We were 3 hours into a road trip about 5 years ago when I knew–I knew–I was about to lose it. The dog Would. Not. Shut. Up. And I knew this was going to happen. I knew it. But I hadn’t done anything to prepare–I’d decided to just wing it. What was wrong with me?! We had to pull over for the night and just start over again the next day. Ridiculous. But now, NOW, I know How to Road Trip with a Loud Dog Without Losing Your Sanity. And this is how we’ve managed not to cut our road trips short ever since that fateful night. Heh.
I don’t know about your dog, but mine sings. There’s no other way to describe it. She’s just so excited to be in the car. Just like the rest of us, Fiona (our cute little bundle of apricot poodle (with a bad haircut–always), loves summer road trips with the family–frankly, we couldn’t imagine our road trips without her. But when we’re all crammed in a hot car together? The loud! The LOUD! And the stinky breath and potty-breaks…sometimes, something’s gotta give. So, that’s where These tricks come into play. And why I never (NEVER) “just wing it” anymore with my loud dog on a road trip.
How to Road Trip with a Loud Dog
- Drive at Night – Maybe they’ll sleep, if you’re lucky. Heh. This trick actually works really well for us–and the kids pass-out. Kinda nice.
- Freshen their Breath – Don’t feed them anything stinky before you leave and DEFINITELY bring some breath-freshening treats (hint: PEDIGREE® DENTASTIX™ Treats). If you’re lucky, the treats will also keep them quiet for a little while. LOL! Incidentally, PEDIGREE® DENTASTIX™ Treats not only freshen breath (which is nice), but they also clean teeth and reduce tartar buildup (which is healthy). Two birds, baby! LOL!
- Take a Bath – I’ve noticed that a hot dog is a stinky dog, if they haven’t had a bath in a while. So, I try to make sure Fiona gets a bath at least the day before, if not the day of a road trip.
- Headphones and Music – We put headphones on the kids that will wear them and turn-on some music for the rest of us. Sometimes, Fiona will even kind of singalong with the tunes. Heh.
- Favorite Toys – If Fiona didn’t have her favorite chew toy, we’d never make it through even a short drive with her. But, having something to gnaw on makes all the difference.
- Frequent Breaks – Something about getting out of the car and going widdle helps Fiona to calm down, sometimes. So, if she seems to be getting particularly loud, we just pull-over and pop-out.
Honestly, taking a road trip with a loud dog is ten times worse when their breath stinks. But, with a clean mouth and fresh breath, even the most worn-out road tripping family will be happy to be “road trip close” with your dog. DENTASTIX™ Treats = Best road-trip-with-a-dog-hack EVER.
A photo posted by Chantal Kirkland (@nerdymammarocks) on
Do you have any helpful tips for a Road Trip with a Loud Dog? I mean, anything here…LOL! Just drop me a line in the comments or find me over on Facebook…this dog…so funny.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.