Thanksgiving Weekend with the Dog in Chester County

Our Thanksgiving weekend with the dog in Chester County is five short outings spread over five days, with the longest one saved for Friday. Nothing on the list needs a reservation or a long drive. It is the routine we run all fall, stretched across a long weekend.

Ella is our dog, and the red Camaro is how she gets around. Below is what we do with the two of them, in order.

Wednesday: errands with the dog in the car

Wednesday is for the last grocery list and the last pickup. Ella rides along for the ones where she can stay in the car for a few minutes or wait with someone while we run in. We do not leave her alone in the Camaro, so any stop longer than a quick one gets split between two people.

The treat pouch goes in the console before we leave the driveway. It is the same pouch every time: a handful of freeze-dried cheddar bites, because they are small pieces and they break smaller. They are freeze-dried in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and the only ingredient is cheddar cheese. Freeze-drying leaves them crunchy and non-greasy rather than soft, and they need no refrigeration, so a pouch riding in a hot console or a cold one is fine either way. They contain dairy, so they are not for a dog with a dairy sensitivity.

Each stop gets the same short routine: park, let her stretch, one small piece, back in the car. That is the whole reason a day of errands with a dog does not turn into a chore.

Thanksgiving morning: the walk before the kitchen gets busy

Thursday morning, we walk first. Before the oven is on and before anyone arrives, Ella gets a real walk around the block and a bit past it. It is the easiest part of the day to keep, because the house is quiet and nobody has needed anything yet.

If you are putting together a bigger plan for the holiday itself, we keep our Thanksgiving page up to date with the rest of what we have on the subject. On this page, the morning walk is the only item for Thursday. After that the kitchen takes over, and the dog's job for the rest of the day is to stay out from underfoot.

When the food comes out, it stays on the plates. We keep a separate dish of her own treats for anyone who wants to give her something, so guests have an answer when they ask. If you are unsure about a particular food, or your dog is on a special diet, ask your veterinarian before the holiday, not during it. We wrote more about the table in a dog at Thanksgiving dinner.

Friday: the back roads while everyone else is at the stores

Friday is the best day of the weekend for the car. Everyone else is out shopping, and we go the other way, out the Chester County back roads past the horse farms with no destination in mind. A few of those roads turn to gravel, which slows the Camaro down and gives Ella time with her head out the window.

This is our long outing. We plan it the way we plan every drive: about an hour out, one stop in the middle, about an hour back. At the stop she gets out, walks a bit, has a piece or two from the pouch and a drink of water, and we get back in. We keep a bowl and a water bottle in the trunk for it, because a dog who has had the window down gets thirsty faster than you expect.

For this drive we add Freeze-Dried Beef Heart to the pouch next to the cheddar. It is a single ingredient treat, freeze-dried in small batches in Malvern, and it comes in 1.5, 3 and 6 ounce bags. The texture is firm and it snaps into small pieces, and it is milder than liver. Use a few pieces of each, a different one at each stop, so the pouch lasts the whole loop.

Saturday: a long walk

Saturday we skip the car and take the long walk. By now the house has been full for two days, the leftovers are in the refrigerator, and everyone is ready to get outside. Ella gets the longest walk of the weekend, and so do the people.

We stick to roads and paths we already know, because a long walk with guests is not the time to find a new route. The pouch comes along, clipped to whoever is holding the leash, so a treat comes out with one hand while the other hand keeps hold of her.

If your weekend includes a race or a group walk, we wrote that part up in our turkey trot guide.

Sunday: the ride to the station

Sunday is the car ride to drop people at the station. Ella comes along, because she has been part of the weekend and it would be strange to leave her behind for the goodbyes. She stays in the car with the window cracked while people get their bags out, and then rides back up front with a piece of cheddar for the trip home.

What goes in the bag

The list is short, and it is the same all five days: the treat pouch with cheddar and beef heart, plus a bowl and a water bottle. One more item on drive days is the circle-logo bandana. It has our 3-inch circle logo on the front, comes in white or black, and ties on. It is machine washable in cold water. Ella wears it most of the weekend because it makes her easy to spot in a crowded driveway or a full parking lot.

If you are shopping for the weekend ahead of time, the Thanksgiving dog treats collection has what we have put together for the holiday. None of it is required.

Questions

How many outings should we plan for the weekend?

We plan one a day, and only one of them is long. Wednesday is errands, Thursday is a morning walk, Friday is the drive, Saturday is a long walk and Sunday is the ride to the station.

Can the dog come along on the Friday drive?

Ours does. We plan about an hour out, one stop, and about an hour back, with water and a bowl in the trunk. If your dog does not ride well, shorten the loop or skip it and take a walk instead.

What treats do we bring on a weekend of stops?

Cheddar bites and beef heart, in one pouch. Both are single ingredient and freeze-dried, and neither needs refrigeration, so the pouch can sit in the car between stops. The cheddar contains dairy, so leave it out for any dog with a dairy sensitivity.

Should the dog be at the table on Thursday?

We keep Ella out of the kitchen while the food is being served, and the plates stay on the table. If someone wants to give her something, it comes from her own dish of treats.

Is a bandana needed for the drive?

No. Ella wears ours because it is easy to spot in a crowd and it goes with the Camaro.

What if the weather is bad on Friday?

We take the same loop another day or shorten it.