20 Must-Have Dog Road Trip Essentials For Adventures With Your Pup

There’s just something about a good road trip that’s… liberating. You’re rolling down the highway, taking in all the scenery, feeling like the world truly is your oyster, and having your dog — your real ride or die — with you can make the entire experience even better. If you’re traveling with your kids, your dog helps keep them entertained so you don’t hear “Are we there yet?” every five seconds. If this is one of those rare road trips where the kids are with Grandma and you get to relive your road warrior days, a dog offers just the right amount of companionship.

Of course, having your doggo along for the ride can also be a disaster if you don’t come prepared. You want your pup to be comfortable and happy because you love them, yes, but also because it’s easier for you to be comfortable and happy when they’re content.

So, before you hit the road, make sure you have all of the dog road trip essentials packed. Not sure what to grab? Start here. We spoke with travel pros and influencers — and leaned on our own experiences as road-tripping-dog-parents — to bring you some of the must-haves for making your next adventure really doggone good.

A Travel Bag for All Your Dog’s Treats

No road trip is complete with snackies, and that’s true for dogs, too. This highly rated dog travel bag includes two dog food carrier bags, two collapsible silicone food and/or water bowls, and a water-resistant placemat so you can set up a doggy dining station wherever you go. The large inner compartment can hold toys, hand towels for muddy paws, and, most importantly, treats. Multifunctional pockets make staying organized a breeze, and this bag is even airline-compliant in case you’re going straight from the car to a plane.

An Easily Accessible Book for Health Records

A “Pawsport”? Staaahp, this is way too cute! But beyond that, it’s super practical. The interior pages feature enough space to detail all of your dog’s vaccinations, which is wildly helpful.

“It’s a good idea to travel with your dog’s vaccine records and health certificates,” says Becky Hart from the travel insurance company Seven Corners, Inc. “Even pet-friendly hotels may ask to see proof of a rabies vaccine. If you decide to drop your pet off at a doggy daycare while you’re out sightseeing one day, they’ll ask for health records. If your pet should get sick or hurt during the trip, you’ll want a copy of its records when you visit an emergency vet. It’s not fun to think about, but you’ll be glad you had them if the unexpected happens.”

A Car Seat to Keep Fido Safe

Safety first, friends! If you’ve heard even one horror story about a car accident where the family dog went missing, you’ve heard one story too many — and are probably now completely paranoid, like I am. This buckle-and-go-style car seat “bucket” gives your pup a secure, restrained spot to ride. The mess allows your pet to have a view still and offers airflow, and the entire contraption is quick and easy to install. Reviewers note it may be best suited for medium-sized dogs, as getting a large dog inside can be a bit cumbersome.

A Calming Morsel

Kradle Bliss Bars have my dogs in an absolute chokehold, and that’s saying a lot since our larger dog is notoriously fickle — yes, even about treats. And I’m not gonna lie; made with real peanut butter and bacon bit, these look so good that I’ve even been tempted to try a bite. I particularly like the Bliss Bars for road trips because they come individually wrapped and break evenly into three segments, making it easy to give our dogs just what they need to take the edge off.

The Ultimate Poo Disposal Kit

Traveling with a dog means making plenty of pit stops, and no one wants to be stranded in the middle of a gas station’s grassy area without a poop bag. The Schitty Kit is a game-changer because all you have to do is toss this clever receptacle around your body anytime you exit the car with your pup. After they do(o) the deed, you can use an included Poopy Bag for clean-up and then place the bag into the silicone double-walled inner liner of your Schitty Kit. You don’t have to do the awkward poo-hand-juggling-act, deal with the nose-burning smell, or interrupt your pup mid-adventure to find a trashcan. The Schitty Kit has you covered so that you can just toss the poo baggy on your way back to the car. Plus, the kit has hi-vis trim to keep you safe in low-light situations, as well as extra storage in the form of a mesh front pocket to stash some wet wipes or hand sanitizer.

A Backseat Extender to Prevent Floor Flops

The reality of taking a road trip with your dog is that you still have to, ya know, drive. You need to minimize distractions to do so safely, and few things are more distracting than your dog slipping off the back seat and thudding onto the floor while you’re cruising down the interstate. (Or worse, when it’s dark and you’re on some back road, where an unexpected thud sends your mind straight to horror movie mode.) Reviewers rave about how sturdy the solid bottom of this backseat extender is and how reliably it keeps their dogs safely contained.

A Solid No-Pull Harness for Walks

We rolled through quite a few harnesses for our 140-pound white shepherd mix and 90-pound husky mix before ordering one from this brand. It also comes highly recommended by Erin Scott, dog mom and host of the Believe in Dog podcast, co-host of The Alternative Dog Moms podcast, and creator of the Dog Health Journal. “For dogs that may not have the best leash manners, we always recommend the 2 Hounds Design No Pull Harness,” she tells Scary Mommy. “The accompanying leash is multi-functional — you can use it as a single attachment or a double attachment for the no-pull functionality, so it makes it a great option for travel stops.”

A Crash-Tested Safety Harness for the Car

Dr. Antje Joslin, a veterinarian with dog wellness company Dogtopia, underscores the importance of a “good-fitting, lightweight, adjustable” harness for your road-trippin’ dog and one that fits securely “so they can’t back out of it.” This is especially crucial for safety. “I recommend Sleepypod’s harnesses and carriers as they are crash-tested and certified by the Center for Pet Safety,” she tells us, and for the record, the Sleepypod Clickit has earned the highest possible five-star rating from the safety organization.

