Should you bring your dog on vacation?

Scroll through dog-focused social media, and you’ll find dozens of videos showcasing dogs on incredible adventures with their people. Many are captioned with phrases like “we drove ten hours instead of flying two so he could come along” or “I didn’t get a dog to leave her behind.” I love these clips. Including our pets in as much of our lives as possible is a sweet sentiment!

It can also be, well, a little problematic. Traveling with our dogs isn’t always an easy decision. And the picture-perfect idea of a happy pup riding shotgun on a cross-country road trip gets a lot more airtime than the reality of a nervous dog trembling in an unfamiliar hotel room.

What’s a pet parent to do? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of bringing your pup on vacation—along with individual traits like your own dog’s temperament and preferences—so you can make the decision that’s right for you. There’s no wrong answer as long as you and your dog are both fulfilled.

Does your dog like to travel?

Before deciding whether or not to take our pups on a trip, we’ve got to answer an important (but too often overlooked) question. Do they even want to come? You might think the answer is obvious. “Of course!” I’ve heard myself say about my shy Australian cattle dog. “Her favorite place in the world is wherever I am!”

But it’s not always clear cut.

Some of our canine companions are confident, adaptable, and ready to go wherever we lead them. Others are prone to anxiety, meaning they benefit from a more stable routine.

Think about how your dog reacts to things like car rides, new people (especially in crowds), environments they’ve never experienced before, sudden or startling noises, and changes to their typical schedule.

There’s a good chance your pup will enjoy traveling if they:

• Usually feel curious about novel sights, sounds, and experiences rather than uncertain
• Are social (or neutral in a confident way) around strangers
• Recover quickly from getting startled or scared

Your dog might have a harder time taking a trip if they:

• Struggle with anxiety in your day-to-day life already
• Feel nervous in unfamiliar environments
• Don’t like being the center of attention (dogs often draw strangers’ eyes out in public!)
• Experience motion sickness in the car

You can read more about determining whether or not your pup really wants to come with you on a pet-friendly trip—whether it’s a short visit to your favorite store or a longer weekend out of town—in this article.

Consider your pup’s health and age, too

Even a super-bold dog can struggle on vacation if they’re:

• Dealing with a chronic condition—it can be harder to manage symptoms on the road, and new environments can sometimes exacerbate underlying problems
• Have joint pain from arthritis or sore muscles from old age
• Are too young to be fully vaccinated yet, which makes them more susceptible to dangerous germs in busy shared environments

You can mitigate all these potential problems with a little extra forethought. But it’s worth asking yourself—and your dog!—if the juice is worth the squeeze, depending on the activities you have planned for your trip.

Pros of bringing your pup on vacation

Peace of mind

I speak from experience here. My dog, Scout, and I have traveled full time in a converted van for more than three years, and I love knowing that she’s always nearby! Gone are the days of worrying how she’s doing without us and checking my phone for updates from our pet sitter every five minutes. (Gone are the days of annoying said pet sitter by texting her every five minutes.)

Bringing our pets along can be particularly comforting—albeit particularly complicated—if they have special training, behavioral, or medical needs. Because Scout sometimes struggles with fear reactivity and also suffers from idiopathic epilepsy, I appreciate this peace of mind even more. 

Shared experiences

Although certain dogs are more reserved than others, just about all social creatures benefit from novelty in some form. Traveling with our pups can be an incredible bonding opportunity!

Sharing new adventures—especially if they’re designed with our pets in mind, like hitting a dog-friendly trail or sniffing along the shore on a pet-friendly beach—can bring us closer together, give us a chance to practice our training skills, and help our four-legged family members feel included in our lives.

No boarding stress

Because most domestic dogs spend the vast majority of their time in one household with one family, it can be stressful when their people leave. Boarding environments that house multiple dogs at once all in close proximity can be stressful—even when they’re expertly run by caring professionals.

Some dogs deal with this stress better than others, and some kennels are better equipped to help our pups feel safe. Here’s what to ask facilities before boarding your dog.

Cons of traveling with a four-legged family member

Complicated travel logistics

We often head on vacation because we need to relax. Unfortunately, having our dogs in tow can complicate the planning process and give us more things to worry about once we arrive at our destination. Consider:

• Pet-friendly hotel, Airbnb, and campground restrictions, like weight limits, breed bans, additional fees, rules about leaving pets unattended.
• Restaurant and other attraction limitations. Pets aren’t welcome in most indoor dining facilities, amusement parks, and so on.
• Transportation constraints. Only task-trained service dogs assisting individuals with disabilities are allowed to fly on airlines in the US, unless your pet is small enough to fit inside a small airline-approved carrier throughout the entire duration of your flight. In most situations, you’ll probably have to drive to your vacation destination. (Speaking of driving: Here’s what to know about canine car safety!)

Schedule restrictions once you arrive

Bringing our pets with us can provide peace of mind—but it also demands that we stay “on” in our pet parent role the whole time. Our companions’ needs don’t change just because our environment has!

Think about if you’ll be able to return to your hotel or rental between activities that aren’t a fit for your dog (or if one member of your party will have to skip those activities altogether). How will you handle regular potty breaks, feeding times, and providing adequate enrichment on vacation?

Unfamiliar situations and stress for your pup

Some dogs thrive on predictability. Depending on what your ideal vacation looks like, it might not be an environment where you can give them much in the way of a set routine. Imagine all the new smells, noises, and other stimuli your pup will encounter—not to mention how they’ll feel in a different sleeping environment than they’re used to. Know that busy areas can overstimulate even usually confident dogs, resulting in training regression and anxiety on both ends of the leash.

Of course, not all vacations are like this. If you’re heading off into the wilderness? Maybe your pup will feel even more relaxed than they usually do at home! But if you’re traveling to a busy amusement park resort complex? It’s probably best to leave your pup in the trusted care of someone else.

You might decide to bring your pup on vacation if…

• They genuinely enjoy car rides—or at least tolerate them very well
• They’re able to fit in an airline-approved pet carrier on a plane (and they’re comfortable in it for long periods of time)
• They’re happy to sniff, investigate, eat, and play in new places
• Crowds don’t make them nervous (or the place you’re going offers some seclusion)
• Your travel destination provides plenty of dog-friendly accommodations
• You’ll be able to include your dog in many of your vacation activities
• You’re ready for the added planning time, additional costs, and extra packing that bringing your pup will require
• You and your dog are excited to adventure together more than you yourself are hoping to relax

You might choose not to bring your pup if…

• Your dog gets motion sick
• New places and commotion make your companion feel nervous
• Your travel destination isn’t particularly dog friendly
• You wouldn’t be able to include your companion in many of your vacation activities, anyway
• You’re not up for the complex logistics of traveling with your pet right now, financial or otherwise
• You feel like your pup will be happier at home with someone they trust (or at a boarding facility you know will provide excellent care)
• For your individual dog, the stress of travel outweighs the stress of spending some time without you
• The goal of your vacation is to fully relax—you need a little break from caring for another creature

Make the vacation plans that are right for you

Not every dog wants to travel—and not every vacation is suited to a four-legged companion. That’s okay.

If you’re able to design a pet-friendly trip? We applaud you! Experiencing new things with our pups can be incredible. If that’s not in the cards for you and your dog right now, though? Don’t feel guilty about it. Leaving your dog in trusted hands on occasion does not mean you love them any less. In fact, the occasional time apart can help both of you reset and appreciate each other’s presence more when you reunite—especially if you’ve been a little overwhelmed by parenthood. (I’m raising my own hand here.)