I’m sure my fellow dog owners would understand the struggle of those first months of having a puppy when you need to fully dedicate yourself to the new family member and temporarily sacrifice some parts of your own life. Believe me, these limitations, combined with other challenges of parenthood, can be deeply frustrating, especially when you are forced to pause on fun things. Not so long ago, my boyfriend and I were there too, but decided to win our lives back, including travelling. Back then, our Kaninchen dachshund, Alfonso, was just six months old and wasn’t used to staying with other people, so we ventured to bring him with us on a 10-day road trip across Europe. In this column, I’m sharing my personal experience and tips for travelling with a young puppy by car as a first-time dog owner.

We drove about 4,500 kilometres: left from Amsterdam towards the Austrian Alps, stopped in Budapest and later headed to Lake Bled in Slovenia and Lake Como in Italy. On our way back, we got caught in huge traffic in Switzerland, so we had to do a stopover in Germany. 

I should say, it was not the first road trip of this scale for Alfie: we got him from a breeder in Hungary, and at the age of 3,5 months we brought him by car to the Netherlands, crossing Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany. For such a small puppy he did surprisingly well: he stayed calm during the whole ride and clearly communicated when he needed to go to the toilet, even though he wasn’t potty-trained yet. 

Still, I recommend starting with shorter and less distant trips to see how your pet is doing and what you need to readjust for future travels. But, if you are willing to take a risk and go with all or nothing, here are my main tips.

Make sure your dog is allowed to travel

To go abroad, your pup needs to meet certain requirements that may vary depending on your destination. For instance, to travel within the European Union, your pet must be microchipped, have a Pet Passport and certain vaccinations, and be at least 12 weeks old. But here comes the tricky part: 12 weeks is the minimal age when your pet is allowed to get rabies vaccine, which is mandatory for international trips. However, the vaccination is only considered valid 21 days after the shot and before that, your pet is not allowed to leave the country. So, step one is to check the rules that apply in the countries you plan to visit.

Go to the vet

To ensure your pup can safely go on holiday, pay a visit to the vet to check if all the vaccinations are done and up-to-date. The healthcare specialist may also recommend getting additional shots to protect your dog from parasites common to the region you are visiting. 

Also, it can be useful to bring some emergency medicines that your dog might need. 

Plan your activities in advance, but stay flexible

Unfortunately, improvisation doesn’t always work with young puppies. That is why you need to decide what you going to do and check if the dog can participate. You need to keep in mind a lot of things: Is the climate and current weather conditions suitable for a puppy? Do places and activities allow pets? Can your furry friend handle the whole day outside? Will they have a healthy amount of sleep with such a program? Are they going to be comfortable there?

Apart from that, don’t forget to check the calendar of public holidays and mass events in your destination, because a new environment combined with big crowds and buzz can be very scary for a small pupster, and they’ll need additional training before the trip. 

For example, we knew that during our stay in Budapest, Hungary was going to celebrate The State Foundation Day with a lot of cultural events, concerts and fireworks, so a month ahead, we started teaching Alfonso not to be reactive to loud noises. We found fireworks sounds on YouTube and played it to him at a very soft setting, raising the volume a bit every day until he didn’t pay attention to it anymore. 

While having a solid plan, keep in mind that a lot of places that are not supposed to allow dogs turn out to be pet-friendly, especially if it is a small breed that you can carry.  The human factor just works.

Do the research

Once you know your route, take a moment to find dog-friendly hotels along the way. If you feel like you need to make an additional stop to get some rest, it is not going to be a problem if you are near a big city or the airport, even with last-moment reservations. There are always known hotel chains around that allow dogs and have secured parking. However, finding the right place for a stopover in the middle of nowhere may not be that easy. Also, keep in mind, that hotels normally charge a fee for accommodating a pet. In my experience, this has varied from 5 to 25 euros per night.

On the side, it might be convenient to check 24-hour vet offices along your route in case of emergencies.

Accustom your dog to car rides

If your pet doesn’t usually go in a car, start integrating rides associated with fun stuff into their daily routine. Go to the park, the beach or take a day trip to a neighboring city so your dog gets used to spending time in this huge metal contraption. 

If friends or family join you on the trip, make sure they are not strangers to your puppy. Let them meet and get to know each other before hitting the road to avoid stress and anxiety.

Prepare a travel kit for your dog

Put together everything your pup is going to need. Our list looks like this:

Pack your own essentials into a separate bag

It is convenient to have your most basic things such as toiletries and a set of fresh clothes packed separately in a small luggage bag for those times when you need to check in a hotel just for one night. You’ll already have to carry quite a lot of things for your dog from the car to the room, so at least spare yourself from dragging heavy suitcases. 

Do regular stops while driving

Especially if your puppy is not potty-trained. It is essential to give them an opportunity to do their business and a short walk to prevent boredom and hyperactivity.

Check if the hotel room is dog-proof

Pay attention to the smallest details: cables, small objects overlooked somewhere under the chair, and everything that can trigger or harm your puppy. It might seem extreme, but even when staying in the hotel just to sleep and continue the ride in the morning, we still bring a foldable adjustable crate that fits Alfie’s bed, a training pad and a water bowl. Better safe than sorry!

Leave the hotel prepared for all sorts of possible situations

In our case, it is a walking set mentioned above plus a water bottle with a drinking cup and foldable travel bowl for the scenario where we don’t make it back to the hotel until it is time for Alfie’s next meal.

Prioritize your pup’s well-being

Travelling with a puppy can be challenging and, at times exhausting, but with the right mindset, it is also a lot of fun, so (sometimes) go for it!