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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Aw, those little faces! I have been debating getting a puppy, and posts like yours just about put me over the edge! It won’t be long, I’m sure…
Your doggies are so cute! That car looks like it is nice and spacious for everybody.
That is a lot of leg room! Our pooch just lays at our feet (he’s very good in the car) sometimes crawling beneath the seats to ‘visit’ other family members 🙂
Awww, I love the after picture, hhow cute!! Great tiips on traveling with dogs… I always just let mine hop in the back but they were pretty crazy.
Your little dog is really cute!! And your doggies also looks very comfy!
Aw what cutie pies!!! Our little Ruger loves to go on rides, short ones though. After awhile he gets antsy, hahaha!
Adorable dog! I love that there’s a lot of room in that backseat. My 5 ft 11 in daughter and son would love all that leg room!
what an awesome doggie bed- perfect for the car!!
Your pups are cute! I have no advice. I’ve only traveled with my cats once and we crated them.
My dog hates getting in the car. When I take her somewhere she just lays down on her bed and stares at me. She’s a little crazy. Your dogs are precious!