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Happy Tuesday guys! Over the next two weeks, we are traveling a ton. I will be heading out west to photograph a wedding, then we have a family wedding reception at the beach, Brandon has some out of town work, and sometimes we get to tag along on his trips, not to mention-lake season is coming which means we’ll be heading to the lake as many weekends as possible! One thing that I am most excited about for these trips is taking our dog with us! Last year when we traveled, we either weren’t headed to very dog-friendly places, and so she didn’t get to travel with us. This winter we took her to the lake a few times, but soon we’ll have our first big trip with Shelby. While I was getting ready, I thought I’d put together a list of things we’ve found that make traveling with our pup easier, and make sure you read all the way to the end to find out how you can win PetSmart gift cards!
hover over the photo above to shop Pro Plan!
1. Good Dog Food- It didn’t take very long for me to realize the importance of choosing a high quality food for our dog. A good dog food can help your dog live longer, keep them active and healthy, keep their fur shiny and soft, keep them at a healthy weight, and so much more. We have been feeding Shelby Purina® Pro Plan Savor for over a year now and are so happy with it. One time I made the mistake of giving her something else, and not only did she not eat it as well, but it ended up messing with her stomach…and my carpets. Yikes. Going on vacation is an even more important time to stick to food you know and trust since you won’t be at your own home and want your pup feeling their best. I also love that Pro Plan comes in different varieties tailored to my dogs needs, check out how many options they have in my PetSmart store-
We use the Pro Plan Savor Shredded Grain Free, and Shelby loves it, so it was perfect when I got the chance to work with PetSmart and share with you some of the great deals they have going on right now, especially if you like buying the big bags like I do. Right now at PetSmart, when you buys $20 in participating products, you can upload your receipt to the Save a Fortune Site get a $5 PetSmart gift card. You can combine this offer with the coupons you can win in their Instant Win game and get some really amazing deals, and while your first receipt needs to reach $20, any subsequent purchases can be less than $20 in eligible products, but can still add up This is definitely a time to be stocking up, it last from 4/3/2018 through 5/18/2018 which gives you plenty of time to stock up for summer travel!
2. A Clip-able Leash- Here’s something you are going to thank me for telling you about- both on vacation and when you are home. There are so many leashes out there, but the only kind I will ever by again is the kind that have this little clip on the loopy part where you hold it so that you can clip it to something to keep your dog in place. We use this all the time. If we’re out in the front yard and I have her on the leash and I need both hands to do something, I can clip her to something for a second while I pick up what I dropped, and then come back and get her again. If we’re at the lake or the beach, I can clip it to my beach chair to make sure she doesn’t run off. If you have a dog and don’t have one of these, buy one. It’s a game changer.
3. Portable Food and Water- When we got Shelby, my Aunt bought us one of the portable water bottles for dogs (picture above). This thing is awesome- it’s got a water bottle on the bottom that won’t leak, no matter how you tip it (believe me, my boys have tried) with a bowl on top. You simply squeeze the water bottle part and it fills the bowl. It’s a great way to pack water for your pup, especially for a hike or on the beach, without being worried about it spilling or needing somewhere to pour it for your dog.
We also like taking her food in a more portable container. Like I said before, we love Purina Pro Plan, and we like getting the best deal by buying it in the 24lb bags, but those aren’t the most convenient for taking on the road. Sometimes we’ll pre-portion her food into Ziploc bags for each day, which ensures that we take enough for the trip, or we’ll buy a smaller size bag, like this 12lb bag. Keep reading to find out how you can win PetSmart gift cards that you can use to get Pro Plan!
4. A Carrier or Crate- If your dog is older or really well trained, you might be able to get around this one, but because Shelby is still very much a puppy, we don’t trust her being loose in a hotel room or at our family’s homes if we leave her while we go to dinner or something. Our dog get separation anxiety and even though she is so good when we’re around, she isn’t as trustworthy when we leave, so it’s safer for us to crate her when we’re gone. Her crate is also like her own little bedroom, she goes there to relax or sleep or lay down a lot, so it gives her somewhere familiar and comfortable when we travel. Bringing a crate isn’t really possible if you’re flying with your dog, but I’m guessing that if you’re flying with your dog, you probably are bringing a dog small enough to fit in one of those soft carrier crates, so you’ve got an easy-to-pack alternate.
5. Toys!- We try to always bring along toys for Shelby to play with in the car if it’s going to be a long ride and to keep her feeling at-home when we’re away. They’re also great for getting energy out. Purina® sent us this super cute box with a toy for Shelby, a cute doggie scarf, their Purina Tarot cards, and a sample of Purina®’s Bella meals, which Shelby loved. The little red bone was a great toy from her to play with in the van and carry around. We also love taking tennis balls with us so that we can play fetch and wear her out wherever we travel to.
6. Identification- No one wants to lose their precious pup, but of course we always want to be prepared for anything. When we are out of town, we never take Shelby’s collar off of her and we always have her i.d. on there with our phone number on the back. Getting your dog chipped is also a great idea, but this another additional protection that if she got away from us and someone found her, they can call us right away.
Like I mentioned before, PetSmart has some awesome deals going on, but they also are running an Instant Win Sweepstakes, and you can enter every day! You can play The Paws of Fate game and could win Instant Prizes like Petsmart Gift Cards, as well as being entered to win grand prizes like a Dream of Fortunes Dog Bed worth $2,145 and other awesome prizes.
So, do you have travel in your fortune? I’d love to hear what your favorite places to travel to with your dog are and how you’re stocking up for your trip. I know I’ll be headed to PetSmart again this month to earn another $5 gift card by stocking up on Pro Plan!
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