Bringing your Dog...

I’ve heard Love’s allows them in shower rooms. I’ve had my dog with me since 2016 and I’ve never taken her in to a truckstop. She stays in the truck while I go in.

 

Just make sure your truck will stay idling or has a good APU.

 

What mitrucker said

Leave the pup in the truck withe the heat or a/c on. They’ll be fine. I’ve been taking my pups on the road with me for years & never had an issue.

One good rule is if you get out of the truck, they do too. So after you get loaded up or emptied out you go for a walk, get fuel…go for a walk, etc…

 

And be prepared the sniffing all over the truck stop. I take my little sausage dog if I'm just around town picking up a load. Let him out at the truck stop and he goes nuts Lol

 

So much to investigate.

 

Dog is like - someone peed here! Also here! And here!

 

I carried my 35 pound dog with me for 3 years. I would take her for walks, and we would play outside, I never took here inside a truck stop. I was home every weekend so bath time for her was at home. A very few truck stops have pet washing stations. I carried a 2 gallon pump-up garden sprayer to wash dirty feet or tummy, but that was rare. She was an inside dog, who just wanted to watch me drive or nap. Everything about bringing her along was easy except unexpected layover if the hotel was not pet friendly or a long repair if the shop/driver lounge was not pet friendly.

Don't ever consider sneaking your pet without company permission. Other drivers or something else will uncover your secret and companies often treat an unauthorized pet the same as a hitchhiker, terminated ASAP. Having the dog with me was so much better than the time I drove solo without a dog. The dog was on her leash before a truck door was ever opened. You do not want to deal with half of your dog getting run over.

 

Every time I went to CA, I got grief from some commie do-gooders thinking I locked my dog inside a hot truck. It didn't matter the truck was running and the AC was set to "Ice Station Zebra" setting. I even had one do-gooder knock on the door of the truck while I was backed into the loading dock, getting loaded while I was inside the truck with windows up and A/C blowing. My dog hates strangers and lets them know. "That's right, girl. That woman is a POS. Good girl. Who's a good girl?"

 

There is a very well documented thread on here someplace about dogs in showers.

 

Don't forget that it's just as easy on the road for a truckers dog to gain weight as it is for a trucker.

Watch out for the occasional loose dogs at truck stops too.