Summer Travel Tips for Dogs: How to Pack Chews Smartly

Summer is the ideal time for road trips, but traveling with your dog requires preparation. From managing anxiety during long drives to ensuring your pet has safe, familiar items, packing smartly is key to a stress-free vacation.

The most overlooked item in a pet travel bag? Chews! The right long-lasting chew can be an invaluable tool for settling a nervous traveler, preventing boredom, and ensuring your dog feels comfortable in new environments.

What to Pack When Traveling with Dogs

When preparing for a long road trip, think about comfort, safety, and routine. Your dog's packing list should go beyond the basics:

How to Prepare Your Dog for a Long Road Trip

If your trip is longer than a few hours, preparation is crucial. Start training your dog weeks in advance to associate the car with positive experiences.

1. Positive Association: Start with short, fun drives ending at a park or with a favorite treat.

2. Crate/Harness Training: Secure your dog properly. An unsecured dog is a danger to themselves and others.

3. The Chewing Strategy: Introduce a special, high-value chew only when the dog is in the car and the engine is running. This creates a powerful positive association and manages boredom. We recommend an odor-controlled chew like a Bully Stick.

How to travel 12 hours with a dog?

To travel 12 hours with a dog, you must prioritize frequent stops (every 2-4 hours) for bathroom breaks and exercise. Keep your dog securely restrained in the vehicle, and offer a long-lasting, distracting chew, such as a Beef Cheek Roll, during periods of long driving to mitigate anxiety and restlessness.

What is the 7-7-7 Rule for Dogs?

The "7-7-7 Rule" is not a travel-specific rule but a concept often applied to rescue or adopted dogs. It suggests that a new dog needs 7 days to decompress, 7 weeks to start settling in, and 7 months to fully integrate into the home.

When traveling, remember that new destinations create similar stress. A long road trip or new hotel can feel like a new home. Help ease the transition with familiar comfort items like their bed and a favorite Pig Ear when you reach your destination.

How to Pack Chews Smartly: Hygiene and Freshness

The biggest challenge with packing natural dog chews is keeping them fresh and contained.

What is the best packaging for dog treats?

For your single-ingredient chews:

1. Original Packaging: If you are packing unopened bags, keep them sealed to maintain freshness and minimize odor.

2. Airtight Containers: For chews like Bully Bites, which have a strong scent, transfer them into a glass jar or hard plastic container with a secure, airtight lid. This locks in freshness and prevents odors from permeating your luggage.

3. Dry, Cool Storage: Never store chews in a hot car. Natural chews should be kept in a dry, cool place to prevent spoilage, especially if they are high in protein, like our Chicken Jerky.

Managing Anxiety and Boredom with Chews

Chewing is a natural, self-soothing behavior for dogs. Using the right chew at the right time is your secret weapon for travel success:

• During the Drive: Use Beef Gullet Chews or Sweet Potato Sticks. These are relatively low-mess and require focused attention, distracting your dog from the unfamiliar motion of the car.

• Hotel Quiet Time: Chews like Cow Ears provide excellent, focused activity to help your dog wind down in a strange hotel room, minimizing barking or nervousness.

Your Travel Chew Essentials

Make packing simple and effective this summer by prioritizing high-quality, long-lasting chews from Brutus & Barnaby:

• Bully Sticks (Great for high-anxiety travel)

• Beef Cheek Rolls (Long-lasting distraction for long drives)

• Sweet Potato Sticks (Low-mess, high-fiber, healthy option)