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Hi,
I'm located in Orange County, Ca. I will need to work from St. Louis for three weeks beginning next month, my employer provides me with a rental house with a fenced yard because I will not do this without taking my dogs. I can't fly with them because one of them is very long and won't fit in the carrier sizes allowed in the cabin and putting them with baggage is not even a remote option.
I will have a co driver for the trip. My dogs love adventures, one is older and calm the other three and a bit more energetic. I don't want to drug them.
We will plan to stop frequently to allow them to walk and pee. We have booked the nights in dog friendly places. I will pack their food so they eat the same diet at the same time so their feeding schedule will stay consistent.
Other than this, what other things can make this easier on everyone?
No experience on traveling w/ dachsunds but thruout our small dogs' lives, we traveled w/ them from NJ to VT, PA, DE, NC and later FL (when we moved), we did stop often and it worked out fine (although a few times we had to feed them on leashes in parking spots to keep them on their general schedule (one meal in the AM and another in the PM). We even brought distilled water for them (which the vet recommended bc 2 had issues w/ crystals and we still do that w/ our current 2 (we now travel back and forth from NJ to FL a few times a year) so we always have it on hand but in a pinch, they can drink tap water.
Ours were (and are) used to riding in crates to the vet etc. When we travel, we put them in a crate (2 together) and it works out fine, we've never left them unattended in a hotel room, they're not barkers but I wouldnt take the chance on them disturbing ppl, if we're staying overnite enroute to our destination, we'll stop and get some fast food or one of us will run out and pick up a pizza or chin. food or something like that. If the motel has a free breakfast (continental, donuts etc), we go separately and bring it back and eat it in the room.
Am prob. a bit neurotic but we also check under the bed and behind furniture as best we can bc I have heard stories that sometimes there's rat poison left there and it wouldnt take much to poison them, so far I havent found any but we are careful.
When we had our 4 girls, we'd crate 2 together (we usually use a wire crate bc of better ventilation although we've used both wire and plastic crates (alth. the car is a/c'd), prob. bungee cording them is a good idea so the crate is secure. Usually they rode in the back of our small suv but sometimes we put the crate behind the driver (better a/c) esp. if it was the hot summer. No matter what their age was at the time of the trip, they pretty much just slept, it was a lot easier than we thought it would be. We generally gave them water at the rest stops but they pretty much just sniffed it and didnt drink it but at least they had the option.
Also make sure your pups are wearing a harness or collar w/ current ID tags, we even kept the leash on them in the crate as the girls we have now tend to want to jump out of the crate as soon as we open the door.
When we stayed a week on vacation recently, we rented a dog friendly house (had to walk them though, no fenced-in yard) and brought along the ex-pen (exercise pen) which folds up very conveniently, if we went out and left them alone, they would just go in there (in our bedroom), it had a bed for them and toys and they were fine for a few hours
They're pretty good travelers, they really like car rides and prob. would jump in a car w/ anyone, given the opportunity (we watch them like hawks and they're always walked on leashes).
We also gave them Frontline before the trip and did the heartworm meds too (time-wise it was around the time they were due anyway) so we didnt have to bring that or think about it.
Dont forget their food! - once when we left, we walked out w/o it and had to buy more food for them once we got there (it was packed and ready to go and for some reason, we missed it, 2 were on presc. food and luckily, we were able to get it there, I still cant believe we did that!)
No experience on traveling w/ dachsunds but thruout our small dogs' lives, we traveled w/ them from NJ to VT, PA, DE, NC and later FL (when we moved), we did stop often and it worked out fine (although a few times we had to feed them on leashes in parking spots to keep them on their general schedule (one meal in the AM and another in the PM). We even brought distilled water for them (which the vet recommended bc 2 had issues w/ crystals and we still do that w/ our current 2 (we now travel back and forth from NJ to FL a few times a year) so we always have it on hand but in a pinch, they can drink tap water.
Ours were (and are) used to riding in crates to the vet etc. When we travel, we put them in a crate (2 together) and it works out fine, we've never left them unattended in a hotel room, they're not barkers but I wouldnt take the chance on them disturbing ppl, if we're staying overnite enroute to our destination, we'll stop and get some fast food or one of us will run out and pick up a pizza or chin. food or something like that. If the motel has a free breakfast (continental, donuts etc), we go separately and bring it back and eat it in the room.
Am prob. a bit neurotic but we also check under the bed and behind furniture as best we can bc I have heard stories that sometimes there's rat poison left there and it wouldnt take much to poison them, so far I havent found any but we are careful.
