The hallowed tradition of the American summer road trip stretches back to 1903 when Horatio Nelson Jackson left San Francisco on the wings of a $50 bet and drove to New York City. At the time the country had scarcely 100 miles of paved roadway and his Winton roadster had a top speed of around 30 mph. Jackson hired a bicycle mechanic off the streets of San Francisco to accompany him. That first coast-to-caost trip took 63 days.
The tradition of road trippin' with the family dog stretches back exactly as far. It didn't take Jackson long to realize that what his adventure was missing was a dog and in Idaho he bought a light-colored bulldog he named Bud. He even outfitted Bud with a custom pair of goggles for riding in the open roadster. From that point on every picture of the road trip as it rolled from town to town prominently featured Bud. "He was," Jackson later recalled, "the only member of our trio who used no profanity on the entire trip." To learn more about the trip and see pictures of Bud, check out this link.
In the 100 years since Bud traveled across the country I don't think alot has changed when it comes to road tripping with your dog - for the most part your dog will adapt to any type of trip you want to take. If you are the type who heads out with a vague sketch in mind of what's to come, your dog can jump in the car and be just as ready. Or if you prefer to plan every detail, there is a long list of "to-dos" you can follow concerning the preparation of your dog for your trip as well.
A hiking trip with your dog is ideal because she will spend most of the time in the car sleeping between hikes. On these trips I've found dogs don't require any special accommodations. However, here are a few things to consider on any road trip...
Your dog's food. One of the joys of a road trip is sampling the regional cuisine around the country. Your dog, however, prefers a bland diet so stick with his regular food and eat all the spicy cajun shrimp yourself.
Your dog's water. Hydration is always critical for your dog but if possible keep your dog fresh with multiple small sips rather than long watering hole stops. That way your dog's belly isn't full of water as you bounce along the highway.
Car sickness. You'll know before you set out on a long trip whether your dog suffers anxiety in a car so you know to limit food and water before heading out. Medications can help the problem and I've heard that canned pumpkin can relieve the symptoms.
Hanging out the window. Dogs always look so happy when they are hanging their heads out a car window, soaking in the scents as they fly by. But have you ever had a bug hit your arm while driving down the highway? Imagine if that bug hit your eye. Even just the wind can dry out your dog's eyes and make them irritated. It is probably best to limit your dog's open window time to non-highway driving.
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