Sunday, January 3, 2016

Road Trips with a Service Dog

Isaac and I are preparing for our road trip to pick up Hobbes the kitty and transport her to her new home.  I thought I'd share a few trip for road trips with a service dog.  Or even a pet dog, really.
  • Take more food than you think you'll need.  I count how many meals I plan to feed Isaac on our trip and take that many servings plus a couple.  I measure out each serving, usually in these glass jars that my favorite brand of almond butter comes in.  One jar is just the right size to hold one serving of food.  I pack the jars in a box, with an old towel to cushion them.  When it's meal time, I just have to dump a jar into his bowl.
  • Take plenty of water.  I normally have a small jug of water in my van so I can offer Isaac water whenever he might be thirsty, but when taking a lengthy trip, I carry an extra jug or two.  I refill the water jugs at rest areas or gas station bathrooms.  Or sometimes I ask for a cup of water if I go through a drive thru for a snack or coffee for myself.
  • Don't forget food and water bowls.
  • I also take several towels so I can clean Isaac up if he get wet or dirty.  Or, you know, in case he needs to go for an impromptu swim somewhere. 
  • I take an extra collar and leash, just in case his gets dirty or lost or breaks or something.  I'm not sure how they would get lost or break, but I figure it's better to be prepared.  
  • And finally, make sure your dog has a collar with a tag that has your phone number plus a backup phone numbers and that he wears his collar the whole trip!  That way if something happens and he gets separated from you in a strange place, he can get back to you.  Of course, he should also be microchipped.

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