Sunscreen to Protect Their Skin

In case you didn’t know, here’s a fun fact: Dogs need sunscreen, too! Just like you and I, they can get sunburn and skin cancer. Some dogs are more susceptible to sun damage than others, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to your pup’s skincare. This K-9 Care Sunscreen is formulated specifically for dogs to safely protect against UVA/UVB rays.

Something to Mask the Stench of Their Farts (I Said It)

Anyone who’s ever been in a car with a dog for any period of time understands the importance of (a) speedy window-roll-down reaction time and (b) a spray that can neutralize odors. Because when your dog lets one rip — and they will, frequently — you do not want to be trapped with that stench. Pet~Pourri, by the makers of the Pou-Pourri, freshens tough odors within 60 seconds and only requires a few spritzes.

A Hack for Keeping Mud Outside the Car

This may look a little comical, but you won’t laugh if your dog jumps straight into the car post-pond-stomping and gets mud all over your backseat. Reviewers swear this MudBuster cup does an excellent job of gently removing dirt and debris from dogs’ paws so that fun, outdoorsy pit stops don’t turn into a mandatory trip to get your car detailed.

A Dog Safety Belt for Added Security

Whether you get a dog car seat or not, you can’t go wrong with a standalone car safety belt. With over 26,000 reviews, this version has great word-of-mouth. It comes in a two-pack, features high-quality nylon fabric for durability, has an adjustable length, and you can use it for your car or convert it to a traditional hand-held leash. Convenient! Plus, it gives you peace of mind.

A Portable Water Dispenser

If your road trips with your pup often include hikes or long walks, lugging around a bowl and enough water for the both of you can be a real drag. This clever little gadget is the perfect portable solution. With the press of a button, the bottle’s trough fills with water for your thirsty pup. And when your pup finishes, you don’t have to waste what’s left — just hit the button again to re-collect the remaining water.

A Collar With a Visible ID

Before becoming the mom blogger behind Mom After Baby, Karissa Whitman worked in veterinary medicine as an emergency/ICU technician at a busy emergency animal hospital, and her experiences have convinced her that one thing she’d never leave home without when traveling with a pup is a collar with an ID. “The ID tag is important in the event they get lost and someone else finds them,” she says. “That way, they will know how to contact you, and you can be reunited with your pup ASAP!”

Since we’ve had metal ID tags break off our dogs’ collars before, we personally like these GoTags embroidered collars for travel. And, of course, our dogs are microchipped as an additional form of identification (it’s so easy and cheap; everyone should do it).

Paw Protection

If your pup’s paws are anything like my pups, they get very rough and scratchy after spending time exploring — whether that means trotting along hot sidewalks or rambling around on dusty trails. This plant-based super balm has made such a huge difference! Someone gifted us our first tub of Paw Hero, and now it’s one of our go-to gifts for other dog friends. Made with seven natural ingredients, it revitalizes paws while protecting them from dryness, pavement, dirt, and everyday wear. And with zero artificial ingredients, parabens, chemicals, fragrances, dyes, or preservatives, it’s about as lick-safe as you can get.

This Doggy Sleeping Bag

By the time you get your stuff loaded into the car and all the extras you’re bringing for your pup, you don’t have a lot of room left. You certainly don’t want to take up too much valuable real estate (read: leg room) by trying to squeeze your dog’s full-sized bed from home in the vehicle. This “sleeping bag” offers a great solution. It’s lightweight and compact but still provides the warmth and comfort your pup craves.

A Good Chew Toy

A bored dog can be a destructive dog, and you definitely don’t want your pup chomping down on the backseat headrest while you’re trying to navigate a four-lane highway or unfamiliar back road. But you also don’t want your dog going to town on a squeaker toy that’ll drive you batty. The solution? A super-durable and quiet chew toy that’ll keep your dog distracted for long stretches.

Or a Lick Mat

Another quiet way to keep your pup mentally stimulated on long road trips is with a lick mat, like this one from Pupford. Says the brand’s Devin Stagg, “I’m a dog dad to two labrador retrievers who have driven with me across the country (NYC to Utah) twice, and this was a game-changer during these long drives. We’d simply smear peanut butter on the mat and attach it to the back window with the suction cups. This helped my pups relax and chill out at the beginning of the rides, which is key for any road trip!”

The Secret to Keeping Your Interior Clean(ish)

This is the exact cargo liner I have for our SUV, and I love it. No complaints! We’ve been using it for several years to keep the carpets on our floors relatively dog-hair-free and to serve as a safety barrier between the dogs in the back and us in the front. It feels pleasantly high quality for what is a pretty affordable price point, so I see this one lasting for years to come still.

A “Just in Case” Kit for Emergencies

If you bring along nothing else, make sure you stash a pet first aid kit in the car. While none of us ever likes to think about our pups getting hurt, life happens. Could be a bee sting, could be an embedded tick, could be a nasty gash from a piece of broken glass in the rest area parking lot — but whatever it is, you’ll want to be prepared to handle it and put your dog at ease.

So… where are you and your (well-equipped) good doggo going next?