Do you travel for long periods with your dog? 🐕‍🦺🌎

I have been traveling and I am sometimes away for a month at a time. This means I need to do some grooming on the road with my Newfoundland, Jibe. If you do not have a double coated breed, your list will be shorter than mine, but anyone traveling for a bit with a dog needs a few things just in case. I wanted to make sure I had things for regular maintenance, but also in case I ran into burrs or mud and couldn’t give her a bath. 

BTW I have run into burrs and needed quite a few things on this list. 🤣

Here is my list of must have grooming travel items for longer trips:

• Dremel - I use an actual Dremel with a DiamaGroove diamond bit from Whitman.
• Ear Cleaner- The Zymox line is one of my favorites. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
• Eye Wash - I just use sterile solution eye wash from the grocery store
• Hot Spot Treatment- Vetericyn is my favorite. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
• Rake/Comb- Livestock Comb. This is literally my favorite rake of all time. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
• Leave in Conditioner- I use Coat Handler all in one conditioner. I dilute it just enough to go through a spray bottle and I am uber generous when I put it on. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
• Self Rinse Shampoo - This is what is currently in my travel bag. (Amazon Affiliate Link)

I always bring dog towels (big beach towels) with me, again I have a newf. I used one of those towels as her grooming space outside. This was a great make shift space for us that doesn’t take up room in the RV. I was so happy when Jibe’s regular grooming procedures immediately transferred to the towel from her grooming table at home. I used my bait bag as her zen bowl and she immediately hit her standing grooming position and off we went! It was hot in Florida so she did offer a down and sit for a bit so I went with the flow and worked in those positions as well.

I cannot stress enough how important a grooming space context is for our dogs. This context of space gives a clear picture to our dogs that grooming happens here and that they will need to relax and hold positions (aka be still). All dog owners need to do some sort of grooming to their dog at some point. When a grooming space is trained then you can transfer this context anywhere to get the job done. This could be a show, vet’s office, groomer, hotel room, RV, a friend’s house…you get the point.  Here is an additional video resource about setting up a space with a Zen Bowl if you would like to check it out.

I included a video in this blog to show you my Dremel routine on the road outside our RV. I could never sustain a position on the ground forever, but for the short term this worked great.

I would love to hear from all of you on your must have doggie grooming travel items in the comments below or in our 4 Paws Adrift Facebook Group.

Happy Grooming!

Erica

Your Dremel Coach

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