Traveling with dogs is one of the most rewarding things you can do. If you’re an adventurer, and you have some dogs at home you absolutely adore, why not bring them along?
Bringing your pups along for a trip can make things a little trickier, but with the right supplies and gear, things will be simple and breezy.
We’ve taken one of our dogs on several trips with us- from the beach to the mountains and everywhere in between- and we’ve learned a thing or two about the things we actually need along the way.
Below are a few of the dog travel essentials we swear by for our pup-filled adventures.
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Essentials for keeping the dogs fed
A dog food bag
For bringing along food for your dog, not all storage containers are created equal. We’re tried a few different types of containers on our trips, and one has definitely stood out as the winner.
The Wilderdog pet food bag is our favorite and the one we will keep using on all future trips. It holds a good amount of food compared to other bags we’ve found, and the way it folds up makes so much sense.
We also love the look of it! We have the Olive one!
We also love that it’s machine washable, so after a trip we can simply toss it in the washer to get it nice and clean for next time!
Collapsible dog bowls for easy feeding
Traveling of any kind, but especially with dogs, is all about making the most use of your space. That’s why having collapsible dog bowls is crucial.
These bowls lay flat for easy packing, and then expand for feeding time. We also prefer ones that come with a clip so we can easily clip them onto our backpacks when hiking or exploring!
Our pick is the QALO silicone dog bowl. We also love that you can throw it in the dishwasher which makes cleaning up super easy.
Big Insulated Water Bottle
When we’re on a trip, we often have stints where we’re away from facilities for a while. And because we need to take care of our dogs, it’s important to be prepared for these moments.
One way we prepare is by having a big water bottle full of cold water that we keep in the car, or in our bags, at all times. This keeps us always sure we have enough water for our pups.
Here’s our pick for a big water bottle: 1 gallon RTIC bottle
Also: want to make your dog’s water bottle *fun*? Cover it in cute adventurey dog stickers, like these!
Essentials for exploring with dogs
Taking your dogs on an adventure requires the right tools and gear. Here are a few of the dog travel essentials we swear by for stress-free exploration.
A hip leash for hands-free adventure
Whether you’re taking your dogs on hikes or just exploring cities, keeping your hands free on adventures is a HUGE plus!
For our most recent trip, we decided to get this hip leash and it was a game changer. It made hiking and exploring so much easier. It’s adjustable which made it nice for letting our dog explore at different distances, and having it attached to our hips was a lot easier than holding a leash with our hands.
If you’re taking your pup on an adventure of any kind, we HIGHLY recommend this Ruffwear hip leash.
Dog foot protection
Protecting your dog’s feet while on an adventure is not necessary, but is a really good idea in certain conditions. If you’ll be on really rough terrain, hot concrete, or somewhere where sharp things like glass might be a risk, then having some sort of protection for your pup can save them an injury.
However, we’ve found that dog shoes can be pretty hit or miss on whether they work. Depending on your dog, a pair of shoes may be the way to go.
So another thing you can do (for a much smaller price) is get some vet tape and wrap it around your dog’s foot in these situations.
For only a few dollars, you can get some tape like this, and custom fit it to their feet. Plus, this stuff stays on a lot better than most dog shoes on the market.
Dog shoes, if you can find a pair that fits your dog right, may still be worth the investment. We found a pair that worked okay for our dogs, but of course they are no longer sold!
Regular leashes
Of course we prefer our hip leash for most adventures, but having a normal leash is crucial on trips too.
Our go-to? The Wilderdog leash.
Some things we LOVE about it:
- It’s reflective
- Has the ability to be tied in different ways, which allows for hands-free leashing, multi-dog use, and more
- Has a locking carabiner for more security
- Really strong, which can handle our 160 lb dog’s pulling and stubbornness
We’ve had a lot of leashes over the years, and these have been by far our favorite. We have one for each dog!
A harness that can handle the adventures
When we’re out and about, the last thing we want to deal with is our dog pulling and us feeling unable to control him. Our St. Bernard tends to be pretty stubborn, so having a harness that gives us more control has been important.
Of all the harnesses we’ve tried, the best one for this is the Ruffwear Web Master Harness, thanks to its extra strap that gives us more control and our dog less control. It’s also held up suuuuper well, even with how much our dog has put it through the wringer.
An added bonus? It’s nearly impossible for a dog to slip out of this thing. Our dog had figured out that if he backed up and put his head down, he could slip out of his harnesses. This one completely stops that because of how far back it sits and that extra strap.
A tie out
For adventures like camping trips, having a safe place to let your dog hang out is crucial. Afterall, holding onto a leash for hours and hours is just not sustainable for you.
The best solution we’ve found for this problem is the Ruffwear Campsite Dog Hitching System.
It allows us to create a tie-out system for our dogs where they can run around in a safe way without being confined to one spot.
Safety dog travel essentials
It’s important to keep your dog safe on any trip you bring them on, and having a few tools for this is important. If you get any dog travel essentials on this list, let it be the ones from this category.
A GPS tracker
When dogs are in unfamiliar areas, they can panic. This can lead them to dash. Nothing has given us more peace of mind on our trips than our Tractive GPS. It easily clips onto our dog’s collar or harness, and will provide us location data if he ever runs off.
The battery lasts up to 4 weeks, which means we feel confident taking it on trips with us.
