Is a long road trip with a dog doable?
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| Wow! Are YOU brave!! When I first read the title, I thought maybe you were talking about a 10-12 hour drive.
Hopefully Val will see this - she's the only one on the forum that I know of that has attempted a trip of this magnitude. (cupping hands to mouth and calling . . .) Oh, Val!! |
| If I were an experienced camper I wouldnt hesitate. my dogs love to travel and as long as you are prepared with places for them to be secure if you were doing any sightseeing (including day care etc if its hot) I would think it would be fine. Gosh everywhere you go there are the same chain stores so you can buy anything you might need while on the road.
If it were me I don't think I'd attempt it with a dog in a long coat - I may shave them down before I left  |
| I know my dog would love it as long as he was w/his people and got a nightly walk. |
| Cutting his coat shorter we had already thought of. What do you do when you want to eat though? Are you stuck going through drive thru's? Which wouldn't be an option because if we did go on a trip like this we were going to make it a challenge to only eat at local places.
I had thought of boarding him if we wanted to go sightseeing to a place that didn't allow dogs. I'm not sure how hard it gets the farther you go back east with all the historical places to visit. A lot of the parks I have looked at so far in the midwest seem to be pet friendly. |
| Are we talking trailer or tent camping? |
| Oh yeah.. with the weather being so hot and you're camping, which I failed to see before.. I would think it would be too difficult . |
| Tent camping. No trailer. Maybe a hotel here and there. |
| I personally am not a camper but I would think it would be fine for someone with experience camping with dogs as long as it is not too hot and you are not in areas where the wildlife could be dangerous. I am sure we would all enjoy hearing more about the adventure you are planning.
I spent about 8 weeks driving cross country and back with my 2 sheepdogs but I didn't do any camping other than a few days at a campsite with cabins, beds and a fridge plus lots of other sheepies for company. The rest of the time, I stayed in hotels and motels. The dogs and I were able to see a ton of beautiful places, enjoy wonderful dog parks, and visit with forum members and friends along the way. 
The biggest hurdle for me (besides Chumley's barking) was that dogs are not allowed in national parks. I was able to walk with them along the upper rim of the Grand Canyon but we had to leave Yellowstone early and just take a quick peek at Mt. Rushmore because the dogs were not able to be out and about. Traveling can be exhausting and we all really welcomed the comfort of a hotel bed . . .  |
| I traveled with hubby, two yr old son, and my dog from Anchorage, Alaska to Miami, Fl. We camped in a tent and every third night stayed in a hotel. A real bath was a must on the third day.
Was it an adventure...of course. It was one of the most memorable trips I've ever taken. Saw parts of our country that I wouldn't have otherwise. Could or would I do it now...can't. Bad back, fell in love with luxury and running water...not to mention a potty that flushes. Whether you could do it or not would depend on your age, the age of the dog, and how willing you are to rough it. Did you join the Girl Scouts for the uniform or for the camping?  |
| I would think this will be a challenge without a place as a home base. You won't ever be able to leave your dog at home (in a trailer, for example) while you go to eat, go for a walk, take in a movie, go into a mall, go sightseeing or do anything without your dog.
With a trailer, you might even go food shopping! You might not have to pay for boarding to do sightseeing! This can save you more than enough money over eating out every meal to pay for the trailer and extra camping fees! 
You can certainly keep your dog in the car under the same conditions you would at home, but the early spring or late fall would be better for this, but then again then it would be chilly at night. Having a more secure place to sleep at night and a place to secure your dog might make your vacation a fantastic experience. Otherwise I'd be concerned it would become ALL about the dog. MOST campgrounds with cabins (which are quite pricey) will NOT allow dogs in them and those that do do not allow you to leave them unattended. Joan and I are very experienced "campers" (If you call a motorhome trip "camping"). Even with a motorhome, we were constantly concerned about our dog's situation and accommodations. |
| When we took Edgar with us this past Memorial Day weekend to New Mexico he traveled much better then when he was young. He seemed to enjoy it and we had a fun time with him along. So I suppose that got us thinking....
We may or may not do this trip depending on what happens with my husbands job. If they try to go back on their word in letting us move so he can telecommute from Oregon then he is going to quit. And us going on a trip would be really easy as we would have no obligations and all of our stuff as I speak is already in storage. It wouldn't be much more expensive then our vacation condo that we are renting at the moment per month. Things I worry about is 1) The heat as we would be traveling in August and September. 2) What to do with him when we eat out. 3) Finding places if we needed board him to do any sightseeing. 4) It would make some things more complicated. Things that sound positive about the trip is 1) He is fun to have around. 2) We are already used to having him leashed for everything as any trip outside the condo has conditioned us in that. 3) Great conversation starter. 4) We would miss him like crazy if he wasn't with us. 5) He is a total attention hog and loves new places. |
| On our trips with Bailey, eating has definitely been the biggest hassle. State and local regulations dictate whether you can allow a dog into a dining establishment, even on an outside patio. In some places, takeout food is the only option. On the other hand, we've met some wonderful restaurant owners who bring out water and snacks for Bailey. So, sometimes you get lucky. You'll have to do a lot of research to find the most dog friendly areas.
One other thing that surprised me - dogs are not allowed in National Parks. How crazy is that? Grand Canyon turned a blind eye to that rule but in another park we were reprimanded for having a dog outside of the parking lot area. So you need to check out all of your sightseeing destinations for dog access. I would have thought that a leashed dog in a natural area was acceptable. |
crustybirds wrote: Things I worry about is 1) The heat as we would be traveling in August and September. 2) What to do with him when we eat out. 3) Finding places if we needed board him to do any sightseeing. 4) It would make some things more complicated.
