When traveling with dogs it’s always important to consider safety first. Options include crating your dog, using a pet safety belt, or lining the boot of the car with towels and blankets. It’s important that your dog is not bouncing around in the car or interfering with the driver. If possible it’s good to have passengers in the back seat to keep your dog calm and still. Neither of my dogs has ever been crated and they get very upset over being restrained, so While it might not be ideal, I always have someone sitting in the back seat with the dogs to help keep them calm. Toyota has been kind enough to let me drive a 2014 Sienna XLE for a few months, and the extra room we have in the van has makes it much easier to travel with the dogs.
Last Tuesday I took Lilly into Augusta for grooming at Petco. The leg room in the Sienna is so generous, that I was able to fit one of our dog beds onto the floorboard behind the driver seat. Lilly is usually very hyper during car rides, but having her little bed to lay in made her feel safe and secure. It was nice to see her so relaxed during the ride. It was a real change from our previous travels.
Can you believe there is enough leg room in the Sienna to fit a medium size dog bed?
Lilly has such a thick coat of fur. I let it get extra long since we’ve had a colder than normal winter, but it was definitely time for a trim. It will grow back quickly.
Neither of my two dogs travels well in the car. Winston gets car sick rather quickly and Lilly usually stays excited for the entire ride. There are a few things that I always bring when traveling with dogs.
towels and blankets
wet wipes
water bowl and fresh water
chew toy
It’s important to not feed your dog right before a trip. I feed Winston and Lilly a few hours before a car ride, to give their tummies a chance to settle. Since there is always still a risk of car sickness, I put towels down on the floor of the vehicle and keep extra towels and wet wipes on hand. I love that the leather seats in the Toyota Sienna XLE are easy to clean. Also, the dogs pant a lot in the car and are always thirsty by the time we have reached our destination, so I bring along a bowl and some bottled water for them. Having your dog’s collar, leash, and current rabies tag is important for pit stops along the way.
Lilly looks so different without all that fur. She was being such a camera ham for my daughter who was taking pictures from the back seat with her iPad. In my other vehicle it would have been impossible to get a decent pictures while moving. The Sienna has such a smooth ride, allowing for clearer pictures and an opportunity to better document our road trips.
The extra room the Sienna provides, along with the smooth ride, makes it easier for us travel with the dogs. Lilly’s trip for grooming last week went so wonderfully smooth. She was incredibly relaxed, and I didn’t have the distraction of worrying about her. I have a feeling that Winston and Lilly will be included on many more road trips in the coming months while I am driving the Toyota Sienna.
Do you have any tips for traveling with pets?
Follow along with @aboutamom on Twitter and Instagram over the next few months to catch all the #SiennaDiaries fun.
I am participating in a sponsored campaign with Toyota. Al thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I can’t seem to get out shihtzu to stay in one spot while in the car. We have to crate him with all the luxuries we can stuff it with. I’m just nervous if we get into an accident, he needs to be as stable as possible.
Looks Like Two Different dogs!!! She So Pretty!!
You have a picture of your dog with long hair and then with short hair. Your dog is so cute! I always make sure to have my dog with someone in the back seat to make sure he does not get thrown. It is so important to keep the dog safe while traveling, and taking the dog bed like you did is a great thing to do.
Our 5 month old lab hates riding in the car. He’s just a big baby LOL!
My mom needs one of these for her car. I hate knowing that she drives with her dog in the car just sitting where ever. I will have to check into getting her a bed for her car. It doesn’t have as much room as the Sienna but maybe someday.
i love that little seat! keeps their hair in too, so it doesn’t spread all around the car
I was too scared to put our dogs in the van when we had it lOL. She is a doll. Our’s don’t travel too well, they get so jittery.