This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Autotrader; however,all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own

I cannot believe this is the 3rd year we are celebrating National Dog Day with our adoptive son! Olie, or our first born as we like to call him, is a light of our lives. We knew as soon as we got married we were going to adopt out first puppy together. After months of searching Houston area shelters and rescue groups, we finally found Olie. It was really love at first sight! When he first came into our lives, he had a terrible case of heartworms and was sick as a dog. He is really our miracle puppy and thrived despite his tough puppy start.

Since adopting Olie, our family dynamics have changed drastically. We adopted a cat, bought a house and lastly brought home a sweet baby girl. Our family is ever expanding and with that cars also came and went. To find the trusty family car that is also a great fit for our active lifestyle with a dog can be so challenging. To celebrate National Dog Day with Autotrader for the fourth year in a row, I am so excited to share with you an amazing tool Autotrader built to help you adopt a dog AND find the best car for your future best friend. We used Autotrader and landed on this Ford F-150 King Ranch during the family and dog friendly car search! Autotrader is the ultimate resource for researching, comparing and test driving family pet-friendly cars. They offered a huge variety of new and used car listings and much needed guidance on the best pet friendly models. If articles like “10 Great Cars of Dog Lovers” intrigues you, Autotrader is a great starting point!

As a part of their National Dog Day Celebration, Autotrade partnered with Adopt-a-Pet to find you find local adoptable dog you’ve been dreaming about through Dogtrader.com (such a clever name right?). I loved the informative articles on Dogtrader.com about pet preparation to help ease the transition. You may have seen us use a few of these tricks in our many road trips with Olie. In spirit of celebrating pet parenthood, today, I am sharing 3 tips to make your dog more comfortable on family road trips!

1 Keep a Doggie Bag Packed!

Since we travel often with our dog, we keep the basics in a canvas bag so we are always ready to go. A few treats and a collapsible water bowl goes a long way! It’s so easy to just grab it and throw it into the truck! We also keep a stake and collar light in the bag for occasions like camping or overnight trips.

2. #1 Car Accessory, A Back-Seat Hammock Cover

Olie likes to ride in the back to stretch out but also wants to be close to us. With a Hammock, he can comfortably lounge in between the front and back seat. Whenever the hammock is not attached to the front seats, it can still be used as a seat protector. It’s especially handy if you have leather seats!

3. Maps App is Your Best Friend!

Whenever your best friend needs a little scenic potty break along the way, the easiest thing to do is to look for State Parks, Nature Reserves or Scenic Overlooks on your maps app. I also use the satellite overlay to find woodsy park or hidden gems for a pit stop for our dog. We usually land on a purposeful rest area this way.

I hope this travel blog post has been helpful! It feels like every day is National Dog Day when we have Olie to spoil us! I’d love to know your pet adoption story! Head over to my Instagram this week and look for Olie pics to share your story and tell me how you celebrated National Dog Day!