The ultimate checklist for road trips with your dog

Happy is a part of our family, so it is quite evident that we want to take him along with us on as much as vacations as possible.
I shared the story of our first road trip to the Wales countrysides in my previous post if you missed it, click here to read it.
While Happy is a small breed dog and doesn't require a lot of luggage, there are some essentials that I need to bring and keep in mind so he will be happy and healthy during every car ride.
It wasn't his first time in the car; however, this was the longest. It took us almost 3 hrs to get to our destination so I had to make sure not to forget things so this will be a one of those life's happy experiences for him.
I made a checklist for road trips with dogs to help you to make your trip with your pet as smooth as possible.

Preparation

Anytime we take a short or a long trip that is either in the UK or somewhere around the globe, I always invest a bit of time upfront to make sure I cover all the bases.
Yes, I certainly think that the key is to a carefree time is preparation.
I was super excited about our first getaway as a family, and because this was so new to us, I tried to cover every possibility that could go wrong.
A bit of freak like that.
So I created a to-do list, if you click here, you will understand why that helped to enjoy our milestone journey.

 Identification

If you travel abroad, the first thing you will need to think about is to get a passport for your furry friend.
But that's not the only thing you need.
Pets will need a microchip as well as a collar with a tag that has your home address and your mobile number.
The chip cannot be removed, so it's definitive proof of ownership.

Practise

Our first long card ride with Happy was actually very pleasant, and I believe the reason behind that is that we took him on a series of short practice trips first.
This way we could give him a positive experience before the big trip plus he doesn't feel that the only time he spends time in the car is when we visit the vet.

Energy

Happy was only around 4.5 months old when we took him to his first trip to Wales.
Pug puppies are naturally very energetic, and now I have one of my own I definitely can agree with that statement.
Happy is always runs around the house and try to seek our attention to play with him.
He is a very happy boy.
So to keep his energy level to the minimum we took him for a walk before we left.
We didn't have enough time to take him for a long walk, but we wanted to get out all of his excess energy, so Carl ran with him around the park near our house.
I think that made both of them super tried as they both slept half of the journey through.

Safety

Priority number one. Just like you need a seat belt in case of an accident, your pet will need a way to be secured too. I bought Happy his car seat way before I actually got him because I knew that I want him to take with me everywhere I can. I ordered a car seat that has a seat belt too. It's super cosy, and I like that it's so easily removable when we don't need it and it's straightforward to keep it clean.
It was a bit pricey but definitely worth every penny. I will insert the link for the one I bought at the end of this post.
One thing to keep in mind when you are purchasing a car seat, make sure it has enough space for your pet to stand, sit, lie down and turn around in.
Another safety advice I would give is to have a leash nearby in case you need to stop during the trip, so you don't have to look for one for ages when you need it.

Food and water

Little puppies like Happy eats several times a day since they are growing they need all those nutrition.
So I packed plenty of snacks, his usual meals and some chew bones.
He had his breakfast in the morning then Carl took him for a walk which helped his metabolism before the ride because a dog with a full tummy plus a car that is in motivation didn't seem like a good idea.
Carl and I agreed that we wouldn't feed him with anything in the car as we didn't want to upset his stomach.
Happy drinks plenty of water daily, which is a great thing. However, when you are on the road, it's another thing to consider. I always have a fresh bottle of water in my car, but I knew if I gave him water, we would have to stop many times on the way or we will end with a nasty pool in his seat.
I searched for ideas online as I didn't want him not to drink, and I found that ice cubes are great options for cases like this.
I also kept his water bowl nearby.

Poop bags

Luckily we didn't have any accidents during our trip. I was very proud of our little boy and very grateful that he managed both rides there and back without peeing or pooping in the car.
I honestly prepared for the worst with a very high amount of poop bags and about three rolls of blue rolls.

Comfort

Happy loves carrying his enrichment items around the house.
In my opinion, some of his choices are very questionable, like a purple toothbrush, but he most certainly disagrees with me.
Every time he leaves a room, he carries all of his toys to the next room where we are.
The night before the trip I packed up all of his favourites after he fell asleep and put them in the car so I could give him something to do during the ride. He was chewing his favourite Teddy that I got him on the day when Carl told me that he couldn't keep a big secret from me any longer.
He said to me: You are getting your own pug puppy as a Christmas present.
I was told all this while we were at Homesense, so of course, I rushed down the pet aisle and bought everything I could that day.
Still the best Christmas present ever.
After playing with his toy for about an hour, he right fell asleep, stay that way for the rest of the ride.

I hope this list will help you to prepare for your first or your next road trip with your furry best friend.
If you are an experienced road traveller with your pup, don't forget to share your tips in the comment below.