How a golden retriever by your side can change how you see the world
Woman’s Best Friend (and Travel Companion)
Note from Brandy: Happy New Year! This piece is about one of my favorite topics: dogs 😍. What better way to kick off the new year and thinking about our travel goals and dreams than imagining hitting the road with our pups? Alex is just the coolest and Nash is the cutest; I hope this brings a smile to you today.
In the past few years, we’ve become more comfortable hitting the road with our dogs in tow. Platforms like Airbnb reported increases in pet stays, and many hotel chains in the U.S. adapted to the increase in dog ownership by offering more amenities or pet-friendly rooms.
But beyond the statistics, what is the experience actually like? We talked to Alex Bocci, who’s been traveling across the U.S. with her 5-year-old Golden Retriever, Nash. Now based in Whitefish, Montana, Alex first got Nash pre-pandemic while living in an apartment in New York City.
She shares how Nash changed her travel experiences for the better:
A change of plans
"I gave up my NYC apartment at the end of 2020, and we hit the road in January 2021. We were traveling up until I officially moved to Whitefish in September 2022.
Nash was always involved in everything I did, even while living in NYC. We would go to pet-friendly bars! Traveling was just another aspect of our lifestyle, and a natural progression.
I had decided to move out to Utah for a few months — not just a weekend trip, but packing up the car for two to three months. It was a no-brainer that he would come with me. I didn’t know I would then stay on the road for two years!”
Road tripping, hungry bears, and other logistics:
“I’ve fashioned my travels around road tripping. It’s expensive and tricky to fly with a dog, especially a big dog, and the car is much more comfortable. I feel very self-sufficient in my 4Runner. I can bring all the gear I need for myself and Nash, and the seats fold down, so we can lay his bed there.
Over the summer, we do a lot of camping, but in Montana you do need to be mindful of bears! Finding dog friendly accommodations in general requires more research, patience, and a slush fund, because there is almost always a fee. I found a lot of benefits from certain hotel chains, especially extended stay hotels.
I’ve been working remotely this entire time, so my logistics are informed by my work as much as Nash. For example, I also need good wifi.
Once you do it one time, you start to figure it out and know what to look for — you have that mini checklist in your head. Also if you’re going to the same places frequently, it’s easier to pack for there. Nash has a go-bag with essentials.”
Very early family planning
“I thought through a lot of these travel logistics before I got Nash. I intentionally got a dog that was known for being social, friendly, athletic, so he can go do all these things with me. By function of being a smaller Golden Retriever, he’s very versatile as a canine travel companion.
I knew when I was getting a dog that I didn’t want to drastically alter my lifestyle, but it’s also my responsibility to make sure Nash has a kickass life. I want to make sure travel is as much for me as it is for him.”
A real life teddy bear:
“I’ve traveled with friends, a significant other, by myself, but traveling with Nash feels different because there’s a constant source of familiarity and comfort.
I feel more comfortable and confident scoping out new places when I have him in tow, such as a hike or a brewery. Even going to new cities or states I haven’t been to!
If I’m staying at a hotel and working remotely, he’s a constant source of comfort and companionship. My purpose of travel has expanded, and he makes it feel more fulfilling.
If he’s with me, I can feel at home. It doesn’t matter if I’m in Montana, Utah, or wherever — if Nash is with me, it still feels like home.”
Nash > Bumble BFF
“I joke about this, but the way I meet friends now is through my dog.
One of my favorite examples is when I was working in a coffee shop with Nash in Bozeman last spring. This couple asked if they could say hi — they were excited because they had a three-month-old Golden Retriever at home. I didn’t know anyone; they barely knew anyone. They needed to socialize their dog but because she was so young, but couldn’t really take her anywhere. I said I was there temporarily, but Nash loves puppies, so we organized a puppy play date in their backyard. They’re now two of my best friends.
Being with Nash allows the chance to talk to people in a more temporary or casual way, like on a walk or at a bar. It’s also an easy thing to coordinate plans around, or ask people for tips, or get to know an area. I’ll ask people what are the best dog friendly hikes, is there anywhere he’s allowed to go swimming, or any bars or restaurants that are pet-friendly? It’s been a great way to get to know a place.
I would rather spend my day with my dog included, so I orient myself around those types of places.
I also feel 100% safer traveling with him in all situations — whether alone, with friends, with a boyfriend, camping, in a hotel, or in an Airbnb. His bark can be pretty scary.”
The hardest part about traveling with Nash:
“My guilt. (laughs)
There’s been a few instances where I’ve had to travel for work, and it’s harder to figure out if I have friends around to watch him, or if I need to make other accommodations. Or I have a bachelorette party, a wedding, I need to go home… I’m always asking myself if it’s driveable, can he come, or does he have to stay? There’s a lot of logistics and sometimes cost involved in that.”
Alex’s Top Tips for Traveling with Your Dog:
Think about your goal of what you want to get out of the experience. “That makes it easier to pick and choose between activities. Are you going to be structured or go with the flow? That’ll determine how much you do or do not need to prep. Personally, it has made my life easier to make my car fool proof in terms of what I need to pack.”
Be thoughtful in how you pack and some of the situations you might encounter. “For me, essentials are his bed (which has made it more comfortable to travel 10+ hours at a time), his toys, his day to day gear, and a safety kit with some of his medicine. You don’t always have readily available access to a vet, so I use Chewy’s telehealth service, Connect with a Vet, all the time.”
Do a training course. “Nash was well-trained generally, and had good etiquette and manners from living in the city and me taking him to our office for two years. Can your dog adapt to other environments? I did a training course earlier this year and that helped a lot with helping to control Nash in other environments, because you meet a lot of people and dogs. Consider if training will make life a little easier.”
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