Weekend Packing List

The drive

Seat protection, a defined riding spot and a tether handle the outbound leg. Keep a towel in the trunk — wet dogs are a weekend certainty.

• Seat cover
• Booster or carrier
• Seat belt tether and harness
• Old towel for paws and coats

Food and water

Portion meals into bags before you leave rather than carrying a full container. Bring more water than you expect to use; unfamiliar taps and long stretches without a spigot are normal.

• Pre-portioned meals plus one spare
• Collapsible bowls for food and water
• Bottled or jugged water for the road
• A small bag of familiar treats

The room and the paperwork

Bring one familiar item that smells like home — a mat or blanket — and put it down first. It gives your dog somewhere that is theirs in a room that is not.

Keep vaccination records and your veterinarian's number accessible on your phone, plus the address of an emergency clinic near where you are staying.

• Familiar mat or blanket
• Leash, spare leash and waste bags
• First aid case
• Vet records and nearest emergency clinic saved offline