Traveling for the Holidays

Traveling for the Holidays with Your Dog

Creating Calm Through Car Travel, Safe Spaces, and Special Christmas Treasures

Holiday travel tends to start with good intentions. We picture cozy moments, happy reunions, and our dogs quietly fitting into the scene. But for many dogs, the holidays often arrive with a very different set of experiences; long car rides, unfamiliar smells, disrupted routines, busy houses, and people who don’t always understand what they need.

Most holiday stress behaviors don’t come from “bad dogs.” They come from dogs who are overwhelmed and trying to cope the only way they know how.

At my daughter's house, Azul and resident dog Finn do not always get along. Simply put, they don't trust each other, fearing the other will start a fight especially when excitement rises to higher levels. To help them both feel safe, we keep a barrier fence between them most of the time. They love to go on walks together and even ride in the car together as long as they have separate sections of the car.

When you have two dogs who don’t feel safe around each other, it’s critical that everyone in the household understands the rules. Not just the main caregiver. Not just the dog trainer. Everyone.

The dogs and I stayed at my daughter’s house for a day and a half before my husband arrived. During that time, there were zero issues. Everyone knew where the dogs were, who was managed where, and how movement through the house worked. Because of that, things stayed calm.

That changed the first night my husband was there.

He went upstairs to bed and took Azul with him, not realizing that Finn had free roam of the upstairs area. At the top of the stairs, around a blind corner, Azul and Finn came face-to-face unexpectedly and it immediately exploded into noise and chaos.

What happened next is not something I would ever recommend, and it is absolutely not a situation where a child should be involved. But in our case, my grandson, who is only in first grade, reacted before any of the adults in the area did. (I was on the main level of the house, running towards the explosion of noise.) He stepped between two dogs that both outweighed him and physically pushed Finn back into a bedroom.

Let me be very clear: this should never have happened.

While my husband stood frozen in shock that an incident had even occurred, a child took control of a situation that never should have existed in the first place. And yes, it still makes me angry. This was preventable. It happened because an adult who should have known better wasn’t thinking through the environment or the potential problem areas.

The number of ways this could have gone wrong, resulting in injury to the dogs, to adults, or to a child, still runs through my head.

Needless to say, on night two, Azul did not go upstairs to bed with my husband. He stayed downstairs with me, where I could ensure proper management and prevent another incident.

This wasn’t a training failure.
It was a planning and communication failure.

And it’s a powerful reminder of why clear rules, shared responsibility, and proactive management matter, especially during the holidays, when routines are disrupted and homes are busy.

The goal of traveling with your dog during the holidays isn’t perfection. It’s helping your dog feel safe, grounded, and supported, even when everything around them feels new or intense. Azul and Finn both feel better with a barrier between them. You can't see the barrier very well in this picture, but we keep a gate or collapsible fence between them at all times. They are fine being very close to each other, even sleeping beside each other, as long as the barrier remains between them.

Belle can be on either side of the barrier, spending time with both Azul and Finn. The fence we use is adjustable so the setup depends on what is happening. I can build a small square in the corner giving my dogs a large playpen area without blocking the whole living room off. Or I can spread the fence out creating a blocker between the living room and dinning rooming to make sure all dogs have a space to interact with lots of people on either side.

The Car Ride Sets the Emotional Tone

For many dogs, the holiday experience begins the moment the car door closes. The sounds change. The movement changes. The expectations change. And if your dog doesn’t travel often, or if this trip is longer than usual, the car can be a place where big emotions show up fast.

Some dogs vibrate with excitement. Others shut down. Some get motion sickness, anxiety, or become restless and vocal. These reactions aren’t random. They’re information. They tell us how prepared (or unprepared) our dog is for what’s coming next.

This is where preparation really matters. When dogs have opportunities to practice short, low-pressure car rides before a big trip, they learn that not every ride ends in chaos or overstimulation. The car becomes familiar again instead of emotionally charged.

Safety in the car plays a huge role here too. Dogs who are crated or securely restrained tend to settle more easily because they aren’t constantly trying to balance, brace, or anticipate sudden stops. A well-fitting harness, a seatbelt system, or a crate doesn’t just protect your dog physically, it helps regulate their nervous system.

Azul and Belle are seasoned travelers. They’ve made this trip with me every month or so since they were babies, which means we’ve had time to figure out what actually works.

Our favorite potty stops tend to be gas stations that are busy, but not too busy. I look for places with plenty of grassy areas to walk and, if we’re lucky, a small dog park. When possible, I plan travel times with lighter traffic, but I still want enough people around for safety. I also choose stops with security cameras, and I always let my husband know where I’ve stopped and when I’m getting back on the road. Traveling solo as a woman means taking a few extra precautions but those same choices also help my dogs feel safer.

