Travelling with Dogs

Our Mid-West Tour

We just returned from a 10 day road-trip through the Midwest.  Fritz, Hannah, Titan and I all packed into my Ford Escape to make the trek from Colorado to Rochester, Minnesota.  We then headed up to Northern Wisconsin to my family's cabin, down to Madison, Wisconsin to visit my grandparents, and then east to Northern Michigan to see Fritz's family and hang out at his lake house for a wedding.

All in all, it turned out to be a great trip.  Hannah and Titan are such good travelers (with one exception) and petting a dog can really help pass the time when driving through corn country.  Below are a few pictures from along the way, and a list of my official doggie road-trip must-haves!

Clockwise from top left:  Hannah taking a short break after swimming across the lake. / "MOM, are we THERE yet??" / Titan contemplating how one year has taken him from the euthanasia list in Houston, to Colorado, and then to doggie heaven in Wisconsin  / Fritz and Titan sharing the dog bed while Hannah helps co-pilot.

Dog Travel Must-Haves

• Collapsible dog bowls - They save room compared to big plastic bowls and for some reason I think they are really fun.  I have Mountainsmith brand bowls and they have lasted for years and years.
• Gentle Leader - Hannah pulls terribly on the leash when there is anything exciting going on or when we are anywhere new...which is pretty much at every stop we make.  This alternative to a collar is extremely effective.
• Flat dog bed - Comfortable dogs are quiet dogs.  On past trips I have made the mistake of forgetting to bring anything soft for them to lay on.  Since my seats are very hard when folded down they tend to squirm and become restless when they have nothing to lay on.  It also brings a little bit of familiarity along on the ride.
• Dog Treats - To bribe the dogs with of course.  Zukes are my favorite - all natural and healthy.
• Dog Toys - After multiple hours in the car, dogs get bored.  A frisbee to throw at a rest stop (check rules!) or a bone to chew in the car can make all the difference!

Dog (less) Days

"The dogs are fine.  They went swimming this morning, and had elk and eggs for breakfast."


Even leaving our dogs for a few days is hard.  Luckily, my bff in the mountains, Mandi, rivals my love for animals and usually watches our two black mutts for us.  She has two of her own and her and her boyfriend are such troopers when it comes time to tolerate four dogs for a week.  We watch their dogs also, and while it is always fun, it is always chaotic.  Ernie Banks, a chihuahua mix and Chester, an English pointer get along famously with our dogs.  EB and Hannah could play all day long if you let them.


Honestly, I was more worried about the sanity of Mandi and her boyfriend Cory when we left our dogs with them, but it is still always so diffucult to leave our two mutts for very long.  When Mandi texted me this weekend (a few days into our trip) that the dogs had already been swimming at the dog park, were given elk and eggs for breakfast, and were now sleeping on the couch all my irrational fears switched from Hannah and Titan missing us to a worry that they might never want to come home!  All elk aside, they were so excited to see us when we picked them up last night.  Vacation was amazing and so-so-needed but I am so happy to be back at home in the Vail Valley with our dogs!

All four dogs, and all four humans enjoying the Fat Tuesday parade and concert in Vail this winter.