Our Corgi is a beautiful and strong willed dog, and he is a pretty go traveler when he does the right things.  He can be a bit unruly at times!

One of the great things about RV travel is the ability to take your pets.  We have a chihuahua and corgi that go practically everywhere with us.  Travel with pets can make life easier and more difficult at the same time.  However, for us, the good outweighs the downsides.  How you make traveling with pets both comfortable and safe?  These two components will be game changers in your RV journey once you feel good about both safety and overall comfort.  Stressed pets don't make good travel companions.  

We give a solid thumbs down to traveling with stressed pets.  Everything from the weather to just riding in a vehicle can stress some animals.

Travel Comfortably and Safely with Your Dogs

While traveling with pets may solve one problem, it can create others.  We have dogs that are both sweet and temperamental.  Over the years, we have learned how to make it more comfortable for everyone involved.  Part of the process of getting to our happy in the process has been the right gear.  Its less complicated than you think and expensive than you might think.  A few well place items will simplify things and keep everyone more comfortable and agreeable on the road.

This backseat cover saves our leather seats and can be easily cleaned up.

Our Corgi is actually the easiest pet we have on car rides.  He loves to ride in the car and just sits or sleeps.  He does shed a lot and can get dirty!  So, we got a car seat cover that makes it easier to clean and just keep our backseat in good shape.  These are inexpensive, and ours has held up well for nearly 3 years.

Collapsible gear is my jam for saving space and getting jobs done.  These collapsible bowls are perfect for feeding our dogs and giving them water.  Plus they won't break or take up a lot of room!  

On those long travel days, we keep collapsible dog bowls stashed in the truck.  We have another set in the RV too.  They don't break and are lightweight.  They can attach to a backpack or belt loop for hiking and are just practical overall.  We probably have 5 or 6 of these between our tow vehicle and camper.  And they are in constant use.  

Don't forget to grab a good leash and those poop bags.  We keep these items in our RV all of the time so that we don't have to pack these items each time.  On travel days, we place a leash in our tow vehicle so we aren't getting in and out of the RV so many times on the road.  But either way, keep an extra set up bags and a leash just in case you need another, loose one or break your leash!

This is a sturdy collapsible crate that folds flat to store under our bunks.

We also keep a portable crate in our RV.  This one folds flat for storage but will also easily fit under our bunks to keep our floor space free.  This is a sturdy crate that works perfectly for small spaces.  Be sure to include a pad or cushion rather for the bottom.  This one can be removed and washed easily.  You may wonder if you need a crate, our Corgi is a runner and will bolt out of our camper door to chase a duck or another dog in minute.  This crate is about the only thing to save our marriage in the last few years on trips and the lack of use has nearly caused us to call an attorney or the pet police!

Elevated beds are excellent for your dogs to keep them off of the ground as well as cool and comfy near you!

Indoors, our dogs have the portable crate and a soft bed I made for them to snuggle on and sleep, but what about outdoors?  These outdoor elevated beds are excellent for keeping dogs cool in the summer, and just off the ground rolling around.  If you spend a lot of time outdoors with your dogs, this is something easy that you can throw into the back of the truck and have ready to go!

Bunnie has the full advantage of a window view from her fancy console seat.

My dog is a bit of a diva.  She doesn't want to be left behind, but she also is a giant ball of stress when it comes to travel.  Once we arrive, she is fine.  So, how do we calm her down?  I bought a combo of items have made a big difference for the Bunster!  First, I purchased her a thunder shirt to help her be calm in the car.  These are little vests or shirts that are designed to keep pets calm in bad weather.  This has helped our chihuahua not to pant and stress so much in the car while riding.  We also added a little console car seat so that she can ride elevated and have her own space.  This has made a huge difference to all of us!  She's always initially annoyed at the car ride but settles down to sleep and snore before too long!  If you have a stressed pet, definitely try the Thundershirt for the calming effect.  The console is just a bonus after that as far as I'm concerned.  And, this will greatly depend on how large your dog is.

I don't know how necessary this item is, but Bunnie likes her bag and rides along in this for lots of different excursions.

We also added a new dog bag for the smallest member of our family!  This is the bag that she can travel in to walk around town, visit an outdoor venue or other activities.  She's not one that is much for lots of walking.  She's more of one to be carried around.  So, this fits her travel style and keeps us from leaving her behind at the campground.

Don't leave your pet's safety to chance.  Be sure to get a set of stickers to place on your RV just in case!

One final item that every person traveling with their pets in an RV should have is a set of safety stickers.  We have one on the outside of our RV.  We don't leave our pets often, but this is a good way to let others know that you have pets indoors and how to contact you if there is an emergency.  No one wants this to happen, but it is an easy way to prepare. 

I make a simple essential oil spray that I use on the dogs fur, bedding and more.  It smells great and won't harm your animals!

While you are traveling with your favorite furry friends, keep things smelling fresh with essential oils.  I have an essential oil spray that I use as both an air freshener and pet spray.  I spray the dog beds, the dogs and use it to clean up the dog crate.  

Traveling with pets can be fun, and it is work like everything else.  Once you have the right gear and everyone is content, it is smooth sailing.  It has taken us a while to get here, but we love camping with our dogs and wouldn't have it any other way.  Until next time...happy camping...

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