Car trips with Dogs?

[Octoberbride03]

Yeah, I know....I come here for advice on EVERYTHING

Anyhow, in 2 weeks we are going up to DE which is about a 4hr drive from my house. We are currently going through pros/cons of bringing our Onslow with us. This would be his first long car trip with us.

So how do you handle your dogs on trips like this? We already have places where we can get out and give a stretch and a pee, so that's covered. What about restaurants or just food in general? For the humans not the dog.

I just need to hear experiences and advice. We are considering boarding him but we are very unsure if he's ready for that. Tried grooming at Petsmart last week and he wasn't thrilled about that. Punished us till Christmas he did

TIA

 

[Magic Mom]

Yeah, I know....I come here for advice on EVERYTHING

Anyhow, in 2 weeks we are going up to DE which is about a 4hr drive from my house. We are currently going through pros/cons of bringing our Onslow with us. This would be his first long car trip with us.

So how do you handle your dogs on trips like this? We already have places where we can get out and give a stretch and a pee, so that's covered. What about restaurants or just food in general? For the humans not the dog.

I just need to hear experiences and advice. We are considering boarding him but we are very unsure if he's ready for that. Tried grooming at Petsmart last week and he wasn't thrilled about that. Punished us till Christmas he did

TIA

We take ours on trips. If the weather is appropriate, he stays in the car when we make meal stops. If not, then we go through the drive through.

Keep his water bowl in the car and bring a few bottles of water. Don't forget the dog food. Pack some wet wipes in case a clean up is needed. If you have leather interior bring a blanket for him to curl up on.

 

[ashleybea]

Yeah, I know....I come here for advice on EVERYTHING

Anyhow, in 2 weeks we are going up to DE which is about a 4hr drive from my house. We are currently going through pros/cons of bringing our Onslow with us. This would be his first long car trip with us.

So how do you handle your dogs on trips like this? We already have places where we can get out and give a stretch and a pee, so that's covered. What about restaurants or just food in general? For the humans not the dog.

I just need to hear experiences and advice. We are considering boarding him but we are very unsure if he's ready for that. Tried grooming at Petsmart last week and he wasn't thrilled about that. Punished us till Christmas he did

TIA

I've taken my dog on numerous car trips with us. We just can't leave her home. She usually just lays on people and sleeps. She loves car rides.
Anyway, when we stop for food, one person usually waits in the car with her. And the others bring food back for this person. If you don't like eating in the car, then this dosent really work.
Have a good trip!

 

[horseshowmom]

It depends on your dog. My MinPin travels better if I put him in his crate. My lab does great just riding in the back seat. My daughter travels weekly with her two cats, and they always travel in a crate.

If you are going to leave the dog uncrated, I suggest you cover your seats with a blanket (just in case he gets carsick - I've had it happen with dogs that had traveled a lot and never been sick before).

If the temps aren't too bad, the dog will be fine left in the car for the short time it takes you to eat (I like a crate for that reason too because it gives them a cozy bed).

Just my own personal preference - I don't know whether your dog uses a collar or a harness, but when I travel, I always feel much safer with a harness. Again, that depends on the dog. I wouldn't take my MinPin anywhere without a harness, but my Beagle used to go everywhere with me and only needed a collar.

 

[clh2]

We took our lab mix last weekend, also 4 hours away.

My DD (15) drove, DH was in the front seat, and our dog snuggled up next to me. We stopped 1 time for a bathroom break.

Our dog loves car rides. He does not like to have a towel or blanket on the seat, because it slips around.

I would recommend (just in case) finding a hotel that accomodates furry friends - just in case something happens and you need one.

We did not need to "eat on the road" since we were headed up to my parents for Christmas. We headed back that evening, but stayed in a hotel part of the way home. For dinner, we ordered sandwiches from the hotel bar, but ate them in our room.

