I’m learning that travelling with a dog changes everything.
Not in a dramatic, life-altering, put-it-on-a-mug kind of way.
More in the practical, everyday way.
You stop thinking only about where you want to go and start thinking about where your dog can walk, where the shade is, whether the campsite is too busy, how hot the pavement is, and whether there is a decent place for a potty break that does not involve standing awkwardly beside someone else’s picnic table.
Travelling with Pippy has made this RV trip more interesting, more thoughtful, and, honestly, a lot more fun.
She is small, but she has opinions.
Quite a few, actually.
This part of the trip has taken us to places I had never visited before. We reconnected with family friends. We took a ferry. We figured things out as we went. Some parts were smooth. Some parts were slightly less smooth. That seems to be how travel works, especially when you are still adjusting to RV life and trying not to look like the person who has to think too hard about every hose, cord, and campground instruction.
Which, for the record, I sometimes am.
Seeing New Places With a Dog Along
One of the things I love about this kind of travel is that it gets me into places I may not have visited otherwise.
Not big, flashy destinations necessarily. Sometimes it is the smaller places that stay with you. A quiet campground. A road you would normally pass by. A trail behind the site. A little town where you stop for something practical and end up enjoying the pause.
With Pippy along, I notice those places differently.
I am watching her take it all in too.
New smells. New sounds. New people. New dogs. New routines.
For a dog, every stop is a lot of information. For me, that means I have to be fair. I can’t expect her to walk into every new place and instantly behave like she has been camping her whole life.
Frankly, neither have I.
So we both adjust.
I try to keep the basics consistent. Walk. Water. Rest. Food. Quiet time. A bit of exploring. Then more rest.
It sounds simple, and it is, but simple does not mean automatic. You have to think ahead a little. That’s the difference between travelling with a dog and just bringing a dog along.
Reconnecting With Family Friends
One of the best parts of this trip was reconnecting with family friends.
There’s something grounding about seeing familiar people when you’re on the road. You get the adventure of being somewhere new, but with the comfort of people who already know some of your story.
And of course, Pippy comes with me, so she becomes part of the visit too.
Dogs have a funny way of doing that. They settle into the edges of conversations. They give people something to smile about. They make things feel a little easier.
Pippy doesn’t need to be the centre of attention, although she is not opposed to the idea.
She’s just there with me, part of the trip, part of the visit, part of the memory.
That’s one of the things I enjoy most about travelling with her. She changes the shape of the experience. I don’t just remember where I went. I remember where we walked, where she settled, what she noticed, and how she handled each new place.
The Ferry Ride
And then there was the ferry.
Taking an RV onto a ferry is one of those things that sounds perfectly straightforward until you are actually doing it.
You line up.
You wait.
You follow directions.
You drive on.
You park.
Then you sit there and realize your vehicle is now on a boat.
Apparently this is normal.
For Pippy, it was just another new thing to process. Different sounds. Different movement. Different smells. Different energy.
My job was not to fuss over her or turn it into an event. My job was to stay calm and let her follow my lead.
That’s something I keep coming back to on this trip.
Dogs don’t need us to make a production out of every new experience. They need us to be steady. If I act like something is a big deal, Pippy is smart enough to wonder why. If I treat it like just another part of the day, she has a much better chance of doing the same.
The ferry ride became one more little win.
Not dramatic.
Not perfect.
Just handled.
Those are the moments that build confidence.
Travelling With a Dog Is Not Complicated, But It Is Thoughtful
People sometimes make travelling with a dog sound either effortless or impossible.
I don’t think it is either.
It’s thoughtful.
You pack a little differently. You plan stops differently. You pay attention to weather, heat, shade, water, ticks, leash rules, and whether your dog has had enough rest.
You also have to be honest about your dog.
Not every dog needs to meet every person.
Not every stop needs to be an adventure.
Not every walk needs to be long.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your dog is give them a quiet place to rest while the world carries on around them.
That’s not boring.
That’s training.
And when you’re travelling, it matters.
A dog who can settle makes the whole trip better. For the dog, for the owner, and for anyone camped nearby who didn’t sign up for a barking soundtrack with their morning coffee.
What Pippy Is Teaching Me
Pippy has made me slow down on this trip.
I check in with her more than I probably check in with myself.
Is she comfortable?
Is she tired?
Does she need a break?
Is this too much?
Is she settling?
That might sound like a lot, but it has actually made the trip better. She gives the day a natural rhythm.
We walk. We look around. We rest. We move on.
There’s no need to cram every day full. There’s no need to prove anything. There’s no award for seeing the most things while dragging a tired dog through all of them.
Good thing, because Pippy would not be impressed by the trophy anyway.
The Part I’ll Remember
I’ll remember the new places.
I’ll remember seeing family friends.
I’ll remember the new people I met, not only from near and far.
I’ll remember the ferry, and the impromptu leash walking training lesson I gave to a couple with their little Scottie dog.
But mostly, I will remember the small moments.
Pippy looking out at a new place.
Finding a quiet walking spot.
Getting settled after a travel day.
Laughing at the parts that did not go quite as planned.
Feeling grateful that I get to do this with her.
Travelling with a dog is not always the easiest way to travel, but it’s my favourite way.
It asks more of you.
More planning. More patience. More awareness.
But it gives more back too.
More connection. More routine. More reason to slow down and actually notice where you are.
Final Thoughts
This trip is about new RV adventures, places I have never visited before, reconnecting with family friends, and a ferry ride.
But really, it’s a travelling-with-a-dog story.
Pippy and me, on the road, figuring things out as we go.
Some days confident.
Some days slightly confused.
Most days somewhere in between.
Honestly, that feels about right, and there’s lots more to come.
Karen Laws is a certified professional dog trainer, the founder of The Ontario Dog Trainer and the Dog Trainer TRIBE Training Academy. With decades of experience training dogs, educating people, and mentoring aspiring trainers, she is known for her practical, no-nonsense approach to helping both dogs and humans succeed.
Karen’s professional background includes education, public service, wildlife biology, competitive field dog work, and pet dog training. That combination gives her a unique perspective on behaviour, leadership, communication, and what it really takes to create lasting results.
Through her work with dog owners and developing trainers, Karen teaches far more than training exercises. She helps people understand the dog in front of them, improve their communication, and build the kind of confidence that leads to better outcomes in both training and business.
Karen is especially passionate about mentoring pet dog trainers who feel stuck and are ready to grow. Her message is clear, real, and grounded in experience: success in dog training comes from understanding behaviour, building trust, and being willing to do the work.
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