If you’re planning a campervan trip with your dog and are wondering what items and equipment they’re going to need, then please read through this blog post where we’ll list all of the items that we take for our dog, Lottie, when we’re on the road!
One of the very best things in our opinion about travelling in a campervan is that your furry best friends are able to come along and experience the amazing times with you!
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For us, one of the main reasons for travelling in a motorhome was so that we could bring our cockapoo dog, Lottie, with us. We want to give Lottie the best life ever, and for us that means that we want to share our travel experiences with her, because we know how much she just loves exploring new places as much as we do!
We are currently travelling full time in our motorhome around the UK and Europe with our dog and so we thought that we would share what we bought for Lottie, for anyone who is wondering what to bring for a campervan trip with your dog.
Essential items for a campervan trip with your dog
Animal Health Certificate
An animal health certificate is a new document, as of January 2021, required for pet travel around Europe and Northern Ireland, and this came into place after Brexit. An animal health certificate is a document that must be issued by an official vet. The cost of the animal health certificate will vary depending on which vet you go with, so it is worth shopping around and getting a few different quotes from different vets in your area to ensure that you get the best price.
An animal health certificate must be issued no more than 10 days before you travel and it lasts for 4 months of onwards travel across the EU from the date of issue and you are able to add up to 5 pets. When you take your pet to a vet’s to get an animal health certificate you will need proof of their microchip and vaccination history.
If you would like more information about the animal health certificate or taking your pet abroad, then here is the link to the Gov website – Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad: Getting an animal health certificate – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Food
You will need to take enough of your dog’s food and treats to last for your trip. Please be aware that if you are travelling to Europe with your dog on the Eurotunnel, you are not supposed to take any meat with you or bring back to the UK and this includes in dog food, however, when we travelled on the Eurotunnel, we were not checked either way for the food that we had in our motorhome!
Something to secure your dog when you are driving
It’s really important to keep your dog secure whilst you are driving, for their safety and for yours. You could use a crate or a cage or you could use a dog seat belt, which is what we use. We have a bed for Lottie which sits in between our two captain seats, and the bed includes a dog seat belt so this helps to keep Lottie secure, whilst also keeping her comfortable on long drives, and she also loves being able to sit up front between the two of us!
This is the seat that we have for Lottie in the van. It has a seat belt to keep her secure and it also has clips so that you can attach it to the car seat. She absolutely loves it!
Coat
If you are travelling in the winter time or to a cold destination, then it’s a good idea to take a coat to keep your dog warm if they need it. We also take a terrain suit for Lottie which works great at keeping her clean when we go out for big walks, which is always helpful when travelling in a campervan or motorhome as you don’t want lots of mud all over your van!
Lead / Harness
As you would when you take your dog out anywhere, you will need to bring their harness / lead.
Tracker
You may want to consider getting a tracking device for your dog if you are travelling around the UK and Europe. It is every pet owners worst nightmare for their pet to be lost, so a tracking device helps to give some peace of mind when you are travelling in unfamiliar destinations.
We use an apple tag which we have attached to Lottie’s collar. You can set the apple tag up on your phone so that you can track your pet and also receive notifications when they have been left behind.
This is the apple tag tracker that we have on Lottie’s collar so that we can track her whilst we’re travelling.
This is what we have attached to Lottie’s collar to hold the Apple tag.
Microfibre Towel
A microfibre towel is handy to dry your dog if you have been out in the rain or they have been swimming in the sea or in a lake! It helps to minimise the mess and wet dog smells in your van!
A microfibre towel is great for dogs to dry them off after a rainy day out.
Bed
Your dog will need a comfy bed to sleep on, unless like Lottie, they just jump into your bed with you in the night!
Toys
Your dog will need their favourite toys to keep them entertained on your travels.
First aid kit
We bought Lottie a first aid kit, just like a human one, and it has been really handy to have. It is important to take care of our pets when they are ill or they get injured, just like we would ourselves.
This is the first aid kit that we use for Lottie and it has been so handy to have on our travels, we want to keep her as safe and healthy as possible!
Medication
If your dog has to take any medication then it’s important to remember to take this on your trip so that you can continue to take care of their health.
Grooming
If your dog is anything like our Cockapoo, Lottie, then they will require regular grooming. We take shampoo, brushes, tooth brush and all of the equipment that we use to groom Lottie and keep her fur as clean and tangle free as possible whilst we’re on the road.
Wipes
Wipes are one of the most essential items that we use for Lottie on our travels. We wipe her feet when we get back in the van when she’s been out, especially on wet and muddy days, they help to keep her clean quickly and efficiently without the need to shower her and also help to keep our van clean.
These are the wipes that we use for our dog and we love them because they’re compostable and also hypoallergenic.
No-Slip Bowls
No-Spill Bowls are an essential item for dogs travelling in vans. It helps to make sure their water and food are not spilling out onto the floor when you’re driving.
This is the no-spill bowl that we use in our van for our dog and it is great, no spills at all and she gets on great with it.
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You can take a look at some of our other van life posts which include lots and lots of hints and tips on all things van life here – Van Life – Travel Information, Hints, Tips and Advice (threeasabird.com)
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I have always wanted to travel and luckily I always got to travel to some amazing countries while I was growing up with my family and this really encouraged me to continue this and get out into the world on my own when I was older.
My goal growing up was really to see as much of the world as I could, but then I started going to work and really concentrating on my career and travel took a back seat. I still tried to get away a few times a year but I always knew there was an end goal which was to travel as much as possible.
So I got my head down and worked as hard as I could as an e-commerce manager. I have always been techy, I love computers and websites, so that’s where it gave me the idea to start this blog and also have my own web design agency. If you want to check it out or need any help then please take a look rrwebdesign.co.uk (shameless plug there)
But after covid, we both knew this was now the right time to take the leap and go and see the world after being trapped inside our house and working from home for a couple of years. We realised more than ever that you only get one life and you really need to make the most of it and do what you love!
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