I focus on stops that meet everyone’s needs: potty breaks, stretching legs, food if needed, and a chance to reset. We also follow a very specific, but flexible, routine. I go to the bathroom first while the dogs wait in the car. Then the dogs get their sniff and potty time, followed by gas or food if needed.

The only exception is when there’s a dog park involved. We don’t socialize with unknown dogs at dog parks, so if another dog is in the space, I may grab food or fuel first to give them time to leave. If the dog park is busy or doesn’t feel right, we skip it entirely and head to a quieter grassy area for long, sniffy walks instead.

What still surprises me, though, is how often I see people letting dogs out of the car off leash at gas stations. Between traffic, unfamiliar dogs and people, and loud semi trucks with air brakes, there are simply too many hazards for that to ever feel safe to me. Even a well trained dog can get spooked in a new place with so many potential distractions to catch a dog's eyes, nose or ears.

Thoughtful planning matters. Choose your stops wisely, give everyone regular breaks, and prioritize safety, for yourself and your dogs, every step of the way.

The arrival matters just as much as the drive. Many dogs struggle most during transitions. Stepping out of the car into a brand-new environment can feel like sensory overload. Giving your dog time to sniff, observe, and decompress before heading inside can dramatically change how the rest of the visit goes.

Since we visit my daughter's house often, Azul and Belle are always in a hurry to get inside to see people so we do a quick potty and go in with a plan to go back out and sniff around the farm a short time later. But when traveling to a new place, we definitely take more time outside sniffing before going inside. Dogs can gather tons of info about what they are going to find inside the house by sniffing the cars and grass surrounding the house. So be sure to give them this processing time and allow them to get some energy out of their system before expecting calm greetings inside.

Safe Spaces Are Not Optional

No matter where you travel, your dog needs a place where nothing is asked of them.

A safe space is more than a bed in the corner. It’s an agreement between you and your dog that they are allowed to step away from the action without consequence. It’s where their nervous system gets to rest.

Familiar smells are powerful. A blanket from home, a favorite mat, or a crate that already means “relax” can make an unfamiliar house feel manageable. Even dogs who normally settle anywhere can struggle when surrounded by new people, new pets, and new routines.

Where you place that space matters. High-traffic areas, doorways, and loud gathering spots make it hard for dogs to truly rest. Many dogs do better when they can either watch the activity from a distance or fully retreat into quiet.  Azul and Belle prefer to be close to the action, but have a safe space where sleep can happen without fear of being stepped on or needing to interact with people. There’s no right answer, only what works for your dog.

And connection still matters. If your dog is resting in another room, especially in a house you’re visiting, they still need time with you. Sitting quietly together for a few minutes can do more to reduce stress than any training cue.

This is another natural place for your stories—times you noticed pacing, restlessness, or misbehavior disappear once a dog had a clear place to settle.

Special Christmas Treasures Can Change Everything

The holidays are full of stimulation, and dogs need healthy outlets for all that energy and emotion.

Chewing, licking, sniffing, shredding; these aren’t bad habits. They’re natural stress-relief behaviors. When dogs don’t have appropriate ways to do them, they’ll find their own solutions, and those solutions are rarely things we appreciate.

This is why planning special holiday enrichment is so powerful.

A frozen lickmat while gifts are being opened. A long-lasting chew when the house is full. A snuffle box during meal prep. These aren’t distractions, they’re tools that help dogs regulate themselves during the busiest moments of the day.

Saving these “treasures” for the times they’re truly needed makes them even more effective. They become predictable signals of safety and calm rather than just another toy.

In multi-dog households or group settings, enrichment always needs to be paired with management. Distance, barriers, or supervision prevent conflict and allow each dog to relax without worrying about competition.

I stopped at the pet store bringing 3 types of fresh, human grade, wet food for 3 of the busiest days of my trip, plus some freeze dried kibble to use as treats and the high value jerky for rewards for doing SD tasks in the very distracting environment that is my daughters house. And if that wasn't enough, I also had several clients give Azul and Belle special, long lasting chews and edible sticks for Christmas so I brought those along so they could have a special treat somewhere in the day if/when chaos started to happen.

Calm Is Built Before It’s Needed

Traveling with your dog during the holidays isn’t about reacting to problems as they happen. It’s about anticipating stress and putting support in place early.

When we think ahead about the car ride, create safe spaces, and plan intentional enrichment, we give our dogs the best chance to succeed. Not because they owe us good behavior, but because they feel safe enough to offer it.

If you’d like help organizing everything you need for holiday travel, I’ve put together a detailed packing list to make preparation easier.

👉Holiday Travel Packing List for Your Dog

A calm holiday doesn’t happen by accident. It’s something we build, one thoughtful choice at a time.

If your holiday is not going as planned or you have a minor incident as we did with human who didn't plan ahead, you can still access the The 12 Days of Christmas Planning for more tips and tricks that can help your holiday feel safe, calm and happy for everyone!