Taking your dog along on a trip can be fun for both you and the dog. After all, what’s the fun in having a dog if you can’t experience new adventures together? But long road trips can be hard on even the most experienced canine traveler. It’s important to take a few precautions to make sure the dog doesn’t suffer on the journey.

Regular feeding times are important to dogs. Their systems work quickly and established feeding times allow you to plan for bathroom time. When traveling, this becomes even more important. The excitement will already be playing havoc with the dog’s system. Add in a dietary change and you are just asking to clean up a car full of feces, or even worse, diarrhea. Make sure that the food he is used to is available for the duration of the trip.

The road is no place to give your dog a chance to make a run for it. No one ever wants a dog on the lam, but when travelling it becomes more important to keep tight control over him. Make sure his dog collar is on securely and that he carries proper identification, including your cell phone number. It is also a good idea to place temporary ID on the dog to identify where you are staying during the trip.

When you make a rest stop during the trip, don’t wait until you are outside the vehicle to place the dogs’ leash on him. The excitement of the new place might cause them to hit the ground running. A little precaution can easily avoid this possibility.

If you are traveling in summer, make sure your air conditioning is working properly. If you think a long drive with no air is hard on you, imagine your fur covered canine friend. Dogs suffer more than most people realize during the summer. If you are traveling to a climate warmer than your own, take extra precautions.

Though you can probably stand 3 or 4 hours of driving without a problem, the dog will need more frequent rest stops. The more exercise the dog gets during the trip, the more pleasant things will be for both of you. Try to stop at areas that will allow the dog some room to run. If this isn’t possible at least take him for a brisk walk each time you stop.

One more item of common sense advice that many people seem to ignore is to never leave your dog in a car unattended during hot weather. Even with the widows open, cars can turn into ovens. Many dogs lose their lives each year because their owners fail to heed this advice. Don’t kill your dog with your ignorance.

Traveling with your dog isn’t hard. Just try to look at things from a dog’s perspective and act accordingly.