Holiday Travel with Your Dog: A Guide to Being a Great Guest (and Keeping Your Pup Comfortable)

Last updated: December 2025

The holidays often mean packing up the car and bringing our four-legged family members along to visit relatives, stay with friends, or explore new places together. If you're traveling with your dog this season, a little preparation goes a long way toward making the experience enjoyable for everyone—including your hosts.

Here are some practical tips we've learned over the years about traveling with dogs during the holidays.

What We Pack for Our Dogs When Traveling

Having the right supplies makes travel easier and helps us be considerate guests. Here's what typically comes with us:

Food and Feeding Supplies

• Enough food for the entire trip, plus extra: Bring your dog's regular food in sufficient quantities. Pack a bit more than you think you'll need in case your trip gets extended.
• Portable food and water bowls: Bring your dog's own bowls rather than using your host's dishes. Collapsible silicone bowls are great for travel and easy to clean.
• Treats and chews: Pack familiar treats to help your dog settle in a new environment and keep them occupied.

Comfort Items

• Bedding or crate: A familiar bed, blanket, or portable crate gives your dog a designated space and helps them feel secure in unfamiliar surroundings.
• Favorite toys: A few well-loved toys can provide comfort and entertainment during downtime.

Clean-Up Supplies

• Extra poop bags: Always bring more than you think you'll need. Be diligent about picking up after your dog, especially in someone else's yard or neighborhood.
• Lint roller or pet hair remover: This is essential for being a courteous guest. Use it daily on furniture, your clothing, and anywhere your dog spends time.
• Cleaning supplies: Pack pet-safe cleaning spray and paper towels for any accidents or muddy paws. Address messes immediately.
• Old towels: Bring a few for wiping paws after walks, cleaning up spills, or protecting car seats.

Health and Safety

• Medications: Don't forget any prescriptions, supplements, or preventatives your dog takes regularly.
• First aid basics: A small kit with basics like gauze, bandages, and any specific supplies your vet recommends.
• Updated ID tags and vaccination records: Make sure your dog's collar has current contact information. If you're crossing state lines, bring vaccination records just in case.
• Leash, collar, and harness: Even if your dog is reliable off-leash at home, keep them leashed in new environments.

Settling Into a New Space

Once we arrive, we've found a few things help our dogs adjust more quickly:

Keeping some routine - We try to stick to regular feeding and walking times when possible. The familiarity seems to help, especially in the first day or two.

A space of their own - Setting up their bed or crate in a quiet corner gives them somewhere to decompress when the holiday chaos gets overwhelming.

Protecting the space - We put their blanket on furniture they use to catch fur, keep an eye on them (especially initially), and handle any accidents or messes immediately with our own cleaning supplies.

The Table Scraps Conversation

One challenge we've run into: well-meaning family members who want to share holiday treats with our dogs. It's coming from a good place, but rich foods can really upset a dog's stomach (or worse).

We've had luck with something like: "I really appreciate you wanting to share with [dog's name]! We keep them on a specific diet to avoid stomach upset—rich holiday foods can make dogs pretty sick. If you'd like to give them something, I brought some safe treats they love. Just ask me first!"

It acknowledges the kind gesture while explaining why we're being particular. Bringing plenty of dog-safe treats and putting them somewhere accessible (maybe with a note) also helps give people an alternative.

The Road Trip Itself

A few things that have made car travel smoother for us:

Before leaving - A good walk or play session beforehand helps our dogs settle in. We usually feed a lighter breakfast or wait until we arrive to reduce car sickness risk.

During the drive - We stop every 2-3 hours for bathroom breaks and to stretch everyone's legs. We secure our dogs with a crash-tested harness or crate—not just for their safety, but for ours too in case of sudden stops.

Keeping comfortable - We bring water from home (some dogs are sensitive to changes in water) and make sure the car temperature stays moderate with good airflow.

Sticking with Their Regular Diet

One of the easiest ways we've found to prevent stomach issues is keeping our dogs on their regular food throughout the trip. We bring enough for the entire visit (for us, that means packing Petaluma—the bags travel well and the Whole Food Mixer portions easily into smaller containers).

Holiday foods that can cause problems include turkey skin and fatty meats, ham, gravy, stuffing with seasoning, desserts (especially anything with chocolate, xylitol, raisins, or macadamia nuts), and cooked bones that can splinter. Even "healthy" options like mashed potatoes or green beans might contain butter, onions, garlic, or other ingredients that don't sit well with dogs. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control maintains a comprehensive list of foods to avoid.

If Things Don't Go as Planned

Even with preparation, challenges come up. If your dog has accidents, clean them thoroughly right away with your own supplies. If they're having trouble settling at night, sticking to bedtime routines and placing their bed in your room can help. And if your dog seems genuinely stressed (excessive panting, pacing, destructive behavior), more quiet time in their safe space and fewer overwhelming situations usually helps—or it might be worth cutting the trip short if they're really struggling.

Before Heading Home

Before we leave, we do a thorough cleanup—vacuuming areas our dogs used, lint-rolling furniture, washing any bedding or towels they used, and taking out trash with dog waste. A sincere thank-you (and maybe a host gift if our dogs created extra work) goes a long way, especially if we want to be invited back next year.

Final Thoughts

Traveling with dogs during the holidays can create wonderful memories. With some thoughtful preparation and clear communication with your hosts, everyone—two-legged and four-legged—can enjoy the season together.

Safe travels from all of us at Petaluma!

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Have questions about traveling with your dog or transitioning to plant-based nutrition? Reach out to our team—we're here to help!