Ask Muddy
The Dog Who Knows What's Best For Him
Your Subtitle text
Travel - gear and tips
KURGO CAR SAFETY HARNESS We've spent years (and $$$) looking for a car safety solution, and this year we finally found it. The Kurgo Auto Zip Line is a wonderful product that works perfectly for us.
Muddy loved to look out of the windows when we were on the road, and we wanted something that would give him freedom of movement, especially in allowing him to turn around (multiple times in the same direction!) without getting hopelessly tangled in the safety strap. The Auto Zip Line attaches between the passenger safety handles above the rear doors; a strap attaches to the harness at one end, and to the Auto Zip Line at the other. The carabiner attachment on the Line allowed Muddy to move up and down the length of the Line, but in the event of a sudden stop or accident, would prevent him from flying forwards into the front of the car or the windshield. We added a second line in the back for Willie. His attaches to the rear seatbelt on one end, and to either the passenger safety handle or a D-ring behind the rear seat on the other; this photo shows the D-ring attachment, but it's actually better on the safety handle, which provides higher clearance. The Auto Zip Line comes with its own harness, but you can attach the strap to any harness and I find it easier to just use their colorful, soft, White Pine (see Accessories) walking harnesses. And if the above description is hopelessly confusing, don't worry. The Auto Zip line comes with very clear instructions, offering various installation alternatives for your vehicle.
Willie lies still in the back of the car, but the Auto Zip Line accommodates Tarka's lively interest in viewing the passing scene from every possible vantage point in the car. He and Willie trade hook-ups depending on where each of them happens to be sitting when I strap them in, but in 4,500 miles of travel on our trips this year, they only tangled their lines once.
Note: if you have a pick-up truck and your dog rides in the back, please ensure his or her safety by purchasing a K9 Truck Tether.
Note: if you have a pick-up truck and your dog rides in the back, please ensure his or her safety by purchasing a K9 Truck Tether.
WATER BOY PORTABLE DOG BOWL. This portable water carrier is perfect for the car. It holds three quarts of water and doesn't spill even if it gets flipped upside down. The blue bowl has holes in the bottom allowing a small amount of water to flow into it as the dogs drink. The bowl removes, making it easy to clean and refill.
We use it primarily for the car and when we go camping (nothing worse than turning a regular water bowl upside down near your sleeping bag!), but it also has a handle so you can take it on a walk if you want to - and no need to carry an extra bowl.
Here's Willie having a drink after our morning walk in the park, while Tarka waits (patiently?) for his turn.
BOWSERS LUXURY QUILTED MATS. The dogs travel comfortably, thanks to our lovely Bowsers Luxury Quilted Mats. We also use Bowsers Pet Products beds at home, and the boys are in luxury on the road too. We take the microvelvet mats both in the car and wherever we spend the night - whether a motel, tent or someone's home. It gives them something familiar to have in a strange place, protects our hosts' carpets from grubby dogs, and protects the dogs from grungy motel carpets! We have them in Ocean Blue/Granite which coordinates nicely with our blue car, but they come in a great range of colors which are shown at Bowsers' website. You can see in the photos above and below how comfy they were in the car, while allowing a firm enough base to allow even Muddy to stand up and look out of the window. The Mats machine-wash wonderfully - ours still look like new after several times through the laundry.
We've also used them in our tent, pictured here on a camping trip in Wisconsin. Temperatures were in the 40s (in August!), so, despite their "we have FUR!" protests, I made Muddy and Willie sleep with their cosy fleece blankets too.
Muddy didn't want to get up in the morning, he was so content, and, as you can see, we cleared everything out of the tent except him and his bed, before he decided to join us outdoors!
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO
LEARN MORE, OR TO BUY
LUXURY QUILTED MATS
DOG RAMP. It's not much use having all these luxuries and safety contraptions in the car if you can't get into it in the first place. For several years, Muddy needed a ramp to get into the car, and when his shoulder arthritis got worse, we used it to help him get out painlessly too. A passer-by once remarked that Muddy looked like royalty, emerging elegantly from the car down his ramp.....well, some people did call him the Prince of Dogs. We tried several different ramps, and we have now settled on the excellent lightweight and non-slip ramps made by Solvit Products.
