Preparing to hit the open road with your dog? We’ve put together a comprehensive dog road trip checklist to help you have the best vacation ever.

Road trips are just better when your dog is along for the ride! Camping, hiking, and swimming are all within easy reach when you’re on the road together. A road trip is a great opportunity to strengthen your relationship and make some great memories together, whether it’s just you and your dog or the whole family.

Before you travel with your dog, you’ll need to make sure you’re packed and ready for anything. It can be a challenge to remember everything you and your dog need to stay comfortable while you travel, especially if you’re going to be gone for more than a few days.

So, what should be on your dog road trip packing list? Here are some items you’ll want to ensure you throw in the car before you hit the road.

Dog Road Trip Essentials

Going bare-bones? These are your must-packs! Bringing everything on this list will ensure that your dog’s basic needs are met on the road.

Dog car travel essentials are step one for any road trip. It’s always safest to have your dog ride in a crate in the car, but a dog seatbelt will work if a crate isn’t an option. A car seat or booster seat can help reduce your dog’s movement in the car and make riding a little more comfortable for them. If you don’t want to take your car crate in and out at each stop, consider bringing a soft pop-up crate along for overnight accommodations.

Keep in mind that it might be difficult to find your dog’s food on the road, especially if you’ll be more than a few hours away from home. Bring more than enough, especially if they have a sensitive tummy! The same goes for any medications. A first aid kit is also an important item to pack, especially if you’ll be enjoying lots of wilderness adventures.

Don’t forget to bring a regular leash in addition to a long line or retractable leash, a collar with up-to-date identification, and whatever gear you usually use when out and about with your pup.

Collar with updated identification
Harness/other walking gear
Leash
Long line/retractable leash
Crate
Bedding
Medications (bring more than you’ll need)
Food (bring more than you’ll need)
Water (bring lots!)
Travel food and water bowls
Poop bags (bring lots!)
First aid kit
Crash tested harness (if crate isn’t an option)

Safety and Comfort

These items will help make your trip safer and more comfortable during a road trip, especially in the summer months. Cooling aids, such as sunshades, aluminet, cooling mats, and cooling coats can be especially important for dogs with thick double coats.

If your dog is easily overstimulated, has trouble settling, or just prefers some peace and quiet, bringing something breathable to cover their crate can help to minimize stress and barking. This is especially important in settings where your dog will be hearing lots of sounds and seeing lots of people or dogs in the environment.

Other items you might want to bring along include flea/tick spray for areas with large tick populations, calming chews for dogs that get worked up, and a life jacket in case your dog wants to take a dip!

Crate cover
Flea/tick spray
Aluminet/car sunshade

Life jacket
Pop-up sunshade
Calming chews
Fan
Fan batteries
Cooling mat
Cooling coat

Fun and Enrichment

You’ll be doing lots of fun and exciting things on the road, which will provide a lot of enrichment and exercise for your dog. That doesn’t mean you have to leave all your own fun at home, though!

Bring along some treats for recalls and training sessions. A treat pouch keeps everything contained and within easy reach. Pack a few of your dog’s favorite toys and chews for slower days or poor weather.

Treats
Treat pouch
Toys
Food-dispensing toys
Chews (bully stick, cheek roll, etc.)
Flirt pole
Saddlebags/dog backpack (for hiking)

Grooming and Hygiene

Everyone expects to get a little dirty on a road trip with dogs in tow, but that doesn’t mean grooming and hygiene are irrelevant on the road. Having some basic grooming tools along can make your trip more pleasant and might even save your security deposit if your dog needs some “freshening up” before returning to the hotel room.

Don’t forget supplies like potty pads and belly bands or panties if you don’t trust your dog’s housetraining for whatever reason. Grooming wipes and a bucket for washing up can be great for spot cleaning and muddy legs. Be sure to pack plenty of towels!

Towels
Sheets (for covering and protecting surfaces, such as hotel beds)
Grooming wipes
Belly bands/panties
Potty pads
Brush
Nail clippers
Scissors
Collapsible bucket (for quick paw rinses)
Shampoo

How Long Will You Be Gone?

If you’re only going on a short trip, your packing list is likely to be a lot shorter than if you’re going on a voyage of a week or two. You won’t need to bring as much food and you can probably get away with less in terms of enrichment.

For longer trips, make sure you have more than enough of everything. If you do think you’ll need to restock on your trip, do some research to see which pet stores carry the things you use the most! It’s always frustrating to run out of something you really need.

Where You Stay Matters

Don’t forget to pack based on where you’ll be staying. In a hotel, for example, you might want to have some waterproof blankets or a sheet to cover the bed, especially if you have a young dog or one that sheds a lot. If you’ll be camping, you might want to bring an elevated cot for your dog’s comfort.

Think ahead about what you might need at each of your accommodations. Remember, it’s your job as a dog owner to minimize noise, mess, and unruly behavior when you’re traveling with your pup. Being a good ambassador helps encourage more accommodations to allow pets, or to continue allowing them!

Don’t Stress about Overpacking

When you’re packing for a road trip with your dog, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the STUFF. Your stuff, you’re dog’s stuff, your kid’s, spouse’s, and/or friend’s stuff–it all adds up!

As long as it all fits, though, don’t stress too much about overpacking. It’s not a contest to see how little you can bring. If it makes you feel better to bring something, bring it!

It’s not the end of the world if you stash your dog’s favorite flirt pole in the trunk and then you never get around to using it because you spent so much time swimming and hiking. You don’t have to use every piece of gear you have, and it can be nice to know that you brought it along in case you need it.

You’ve got enough to worry about when you’re prepping for a road trip. Don’t fret about trying to pack as little as possible.

Customize Based on Your Needs and Trip

Your must-haves for traveling with a dog will be unique, based on your pup’s needs, your needs, the space you have, and the length of your trip. Use these lists as a guideline for what to pack, then add or subtract items as needed.

A puppy is going to need more gear than an adult, for example. The time of year and your destination will also affect your packing list. Your activities might change your packing list as well–no need to bring a life jacket if your dog never goes more than ankle-deep. If you think you’ll need it, bring it.

Don’t Forget… Prepare for a Low-Stress Trip!

Before you go over your dog travel checklist and leave, be sure to do a little legwork to make sure you're prepared in case of an emergency. Being prepared doesn’t have to take a lot of time, and it can make a huge difference in a worst-case scenario.

Check to make sure your dog’s microchip information is up to date should you get separated. Also, ensure that they are up to date on their shots. Make sure you know where the nearest emergency vet is located in relation to where you’ll be staying.

Traveling is enjoyable, but it can also be stressful for both you and your dog. Your routines are off, you’re on the road for many hours each day, and you’re spending a lot of energy on new experiences. It’s not surprising that stress can lead to issues on the road.

Need more tips for making the most of your next trip with your dog? Pop into the SuperPup Academy bi-monthly study halls or get access to private coaching with our experts. Sign up today via Patreon!

Dog Road Trip Checklist: Packing and Prepping