*Special thanks to Radisson RED for sponsoring today’s post! As always, all opinions are my own*
Since yesterday was Valentine’s Day, I got to thinking about love and the things and people that I love. When it comes down to it, there are two things that I LOVE more than anything on the planet: traveling and my dog, Loki. Speaking of Loki, not only was yesterday Valentine’s Day but it was also Loki’s birthday (he turned two!). Although I’ve always been a big traveler, ever since graduating college in 2014, I’ve found myself traveling more than I ever have in my entire life. In 2016 alone I traveled to Florida and California multiple times, Washington D.C., St. Louis, Indiana, the Bahamas, Amsterdam and Paris (TWICE!). Yup, traveling is definitely one of my favorite hobbies! You know who else loves to travel? Loki! Over the past (almost) two years, I’ve learned a few things about what to do and what not to do when it comes to traveling with pets. Here are my top six tips for traveling with your dog: 
1. Prep Your Dog By Taking Several Short Trips Beforehand. If you’re taking your dog on a long three hour road trip, make sure they’re prepared by taking them on several short trips beforehand, especially if they’re not used to being in the car for long periods of time. That way, your dog can get used to the feeling of being in the car.
That’s Loki’s “Are we there yet?” face!

2. Make Sure Their Craft is Nice and Comfy. Crates are the best option to ensure your dog’s safety when traveling, especially in the car. Always make sure to select the right size crate for your dog. Loki loves having his soft tsum tsum blanket in his crate while he’s in the car. He always loves having his bunny with him (it’s his comfort item!).

When we first adopted Loki from PAWS Chicago back in 2015, we brought bunny with us and they’re been best buddies ever since (in fact, it’s the only stuffed animal he doesn’t rip apart!).

3. Have a “Travel Kit” On Hand. Whenever we take Loki on long car trips (or even when we take him to our local dog park), we always make sure he has his little “car kit.” (And yes, Loki is a boy and his travel kit is a pink Disney princess bag!). We always make sure to pack him a travel bowl, water, his leash, some snacks and treats, any medicine he’s taking and a doggie first aid kit.

4. Avoid Feeding Your Dog Right Before a Long Trip. I’ve found that it’s best not to feed your dog a lot before a long trip because they can be prone to motion sickness. I remember the first time Loki rode in the car for more than 30 minutes, he had just eaten lunch and let’s just say, his lunch was all over the car by the end of the trip.
Can you tell how excited he is? Loki LOVES going on long car rides!

5. Never Leave Your Dog Alone in the Car. Regardless if the weather is nice outside, it’s NEVER okay to leave your pet in the car alone. Even with the window cracked open, the car can quickly turn into an oven, and your dog will get dehydrated. 

6.  Make the Destination Worthwhile For Your Dog. Nothing beats stretching my legs after a long car ride/trip and the same thing can be said for your furry friend. All of the stress of a long car ride is instantly forgotten when I see the smile on Loki’s face when we finally reach our destination!

Although I’ve only gone on staycations with Loki (the farthest he’s traveled is less than two hours outside of Chicago), I think he’s finally ready to take the next step: staying in a hotel! When it comes to pet-friendly hotels, nothing comes close to Radisson RED. Radisson RED is the perfect place to stay with your dog! At Radisson RED, each dog gets its own kit with everything from a Fatboy Doggielounge to an adorable bandana to keep them styling’ (talk about pet-friendly!). Speaking of the Fatboy Doggielounge, you can WIN one of two red nylon Fatboy beds by posting a dog travel photo to Instagram using the hashtags #BAXTERTRAVELS and #CONTEST. The contest will run from February 10 to February 24, 2017. 

Do you love traveling with your dog? Make sure to enter the Radisson RED #BAXTERTRAVELS #CONTEST for a chance to win one of two red nylon Fatboy beds!