Taking photographs of your dog going up the ramp into the car isn't something you think to do, so unfortunately we don't have any photos of Muddy using the ramp. Willie occasionally needs it though most of the time can still jump in the car; we'll try to get some photos of him using it.
There are three choices so please Contact Us and we will help you decide which one is best for your needs. We have also put together a comparison chart which may be helpful.
Solvit makes three ramps we like, depending on your vehicle.
The UltraLite Bi-fold Ramp on the right, which measures 62” x 16” x 4”, is Solvit’s most economical model and the lightest full-size ramp on the market. It weighs only 10 lbs, yet supports over 200 lbs. It has rugged, all-plastic construction, high-traction walking surface and four rubber feet to provide sure footing for your dog. As the name suggests, it folds in half for easy storage. It may be too steep when used on a taller vehicle such as an SUV.
If you need a longer, stronger ramp, the Deluxe Telescoping Ramp, shown below, may be the solution. This is the ramp we have for our Subaru wagon. It measures 39 to 72” long x 17” x 4”. Weighing just 13 lbs, and supporting over 400 lbs with no bending, it's the lightest and strongest pet ramp available. The telescoping design is infinitely adjustable from 39” to 72”: use it fully extended for SUVs, pickups, grooming table, etc, or shorten it when space is limited or when the upper surface isn’t as high (bed, couch, or minivan). It has th
e same high-traction walking surface and four rubber feet as the Bi-Fold Ramp. The ramp also includes a convenient carry handle, and safety release latch to prevent accidental opening.
And if you need one that's even bigger, the Deluxe “XL” Telescop
ing Ramp is 45% bigger. It extends from 47 to 87” long x 20” x 4”, weighs 18 lbs, and still supports over
300 lbs with no bending. The extra size provides a more gentle climbing angle and extra walking space to help dogs reach high elevations, so if you have a very high vehicle, this one's for you. It’s still very compact, making it easy to use and store.
Taking photographs of your dog going up the ramp into the car isn't something you think to do, so unfortunately we don't have any photos of Muddy using the ramp. Willie occasionally needs it though most of the time can still jump in the car; we'll try to get some photos of him using it.
There are three choices so please Contact Us and we will help you decide which one is best for your needs. We have also put together a comparison chart which may be helpful.
Solvit makes three ramps we like, depending on your vehicle.
The UltraLite Bi-fold Ramp on the right, which measures 62” x 16” x 4”, is Solvit’s most economical model and the lightest full-size ramp on the market. It weighs only 10 lbs, yet supports over 200 lbs. It has rugged, all-plastic construction, high-traction walking surface and four rubber feet to provide sure footing for your dog. As the name suggests, it folds in half for easy storage. It may be too steep when used on a taller vehicle such as an SUV.
If you need a longer, stronger ramp, the Deluxe Telescoping Ramp, shown below, may be the solution. This is the ramp we have for our Subaru wagon. It measures 39 to 72” long x 17” x 4”. Weighing just 13 lbs, and supporting over 400 lbs with no bending, it's the lightest and strongest pet ramp available. The telescoping design is infinitely adjustable from 39” to 72”: use it fully extended for SUVs, pickups, grooming table, etc, or shorten it when space is limited or when the upper surface isn’t as high (bed, couch, or minivan). It has th
e same high-traction walking surface and four rubber feet as the Bi-Fold Ramp. The ramp also includes a convenient carry handle, and safety release latch to prevent accidental opening. And if you need one that's even bigger, the Deluxe “XL” Telescop
ing Ramp is 45% bigger. It extends from 47 to 87” long x 20” x 4”, weighs 18 lbs, and still supports over
300 lbs with no bending. The extra size provides a more gentle climbing angle and extra walking space to help dogs reach high elevations, so if you have a very high vehicle, this one's for you. It’s still very compact, making it easy to use and store. Safety Note:
all the ramps are designed for use at the back of the car; please
don't try to use them at the side doors, as (unless you have a van with
sliding doors) there isn't enough room for the ramp to sit squarely and
flat. This means you sometimes have to be creative about finding the
right parking space!
Training your dog to use the ramp: Muddy took to his ramp quite easily, but some dogs may need to be introduced to it more gradually. We suggest using a high value treat - or whatever you usually use to entice your dog to learn new behaviors. Pieces of hot dog (organic, with no preservatives, of course!), chicken, or roast beef work well in this household, but some dogs find a squeaky toy or a bouncing ball more exciting.
