Do you travel far with your dogs and if so how does it work out? We are thinking of taking our two to Florida this winter for a vacation. Any help would be appreciated.
As the Nissan commercial used to say "Dogs love trucks!"
The boys are good travelers. They pretty much sleep in the back seat the whole time. I've done day long drives with Wilson, 1/2 day so far with radley. Wilson has stayed in many different places overnight from the tent to the boat to hotels, dorms and friend's houses. So far Radley has been camping & to my parent's house (known as "camp" to the boys).
Step 1: Get your dog used to the car. Take him for trips other than to the vet (ironically our guys enjoy going to the vet, all those new smells [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] ). If rover is new to the automobile, start with small trips and build from there. I always announce the car ride with "Wanna go for a ride?" The boys know what this means and are immediatley excited.
I don't limit food consumption b4 a trip, but try to have them take it easy on the water. Neither gets car sick (or sea sick). If your pooch has a weak stomach: no breakfast.
On the road, both guys wear harnesses and are strapped in to seatbelts. Keeps them safe in the backseat and away from my McDonalds' fries. I always have water to offer them at stops. They usually don't drink much. They somehow know that they will have to hold it for a while. An old beach towel provides a little protection for the seat. A dedicated seat cover is a better way to go.
Dogs in general seem to prefer a cooler auto interior than humans. This means if your windows aren't tinted, a baby shade or two is a good idea to keep the sun off them. My mom went so far as to get a 12V fan to cool them off. Also plan on wearing an extra layer (sweatshirt etc.) and running the AC a little cooler for them or in winter, keep the heat low.
Both dogs are crate trained & I try to bring the crates with me for them to sleep if at all possible. We didn't bring the crates camping & Radley decided that on top of my head was a confortable place to sleep [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img] We have fold up crates which makes travel easier. If we don't bring the crates, we at least bring a dog bed for each of them. They even have a therm-a-rest pad for camping that I bought on closeout.
Lastly, make sure that their shots etc. are up to date & be sure they are wearing a collar w/ tags. I put my mobile phone number on our guys and also my parent's phone number in case they get loose away from our home.
Two years ago we took our Giant Schnauzer puppy to Florida and she was very good. Now we have a five year old male rescue too and as long as you pet him once in a while he is a good rider. I am concerned that we will be traveling a long way and for about two weeks. The dogs both are well trained and do ride well. I just don't know if I am ready to have two one hundred pound back seat drivers.
It will be hard to leave them in a kennel for that length of time. They are always with us around the propety and trips to town so they really don't like the boarding kennel. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]
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