Essentials
Bring enough water and food on your trip. It’s important that German Shepherds have consistent access to water, especially as it gets warmer. Your buddy will want to drink more than in the winter months. Several products on the market make that easy. Water bottles with attached drinking bowls are available in outdoor stores and online. It makes it easier to give your German Shepherd a quick sip here and there, without having to set up a water bowl each time. These work great wherever you go, let it be hiking, on the beach, in the car or wherever else. You can have 16 fluid ounces available for easy access while keeping the rest of your water in your car or backpack.
In terms of food, kibble is obviously easiest to manage while on the road. If you’re feeding raw, an alternative during a trip can be freeze-dried raw food, which is available commercially. However, if you’re considering using alternative food during your trip, make sure to have tested that food at home way ahead of time so you know your dog likes it and it doesn’t give him the runs.
First Aid
Prepare and bring a good first aid kit for your dog and yourself. Things can happen when you travel and it’s good to be prepared. As German Shepherds have long fur, make sure the bandages you bring will stick to your dog’s body. Here are some other things that are important to have in your first aid kit: saline solution to wash wounds and eyes, vetericyn wound spray to disinfect injuries, paw cream, a tick removal tool, two or three tourniquets, Benadryl as a first aid for snake bites and some pill pockets to feed them to your German Shepherd, noni bio bandage to keep wounds clean, 70% rubbing alcohol in case you need to bring down a fever. I also recommend taking a good first aid course for dogs to learn how to use all equipment correctly.
