Brodie the Goldendoodle and his owner, Cliff Brush Jr., love traveling together and documenting their adventures on Instagram, where Brodie has over 500,000 followers. Here are Cliff’s tips for taking your dog on your travels.
How did you get Brodie used to traveling?
I started him out very young as a puppy. As part of the desensitization process, I would take him for car rides to get him accustomed to being in moving vehicles. The main factor that has made travel so easy for us is the trusting bond we’ve built. Brodie trusts me and will happily go wherever I go. He knows I’ll keep him safe and is much less concerned with outside stimuli if he’s by my side.
Would you ever take Brodie with you somewhere internationally?
Yes! I’ve been trying to coordinate an international trip. However, traveling internationally as a human is difficult enough, and adding an animal brings in many more restrictions, like required quarantining for them. When travel restrictions ease up, we will definitely make a trip. Right now, Tokyo is No. 1 on our list!
We know Brodie is always meeting new fans. Does he ever get anxiety? If so, how do you combat this?
Brodie thrives on attention. He is happiest when he’s surrounded by people fighting for his love (and he has plenty to give). When his fans want to show affection, he more than welcomes it. This is different from dog to dog, and many dogs will be overstimulated with crowds or groups of people talking to them at once. Slowly introducing them to these scenarios would be ideal for most pups.
What do you bring with you on trips to ensure Brodie is safe in all weather conditions?
We always bring a pair of dog goggles. Brodie loves hanging his head out of the window, and these help protect from him wind and debris. They also protect his eyes from UV light, just like our sunglasses provide protection for ours. I also bring a dog backpack carrier. Brodie has a lot of fluff, so this makes some terrain a nightmare for his grooming. We avoid tall grass, mud, and filthy city streets. However, if I’m up for the workout, I’ll carry him around in it. When we went to Zion National Park in Utah, I did a small hike with him in the carrier.