Travelling with a dog checklist
Built for the journey itself rather than the destination — the stops, the restraint, and the forty minutes before departure when everyone is tenser than the dog.
14 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Crash-tested harness or a travel crateAn unrestrained dog is a projectile in a crash, and a distraction long before one happens.
- Water and a travel bowlOffer it at every stop — cars are warmer than they feel.
- Food for the journey, plus a bit extraFor delays. Feed lightly a couple of hours before setting off, not right before.
- Lead, clipped on before any door opensThe first bolt for freedom always happens at a service station.
- Poo bags
- Bedding or a familiar blanketSomething that smells like home settles a dog faster than anything new would.
- Sun shade for the windowCars heat up fast even with the windows cracked — never leave a dog alone in one.
- Regular breaks planned inEvery two hours or so, for water, a stretch and a toilet break.
- Vaccination record and, for a ferry or the Channel Tunnel, the pet passportChecked at the gate, not on board — arrive with time to spare.
- Tapeworm treatment, if travelling to or from certain countriesTimed to a specific window before travel — check the current rule rather than assume.
- ID tag with a number that will actually be answered on the trip
- Anti-sickness medication, if they're prone to itAsk the vet in advance rather than discovering it on the motorway.
- TowelFor a wet dog, a sick dog, or a muddy stop.
- First few hours at the destination plannedA quiet arrival matters more than an exciting one — let them find the water bowl before the visitors.
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- Can a dog travel loose in the car?
- Not safely, and in some circumstances not legally — a crash-tested harness or a secured crate is the difference between a passenger and a projectile.
- How often should we stop?
- Roughly every two hours, for water, a short walk and a toilet break. Build it into the journey time rather than treating it as optional.
- What do ferries actually check?
- The pet passport or vaccination record, and sometimes a tapeworm treatment given within a specific window beforehand. Check the operator's current rule, since it changes.