With summer just around the corner, it’s time to start plotting how to while away the balmy days. Whether you hope to take road trips, hit the beach, or lounge in the back yard, it’s now easier than ever to let your pet in on the adventure.

For inspiration, pick up a book on traveling with your pet. At Fi-Dough, you’ll find two local guides by Joanna Downey et al.: The Dog Lover’s Companion to Boston: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog ($13.95) and The Dog Lover’s Companion to New England ($16.95), both from Avalon Travel Publishing. They offer the scoop on dog-friendly parks, beaches, hotels, and restaurants. Looking for a more expansive guide to great accommodations that accept pets? Drop by Barnes & Noble for Fodor’s Road Guide USA: Where to Stay with Your Pet ($18), which lists them by state and city.

Before heading out, remember the two things most critical to happy trails: fresh water and responsible behavior. The Pet Shop Girls store has collapsible water and food bowls ($10) for easy packing. The shop also carries disposable scoop bags ($5.75) that attach to a leash to support the clean-ups that’ll keep dogs forever welcome.

You’ll be less frazzled on the road if your pet is safely restrained ... and protected. Pet Shop Girls has dog seat belts ($12), and Target has a tubular vehicle barrier ($59.98) that keeps pets in the back of SUVs, vans, and wagons. Solutions’ Lookout Pet Seat ($74.50–$129), available by catalogue, gives car-bound pets a boost so they can better enjoy the view. It comes with a seat-belt slot, a safety strap that attaches to your pet’s harness, and an optional drawer for holding treats. If your plans involve boating, consider the Fido Float life vest ($12.99–$26.99) or the Aqua Pawz safety vest ($27.99–$34.99), both available at Petco. And dogs can get Snoopy’s Red Baron look with Doggles ($24.50), from Solutions. Modeled after sports goggles, they protect eyes from foreign objects, wind, and UV light, and have shatterproof, anti-fog lenses.

The Chuckit! ($12), available at Pet Shop Girls, is designed so you never have to handle a slimy ball again. Just push the claw at the end of the stick over a tennis ball to grasp and hurl it. Pet Shop Girls also carries the Flying Squirrel ($13) — which can only be described as a ridiculously cute toy squirrel that works like a frisbee. It has raised sides for easy pick up and floats in water.

While pooches promenade more often in public, some cats also enjoy a good stroll. At Pet Shop Girls, you’ll find a good selection of cat harnesses and leashes ($8–$10). Another option is a weather-resistant mesh enclosure that lets indoor cats enjoy the outdoors unleashed. In the Solutions catalogue, you’ll find two kinds of Kittywalks ($89.50 and $99.50) for use in yards or on patios and decks. Both can be attached to the Kittywalk Kabana ($29.50), also from Solutions, which provides a sunshade awning and a hammock. However, should your cat prove resistant to change (as many do), Petco’s Cat Napper ($34.99) might be better appreciated. The hammock-like perch can be adjusted to fit almost any windowsill.

Where to find it:

• Barnes & Noble, various locations; www.barnesandnoble.com.

• Fi-Dough, 103 Charles Street, Boston, (617) 723-3266; 70E Beacon Street, Somerville, (617) 661-3436; www.fidough.com.

• Petco, 119 First Street, Cambridge, (617) 868-3474; 304 Western Avenue, Brighton, (617) 254-8800; www.petco.com.

• Pet Shop Girls, 427 Shawmut Avenue, Boston, (617) 262-7387; www.thepetshopgirls.com.

• Solutions, (877) 718-7901; www.solutionscatalog.com.

• Target, various locations; www.target.com.