How we keep our dog happy on long driving days
We’ve been traveling a lot since moving into our van. Long days of driving can certainly be tough on our dog—like when our house batteries exploded and we had to drive from Pennsylvania to Colorado in less than two days to get them fixed—but they don’t have to be.
So much depends on how we approach our time behind the wheel!
Here’s how we do our best to keep Scout happy and healthy even when we’re in “full road trip” mode.
Safety: Our dog always rides in her travel crate
Scout rides in her travel crate. This is a cozy spot—she’s able to sit, stand, and turn around without too much issue—but it’s obviously not the most comfortable way to spend hours on end. We’re under no illusions that it is!
Because of this, we make sure to give her a break at least every four hours or so at minimum. Sometimes we’ll let her out for super short stints (like if we go through a drive thru, for example) so she can get some extra stretching in.
Bare bones: We meet her basic needs before we hit the road
We always meet Scout’s bathroom and food needs before hitting the road.
In a perfect world we all get some sort of exercise in the morning if we know we’re going to be buckled up for the bulk of the day. At minimum we walk our cattle dog around so she can pee, poop, and sniff for a few minutes before packing up.
Scout has thankfully never struggled with car sickness, so we’re able to give her meals like normal when we’re about to drive. She doesn’t have strict breakfast and dinner times—but if we’re setting in for a long trip, we make sure she’s fed before sending her to her crate.
Fulfillment: We play at every stop we can
One of the simplest and most impactful ways to make long days of driving better for our dog: We play at every stop we can!
Breaking up long stretches on the road with games of tug at gas stations and rest areas can turn a boring sad day into a tolerable—or even pretty fun—one. This is a win-win-win of expending some physical energy, connecting with each other socially, and also helping Scout acclimate to new environments (which can still be scary for her).
Some questions I ask myself at each stop:
What kind of game would be appropriate here? Sometimes we pull off at rest areas with designated dog play areas where we can enjoy some fetch off leash (as long as it’s not busy and one of us humans watches the gate to avoid any unwanted ambushes from other dogs). Other times we’re at a crowded gas station and the best we can do is some tug inside the van.
What does Scout most need right now? After sitting still for long periods of time, our heeler usually benefits from some gentle movement first. We often accomplish this with a short potty walk around the perimeter of wherever we’ve stopped—and then we can follow it up with more intense play.
Is it safe to have her out of the van? On occasion we find ourselves in a questionable environment. If the pavement is covered in broken glass or fellow patrons are shouting at each other, we’ll do the best we can to carve out a quick bathroom spot and then be on our way, prioritizing longer play at our next break.
Training: We’ve spent years building her confidence in new environments
Speaking of scary new environments… we’ve been building Scout’s confidence since the day I first brought her home. She’s come a long way—but her comfort still a work in progress!
I don’t think we’d be able to fulfill her nearly as much on our long driving days if she wasn’t bold enough to fight us for the tug toy or at least briefly chase after a ball in unfamiliar places. I owe a lot to trainers Jay Jack and Ivan Balabanov for helping us make these sorts of things possible.
Some steps we take here:
Whenever possible, we let Scout acclimate for a minute or two before expecting her to play a game.
If she doesn’t want to play, we don’t push it. Instead we just sit with her calmly, sharing some affection and trying to show her that we aren’t nervous about the new environment.
We end on a good note as much as we can. If I notice something that’s going to freak her out (like an off-leash dog jumping out of someone’s car nearby) I’ll aim to finish the game positively and get her safely back in the van before a bad experience can mar the whole occasion.
We’re intentional about staying focused on the game ourselves and giving her satisfying wins when she pushes through challenges. She stays engaged, pulling on the tug toy, while little kids sprint into the gas station? Heck yes cattle dog! You tugged it right out of my grip. Let’s do a victory lap.
You can read more about our play journey in this article.
What a long driving day might look like
There’s never a set schedule, but here are two common ways our road trip days play out.
Example one
Morning run or walk as a family followed by tug or fetch
Breakfast, often in her snuffle mat
Driving stretch
Bathroom break with play
Driving stretch
Bathroom break with play
Dinner
Driving stretch
Park for the night, final bathroom break before bed
Chances are she’ll sleep with us to give her a longer break from her crate after being in it all day
Example two
Quick potty and breakfast before getting on the road
Driving stretch
Bathroom break with play
Driving stretch
Bathroom break with play
Driving stretch
Bathroom break and dinner
Driving stretch
Park for the evening
Longer game at our final destination or indoor enrichment like chewing a raw bone
Pile into the bed to sleep
I’m under no illusions that driving days are as fulfilling for Scout as long hikes or off-leash time or even just getting to sunbathe in a campsite. But they aren’t automatically unfair, either. Balance and middle ground 😉