In this video I’m taking my mini dachshunds, Stella (2.5) and Stanley (5 months), along with me to run errands—specifically a trip to Home Depot to grab paint chips for a room I’m redoing. I love bringing my dogs with me, and I also use these little outings as real-life training sessions, especially for Stanley. The goal is calm exposure to new environments, people, noises, and other dogs (and honestly, Stella still benefits from the practice too). I walk through exactly how I set them up in the car using the dog car seats I’ve been loving lately—basically a super squishy bed that straps in, has a seat belt loop, and includes a stretchy tether that clips to their harness (not a collar). I also share my must-do tips like giving your dog a proper walk and bathroom break before going inside (learn from my past “accident in the store” moment), and bringing treats for rewarding calm behavior. We tested putting both seats right into a cart at the store, and it worked perfectly—cute, practical, and way easier than carrying them the whole time.