With holiday travel coming soon, for dog parents that often means traveling by car so pups can come alone, especially those with big dogs that cannot travel in the cabin on planes.

Are you hosting a family member bringing their dog?  Looking for a gift for a traveling dog?

Our favorite essentials for car travel with dogs:

1. Seat cover from 4Kanines
We love this rear bench seat cover by 4Kanines. This is the first rear bench seat cover that we've been able to use the hammock option (our last two weren't strong enough to handle it), which gives us extra peace of mind that Starr's front paws can't slip off the seat.  This cover is high quality, cushioned and has extra reinforced attachments that go around the headrests, making it extra sturdy and strong.  Another feature we love is the "bibs" that cover the sides of the bench seat.  This helps keep hair and dirt on the cover, instead of the car seat and floors and it tucks in so Starr doesn't trip on it jumping up.  This was a huge relief bringing her home from surgery on both her front legs just a couple of days ago.
4Kanines timing couldn't have been better sending us the cover for review.  We give it 4 paws up!

2. Kurgo seatbelt harness and Kurgo zip line
We've been using the Kurgo seatbelt harness for a while.  When a friend gifted Starr the zip line a couple of years ago, it perfected the setup.  Personally, attaching the harness through the seatbelt never worked for us, and resulted in my having to pull off the highway a few times when Starr got tangled in the seatbelt.  With the zip line we attached to the outside portions on the rear headrests securely, Starr has free range to move side to side along the rear bench seat and can lie down comfortably.  In the event of an abrupt stop, the zip line has just enough "give" but not so much that she flies off the seat.

3.  Mt. Bachelor Pad Bed from Ruffwear
We love our portable bedroll from Ruffwear.  One side is made of a waterproof polyester fabric which creates a moisture barrier, the other side is a soft microsuede. This makes it ideal to use even on a moist ground while keeping the dog dry.  It's easy to clean in the washer but air dries.  We have an older version we bought when Starr was just a puppy proving it is very durable and long-lasting.

4. Water Rover Portable Water Bottle
I found this product 15 years ago when I needed to monitor Lambchop's water intake.  Water pours out right into the bowl and back in if your dog doesn't finish it.  Great for trips so you're not having to toss out undrunk water all the time and therefore running out quicker.  I bought one for Starr when she was just a puppy. Starr's lid/bowl lasted a few years.  Lambchop's lid/bowl is still intact about 15 years later!
For Lambchop I used painted ounce lines on the exterior, making it useful to measure his water intake too.  Bonus use.

5. Pet Portables First Aid Kit
We have their dog-on-the-go bag that came with this First Aid Kit, travel bowl, and extra emergency leash.  That has unfortunately been discontinued but this is a good basic, 1 pet use, First Aid Kit to keep in your car or take on adventures.

I recommend a bag dedicated to your dog's needs and recommend the following be included and kept in your dog's go-bag, good for traveling or even emergencies.

WATERPROOF/RESISTANT DOCUMENT INCLUDING:

• Emergency phone numbers (including your home veterinarian, emergency contact not traveling with you )
• Vaccination history
• Medical history or conditions if anything significant
• Medication list if taking
• Photo(s) of your dog(s)/pet(s)

You can also store these in the cloud but you may not be able to count on internet access.

OTHER THINGS TO INCLUDE:

• Extra collar with I.D. (even if microchipped) and leash
• Medications currently taking
• Bone or chew
• Favorite toy
• Blanket
• Towel
• Biscuits

Stop often for water, bathroom breaks and stretches your and your dog's legs.

         SAFE & HAPPY TRAVELS!