­Pets are family. Your dog is a loyal friend and has the potential of being the best travel companion ever. No matter how good they are, many canines feel anxious and scared when traveling in a car. Many dog-owners who travel would instead send their buddy to a doggy daycare like Paws Playgrounds instead of putting them through the torture of an extended road-trip. There are many precautions to take to make sure that you and your furry passengers have a smooth and safe car ride.

In this article, we’ll go over five essential steps that you can take to protect and calm your dog so that they can enjoy cruising down the road with you.

1. Prepare Your Pup

If it’s the first time you’re going on a long car ride with your pet, make sure that they are prepared. Visiting the vet can be a good idea, especially if your dog gets nervous quickly.

Being in the car can cause anxiety, nausea, or both. Your vet may be able to provide some medication to calm the nerves.

Make sure that you bring all of your pup’s documents in the car with you. It’s also essential that they have a name-tag, in the case that they get lost or run away from the vehicle.

2. Put Together a Travel Kit

Put together a little kit of goodies to keep your dog entertained. You’ll want to choose chewy toys that won’t get them too riled up or cause a lot of distraction.

Pack some treats and award good behavior. You can also find doggy-bowls for on-the-go. Make sure to have ample water in the car.

Throw together some supplies as a cleanup kit. If you are planning on traveling together often, it is best to keep this in your car. Make sure to include things like wipes, carpet cleaner, plastic bags, and paper towels. You never know when they’ll come in handy!

3. Dog-Proof Your Car

You should clean your car and do a thorough dog-proofing. You’ll want to vacuum with a wet/dry vac to clean up any bits of pieces lying around.

Here a few tips that make dog-proofing your car a breeze. This article by Matt Diggity has even more tips, check it out now!

4. Get a seat cover

If you have your dog in your car, your seats are inevitably going to be covered in fur. It can be tedious to try to suck it all up with a vacuum after every ride.

The best idea is to invest in a seat cover. There are many designs that will catch the hair. This will make for easier cleanup.

Fitted seat-covers can be expensive. If you don’t want to shell out the cash, buy an inexpensive blanket made out of felt. This material will help to catch the hair.

After every ride, take out the blanket and shake off the hair. Trust us; you’ll be happy you didn’t let it all build up. You might want to keep a lint roller in the car, especially if you’re wearing black clothes.

If you have leather or vinyl interiors, you’ll need to take precautions to make sure that your pup’s nails don’t scratch the car doors and seats. The seat cover can help, but you can also add a plastic wrap to cover the leather or vinyl.

5. Cover the windows

Your pup is curious! Dogs love to stick their nose and paws all over the windows. This might be adorable, but it can cause some damage. Depending on the size of your dog, be careful if windows are open. You don’t want them to be ejected from the vehicle or hit with any flying debris.

6. Take Frequent Breaks

When you’re on the road, make sure to take frequent pit-stops. Your car and your dog will thank you. Even though you may not have to go, your pup might have to. Don’t wait for an accident to happen. 

As soon as your pup starts seaming anxious and moving around impatiently, take that as a sign. Use the breaks as an excuse to go outside and enjoy nature.

7. Clean Any Accident Quickly

Your puppy is perfect, we know. Accidents do still happen to the best of us. Even if you’re taking many breaks, the chances are, at some point, your dog won’t be able to hold themselves.

Even if you’ve taken all of the necessary precautions, it’s essential to react quickly if something does happen. Clean up the mess with your kit we mentioned above and tackle any smelly odors.

Essential oils are great for keeping your car smelling fresh. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t merely cover up odors. The oils eliminate them, and many are anti-microbial.

Conclusion

Road-trips create so many long-lasting memories. Share them with your beloved dog by bringing them along for the ride! By taking these five critical measures before and during the trip, it’s bound to be enjoyable for your family!