Our dog gets nervous if he is in the car alone. It is almost like he sheds massively for a few minutes, until someone gets back. So - we try not to leave him alone in the car. Especially if we are taking DH's car

 

[AshleyW]

I travel with DFi and his parents fairly often, usually twice a year. We go to visit his extended family in Mississippi - which is about a 12 hour drive for us. His parents ALWAYS bring their two dogs with them in their car.

We usually stop every 2-3 hours at a rest stop and let the dogs go potty and walk around and get a drink. For food, we normally eat fast food like McD's or Subway. We leave the dogs in the car with the windows slightly cracked, as we're only inside for 15 minutes or so. If it's too cold, we go through the drive through and then park somewhere for a few minutes to eat quick.

So far we haven't had any problems. They all seem to do really well.

 

[Jockaroo]

Yeah, I know....I come here for advice on EVERYTHING

Anyhow, in 2 weeks we are going up to DE which is about a 4hr drive from my house. We are currently going through pros/cons of bringing our Onslow with us. This would be his first long car trip with us.

So how do you handle your dogs on trips like this? We already have places where we can get out and give a stretch and a pee, so that's covered. What about restaurants or just food in general? For the humans not the dog.

I just need to hear experiences and advice. We are considering boarding him but we are very unsure if he's ready for that. Tried grooming at Petsmart last week and he wasn't thrilled about that. Punished us till Christmas he did

TIA

I don't know his size, but this is what works for my husband and I when we travel with our Scottie. For short trips (training class, agility class, etc.) she has a special leash that clips into the seatbelt latch and attaches to a harness. For longer trips (1 hour or longer) she rides in her crate. Our typical longer travel trips are around 3 1/2 hours, so similar to yours. She is walked and allowed to eliminate before going into her crate in the car. I do not worry about water during travel, but make sure she gets a walk and a drink as soon as we arrive at our destination. (Obviously, this is for a 4 hour trip--if longer, we would take a break for a walk and drink.) As for people food, we never leave a dog unattended in the car. We would either not eat (it is only 4 hours), or go through a drive thru and eat a sandwich in the car.

It is good to have some places lined up to offer a walk, just in case traffic is slow. You probably know how well he travels in the car. If he gets too anxious or car sick, talk to your vet about medications. Make sure you take a copy of his vaccination records and make sure he has current identification tags on his collar (I like to include my cell phone # as well). Good luck and have a safe, fun trip.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I guess I'd want to know what your destination is and is the dog welcome there? What kind of dog is it? How does he generally do in the car? How often do you travel? (ie does it make sense to develop a good plan now, such as a kennel, or sitter, if you travel frequently, etc.)

Without knowing the answers to those questions, two things I'd be cautious about on a trip like that would be theft and getting lost (could tell lots of stories here of dogs running off at rest areas, and dogs I've found loose and lost from people visiting from out of town in my own neighborhood). Imagine what it would be like trying to find him four hours from home if he was somehow stolen or lost. I'd also want to make sure I didn't inconvenience anyone I was visiting (hard to fathom I know, but not everyone loves our dogs like we do ). Also be careful not to vary the dog's diet as you may wind up with the runs if he gets nervous or an otherwise out of whack GI system.

Happy Trails!

 

[HonestAbe]

Our chow/golden mix rides in the backseat of the SUV by herself and she looks around for a short time and then tries to lie down and sleep. That never pans out though. She just seems restless. We'll stop once or twice for 5 or 10 mins to let her stretch on a 4 hour trip.

Otherwise she rides pretty quietly in the back.

We hold off on water and food until at a stopping place because experience for us has been it's just a mess. Stopping and letting her drink if she wants works though.

We dont leave her alone for more than a couple minutes at a time if we stop anywhere. The ride is already stressful for her, so why make it worse?

 

[Octoberbride03]

I guess I'd want to know what your destination is and is the dog welcome there? What kind of dog is it? How does he generally do in the car? How often do you travel? (ie does it make sense to develop a good plan now, such as a kennel, or sitter, if you travel frequently, etc.)

