Moving from FL to Ny with dog (lab, vet, schnauzer)

[Andzia74]

I have questions. We are moving next week to NY from FL with my giant schnauzer. We will be driving, my husband moving truck (Penske), I am going to drive our SUV. My questions are:
1. My vet said we need Interstate Health Certificate for the dog to enter NYS. Is that true? Do we really need one?
2. Can dog ride in our moving truck (Penske), I heard thet his is against the law, and we can get a ticket?
3. Do you have any tips of traveling with 70lbs dog. How often should be stop, what should I have with me for the dog (I know water, food etc).

We will be traveling also with my 4 yrs old daughter, but this is another topic.
Thanks for any advices.

[cleosmom]

I know plenty of folks that have driven semi trucks cross country with dogs and even though they've crossed into Canada have never needed to show the health certificate, however I feel it'd be wise to have it just in case. You could check with NY's dept. of agriculture.

Take your dog's peronsal blanket/bed with you in the SUV so he has something familiar. Basically do the same actions for him as you would your four year old... make the transistion smoother. In the unlikely even your dog might get away from you, make certain he's wearing in ID tag with your cell phone numbers, better yet get him microchipped.

I would say stopping to let him potty when you stop for gas should work. Is he used to riding in the car?

I would think given his size he'd be more comfy in the SUV than the rental truck.

[Andzia74]

Originally Posted by cleosmom

I know plenty of folks that have driven semi trucks cross country with dogs and even though they've crossed into Canada have never needed to show the health certificate, however I feel it'd be wise to have it just in case. You could check with NY's dept. of agriculture.

Take your dog's peronsal blanket/bed with you in the SUV so he has something familiar. Basically do the same actions for him as you would your four year old... make the transistion smoother. In the unlikely even your dog might get away from you, make certain he's wearing in ID tag with your cell phone numbers, better yet get him microchipped.

I would say stopping to let him potty when you stop for gas should work. Is he used to riding in the car?

I would think given his size he'd be more comfy in the SUV than the rental truck.

Thanks a lot. I did not think about her blanket, but that's very good idea. She is pretty good traveler, but we haven't gone for longer then 3hrs of driving with her.
Thank you once again for response.

[cleosmom]

Let me also add bottled water to protect against issues that would be unwanted; upset stomach

[PudelPie]

Hi there--you may want to search (all) forums for threads about traveling with pets. I know that last year, before moving from Boston to NC, I found a really helpful checklist. I just tried to find it for you, but no luck. I'm hoping I have it saved at home and will repost. But in the meantime, you'll find lots of useful info--and things you may not consider on your own.

One thing I do know is that you'll need to keep rabies paperwork with you--a tag is not suffice--when traveling interstate. Good luck... (how exciting!).

[Oobie119]

My husband and brother in law moved with a 105 lb lab mix in the front seat with them. They rented a Penske truck, not even the real big one, it was actually a smaller one. Whoever was in the passenger seat had this huge slobbery dog half laying on them, and it was a 18 hour drive! LOL

[Racelady88]

Florida checks health papers at the border for livestock. I have driven in & out many, many times with a dog and have never needed health papers. I have never needed any kind of papers to cross into NY.

As for traveling with your dog:

Stop at rest areas for potty breaks. I have never seen a rest area that did not have a pet walk area. Be sure to respect the dog friendly zone, as not all travelers care for dogs. My dog WILL NOT go potty at a strange place, so if your dog does not go, that's o.k. Getting out to stretch legs & have a drink is good for him. I carry a small ice chest that I fill with water for my dog.

Never let your dog out of the vehicle without a leash. I know this sounds like common sense, but I see it all of the time. Rest areas are noisy places with lots of traffic. Some dogs spook at the air brakes on the big trucks.

Bring sandwiches or go through a drive thru and bring food to the rest area so that you are not leaving your dog unattended while you eat.

Make sure your dog had a tag with a number that still works, just in case.

Most of traveling with dogs is common sense, just like traveling with children.

[ShepsMom]

We travel from FL to upstate NY once in a while with our 2 GSDs, for vacation and camping. We've never been asked by anyone regarding any papers?? I've never even heard of such a thing. I would definitely keep dog inside SUV vs. truck.

We usually stop every 2-3 hours for a break, and doggy run. Most of the time dogs are dead asleep while we driving. LOL.
They have their water and snacks, we spend night at the hotel if needed, but mostly of the time we stop in GA and NC to visit relatives, and stay there overnight.

Anyway, have fun moving, i envy you!

[Andzia74]

Thanks a lot. I think this is my last post before our move to NY. Thank you for all these advices. I will let you know how it went, when we are in NY.