If you’re about to head out on a trip with your pup, I beg you to get this before you go. You don’t want to end up away from home with your dog missing.
An ID tag
If your dog goes missing and gets found, the person who finds it is going to be looking at their collar to figure out who to call. It’s important that they have an up-to-date tag.
Our go-to ID tags that look adventurous are the QALO dog tags.
A dog first aid kit
We have to keep our dogs safe, and the easiest way to do this is to always have a dog-specific first aid kit on hand. Here’s the one we have, which gives us so much peace of mind.
Luckily we haven’t had to use it for much, other than a few briars in one our dog’s feet, but if we ever have an emergency, we know we’re prepared.
A life jacket
If you’ll be doing any water activities, don’t forget about a life jacket for your pup! While most dogs can naturally swim, they still have the danger of drowning, so having a life jacket for them is an extra step towards safety.
Ruffwear makes some great harnesses that double as life jackets, which you can find here.
Dog travel essentials for comfortable sleep
Keeping our dogs comfy at night helps them enjoy travel so much more. Here’s our favorite gear for making this happen.
A collapsible pen
Of all the things on the list, this one might have been the biggest game changer for our trips. When you’re traveling with your pets, you need flexibility.
On our most recent trip to Colorado, we stayed in Denver at an Airbnb, and we took our dog Archie with us. We took him along on a lot of our adventures, but there were times we had to leave him behind in the Airbnb.
Having this pen gave us a place to keep him where we could trust he was safe and wouldn’t get into things while we were gone.
It also gave him a comfy place to sleep. AND it breaks down flat, which made it super great for packing along without taking up too much space.
The one we have is this one, which goes of out of stock frequently, so if you can catch it in stock, I suggest you jump on it!
Here’s a similar one that we haven’t tried, but seems very similar to what we have.
Foldable dog bed
Dog beds can take up a lot of space, so if you’re short on room, then opting for a compactable dog bed can help.
Here’s a great option that folds in half, and is machine washable!
Car essentials for comfy road trips with dogs
If you’re bringing your pup on a road trip, there are a few extra things to make sure you have with you for a comfy adventure!
A car seat cover
Having something to cover the seat in your vehicle can help your pup be more comfortable, and also reduce the amount of post-trip cleaning you have to do.
After every road trip, we spend HOURS cleaning all the dog hair out of our car seats. Having something to cover up the seats greatly cuts down on this.
Here are our recommendations:
This one is like a pet bed combined with a seat cover.
This one fits to the seat well and is super plush!
Both are machine washable which is a must (trust us).
A cargo case for more interior room
If your vehicle is going to be filled up with dog, then finding a spot for your luggage can be tricky.
Our recommendation? A rooftop cargo case.
Our budget recommendation: Keeper Rooftop Cargo Bag
Our top recommendation: Thule Force 3 L Rooftop Cargo Box
Being able to store your luggage on top of the car leaves so much more room for your pup on the inside!
A fan for keeping your pup cool
Dogs get hot easily, so having a fan for them in the back of the car is a simple way to keep them comfortable.
The type of fan you get will depend on your car, but usually ones with a USB plugin or cigarette lighter plugin are a good bet. If your car doesn’t have either of these options in the back, then a battery-powered camping fan might be your best option.
We recommend this one, as it’s rechargeable (with a 7 hour battery life) and works great.
Extra dog essentials we always have on hand
For any adventure we bring our dogs on, there are always a few essentials we make sure we have with us. These things have saved us more than once and just make traveling a lot less stressful.
Towels for messes
Having a couple of small towels for wet paws, or cleaning up messes, or anything that may come up is always helpful! These towels absorb a ton of liquid, dry fast, and fold up small.
Poop bags
It isn’t the most exciting, but it’s essential. When you’re traveling with your dogs, PLEASE pick up after them. The easiest way to make sure you can do this is by always having some poop bags on hand.
We prefer these earth-friendly bags and a cute carrier like this one which we attach to our leashes, so that anytime we’re out with our dog, we have bags right there.
A lint roller
If you have dogs, you’ve probably accepted that dog hair is just a part of your life from now on. But that doesn’t mean you have to display it everywhere you go.
Having a lint roller with you (in your suitcase, in the car, in your hiking pack, or all of the above) is so helpful in those moments when you need to do a little cleanup.
We don’t go anywhere without a lint roller anymore, and I highly recommend it!
Here are our favorite lint rollers for our super-shedder dogs.
Wet wipes
Dogs can be messy, so having wet wipes with you can come in handy for so many things. Cleaning up muddy paw prints, wiping off their paws, cleaning your own skin after they slobber on you, so much.
So do yourself a favor and pack some wet wipes for your next adventure. These ones are pet friendly!
A brush
Dogs continue to shed, even on trips (sometimes even more so). So having a brush with you to give them their daily brushing is crucial!
We use a self-cleaning slicker brush like this one.
A roll of paper towels
Having one in the car will come in handy- trust us.
A few items from home
Having a few familiar items from home can bring comfort to your dog on a trip. Blankets, toys, or their favorite pillow can make a huge difference when they start to feel overwhelmed or anxious.
If you’re taking your pup on a trip, preparing is the best thing you can do.
Getting to travel with your dogs is such a fun thing, but making sure your dog is comfortable can be the difference between it being fun and being stressful.
If you want a printable packing checklist for your dog’s trip, you can get that below!
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