Chances are, in your years with a pet as part of your family, a time will you come when you want to travel and, maybe it’s something about those big round puppy-eyes looking up at you as you make your reservations, but you decide to bring your four-legged companion along for the ride. Yay! Traveling with your pup can be a blast! But… even if you’re setting out for an adventure full of hikes and swimming (or maybe just naps; we don’t judge), where you know your dog will have the time of her life, getting there can be initmidating. Don’t worry – it doesn’t need to be! We’ve done both car-trips and flights with a canine companion and are here with our favorite tips!

Flying

First of all, most airports are pretty familiar with pets flying, so, as far as my experience getting aboard the plane goes, it was really quite seamless. Security had me take Gwenny out of her carrier while it was scanned, and they swabbed my hands. That was it! The only other detail for getting on the plane was having the appropriate boarding pass, which we did! For the airline we flew with, it was a standard boarding pass with a “cabin pet” add-on, which did come with an additional cost. It may vary slightly from airline to airline, so just make sure to check with yours, so you and your travel buddy are prepared ahead of time. Speaking of preparation, let’s talk supplies.

What to bring

Potty pads. If your airport doesn’t have places for your pet to pee or if your puppy isn’t fully vaccinated, you’ll need them. We lined the bottom of Gwenny’s carrier with a pee pad, but she actually didn’t have any accidents inside the carrier – however, she did use one placed on the floor while we gave her a supervised opportunity to use the facilities at the airport.

Treats, chews, or toys to keep your little buddy occupied while on the plane can be a good idea. Gwenny’s favorites were Yummy Combs, but she goes through them a little quicker now that she’s an adult, so we’d probably opt for something like a collagen stick. We did bring toys for Gwenny as well, but took special care to only bring ones without squeakers. Please be respectful of your fellow passengers!

Poop bags are always a necessity to keep on hand just in case you need them. That being said, depending on when your flight is, you may be able to postpone a meal to minimize the likelihood of an accident happening on the plane.

Be sure to bring a bowl and water bottle that you can fill up at the airport to offer your pup a drink. We used something similar to one of these collapsible bowls, which made it easy to stow away in a pouch on Gwenny’s carrier.

A health certificate from a veterinarian is not something most airports will even look at, but it gave us peace of mind to have one while flying our brand new puppy home. This most likely will not be something you need, but it’s good to be aware of, especially if your flight is to bring a new pup home. Note: many veterinarians charge for this, and may require 24-48 hours to get it back to the breeder, so be sure to ask your breeder about details in advance if you do want to have a health certificate.

There are some other items like, for example, a leash, a bag of food, or a crate, where you may not need it while you’re on your flight with your pup in a carrier, but you may need it once you’ve arrived! So take some time and think through what you might need, both for while you’re actively traveling and for while you’re at your destination. Good luck putting together your puppy flight packing list, and don’t forget to include the things we’ve discussed today. Happy flying!

Driving

The flying packing list is a great starting-point for driving as well, although you won’t need a health certificate or an airline-approved carrier, and you’ll definitely want to have:

• A leash for potting when you make stops along your route. It’s also a good idea to have a harness or collar handy if your dog uses a different one while on a walk than she wears at home.
• A food bowl, depending on the length of your drive and whether or not it will overlap with a mealtime is helpful to have on hand. However, same as I mentioned in the flight section: if you are travelling with a puppy who may not be able to hold their business until you make a stop, consider whether it makes sense to delay feeding until a certain time so you don’t have to clean it up, the caviat being that you’re still being responsible for your pet’s needs and ensuring that they have the nutrition they require.
• A towel, while optional, can be helpful if you end up making a stop somewhere muddy, sandy, or wet, where your pup may get a little messy before jumping back into your vehicle.
• Anything you might want once you’ve arrived. For example, does your pup sleep in a bed or crate at night? Great, bring that with you! Does she have a favorite toy she likes to play with? You can bring that!

Going beyond the supplies to bring, though, keep in mind that there are some different philosophies on the best way for a dog to ride in a car (in a lap, with a pet-specific seatbelt, on the floor, etc.) – whatever you decide is going to be safest and most convenient option, you’ll want to make sure your dog is used to this prior to your expedition.