Ultimate Guide to Traveling with Your Dog This Summer: Everything You Need to Know and Bring

I don’t know about you, but I would much rather take my dogs with me on vacation than leave them at home. Sometimes it makes perfect sense—like when it’s a family vacay in a comfortable Airbnb. And sometimes it doesn’t—like when we’re staying at a resort or have jam-packed days with activities that don’t include the dogs. In this blog, I’ll talk about safety, comfort, and how to fully enjoy traveling with your best bud this summer.

There’s a lot to consider when making sure your dog stays safe during travel. Hydration, protection from extreme temperatures, containment safety, and illness prevention are all key.

When my dogs are young, I always travel with their crate. And if Zane wasn’t so enormous, I probably still would. If your dog still uses their crate at home—bring it. It not only keeps them safer in the car but also brings a piece of home with them, offering comfort and familiarity. If you have to leave them in the hotel room, they’ll often feel more secure in their own crate—and it helps prevent property damage, ingestion of foreign materials, or escape.

I had an awful experience as a teenager on the road as a professional dog handler. I was showing a prized Sheltie named Bojangles, and one night after the show, I brought an exercise pen back to the hotel instead of his crate. While we were at dinner, a windstorm pushed open our hotel door—we hadn’t realized it was broken—and Bojangles freaked out and bolted. It was one of the worst phone calls I’ve ever had to make to his guardian to let her know I had lost him. We spent 14 days searching the woods with tracking dogs until we finally found him—emaciated and covered in burrs. So, bring the crate if your dog is used to it. And speaking of bolting, make sure that if your dog is not traveling in a crate that they are secured via a seat belt. We’ve all heard the stories of dogs getting loose at car rest stops, never to be seen again.

Also, keep tags on your dog’s harness and/or collar. Make sure they’re up to date and have your current phone number. Leash them everywhere you go—even if your dog is well-trained. Every dog can be spooked by new surroundings or an unexpected noise and take off in an unfamiliar place.

Protecting your dog from extreme temperatures is also key. When traveling in the summer, it’s vital to think ahead about your planned activities and whether they’ll be safe for your dog in the heat. Can you keep them cool with frozen water, shade, or dips in a lake or ocean? Will they be walking on hot surfaces? Are other cooling mechanisms available if needed? If you’re going to be boating or doing a lot of swimming together in lakes or the ocean, add a life vest to your must-haves.

It’s also vital to know the early warning signs of overheating so you can prevent life-threatening heatstroke. I can’t tell you how many heartbreaking cases I’ve seen over the years—well-meaning guardians just wanting to enjoy adventures with their dogs, too many ending in loss of life. Check out my blog on preventing heatstroke before your trip.

If it’s a winter vacay, make sure you have waterproof doggie coats, maybe add in a sweater layer, booties, and a shovel to create a bathroom area in the snow.

Also make sure you have a natural plan for flea and tick defense. When going natural (which I highly recommend), it’s necessary to layer your remedies. I like an amber collar, an essential oil collar or spot-on, a spray for hikes, and 4-Legger neem shampoo for post-adventure baths. I bring my force dryer so I can part their long coats and see down to their skin for a close inspection. http://drloudon.com/pet-health/the-dilemma-of-preventing-fleas-and-ticks/

Keep your dog healthy and avoid inconvenient symptoms (like diarrhea all over the Airbnb—been there, don’t want to do it again!). We often eat things we normally avoid on vacation—and too often, we share those indulgences with our dogs. That can lead to the “vacay poops,” which are no fun for anyone.

So, bring your dog’s food with you. If you feed raw, either prep your travel containers and cooler for safe transport of raw or gently cooked meals, or consider a high-quality freeze-dried food for the trip. If your dog has never had freeze-dried or air-dried food, start mixing it in a week or two before your trip to help them tolerate it and prep the gut.

Bring your psyllium husk and canned pumpkin for diarrhea (I’ll often just add these for extra fiber to help avoid stress colitis). Bring remedies like marshmallow root and slippery elm to treat loose stools before they become explosive. And avoid giving your dog treats and foods they’re not used to (especially if you’re eating things you’re not used to either).

I don’t know what it is about vacations that makes us lose our minds around healthy eating, but it’s definitely a thing. Just don’t bring your dog along on that journey of forgetting your values around food ????. Your dog doesn’t need to try anything new while on vacay—that’s just a recipe for disaster. Keep it consistent.

If you know me, I’m always talking about the must-haves for your emergency kit (I’ll be teaching a workshop on this at the Feed Real Summit in San Diego this October). It’s vital to helping you avoid serious illness, injury, and unnecessary ER vet visits.

You’ll want to know how to manage minor cuts and scrapes, especially if you’ll be hiking or participating in other summer activities. You’ll want to be able to handle minor symptoms as soon as they arise—vomiting, diarrhea (as previously mentioned… I have PTSD), lameness, etc.

???? Check out my full blog on ER kit essentials here.

Sometimes I have to ask myself—am I bringing my dog along for me, or will they truly enjoy it? I’ve brought dogs to restaurants and even parades (I know… I should’ve known better) and ended up thinking, “Why did I do this? He’s not enjoying this at all.” (and to be honest, I never enjoyed the parade-thing myself either ????)

Anyway, my point is: make sure it makes sense for your dog to join you on vacation activities. If they’ll be sitting in the car with it running, or stuck in uncomfortable temps while you indulge, consider leaving them back at the hotel or Airbnb with the A/C and some comfort.

If you do bring them along for adventures, consider their comfort at every stage of the day. Bring:

• A frozen water bottle for cool drinking water
• A cooler just for them
• Wet towels or cooling pads
• Collapsible bowls
• Booties for hot or cold surfaces
• High-quality treats

It’s also important to manage stress and anxiety. Some dogs are unfazed by new environments, while others may really feel it. Bring along natural calming remedies like Rescue Remedy flower essences and CBD. http://drloudon.com/pet-health/fear-anxiety-in-canines-natural-ways-to-calm-your-dogs-nervous-system/

My husband, Tim, and I love sharing our vacations with our dogs. Vacations are a family event, and they’re an integral part of our family. At least one vacation a year is planned around them so they can be included. The pic above is us in Cape Cod a couple of years ago, and the dogs had a blast!

However, there are trips where we know they’d be happier at home, with a trusted family member staying at the house with them-like when we take the boys to Universal Studios. So take into consideration everything that’s necessary to keep your dog happy and healthy on vacation—and then either get fully prepared, or decide this trip is better left out of your dog’s passport book.

1. What do I need to bring when traveling with my dog this summer?
   Essentials include your dog’s food, emergency kit, crate, leash, ID tags, cooling gear, treats, and any calming or medical aids.
2. Is summer a safe time for dog travel?
   Yes, with preparation. Avoid extreme heat, plan for shade and hydration, and never leave your dog in a hot car.
3. How do I manage my dog’s diet during vacation?
   Stick to their usual diet. If switching to freeze-dried or air-dried food, introduce it slowly before the trip.
4. Should I always bring a crate for my dog?
   If your dog uses a crate at home, bringing it can offer security and prevent accidents or escapes.
5. What natural remedies help with stress while traveling?
   Rescue Remedy, CBD, and keeping familiar routines and scents can significantly ease travel anxiety.
6. Is it okay to leave my dog in a hotel room?
   If allowed by hotel policy and your dog is crate-trained, yes—just ensure comfort, safety, and no separation anxiety.

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