When we had our 4 girls, we'd crate 2 together (we usually use a wire crate bc of better ventilation although we've used both wire and plastic crates (alth. the car is a/c'd), prob. bungee cording them is a good idea so the crate is secure. Usually they rode in the back of our small suv but sometimes we put the crate behind the driver (better a/c) esp. if it was the hot summer. No matter what their age was at the time of the trip, they pretty much just slept, it was a lot easier than we thought it would be. We generally gave them water at the rest stops but they pretty much just sniffed it and didnt drink it but at least they had the option.
Also make sure your pups are wearing a harness or collar w/ current ID tags, we even kept the leash on them in the crate as the girls we have now tend to want to jump out of the crate as soon as we open the door.
When we stayed a week on vacation recently, we rented a dog friendly house (had to walk them though, no fenced-in yard) and brought along the ex-pen (exercise pen) which folds up very conveniently, if we went out and left them alone, they would just go in there (in our bedroom), it had a bed for them and toys and they were fine for a few hours
They're pretty good travelers, they really like car rides and prob. would jump in a car w/ anyone, given the opportunity (we watch them like hawks and they're always walked on leashes).
We also gave them Frontline before the trip and did the heartworm meds too (time-wise it was around the time they were due anyway) so we didnt have to bring that or think about it.
Dont forget their food! - once when we left, we walked out w/o it and had to buy more food for them once we got there (it was packed and ready to go and for some reason, we missed it, 2 were on presc. food and luckily, we were able to get it there, I still cant believe we did that!)
Good luck and have a safe trip.
Wow, that was really helpful. I would never have thought of anything poison in the hotel room! Great tip with the flea and heart worm meds too. Appreciate the response!
1: have tags made with your current cell number and a backup number (a trusted family member), this is their travel tag, mae sure they are wearing it at all times when traveling, this way should an emergency happen they've not only got your cell number but the number of someone you trust if you don't have signal.
2: bottled water...
belive it or not, change in local water can be just as agresive on a tummy not used to it as a change in food.
I like to keep a travel kit in the car. extra food extra water extra leashes, copies of the vacination records and CURRENT PICTURES extra leashes and treats, poop bags blankets, paper towels ect.
I never travel with my dogs unleashed, id suggest the same, either a secure crate or a doggy car seat/harness/ seatbelt ect...crates are nice because they can be used in the hotel room but ine end to get travel sick if they cant see out the windows.
I keep a product called Bachs Rescue Remedy on hand for lng trips, its a natural calmative, its not a sedative and not a chemical, but it helps reduce anxiety in emergency/stressful situations (ie traffic jams ect)
and don't forget toys for playtime and dishes for food and drink.
1: have tags made with your current cell number and a backup number (a trusted family member), this is their travel tag, mae sure they are wearing it at all times when traveling, this way should an emergency happen they've not only got your cell number but the number of someone you trust if you don't have signal.
2: bottled water...
belive it or not, change in local water can be just as agresive on a tummy not used to it as a change in food.
I like to keep a travel kit in the car. extra food extra water extra leashes, copies of the vacination records and CURRENT PICTURES extra leashes and treats, poop bags blankets, paper towels ect.
I never travel with my dogs unleashed, id suggest the same, either a secure crate or a doggy car seat/harness/ seatbelt ect...crates are nice because they can be used in the hotel room but ine end to get travel sick if they cant see out the windows.
I keep a product called Bachs Rescue Remedy on hand for lng trips, its a natural calmative, its not a sedative and not a chemical, but it helps reduce anxiety in emergency/stressful situations (ie traffic jams ect)
and don't forget toys for playtime and dishes for food and drink.
Thanks, great ideas! Is the Bachs available at pet stores or is that something you order online?
Try your local health food store, you can put it in their water or on a biscuit, ppl can use it too, it's supp. To relax them, it's all natural, I didn't notice a diff. With mine (barking) but you never know
Really good advise here. I strongly agree with the harnesses and staying leashed as long as one human is there to supervise nobody gets hung up. A harness with a leash is alot easier to grab than a collar. And the mesh ones are soft and not uncomfortable.
And the cleaning supplies. I have a friend who's Silky Terrier travels ok but barfs at a specific time going down a specific mountain in a mountainous terrain in her state.
I LOVE exercise pens. Freedom without so much freedom LOL.
Besides the fold up bowls for traveling, I have clients who love this FLAT based water container and bowl combo - Waterboy traveling water bowl - that holds about a half gallon. They love it so much they even use it at home and just grab it and go when going somewhere like the park. You can store it upright in the car and when you all get out just flip in down flat on the ground and they can all drink from it then flip it back vertically when you leave.
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