Thank goodness winter is almost over. The kids and the pets may love the snow, but not me. My fingers go numb when I clean the snow off my car. Warming up the car seems to take forever. The roads are terrible and even dangerous. And I have to dip into my savings account just to pay the heating bill.

But now that spring is almost here, it’s time to get out of the house and go places! And since the dogs have gained a little weight over the winter due to inactivity, I will take them with me. But that will be such a hassle, you say. “What if some of the places you want to go won’t allow dogs?” or “What if the dogs won’t hold still in the car?”

True. Not all the places I want to go will allow dogs, but there are a lot of other placed I can go that will. Since the weather is nice, I can go to a park, go camping, visit the lake or the beach, visit family or friends, or take a scenic road trip. And I know the perfect solution for pet auto travel safety with your dogs in the car. In order to keep them in one place in the vehicle, there are several products out there I can use. The least expensive and the easiest to use are dog seat belts. Dog seat belts come in all sizes and are relatively easy to put on a dog.

To get the dogs used to their dog seat belts, I can let them wear it around the house for a while. Then I can go to places which are nearby. Going to the park, the beach, or the lake could be just a short day trip and these places allow pets - as long as they are on a leash, of course. Many places even have parts of a park designated just for dogs, generally called dog parks. 

After that, I can start going on longer trips, like camping. Most campsites allow dogs but I will check in advance before I go. And surely if I visit my family and friends, I can take the dogs with me. They won’t mind. It’s better than leaving the dogs with strangers in a boarding kennel or all alone at home with someone coming by once in a while to feed them and let them outside. If the place I want to visit is only a few hours away, I can drive and use the pet auto seat belts for the dogs. There will be rest stops along the way that I can stop at and let the dogs get a drink and go potty. And if the trip is a little longer and I have to stop for the night, there are several hotels that allow pets for a small extra fee. I will bring the dogs’ kennels for in case I need to leave them alone in the hotel room while I go out to eat or visit the gift shop or something.

No matter where I go, I need to make sure I bring the dogs plenty of water, their leashes, and doggie bags for picking up their waste. For longer trips I also need to bring their food, carriers, and toys. My dogs always have their tags on. I make sure they are always up to date on their shots. And if they are on medication, I make sure to bring that with me as well.

For longer distant travels, I can even take an airline flight with the dogs. Some airlines will fly a pet so long as the average temperature is not too hot or too cold. I will need to check with the airlines to see what is needed. And I will need to have the dogs checked by the vet to make sure they are healthy enough to take the trip. An unhealthy pet would not be able to handle the stress.

Other activities where I could take my dogs include visiting outdoor gardens, visiting ranches, going wine tasting, going to outdoor barbeques, golfing, fishing, biking, hiking, or boating. Not all gardens, wineries, golf courses, or state parks will allow dogs, but many will. As long as I clean up after my dogs, many places are very open to pets. No matter what I decide to do this spring, I will need to call the places in advance to make sure pets are okay. If not, the dogs will either have to stay at home or at the hotel.

The dogs are a part of my family, after all, so I should try to include them in at least some if not most of my spring activities. It won’t be any more expensive than it would if I were to pay someone to take care of them while I was gone. And the dogs are so much fun to have around. They’re good company, and they love to travel, meet new people, and visit new places.