Packing for A Summer Road Trip with My Dog

One year ago I posted on Facebook that I "really really want to take Boca to BlogPaws next year." Talk about manifesting my reality! Here it is just one sleep away from #bocasbigadventure, where we'll visit some old friends, make new ones, and learn more about this wonderful medium that has truly changed my life. Our trip is being generously sponsored by Open Farm - a perfect partnership since they are the first certified humane kibble and we share a concern for animal welfare. This is my first road trip with Boca, and the longest I've been on the road with a dog! I wanted to share my packing tips as we venture through the southwest during an extreme heatwave.

Yesterday it neared 100 degrees here in Denver, and I didn't have the heart to tell Boca that we were headed to even hotter temperatures. Even though she hails from The Bahamas, this weekend's heat was a little much for her. I made sure to take some extra precautions such as a cooling mat for the car, and plenty of water for us both. I have a fairly new car, but I took it to the mechanic on Saturday to make sure we were road-ready.

It was important to me both to be prepared for the unexpected and to maintain Boca's routine as much as possible. She'll be dealing with far more activity and socialization than she's used to, and as a fairly low-energy dog I want to keep her comfortable and rested. Along with her crate and memory-foam crate mat, I'm bringing her Thundershirt and an anxiety relief supplement. She'll have a favorite chew toy from home and a puzzle toy for staying entertained in the hotel rooms. Treats and a treat bag are a must, as well as booties for the scorching pavement and sidewalks in Phoenix. Although Boca doesn't wear a collar inside at home, she'll have a collar with ID on at all times on the road and her health certificate and vaccination records will be available.

We're bringing cleaning supplies and plenty of poop bags, and pee pads just in case. Even if a pet is perfectly house-trained, being away from home can sometimes disrupt their patterns. Mealtime is made very easy with sample packets from Open Farm. I plan to feed Boca's kibble meal to her throughout the day, and for dinner she'll have dehydrated raw (this is opposite of her usual rotation diet schedule in which she has kibble for dinner). I packed probiotics and pumpkin to give her digestive system some extra support. 

A girl's got to have costume changes...I may have gone a little overboard with Boca's collar, leash and harness wardrobe, but it was the perfect opportunity to show off all her fun, colorful gear. Not pictured is an extra special glittery collar that she'll wear to the Nose to Nose Awards dinner - it even matches my dress! Getting all of our things organized made me even more excited to set out with my sweet, silly girl. I know we will make some incredible memories and have a chance to bond more deeply, not to mention all the fun that awaits us at the conference. We'll see you on the road, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram!  

Are you sure you packed enough food? 

This post is sponsored by Open Farm as part of our Road to BlogPaws series. You can visit Open Farm on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.