Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Our dog loves the car but that's only for short trip so far. Does anyone have any advice on what to do for a long trip that worked for you? Any experience you can share would be great.
The longest she's been in the car was 1.5 hours as a small puppy. Now she is over a year.
Taking her crate is probably not an option due to space...so anything else you can offer..?
Would go slow if you think there might be a problem (personally I wouldnt anticipate one though), would drive her around the block, maybe to a dog park or to an area where you can walk her, to a PetsMart etc - make it fun for her, not just going to the vet etc - if all is fine then maybe go a bit further and again, to a nice destination for her etc. Would prob. not feed her right before a trip for obvious reasons and if you're nervous, would try to relax so she doesnt feed off your vibes. Also would make sure she's safely harnessed in the back seat.
Frankly, I recommend drugs for a peaceful long distance trip with pets. You can give your dog some, too.
Seriously, my pets always did well for short trips also but when I moved out of state and was facing an 11 drive with them, I called the vet and he gave me some sedatives for them. They looked stoned but they were awake and veeeeeeeeery relaxed. It made the trip easier for all of us.
I would carry some Bachs Rescue Remedy just in case. We traveled across country with 2 Goldens and a cat in the rear cab of a pickup and had not a problem. Had the Rescue Remedy with me, but only used it the first day for the cat. Dogs never needed it. My husband took the rear seats out...and I covered the floor with big soft quilts...they were in their glory! We didn't really need to stop any more than we normally would have...but did stop longer. Each time, gave them about 15 minutes of stretching and play time. Remember water and bowl (they have great collaspable travel bowls).
We have lived away from family for quite awhile now. Which means long car rides in order to visit. Over the years we have had a couple of dogs, who fortunately do not have any issues regarding long rides. We do make sure that whether short ride to the post office or long cross-country ride, the dogs know where their space in the car is - which for us is in the back. No riding in the front seat. It's unsafe (airbags, windshields etc) and distracting, not to mention, our dogs are larger so not practical anyway. Make their space comfy and make sure they get fresh air - the sun shining through windows (even tinted ones) can get pretty warm. We also make sure we stop at rest stops to potty and run. If your dog is a chewer, this is a great time to get a good new chewing item to keep them occupied. Good luck!
i would get one of those water bottle that petsmart sells that has the tray with it so that the dogs can get water and you can toss the rest of it out of the tray . I bought one of those just in case and I never feed my dogs while traveling because they tend to get sick . I am going to be doing cross country here in about two wks and have it all ready to go . I take a tote bag with me with the water and a gel ice block with a ziploc bag around that and it works really well . I lay blankets on the floor of the cab of the truck and they usually sleep all the way through the trip anyway so no noise . I also travel with a parrot in a dog crate that was converted for him anyways .He zonks too no noise out of him either the whole trip , you just have to be relaxed as well and no nervous breakdowns . also make sure you have their info on them somewhere so in case they do run off someone will find out their info and get in touch with you . good luck this is all I can think of for now if I can give you further tips let me know and good luck on your trip .
i would get one of those water bottle that petsmart sells that has the tray with it so that the dogs can get water and you can toss the rest of it out of the tray . I bought one of those just in case and I never feed my dogs while traveling because they tend to get sick . I am going to be doing cross country here in about two wks and have it all ready to go . I take a tote bag with me with the water and a gel ice block with a ziploc bag around that and it works really well . I lay blankets on the floor of the cab of the truck and they usually sleep all the way through the trip anyway so no noise . I also travel with a parrot in a dog crate that was converted for him anyways .He zonks too no noise out of him either the whole trip , you just have to be relaxed as well and no nervous breakdowns . also make sure you have their info on them somewhere so in case they do run off someone will find out their info and get in touch with you . good luck this is all I can think of for now if I can give you further tips let me know and good luck on your trip .
We have one of those bottles...and the dogs wouldn't/couldn't drink out of the small tray! Too narrow for their big tongues... That is ideal tho if it will work for you! By far the easiest.
We RV full time so we travel alot with our dogs. In fact my husband is a hauler and our English Bulldog goes with him most of the time. They can be on the road for up to 3 weeks. She loves it.
I always travel with a dog dish for water, some bottled water, treats, dogs bed or blanked and paper towels. Oh yeah, and poop bags.
I wouldn't drug her if she doesn't need to be. Also if your dog doesn't want to eat or drink much while on the road don't worry about it, in the beginning ours were like that. If it's an all day trip then stopping once or twice during the day is a good idea just to let them out and stretch.
When we moved from Georgia to Va, it was about a 5-6 hour drive and I had the 4 kids, a Rottweiler and a lab with me in the mini van (my husband was already up here). The kids and I would stop at about every rest stop and let the dogs out for some fresh air and a potty break and some fresh water. I kept them in the very back of the van.
My mom just heard from her vet that she can give her cat regular Benadryl to calm it's nerves when she is going to travel with it....not sure about this though?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
