We get a lot of questions about traveling with pets, how it works, and what's our must have items when traveling. I love to travel and explore with Lovebug – there's something so unique in bringing your dog with you and seeing the world through their eyes. It's a lot of fun...and a great way to meet other people too. First and foremost, I think traveling with your dog is one of the best experiences you can ever have. There's nothing better than bringing your best friend along. With that said, there's also a few items I always bring with me on any trip. Whether it be air travel or a road trip, these are my travel essentials:
Travel Documents
At the top of my Travel essentials list is, of course, your pets travel documents. I always check out any requirements, vaccinations and documents needed to travel places in advance. One of the pages I always use to check pet travel regulations in any country is this website
Pet Carrier
I always bring 2 of Lovebug's favorite pet carriers with us. One that is airline approved and one lighter carrier for when we go out and explore our destination. I choose to bring two carriers, because it's very practical to have the airline approved carrier at the airport, in the car and so on, but it's not really ideal for explorations. The airline approved carriers tend to be boxy and not as comfortable to carry in the long run. That's why we bring two carriers. Our favorite Airline approved carrier is collapsible and can easily be stowed away once we reach our destination. Once arrived, I get out a lighter, more comfortable everyday carrier, and we're good to go. The lighter carrier depends on where we have traveled. If we're going on a nature exploration, I usually bring a backpack carrier (although I always carry it on the front). If, on the other hand, we're off on a city trip, I like to bring a carrier that looks a little more stylish – it increases my chances of being allowed to bring my dog into restaurants, museums and shops (I always ask first, and mostly people are very friendly. I have brought my dog into churches, museums, on boat tours, you name it.
Water/Food Containers
This is one of the must haves for any trip. Especially, the water containers while traveling, exploring cities or hiking. There's a lot of different type of water containers but I've found some to be better than others. Some of them have a tendency to leave a little water in the top and usually end up getting water all over the contents of my bag. Yikes. My search for a good water bottle that would keep my belongings dry and unscathed led me to this bottle.
Favorite kibble travel set Treats
I always bring an assortment of Lovebug's favorite treats. This is a lesson learned the hard way. A lot of places don't have a great selection of dog treats – specifically, natural and dried treats. Here's our favorite travel treats:
Beef chews Puppy pads
These are a must for us when we travel and at home. Lovebug is trained to use them whenever she needs as well as use them on command. It's a lifesaver in apartments, hotels and airports.
We always use these pads ID travel Tags
Using an ID travel tag is such a great way to have a little more peace of mind. You can change the address time and again, so it's always up to date. It's such a practical little travel helper. Just write whatever address you're staying at on a piece of paper, roll it up and stuff it in the ID tag.
Here's our favorite ID travel tag
Wet Wipes
We never go anywhere without wet wipes. Whether it's on the plane, in the car or out exploring, wet wipes are always with us. They are one of the most practical travel essentials. We usually just get these at the store, but you can also purchase them here
Poo bags
This one pretty much goes without saying, but I thought I should include it anyway. I like to use biodegradable bags and you can find my favorite brand here. Grooming Supplies
Along with my grooming supplies, I also have a pet first aid kit with me My must have grooming supplies include:
Apparel
Another must have because you never know when it's going to get chilly. We also tend to bring a raincoat, just in case (unless we're going to the desert, that is). Dogs get too cold or too hot too...we always try to think ahead and plan accordingly. If it's a hot location, we may bring a cooling mat, our favorite cooling sun T-shirt and on occasion boots to protect against hot pavement and burns. If it's a colder location, we will usually bring, T-shirts, sweaters, a jacket and a raincoat – better safe than sorry, is our travel motto. If we're going someplace really cold, we also bring dog boots.
You can take a look at some of my favorite clothes here
Something else to consider
If you're pup is excitable, nervous or you're going on a longer trip, you might want to consider giving it CBD oil. It helps prevent motion sickness, makes your pet more relaxed and generally makes it a more pleasant travel experience. Not all dogs need it, but it's a very helpful product and something to consider. That wraps up our Travel Essentials. I haven't mentioned food, as that's a given and also a very personal choice. As I've already overloaded you with all my essentials (I know, it's a lot), I won't get into all my favorite travel research pages – I'll leave that for another blog post.
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