Training your dog to use the ramp: Muddy took to his ramp quite easily, but some dogs may need to be introduced to it more gradually. We suggest using a high value treat - or whatever you usually use to entice your dog to learn new behaviors. Pieces of hot dog (organic, with no preservatives, of course!), chicken, or roast beef work well in this household, but some dogs find a squeaky toy or a bouncing ball more exciting.
First, open the ramp out to its full length, and lay it flat on the ground. Encourage your dog to walk along it, using treats (or whatever you're using) to tempt him (or her) as necessary. (Since we have male dogs, I'll use "he" and "him", with apologies to the girls). Don't try to physically force your dog onto the ramp, but keep him on a loose leash and let him sniff as much as he wants before walking on the new surface. You might lay a trail of delicious treats along the length of the ramp so that he barely notices he's walking on it. Use lots of praise as he walks along the ramp, and reward him with another treat at the other end.
After doing that a few times (until he's walking over it without hesitation), gradually start elevating one end of the ramp to get him used to an incline. If you have one or two steps anywhere in or around your house, or a small hill or mound in your yard, you could lean the ramp against those for a very gentle slope; other options might be your dog's bed, or a brick, block of wood, log, or small stepstool, or even a large dictionary or encyclopedia! Just make sure the ramp is solidly supported and can't wobble or fall. Use the same technique to entice the dog up the ramp, and remember to help your dog off the other end so he doesn't have to jump down, especially if he has arthritic shoulders or elbows, or any neck issues. If your dog's allowed on the furniture, you might progress to using a sofa, armchair or your bed for a little more elevation!
Once he's comfortable with using the ramp for gentle inclines, you should be ready to try the car. We suggest having the car outside for this next step, with plenty of space at the back so your dog has room to approach the ramp comfortably, in a well-lit area (preferably in daylight) so he can see his way clearly into the car. Once again, use the treats as encouragement. If your dog wears a harness, a gentle hand on the harness to guide him up the ramp might help his confidence, but don't pull on a leash or collar if he's reluctant to move forward. Walk alongside the ramp with him as he walks up it; your presence will help him feel secure that he's not going to fall off. Once he makes it up the ramp into the car, give him lavish praise and more treats or a game with his toy. If he enjoys car rides, take him for one immediately as a reward!
It's important to give your dog time to adjust to the feeling of the ramp. Some dogs may go through the above steps in one session. Others may need to progress over several days or separate training sessions. If you break it up into several lessons, briefly repeat the previous exercise as a reminder. Keep the sessions light and cheery, and don't get frustrated if your dog doesn't take to the ramp right away. Patient repetition and encouragement, and positive associations (like treats and praise) will eventually teach him that good things happen when he goes up his ramp.
If your dog is watching his weight, don't forget to reduce the size of his meals to allow for all the training treats!
ROAD TRIP TIPS. Between Muddy, Willie and Tarka, the dogs have traveled almost 12,000 miles by car in the past year or so. We haven't managed to pack any more lightly, but we are prepared for just about any emergency! The photo on the left shows Muddy ready to leave on our 2009 Taos trip.
What we take, and what goes where. First of all, the car is packed to the gills, but we try to keep the dog space only for dogs, so that means most of the gear is in the rooftop cargo box, or on the passenger seat beside me. We fold the rear seat flat in our Subaru WRX wagon, so they have plenty of room to relax. In the front passenger seat area is everything we might need for a day's driving: water, leashes, dog treats, human snacks, maps and directions, camera, wallet, cellphone, any clothing I might need for our walks at rest stops, a folding shovel (in case we get stuck in the snow), a sleeping bag (in case we can't shovel our way out of the snow and have to spend a night in the car), a lantern, a couple of old towels to dry off the dogs if necessary, and anything else that won't fit in the cargo box (that includes my skis, on our annual trip from Chicago to Taos, NM). When Muddy was alive, the dog ramp was also stored in front of the passenger seat. Behind the back seat I keep a couple of tie-out stakes in case we have a flat tire and need to get the dogs out to get at the spare. And yes, I can change a tire if I need to: my great friend Sandra Giltner and I once changed a tire on a rental car, about 30 miles from Albuquerque, where we had planes to catch, in seven minutes flat. I might be a bit slower on my own, but I know how to do it.
