There’s an interesting new study out about traveling with your dog, Americans, their pets, and the way we travel—and one number immediately jumped out at me:

73% of pet owners surveyed said they would choose a road trip over flying specifically so their pet could come along.

I LOVE that.

After training more than 8,000 dogs and spending decades helping families create better lives with their dogs, I’ve watched the role of the family dog change tremendously.

Our dogs aren’t simply pets waiting for us at home anymore.

More and more, we want them living life with us.

That means family vacations, weekends away, camping trips, hotels, and a good old-fashioned road trip with a dog.

A 2026 survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Subaru surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults who drive and own dogs and/or cats. The results say a lot about just how deeply our animals have become part of our everyday lives—and how much they are influencing the way we travel.

 

Table of Contents

1. We Are Changing the Way We Travel Because of Our Pets

2. Wanting to Travel With Your Dog and Having a Dog Who Can Travel Are Two Different Things

3. Dog Training for Travel Creates Freedom

4. Your Dog Needs More Than One Kind of Walk

5. A New Generation Is Taking the Dog Along

6. Is Your Dog Ready for the Hotel?

7. And Sometimes the Dog Should Stay Behind

8. Train the Dog for the Life You Want to Live

9. Frequently Asked Questions About Traveling With Your Dog

10. About the Research

 

We Are Changing the Way We Travel Because of Our Pets

According to the survey:

• 45% of pet owners have turned down travel because they couldn’t accommodate their pet
• 73% would choose a road trip instead of flying specifically so their pet could come along
• 47% feel guilty when they leave their pet behind
• 47% worry about their pet’s wellbeing while they’re away

That worry is even changing the length of our vacations.

Thirty-one percent of those surveyed limit their trips to only one or two days because of their pet, while another 37% are comfortable being away for a few days but start becoming uneasy beyond that.

And this may be my favorite finding:

Among owners who bring their pets with them, the number-one benefit was simply peace of mind.

• 51% said peace of mind was the biggest benefit
• 43% loved seeing their pet experience new places
• 39% valued the additional bonding time

I understand that completely.

Dog-friendly travel can be wonderful.

But there’s another side to this conversation that we, as dog owners, need to talk about.

 

Wanting to Travel With Your Dog and Having a Dog Who Can Travel Are Two Different Things

Bringing your dog on vacation isn’t automatically easier than leaving your dog at home.

The dog has to be prepared for the life you’re asking him to live.

That’s where dog training for travel becomes so important.

When we talk about having a “trained dog,” I want people to think beyond whether your dog knows:

• SIT
• DOWN
• COME
• PLACE

Those skills matter.

But traveling with a trained dog requires so much more than a list of commands.

Can your dog:

• Ride quietly in the car for several hours?
• Get out at a rest stop, potty, load back into the car and continue on his way?
• Walk through a busy hotel lobby without dragging you toward another dog?
• Ignore a rattling luggage cart?
• Ride an elevator?
• Walk past excited children?
• Settle quietly while you eat dinner?
• Sleep comfortably in an unfamiliar room?

And perhaps one of the most overlooked skills of all:

• Can your dog do absolutely NOTHING?
• Can he lie beside you at an outdoor café and watch the world go by?
• Can he hang out on the hotel balcony while you drink your morning coffee?
• Can he relax while everyone else is talking?
• Can he simply JUST BE?

Those skills may never win your dog a ribbon.

But they are some of the most valuable skills we can teach—especially if you want a dog who can comfortably travel with you.

 

Dog Training for Travel Creates Freedom

I’ve said some version of this to clients for years:

A well-trained dog gives you choices.

You can:

• Stay in a hotel together
• Visit family
• Eat on the patio
• Walk through town
• Spend the day at the beach
• Take a road trip with your dog
• Drive across the country
• Explore somewhere completely new

And sometimes you can simply sit together and do absolutely nothing.

That’s real freedom with a dog.

At Aly’s Puppy Boot Camp, we aren’t interested in creating little robots that simply perform commands.

We’re preparing dogs to understand how to make responsible choices in a human world.

And we’re teaching the humans on the other end of the leash how to clearly communicate what they need from their dogs.

That’s what dog training for travel is really about.

When both sides understand their responsibilities, the world gets a whole lot bigger.

 

Your Dog Needs More Than One Kind of Walk

Travel is also a wonderful example of why we teach our clients that there isn’t just ONE kind of walk.

At Aly’s Puppy Boot Camp, we teach four:

• The Pack Walk
• The Precision Walk
• The Sniffy Follow the Dog Walk
• The Adventure Walk

Your Precision Walk might be exactly what you need to navigate a crowded hotel lobby.

Later that morning, you might pull out your long line for a Sniffy Follow the Dog Walk on a beautiful trail.

I learned this activity from Nelson Hodges, and the premise is wonderfully simple:

• You truly follow the dog.
• If he stops, you stop.
• If he goes, you go.
• You don’t talk.
• You don’t direct.
• You allow him to sniff, explore and JUST BE.

That afternoon might include an Adventure Walk through a town you’ve never visited before, while the evening could end with a quiet Pack Walk together.

Different environments require different expectations.

They may require different tools.

And they certainly require different skills.

That is real-life dog training.

And it’s a huge part of how to prepare a dog for a road trip and all the adventures that come with it.

 

A New Generation Is Taking the Dog Along

The generational differences in the Talker Research survey were fascinating.

In the previous five years:

• 75% of Gen Z surveyed had taken their pet on a road trip
• 70% of Millennials
• 58% of Gen X
• 40% of Baby Boomers

I think that tells us something important about where dog ownership is headed.