Without knowing the answers to those questions, two things I'd be cautious about on a trip like that would be theft and getting lost (could tell lots of stories here of dogs running off at rest areas, and dogs I've found loose and lost from people visiting from out of town in my own neighborhood). Imagine what it would be like trying to find him four hours from home if he was somehow stolen or lost. I'd also want to make sure I didn't inconvenience anyone I was visiting (hard to fathom I know, but not everyone loves our dogs like we do ). Also be careful not to vary the dog's diet as you may wind up with the runs if he gets nervous or an otherwise out of whack GI system.

Happy Trails!

Onslow is Lhasa Apso mix. No idea what the mix part is except for big front bear paws. We travel frequently but 9 times out of 10 its 1 destination in DE, which would be my parents' house and we stay there for a few days. If it hadn't been for my work schedule this past Christmas shopping season we probably would have brought him up already, but didn't get to. We usually try to go up every couple of months or so and hopefully they come down a couple of times a year. My family came here for Christmas last week and met him and they all got along beautifully.

I do have a few questions to ask them b4 we bring him up because this will be his first time in their house, but he's well behaved. They have said he's welcome to come up with us. They like dogs, just don't prefer to have 1 live with them at the moment. He enjoys short trips in the car to Pet stores and the like. Sometimes he tries to relax in the car but often loves looking out the windows in the back seat as well.

I worry about theft too, Specifically the theft of Onslow. Our route takes us over the Chesapeake Bay bridge Tunnel and because up till now we traveled without pets(the bird stays home) we usually stopped for a bit of breakfast on the way up. It has always been a quick meal usually bout a half hr or so. but you can't see the car from the restaurant inside. Is that too long to leave him if its not overly hot or cold?

We probably will not bring him with us every time we visit but it really depends on plans for the weekend. If its just a relaxing see the family trip then there's no reason not to bring him. If its like last summer where its 2 or 3 trips in the summer but all for specific events like a wedding where we'll hardly have time for him then a kennel would certainly make sense. We have already decided that we are not comfy with the pet sitter route.

 

[Magic Mom]

I worry about theft too, Specifically the theft of Onslow. Our route takes us over the Chesapeake Bay bridge Tunnel and because up till now we traveled without pets(the bird stays home) we usually stopped for a bit of breakfast on the way up. It has always been a quick meal usually bout a half hr or so. but you can't see the car from the restaurant inside. Is that too long to leave him if its not overly hot or cold?

If I can't get a seat where I can see the car, I won't leave mine alone. I worry about people teasing him through the window, or trying to feed him something. I also want to be able to see if he starts to get stressed out.

 

[MichelleVW]

My dogs are amazing travelers and they love to ride in the car. I offer them water, but not so much food. The little guy tends to barf if he eats and then gets in the car. My dogs tend not to eat much on vacation either, I guess it's just the stress of being somewhere different, but none of the dogs I have ever owned (4) will eat well on vacation.

If it's not too hot I will leave them in the car while I get something to eat and they do fine. I just park the car where I can see them. Make sure your dog has your phone numbers on his tag in case he gets lost.

We've traveled from Texas to North Carolina to North Dakota with dogs/cats/horses and it's not bad.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

OK. It sounds like he'll be fine for the ride and welcome at the house. Be aware that many dogs can get upset GI tracks when their routine changes at all, so be cautious about changing his diet too much (ie people giving him tidbits and such) and be sure he has the ability to toilet frequently. You didn't mention a crate, but if he's used to being crated, I'd definitely use it at the home, especially overnight, and if I left him alone in the car. It'll serve three purposes: a) it's familiar, b) it's for his safety, and c) if he does have an accidental diarrheal BM (sorry), it'll contain it. Temperature wise, as long as it's for a short period and he has a towel or something in his crate, he should be fine. (Extreme caution has to be used when it's hot, especially for breeds with short snouts who can't cool themselves as well as long snouted dogs.) If you do go out to eat, especially if it's far from home, I'd go somewhere where I could see the car/dog at all times. Overly cautious? Maybe. But things do happen and I'd rather use an ounce of prevention than spend years worrying about what happened to (and searching for) my dog. Lastly, be sure to keep the dog on a leash when you take him outside the car and your family's house. Enjoy your trip!

