Life Lessons We Learn from Traveling with Dogs

When I ask my friends what they want most out of a vacation, their answers always are “fun” and “relaxation.” When I ask myself what I want out of a vacation, my answers are those and the excitement of seeing something I’ve never seen before. You know what? That’s what dogs like. They like exploring new places, sniffing and processing new things, learning about their environment and playing. They also love relaxing.

There are some life lessons we can learn when traveling with our pets if we take a moment and stop looking at the GPS on our phones, worrying about time, and just Be. Just watch your dog as you both walk around a new place, watch your dog’s nose moving about, the tail wagging, and the pure excitement. Then think about how when we are in “Go Mode” we miss all the good stuff. Our dogs might be tiny buddhas.

7 Life Lessons From Traveling With Our Dogs

Breathe Deeply to Relax

Allow the fresh air and wind blowing in your face and through your hair to be pure ecstasy. Take deep breaths and feel the wind. It can be incredibly refreshing.

Make Time to Nap

Look at the puffball on the floor curled in a ball and not caring at all that there’s no cell phone reception in the bed and breakfast. Follow suit and make time to nap, recharge, and relax. You’re on vacation, for pete’s sake!

Eat With Enthusiasm and Eat Well

We feed our dogs high quality pet food and keep learning about better brands, better mixes, and probably feed our dogs better than ourselves. When traveling with our dogs, we make sure they still receive the same high quality diet. Keep yours high quality too. Try new fresh foods, avoid the fast food to eat while driving, and eat with passion.

Sniff It Out

If there’s a new activity you want to do but have some hesitancy, check it out before committing. You may have thought sky diving was a great idea but if you have some cold feet, slow down and think it through.

Be Yourself

Our dogs don’t act that differently in new places. They may show if they are unsure or excited to be somewhere but they are who they are through and through. Don’t worry about what others think of you. Just be you.

Remember Your Manners

Dogs will sit, stay, and not jump up at home. They may sometimes forget. But if you’ve trained your dog well, it’s clear that it doesn’t matter if you are home or in a new hotel. They remember their manners. You should, too.

Just Pee On It and Walk Away

Sometimes there are moments we’ll be faced with on our travels that could be tense – like arguing over an incorrect bill, a bad interaction with someone, or an undesirable stop along the way. Look at your dog and see that no matter what troubles s/he has, sometimes the best thing to do is just walk away. We don’t recommend literally peeing on anyone or anything, however. After all, it’s not legal…

What life lessons have you learned from traveling with your dog?