Room for dogs. The dogs have the whole back area, though, as you'll see from the photo on the right, I have been known to squeeze a small overnight bag or two into a corner and they haven't complained. They have their travel mats for comfort, and their portable water bowl (see above, or the Accessories page), which leaves plenty of room for them to relax. Willie settles down and usually doesn't move unless he is ready for a break; Tarka, like Muddy, likes to watch the view from all windows, and moves around a bit, especially if we're on slower roads, but for expressway travel he also settles down and snoozes. He hops up as soon as he senses the car slowing though.
Dog essentials. The rooftop cargo box is crammed with everything we need for the journey. Of course my luggage takes second place and the dogs have several bags with their supplies for the trip.
First, needless to say, is food. They're on a raw food diet so we travel with several days' supply in a cooler. I usually separate enough for a couple of days, along with their supplements and a can of sweet potato, into a small cooler that I take into our lodging each night. In winter we just leave a large, soft cooler, with the rest of the food, in the cargo box overnight, where it stays frozen. As you can see, there was no problem with that on our latest trip, where we
encountered freezing rain between Oklahoma City and Kansas City, and had to chip the ice off the cargo box and the car. We can remove as much as we need to defrost each day and thaw it in our motel room or inside the car, if we're on the road, and we take along a plastic container or sturdy freezer bags for this purpose. In summer, we pack the food in the cooler with lots of ice packs. Hopefully we stay overnight in a room with a working freezer and can refreeze the ice packs overnight. If not, we buy a bag of ice and empty it into the cooler. But even with lots of ice, the meat will thaw fast in hot weather, so we suggest only taking enough for 3-5 days if you're traveling in summer.
encountered freezing rain between Oklahoma City and Kansas City, and had to chip the ice off the cargo box and the car. We can remove as much as we need to defrost each day and thaw it in our motel room or inside the car, if we're on the road, and we take along a plastic container or sturdy freezer bags for this purpose. In summer, we pack the food in the cooler with lots of ice packs. Hopefully we stay overnight in a room with a working freezer and can refreeze the ice packs overnight. If not, we buy a bag of ice and empty it into the cooler. But even with lots of ice, the meat will thaw fast in hot weather, so we suggest only taking enough for 3-5 days if you're traveling in summer. Dog extras. They also travel with plenty of toys, a couple of grooming tools in case I get inspired to brush or comb them, or trim their toenails (none of this usually happens, which is fine with them). We also take a first aid kit with us consisting of some basic homeopathic remedies.
Water? Some dog owners travel with water from home but drinking water in strange places has never seemed to affect my dogs so we don't bother - we just take enough to have in the car.
Human gear. I try to separate my own clothes into two bags: one with just enough clothes and toiletries for the driving part of the trip, and the other with everything I'll need once we arrive. That way I don't have to do much unloading and reloading a our nightly stops.
Let's go! The first morning we leave on a trip, I don't usually walk them at home because they are so excited that all they want to do is get in the car. If I can get them to pee before getting in, I do, but often they are just frantic to go. So we stop about an hour out for a walk and breakfast. They don't seem to mind eating out of plastic containers, and the first walk of the drive always seems to be a thrill for them.
Walks and pee breaks. I usually try to give them a break every 3-4 hours (with Muddy it was every two hours as he stiffened up so much, with his hip dysplasia). Interstate rest stops are great for walks and picnics, and there are usually special dog walking areas, but since I travel alone with my dogs I rarely pee myself at the rest stops, because I've heard so many horror stories of dogs being stolen from cars. I don't know if these stories are apocryphal, but I don't think it's worth the risk. I don't know if dognappers hang out at rest stops waiting for attractive dogs, but I assume that if people see you walking your dogs there's more likelihood of them being stolen. 
So they pee at rest stops but I usually wait to go until a gas station or McDonalds (and that's ALL I do at McDonalds, except buy the occasional plain cheeseburger as a special treat for the dogs for being such good travelers). You can run in and out fast and the bathrooms at McDonalds are ALWAYS on the right! If it's hot, there may not be much walking, as you can see from the photo below of Muddy and Willie, who found a nice breezy spot in the shade and decided to relax for a while.
