York.
I get a lot of emails asking me questions about van life with a dog…for example, what do you do when you have to leave your dog in the car? Or how to find dog-friendly places?
Road Trip With Dogs Planner
It is entirely possible to live in a van with pets and I truly believe that dogs have the best life in a van. They spend most of their time running around outside, meeting other dogs, and sometimes scavenging for food that falls out of your camp stove.
How Often Should You Stop With A Dog In The Car?
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That being said, there are definitely a few ideas to make sure your dog or other pet is as happy as you are. I also know people who do cat vans, so if you are a cat lover, know that you can take your cat with you too.
Here are my best tips and tricks for living in a van with a dog and living in a van with pets in general.
You may be surprised that some campgrounds require a vaccination record from anyone bringing a dog. This has never happened in the West, and it has happened in more than one campground in New York where there are dispersed and free campsites. So keep a copy handy on your phone or somewhere in the van so you have them with you. It’s also great if you have medical issues with your dog and need to see a veterinarian during your trip.
Flying With Pets In The Cabin To The United Kingdom
You want your dog to be comfortable on those long walks. If they spend most of their time on the floor, it’s a good idea to give them a cushion to lie on. Also bring a dog bed, yoga mat, blanket, or thermorest foam sleeping pad that you can fold in half. These foam pads are also useful for cold hiking trips when you want to give your pup some insulation from the ground. When we’re on the road, Charlie usually hangs out in his dog bed, between the two front seats.
Charlie consumes a large bag of dog food every month. This means we have to put our dog food back on the road more often. It’s difficult for small dogs to change food all the time, so you need to make sure your dog’s food is readily available at large food stores or pet stores so it’s easy to find when you are in town. Luckily, stores like Petco and Petsmart carry some of the best dog food brands today, and they’re everywhere. If your dog likes something special that you can’t find at a big pet store, go to the dog food brand’s website and see if there is a way to find retailers in your current area .
Van’s life, with a dog-eat-dog schedule, is difficult. Our dog Charlie doesn’t like to eat while the van is driving, so it’s important to give him time to eat in the morning before we start driving. Every dog ​​is different, but pay attention to his eating habits and try to stick to a routine so he doesn’t get hungry or grab a midnight snack and get up to let him go to the bathroom. We like to leave him a bowl of water 24/7. We found these collapsible dog bowls to be ideal for driving and don’t leak, even on rough roads.
Van life with a dog requires you to consider your dog when planning your travels and daily activities. As pet owners, we learn to prioritize where our pet is welcome. After a while, you learn to plan your travel van life around your ability to do things with your pet. This may mean avoiding places that are very hot in summer or choosing to avoid national parks and walk on other types of public lands that allow dogs on trails.
The International Pet Travel Agency
Before you find a great place you’ve heard about, check the dog rules first. The last thing you want is to go out of your way to find out that the Enchantments in Washington or much of the Wasatch in Salt Lake City don’t allow dogs. This also applies to visiting national parks, some of which are dog-friendly – ​​be sure to check out my guide to the most dog-friendly national parks. A little research in advance can avoid headaches later.
If you’re looking for somewhere to grab a bite to eat, first check if they have a dog-friendly patio. And if not, grab it and find a great picnic spot for you and your dog!
Let me start by clarifying that Charlie is a medical assistance dog for Ryan’s type 1 diabetes, so we rarely leave him in the car…
You may be wondering if you can leave your pet in the van while you go out to eat? What do you do when you visit a national park or go on a field trip where dogs aren’t allowed?
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Whether or not it’s acceptable to leave your pet in a van depends primarily on temperature and safety, as well as local laws that prohibit leaving your pet in your car.
As for temperature, if it’s too hot in the van to be comfortable, it’s too hot for your pet. Use common sense. Dogs can also die in cars and vans, and you don’t want to lose your best friend due to your negligence.
It may take some time to get used to the heat of your van after sitting in the sun for a while. In our van we have two roof vents, one near the kitchen and one above the bed. If we raise the heights and open the windows next to our bed we get a very good side wind. We also have insulated curtains to keep the van cool even in hot weather.
That said, we are very careful when leaving our dog in the van and always evaluate. We also avoid traveling to the hottest places in the summer: you won’t find us in Arizona or southern Utah from June to mid-September. We generally feel comfortable leaving Charlie in the van.
Calm Dogs While Travelling
When it’s not too hot, for example in the evening if you want to go out for dinner.
Don’t leave your dog in your van all day unless you want to drive through an area that doesn’t allow pets. If it’s hot enough, at best you’ll find yourself with an angry mob of dog lovers, and at worst it’s very dangerous for your pet.
No matter where you are, dog sitting is almost always an option. There is also Rover, where you can hire a dog sitter for a day or two.
A few years ago, Ryan and I backpacked to Havasu, which is not a great place to take your dog because of the tribal dogs running around and the stairs leading up to Mooney Falls. We found a great place to dog board in Flagstaff with great reviews, and Charlie went on vacation with a mini dog while we explored Havasu Falls. It worked very well.
The Real Question. Is…
A restless dog is an adventurous dog. We spent several days on the road with Charles. Even though we are in a hurry to get to our destination, we prefer to give Charlie the exercise he needs. Rest areas are good because they usually have large farms or livestock areas. You can also use BringFido.com to find dog parks in your current location. Bring a Frisbee, ball, or other toy (think glow-in-the-dark for nighttime stops) to run around outside the van, as occasional exercise can also keep your dog calm while you drive.
Most established camps require your dog to be on a 6-foot leash.