Increasingly, people aren’t building a life and then figuring out where the dog fits.

The dog is part of the life they’re building.

Hotels.

Restaurants.

Road trips.

Camping.

Beaches.

Family visits.

Weekend getaways.

The dog is coming along.

Dog-friendly travel is becoming part of everyday life for more families.

And if we’re going to ask our dogs to participate in more of our human world, we have a responsibility to prepare them to navigate that world successfully.

 

Is Your Dog Ready for the Hotel?

The study found that finding pet-friendly accommodations was the biggest travel challenge for pet owners, cited by 41% of respondents.

Other challenges included:

• 41% — Finding pet-friendly accommodations
• 36% — Planning stops around their pet’s needs
• 28% — Anxiety or restlessness in the car

So before your next trip, don’t only ask:

“Does my hotel allow dogs?”

Ask:

“Is my dog ready for the hotel?”

If the answer is no, you now have a training goal.

If you’re wondering how to prepare a dog for a road trip, start small.

• Take a 30-minute drive and go somewhere unfamiliar
• Practice settling in new environments
• Work on pottying away from home
• Practice loading and unloading from the car
• Help your dog become comfortable in a crate away from home
• Appropriately expose your dog to elevators
• Practice around automatic doors
• Introduce strange surfaces
• Work around new noises
• Practice around people moving nearby

And practice doing nothing.

These seemingly simple exercises are what turn traveling with your dog from something stressful into something both of you can enjoy.

Don’t wait until your big vacation to discover what your dog doesn’t know.

 

And Sometimes the Dog Should Stay Behind

Living life with our dogs does not mean our dogs need to go everywhere.

Sometimes the destination isn’t appropriate for your dog.

Sometimes your itinerary won’t be enjoyable for him.

And sometimes, no matter how beautifully trained your dog may be, the dog simply can’t come.

That’s responsible dog ownership, too.

And for our Aly’s Puppy Boot Camp alumni, that time apart can actually become an opportunity.

Many of our alumni return to us while their families travel.

Some come for a Training Tune-Up, where we:

• Brush up on their skills
• Work on anything that may have gotten a little sloppy at home
• Take them on fun outings
• Practice their training out in the real world

A dog training tune-up can be a wonderful way to use the time your dog is away from you to sharpen skills he already knows.

Others come for our Socialization Camp, where the emphasis is on a fun-filled stay here with us:

• Appropriate socialization
• Play
• Exercise
• Enrichment
• Time enjoying their dog friends

So while you’re off having your vacation, your dog can be having a pretty great vacation of his own.

For families considering dog boarding while traveling, there is tremendous peace of mind in knowing your dog is staying somewhere familiar, with people who know him.

The goal was never:

“My dog goes everywhere.”

The goal is:

“My dog and I have choices.”

 

Train the Dog for the Life You Want to Live

After training more than 8,000 dogs, I can tell you that most people don’t come to us because they’ve dreamed their entire lives about having a dog who can hold a perfect DOWN.

They have a picture in their heads of life with their dog:

• Morning walks
• Grandchildren
• Trips to the beach
• Coffee downtown
• Family vacations
• Camping
• An RV trip across America
• Sitting together on the porch
• Growing older together

That’s the dream.

Training is what helps make that dream possible.

Whether your dream is traveling with your dog, taking a weekend road trip, camping together, or simply having a dog who can comfortably join you for coffee downtown, prepare your dog for the life you want to share.

So when I read that 73% of pet owners would rather get in the car than get on an airplane if it meant their beloved animal could come along, I smiled.

I understand it.

Pack the bags.

Load the car.

Grab the leash.

Bring the dog.

But first…

Train the dog for the life you’re asking him to live.

That’s where the adventure really begins.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Traveling With Your Dog

1. How do I know if my dog is ready to travel?

A travel-ready dog doesn’t need to be perfect, but he should be able to:

• Comfortably ride in the car
• Walk politely in unfamiliar environments
• Potty away from home
• Settle when nothing is happening
• Sleep in a new environment
• Recover appropriately from new sights, sounds and experiences

Your ability to communicate with and manage your dog is just as important as the skills your dog knows.

Traveling with a trained dog should feel manageable for both ends of the leash.

2. How should I prepare my dog for a road trip?

If you’re wondering how to prepare a dog for a road trip, start with shorter car rides and gradually introduce your dog to some of the situations you expect to encounter.

Practice:

• Loading and unloading
• Potty breaks away from home
• Walking through busy areas
• Settling at your feet
• Crate time in unfamiliar places
• Simply relaxing while the world moves around him

3. Should I take my dog on every vacation?

No.

A beautifully trained dog still doesn’t need to go everywhere.

Consider:

• The destination
• Weather
• Activities
• Travel time
• Accommodations
• Your individual dog

Sometimes traveling with your dog is wonderful.

Sometimes leaving him with trusted caregivers is the better choice.

4. What can my dog do at Aly’s Puppy Boot Camp while I travel?

Our alumni can return to us for either a Training Tune-Up or Socialization Camp, depending on their needs.

A dog training tune-up includes refreshing training skills and fun real-world outings.

Socialization Camp focuses on an enjoyable stay here with appropriate:

• Play
• Exercise
• Enrichment
• Socialization with dog friends

For families looking for dog boarding while traveling, both options provide a way for your dog’s time away from you to be purposeful and enjoyable.

5. Why is dog training important for travel?

Good dog training for travel gives both you and your dog more choices.

A dog who understands how to behave and make responsible choices in different environments is easier and more enjoyable to include in everyday life.

Training isn’t simply about obedience.

It’s about preparing your dog to successfully live in our human world.