So they pee at rest stops but I usually wait to go until a gas station or McDonalds (and that's ALL I do at McDonalds, except buy the occasional plain cheeseburger as a special treat for the dogs for being such good travelers). You can run in and out fast and the bathrooms at McDonalds are ALWAYS on the right! If it's hot, there may not be much walking, as you can see from the photo below of Muddy and Willie, who found a nice breezy spot in the shade and decided to relax for a while.Dog friendly lodging. We stay with friends whenever we can. It's a great opportunity to visit people we don't see very often, and it's much nicer than staying in a motel. But it's pretty easy to find dog-friendly motels, and there are quite a few online resources. GoPetFriendly is a very useful site that provides a wide range of dog-travel related information, from lodging and restaurants, to activities and services for your dogs and dog travel tips. Other sites with pet friendly lodging information are petfriendlytravel.com and dogfriendly.com. Some motels have a small extra charge for dogs, others don't. Best Westerns and Days Inn are pretty reliably dog-friendly, and Holiday Inn Express is decent. Sometimes I book ahead, but other times I'm not sure how much progress I'll make and just have an idea of where I might stop, so I take a list of places in a couple of cities. Once I decide where I'm stopping, I call ahead to book a room. Please also check our Forum Travel page, where there are additional recommendations from other canine travelers!
Below right, Muddy and I spent one night in a Ramada Inn, somewhere in Kansas, which had a huge empty space outside our room. It became the hotel "ballroom" - lots of room to play! 
Once in a while, if you feel like splurging, you can find some luxury dog-friendly hotels. In Chicago, for instance, the Four Seasons allows dogs. We also stayed once at the Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe, which is lovely, and they even arranged a dog sitter so Muddy didn't have to be crated when Marc and I were out for dinner. We don't travel with a crate anyway - all my dogs have hated crates, probably because they all spent time in shelters. I don't leave the dogs alone in the room (other than to unload the car), and will usually order out, or continue with my car snacks (which gets pretty tedious on a long trip).
We had a couple of funny moments at the Inn of the Anasazi. The dogsitter tried to take Muddy for a walk while Marc and I were out at dinner. The only problem was, we didn't go "out" because the Inn has an excellent restaurant. Muddy apparently knew we hadn't left the premises and refused to go for a walk. Muddy had refused to play ball too, so the sitter was a little pouty when we got back to the room. The next morning as we were getting ready to leave, we called the bellman to take our luggage downstairs. This was Muddy's first road trip and he was a little anxious we were going to leave him somewhere. As the luggage cart disappeared down the hall, Muddy decided the safest thing was to stick close to the bags. He dashed out of the room, just missed getting in the elevator with the bellman, and ran down the stairs to meet the luggage in the lobby. After that first trip, Muddy got over his fear of being left behind, and became a very relaxed, happy traveler.
Exercise. It's hard to get them enough exercise on the road. You can get decent walks at the interstate rest stops, but of course you don't usually want to waste too much travel time.
If you're staying in a motel, there are usually not many places to walk once you arrive at your nightly destination, as so many motels seem to be next to a gas station or fast food restaurant, but sometimes you can find a vacant lot or small park nearby. Often you just end up on a patch of grass at the back of the motel parking lot. Where nobody else has bothered to pick up poop, so step carefully.
Willie and Tarka both love being out in the countryside, so we try to find green spaces for them to enjoy. Muddy never cared about finding green space; he was an urban dog and loved wandering around motel parking lots, gas stations and other not-very-pleasant places.
On the last day of our drive to Taos in 2010, we only had a five hour drive, so we weren't in a hurry. My friend Sandra told us about some very nice trails beside a frozen reservoir, just south of San Luis, Colorado, and we stopped there for a lovely walk. Tarka looked very much as if he wanted to run across that frozen expanse, so was not allowed off-leash as I didn't know if the ice was safe. Willie enjoyed wandering along the trails among the chamisa and sagebrush.
I'm lucky that Willie and Tarka are great little travelers, just as Muddy was. They may be a little confused and wonder where we're going, but they always seem ready for an adventure, and just trust that if they're with me, everything will be alright.