Things that sound positive about the trip is 1) He is fun to have around. 2) We are already used to having him leashed for everything as any trip outside the condo has conditioned us in that. 3) Great conversation starter. 4) We would miss him like crazy if he wasn't with us. 5) He is a total attention hog and loves new places. thank goodness for the Internet right? 1) the heat is an issue - but cooling beds, and shade cloths over your car can keep it the same as the outside ambient temperature - 2) so you eat within sight of the car (when possible) and have a quick lunch. also almost all resaturants will fix their meals to go and you can eat roadside, riverside or wherever there are picnic tables - pretty much everywhere along major highways you'll find a place. and much of this is available on a GPS and websites. 3) research most of the sites you want to see now and then search the Internet for day care or boarding sites before you leave 4) Life is complicated 
I would do it if I had the time - although a mini rv with an external AC unit would be my preference for the dogs - but then I have 4. |
| Depending on where you are traveling.... 5 minutes in the car with the windows down is way too hot to be leaving a dog in the car so you can grab your to go meal. Someone would have to stay in the car while the other got the meal imo. The trip sounds like it would be a real pain in the you know what w/o a hotel or meals you can make and fast food. |
| If you're going all around the U.S., don't forget all of us forum members are everywhere, too! I'm sure a few of us wouldn't mind watching Edgar for a few hours if you were in the area. |
Joahaeyo wrote: Depending on where you are traveling.... 5 minutes in the car with the windows down is way too hot to be leaving a dog in the car so you can grab your to go meal. Someone would have to stay in the car while the other got the meal imo. The trip sounds like it would be a real pain in the you know what w/o a hotel or meals you can make and fast food.
If you note I mentioned shade cloths they are used to drap the car - youi see tham a lot at agility meets. if its not to hot outside the car it won't be too hot inside. the cloth looks like a silver mesh. I would add a chill bed or something as well |
| When we travel we always look for restraunts that allow dogs on the patio. Many coffee shops (including Starbucks and Einsteins!) will allow dogs. Not only do we get good food, but Oliver always get lots of loving from other patrons. |
If you wear dark glasses and put an orange vest on the dog.... 
I don't mean to sound like it is impossible without a trailer, but I'm thinking it would make things easier in a lot of ways. We brought our dog just about everywhere, I don't recall ever seeing a sign prohibiting dogs in National Parks in general; never once were we hassled, but we didn't bring him everywhere. The last time I got a ticket from a cop was back in '95 maybe? The K9 officer for the (now defunct ) Metropolitan District Commision (now merged with the State Police force wrote me a "warning" ticket for having my dog on the Quabbin Reservoir property ... even though he was leashed and I was carrying clean-up supplies.
The Quabbin is an ENORMOUS area in Central Massachusetts, it provides water to all of the Boston area. It is FILLED with wildlife of all sorts; how/why they think my dog is a problem...? http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/quabbin.htm |
| We take both dogs to SC with us every year, it's only 16 hours (in one day) not two months but the biggest obstacles we face are hotels and meals.
I won't leave them in the car so we end up doing fast food or Cracker Barrel. CB is WONDERFUL, you can eat on their "porch" and they always give us ice water for the dogs. We usually drive straight through because of the difficulty finding hotels that allow dogs. Both boys are veteran car riders and are very good while we drive. |
| well if you are ever ready to stop in Harrisburg I can recommend the comfort inn on Lingelston (sp) road I stayed there twice with the dogs and its great. |
| I've never attempted a trip of this magnitude either, but I'd think with a little foresight and planning, it would be completely doable. Make use of sites like Pet Friendly and find places where you're allowed to have Edgar with you. Most cities, I think, now have areas where your dog can eat with you on outdoor patios. If you do want to visit an area that isn't dog friendly, plan ahead and find an area daycare for a few hours. IMO, it's completely doable and would be a worthwhile adventure. But, then, I'd probably opt for hotels at least every 3rd day, too. I need a real bed at least that often.
And, as Jill mentioned, we forum members are spread out all over the country and we like visitors.
GOOD LUCK!! |
| I think it sounds fun. I have had both good and bad experiences with dog friendly places to eat.
Last fall on the way home from nationals LeAnne and I stopped at this great small town drive-in (Somewhere in WI!) and had a great time. You could eat in your car (car-hop style) or use the picnic tables in the grass. The kids that were getting orders and bringing out the food loved our 3 dogs ( 2 OES and a basset hound) and we were busy answering questions from the other customers the whole time. I tent camp with Chewie and Simon, and they do great. They happily go anywhere I go, and are great travellers. And yes, we all would love a visit as you pass through! |
| Wow... 2 months?? I was going to say that we took Nanny on a 4 1/2 hr car trip once, and she did fine, but that doesn't compare to 2 months. Sounds like a fun trip though! |
Ron wrote: We brought our dog just about everywhere, I don't recall ever seeing a sign prohibiting dogs in National Parks in general; never once were we hassled, but we didn't bring him everywhere.
Maybe you weren't looking or maybe they got stricter but I found the prohibition to be very clearly stated and the park officials were quite clear about enforcing it. At the parks I visited, the dogs were only permitted on roads and in parking lots -- on a leash -- and not on any trails or anywhere else, even with a leash. At Yellowstone, dogs were permittedt to stay in the cabin, but I was not allowed to leave them there unattended while I explored the park. And since they were not allowed to explore the park there was not anything for us to do. Leashed dogs are allowed on trails in Natl Forest Service land. |
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