 

[golfgal]

Our dog loves to go places in the car. She came with us to St. Louis, 8 hour drive. We never stop and eat at restaurants, especially for a short trip like 4 hours. If we needed to we would leave her in the car, weather permitting. We keep her water dish in the car and give her water when we fill up for gas or whenever. She whines when she needs to go to the bathroom so we pull over and take her out on her leash--well, that is if other people in the car that aren't driving are paying attention to her whining otherwise DH gets peed on .

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Make sure your dog has your phone numbers on his tag in case he gets lost.

Yes, and ideally he should be microchipped so you can find him if he gets lost and prove ownership.

 

[JerseyJanice]

We take our 120 pound dog down the shore a lot. It's usually a 2 hour drive, but sometimes, the traffic is brutal and we're in the car much longer. I drive so Max can stay in the back side with my husband as he's better at holding him down. He loves the car and is pretty good, but we don't trust him not to bother the driver.

If we have to stop on the interstate, the rest stops are good because he can be walked there. If we stop when we get to the local highway, we stop at a McDonald's or Stewart's Root Beer that have outdoor tables.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Specifically the theft of Onslow. Our route takes us over the Chesapeake Bay bridge Tunnel and we usually stopped for a bit of breakfast on the way up. It has always been a quick meal usually bout a half hr or so. but you can't see the car from the restaurant inside.

FYI, I just found this while I was looking at the CBBT website.
Restaurant and Gift Shop
CLOSED FOR RENOVATION -
Will Re-Open in the Summer of 2010
The Restaurant and Gift Shop are currently CLOSED for renovations. We apologize for any inconvenience to the traveling public, but we anticipate re-opening in the Summer of 2010.

 

[Octoberbride03]

Thanks for the info Carol. Got your PM too. Looks like its gonna be Mickey D's or WAWA for breakfast then. I'm sad to say our favorite restaurant on the Eastern Shore burned down Thanksgiving weekend so we won't have that issue over much till that's rebuilt.

TY to everybody for your tips and replies. And if anybody else has suggestions I'm all ears

 

[simba928]

Make sure your dog has your phone numbers on his tag in case he gets lost.

Definitely make sure you have a number that you can be reached at while you are there (cell phone, parents number, etc.). Since you said you will probably be taking him there often it might even be worth it to invest in a "travel collar" with tags on that have information for when you are there. Or even just writing a phone number on masking tape would work. Just this week we had a dog come in at work. He had tags on him from a Florida shelter. Fortunately we were able to call that shelter and they contacted his owners (I live in PA and they were visiting from Florida, dog decided to do a bit of sight seeing I guess) but it would have been so much easier to have directly contacted the owners. The shelter could have been closed or we could have been unable to contact them and who knows if they would have ever found him with us.

Also, I would not leave your dog in the car if you cannot see him. If I have my dog with me I will not even run into a store or stop at an ATM if I cannot see her. She has seperation anxiety and does not do well when left alone so I like to make sure she's ok. Even if she didn't do that, I wouldn't leave her. You never know what some people would do. All kinds of crazy stories about people doing things to animals.

 

[mickeysaver]

We have a hammock set up in the backseat area of my car. It looks a lot like this one. See hammock here. All 5 of our Chihuahuas do well in the backseat together. The first 30 minutes or so, they are pretty active back there then they settle down and sleep. We make a point of stopping every 2 hours or so for a walk. It's always an event coordinating getting them into and out of the car safely in a public rest area, but so far we have managed pretty well. We offer them a quick water break during the walk too and each of them gets a small treat once safely back in the car.

We like going places with our dogs. I do wish that Disney had a pet friendly resort that worked for us. We are just not the camping type. lol