Naly and I just got back from a short road trip that covered almost 3500 miles in 8 states in 21 days. We had a lot of fun, saw a lot of old friends and family, and left a few hotel rooms smelling like wet dog in our wake. :)
Things to Remember:
1 - plan for extra time. Enjoy yourself and don't be too concerned about a time schedule. Things take longer with a dog. A dog in a rest area is a very curious animal. So many smells to smell. A dog's understanding of time is a bit different then a humans, but it still needs to be relaxed to pee, etc.
2 - exercise. We get busy with our vacation fun. Remember that the dog's normal exercise/eating/drinking, etc. schedule is all out of whack. Take time to give your dog a few extra short walks, etc. A long day in the car is a long day for your dog too.
3 - remember things like monthly meds, etc. The first of the month is a bit easier to let go unremembered while on the road than it is at home with your fridge calendar.
4 - air conditioning. I love to drive with the windows open and don't need much air conditioning. On the other hand, it is a entirely different temp down on the floorboards. Run a little a/c to the floor vents if your dog is sleeping down there. Let's not forget the dogs keen sense of hearing. Cranking that stereo to listen to over the wind noise of the open windows may sound fine to you.... but to the dog laying on the floor right next to that speaker, it is very LOUD!
5 - where to stay. Staying with friends is fun. Are they really dog people? Do they have a dog? Is their dog friendly with your dog? There are lots of pet friendly motels out there. Don't expect your dog understands why they are in a hotel room. I like to ask for a scope the place out, ask for a room near a rear entrance ( out of way with grass near the entrance). This makes dragging all the extra dog stuff in easier ( dog bowls, food, etc) and late night and early morning bathroom walks so much easier. I use the a/c fan to create white noise. A dog barking in a hotel room is a BAD thing.
