Cross country road trip with a dog

[faustus]

I'm moving from Massachusetts to Oregon in a few days and I plan on driving the whole way with just me and my dog Foxy. She's generally good in the car, but hasn't rode with me farther than maybe 2.5 hours tops. Any tips/suggestions for making this journey as stress-free as possible for both of us? I'd also love any suggestions for dog friendly stops along the way We are taking the northern route through North Dakota/Montana.

 

[Ozfozz]

I highly suggest giving her a good run before you load into the car. Bike, fetch, disc, whatever, just tire her out as much as you can before hitting the road.
A tired dog is a dog that's more likely to be accepting of the ride.

Make sure she's got a comfortable place for the ride. Whether it be secured in the seat, or in a crate.

Pack some long lasting treats for throughout the day. Things like kongs stuffed with peanut butter & kibble, then frozen, can work quite well.

I'd suggest making a stop at least every 2-3 hours. From what I've seen, most of the interstates have fairly regular rest stops with some grass for the dogs.

While I can't give specific locations - as I am Canadian and not familiar at all with most of the areas that you'll be driving, here are a few links that I've used when travelling:
http://www.doggoes.com/
http://www.dogpark.com/


I get that dog parks aren't always a favourable option for many. If you catch them at the right times, it could be a good way to get Foxy out for some exercise sans-leash.

Best of luck!
We'd love to see pictures of your travels

 

[faustus]

Thanks for the tips! I didn't think about bringing kongs for the car ride, that's a great idea. I'll have to find where she hid her current one or pick up a new one before I go! I should probably pick up a bunch of bully sticks too now that I think about it.

I think I'm going to crate her for the ride as it seems to be the safest option all around. I have a nice soft bed that fits in there and I think I'll pick up a few cheap pieces of fleece to drape over it in case she gets car sick.

I don't think I'll drive for more than 3 hours at a time because I don't think I could handle more than that without stopping! Thanks for the links too! She does ok at dog parks (better with the little guys than the big clumsy ones) so that could be an option for us if they have a small dog area or if they aren't packed.

I'll be sure to post some pics of my journey on here! I plan on blogging the whole adventure so I should have lots of adorable Foxy pics to share