How do you plan a long road trip with an anxious dog?

Taking Loki on a 6-hour drive next month and honestly even after years of working with him he still gets stressed in the car past like the first 45 mins. Not reactive, just clearly uncomfortable, panting, can't settle.

So I'm putting together a real plan this time instead of just winging it. Been thinking about the route (where can we actually stop and walk), timing (early morning before heat), and whether to feed him before or not.

Loki came to me as a 'problem dog' and a lot of his issues were just under-exercise and zero routine. Car anxiety feels similar to me, like it responds to structure more than any single magic fix.

I know some people swear by certain supplements, others do crate vs seatbelt, some do short practice runs leading up. Curious what's actually worked for you on longer trips specifically, not just a quick vet visit drive.

What does your pre-trip prep actually look like?