Traveling with a Dog: The Best Cars For Life on the Road With Fido

My girls, as I call them, have car seats that they travel in to keep them safe on the road. These car seats can hook either to the back of the front seat or the back seats of the car. You can also tether your pup’s collar or harness to the seat so they have room to look around but not enough to climb over the seats while you’re driving.

There are other options, such as harnesses that strap in via the car’s seatbelt and crates that either fit on the seat, the rear floor or the cargo area of an SUV. Whichever you choose, just be sure that your dog can’t wander around the cabin while you’re driving; its dangerous for you and for them.

Read: For Those Who Like Challenge and Adventure: How to Travel with a Cat

Packing for traveling with a dog is like packing for yourself: always make sure you have a few of your pup’s favorite toys for them to cuddle or play with on the road. A few other items that are a must when traveling with your fur baby are a collapsible water dish, bottled water, snacks and treats, puppy pads (accidents happen) and hand sanitizer.

It’s also a good idea to have a blanket for them, especially smaller or short-haired dogs that get cold easily. And always have little bags, for trash, and yes, those accidents.

Read: Best Road Trip Cars for Your Summer (Or Anytime) Getaways

The most important thing to remember when traveling with your pups is to make sure they are comfortable. Don’t play the music too loud, and you might want to consider getting a pup-friendly CD like I have (yes, they do make them).

Let your dog relax and be sure to keep them hydrated and fed, especially on a long trip. Just like you, they need to stop every so often to stretch their legs, so be sure to have their leashes handy for quick walks while on the road.

Read: Romancing the Road Trip: Couples and Cars

My girls are also very small; Molly is only 3.5 pounds and Riley is only 6 pounds, so they are pretty easy to handle in any car. For a large or medium dog I would choose an SUV or minivan for travel. While a sedan would certainly work, I think that you and Fido would be much more comfortable in a larger vehicle.

I prefer an SUV for strapping in the car seats and lifting my pups in and out; the height of an SUV fits with your natural ‘bending point’ or hip point, making this easier. A tall SUV may not be ideal, though, for larger dogs that are difficult to lift. Some are able to easily climg into the rear seat or cargo area, others may need a ramp.

Be sure to consider the placement of air vents, especially for larger dogs; most 3-row SUVs have air vents in the 3rd row/cargo area which is great for keeping your dog from overheating on the drive.

The four-door Jeep Wrangler is my first choice—but it’s also my favorite for daily drives. This is my own vehicle and the girls favorite. The car seats fit nicely in the back seat so they can see out the windows, and there is plenty of room for all the goodies I need to take for them. I like the mesh netting on the doors to store their water bottles in and the seat is long enough for their travel bag. I also like the room on the floor for their kennel and cushion.

I love the luxury features for me up front and the the roomy rear seats in the Cadillac XT4 and XT5. The girls enjoyed being able to look out the window as we crossed the Gulf of Mexico on a ferry boat. There wasn’t as much space on the floor, but everything did fit nicely. They also had their own vents in the back seat to keep them cool or warm, depending on the weather.

I am not a minivan gal, but the captain’s seats in the Chrysler Pacifica are perfect for any type of car seat. With captains chairs, Riley couldn’t play escape artist and jump to the middle of the seat like she does in cars with a center row bench seat.

As a larger vehicle with sliding doors, the girls couldn’t see out the windows as easily, but the convenience of the cargo area of the minivan for bringing along a lot of gear certainly makes it worth a look when heading out for a long journey or a big job.

An obvious choice is the Subaru Outback. Subaru has made a point of appealing to pet parents through assisting pet shelters with adoption efforts, and for ensuring that there’s plenty of space to keep pets comfortable. The rear seats are ideal for doggy car seats and there is plenty of room on the floor for their things. It also has air vents and the option of a sunroof, something Molly doesn’t really care much but Riley really likes.

If you find you’re bringing along a friend or family member who also has a dog, you might want to go with a 3-row SUV like the Honda Pilot so there’s plenty of room for everyone. If all the dogs are relatively small, their car seats can fit across the center bench. If you need an additional seat, the 3rd row is handy, or, put the 3rd row down so there’s room for a crate or a car seat and tether that can be attached to the tether anchors on the seat backs of the center row seats.

The less expensive category of compact SUVs make a great vehicle choice for traveling with a dog. The Buick Encore GX has quite a bit of space and whether your pup is large or small, the back seat is perfect. I also own one of these and travel quite a bit with the girls in it. The car seats fit great and pull-down arm rest in the center of the seat is perfect for snack time for them.

One of the best SUVs the girls and I have traveled in was the GMC Acadia. It was extremely spacious and comfortable, and the arm rests on the captain’s chairs gave them a little more ability to prop their paws so they could see around them. Even though this is a 3-row SUV, it doesn’t feel huge; it’s nice to have the extra space but not the oversized feel on the road.

A pickup truck is a favorite for a lot of reasons, and traveling with a dog is one of them, though I would suggest a 4-door version. The full size truck with a crew cab, such as a Toyota Tundra, has a huge rear seat for your pups and space for all of their stuff. For medium or large dogs, getting in and out on their own can be a challenge, but opting for running boards can help. Mid-size trucks such as the Chevy Colorado or Toyota Tacoma can be great options too, though the back seats are smaller.

But which is the best car for traveling with your dog, or dogs? It’s really up to you, your dog and your other travel partners. The great news is that no matter which car you like best, it’s probably great for your dog, too.