January isn’t my preferred dog travel season – maybe you can relate. Two factors keep me homebound early in the new year: one, Winter weather, and two, a compulsion to hibernate. A third is arguably a job – January and February aren’t exactly stocked with holidays. However, a remedy to the winter travel malaise might be the occasional day trip with your dog.  

There are several benefits of taking road trips with your dog close to home and none the least of which is easy cancellation. If the weather is bad thanks to a sudden snowstorm, no problem changing plans and no cancellation fees incurred. 

That’s not true at the airport or if you’ve booked hotels. Close to home travel requires no reservations that can’t be canceled or plans that can’t be postponed easily. Your dog won’t know the difference.  

Speaking of the dog, there are some specific advantages to day trips with the dog that impact your pooch. If your dog is new to car travel or needs some practice being away from what’s most familiar, then doggie day trips might be exactly where to start. In which case, maybe winter will be your travel season after all.  

Advantages to day trips with your dog close to home: 

• Reduced Travel Anxiety: Depending on how your dog responds to car rides, shorter trips could be a good option, especially if you’re new to dog travel. My dog is comfortable in the car and sleeps most of the ride. However, if your dog is new to road trips, starting with short distances might minimize travel anxiety, promoting a positive experience.
• Strengthen Bond: Of course, if the experience is positive, bonding is increased. Traveling close to home provides both of you with less stress and increased quality time together.
• Health and Exercise: Anytime you’re heading anywhere with your pup, you’ll likely spend a lot of time outdoors. Increased time outdoors, especially in nature, increases both mental and physical health for people and pets. Exploring new parks and trails is mentally stimulating for your dog too.
• Cost-Effective: Close-to-home trips are cheaper. While we love dog-friendly accommodations here at dogtrotting.net, hotels are more expensive these days and many brands are adding pet fees. Sometimes circling back to your own bed is what’s in the budget. Plus, if the weather demands you cancel, you’ll incur no fees.
• Easier to Plan: If it takes less time to get there, planning is easier for spontaneous getaways. And sites like dogtrotting.net have lists of ‘dog-friendly’ cities and towns that will help you easily create a short travel agenda.
• Surprise Adventures: Sometimes you discover hidden gems and dog-friendly spots you didn’t know were there – or have driven by on your way to somewhere else. Often you don’t know what is nearby or have put off exploring what is close because further away, greener pastures have called.
• Less Environmental Impact: Shorter distances contribute to a smaller carbon footprint, supporting eco-friendly travel. Less driving equals less fuel expenses too.

Of course, suggestions for day-long road trips with your dog depend entirely on where you live. What’s close by for one is possibly an exotic locale for someone else. However, considering that the demographics of dogtrotting.net readers lean toward Southern Ontario, I thought Toronto might be a good city to use as a test case. It’s also the area I’ve explored the most with my dog.  

So, with that in mind, here are some suggestions for winter road trips with your dog that are within a two-hour drive of Toronto, Ontario. 

Winter day trips with your dog within an easy drive of Toronto 

1. Eat in Hamilton – Hamilton has not one but two dog cafes where you can eat inside with your dog. That’s right, bring your dog inside and have lunch. Munchies Coffee House and Barkery (1000 Upper Gage Ave) is open primarily for lunch and specializes in gourmet waffles and wraps. Bring Your Dog Cafe (9 Richwill Road) is a dinner-style extremely dog-friendly eatery open for both lunch and dinner. Note that dogs run free in both locations. (Dogs with food guarding issues might not do well). 

2. Off-leash Run in Mississauga – Jack Darling Leash-Free Park is one of the largest dog parks in Ontario – and one of my favourite. At 22 acres in size, it’s expansive and provides dogs with hills, wooded paths, open spaces, and easy avoidance of other pups if necessary. There is a smaller small dog zone too for those who might get lost in this park with a good view of the lake and little evidence of the water treatment plant it’s built on top off.  

3. Hike in Oakville – the Bronte Provincial Park is open all year round, with programming during the winter months too. The open off-leash dog zone (not fenced) is the day park is available even when covered in snow, but thanks to the popularity, trails are often packed down quickly thanks to running paws. Plus, fewer burrs and no ticks during the winter months.  

4. Shop in Georgetown – Halton Hills is home to the Toronto Outlet Mall (that’s not actually in Toronto). Like many outlet malls (including one in Niagara-on-the-Lake), it’s dog-friendly. Stores that welcome pets inside have stickers on the door, and most do. This outdoor open-concept mall is where you can shop with your dog near Toronto.  

5. Snowshoe in Barrie – Well, close to Barrie. Wasaga Beach Provincial Park is just north of the city. This is the most popular provincial park in Ontario, thanks to the beach, and is often at capacity every weekend in the summer. But not so in the winter. You can bring your dog to Wasaga Beach (Beach in Area 3 permits leashed dogs) and rent snowshoes here. That means, with the right leash (recommend one that clips around your waste) you can snowshoe with your dog, even if you don’t have your own equipment.  

6. Enjoy a Pint in Port Dalhousie – Many microbreweries are dog-friendly, but not all offer a menu from oddBird.wxpress. At Lock Street Brewing Co. (15 Lock Street) you can try a microbrew or flight along with snack foods such as tater tots, soft pretzels, sandwiches, a bucket of chicken or sausage plate. Even better, there’s a dog menu from Poochable that includes pupsicles and a Barkuterie Board. While in Port Dalhousie, check out the beach and Pawzabilities Pet Boutique (17 Lock Street) nearby.  

Are we roading tripping this winter? Depending on the weather, yes. Our first day stop is Woodstock, Ontario, an easy drive from home. Check out what we discovered next on dogtrotting.net.  

Love heading to a dog-friendly destination near you? Let us know about it in the comments below.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria. Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!