Pet Lovers

[NickNack]

Carlita and Lola are adorable!

[BornToShop]

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@gizmogal wrote:

AAA puts out a special travel guide just listing and reviewing every pet-friendly lodging like motels/hotels and places for kennel care in every single state, by city. You do not have to be a AAA member to obtain the guide, but I think it's about $15. If you intend to stay overnight and want the pups in the room with you, this guide is hugely helpful for planning your overnight stops.  Or knowing where pet services might be available.

http://www.aaa.com/PetBook/

Bring all along immunization records and also a dated letter from the vet vouching for the dogs' state of good health at a recent checkup. Proving the dogs are healthy will get more flexibility in getting accommodations, even if it's a pet-friendly location. 

Keep dogs leashed when walking aaround on a  potty or exercise break. Dont  assume they are older and quiet and won't run if spooked in an unfamiliar location, or if confronted by some other animal. They are still dogs and leashes give you control and protection. 

Know the weather where you're going. Bring their little sweaters if you think it will be chilly at night or even by day.

Scotchguard spray their car bed with a couple of light sprays on the interior.   If done a week or so before departure it will not have any smell or affect the dogs, but it is a terrific, easy protection if there is an accident or throw up while traveling. Mess will not stain their bed/car seat and cleanup is much more tidy with scotchguard applied. 

Don't ever ever leave them alone in a locked car.  (But you know that already!)

Have a great trip. Don't worry. They'll mostly sleep.  And they'll be happy to be with you. 

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@gizmogal, my mouth is hanging in awe!  The take-home message is they will be happy to be with us.  Headed over to the website now, and thank you!  

[Abrowneyegirl]

We travel with chicken and rice to keep tummy's calm and chicken broth to encourage hydration.

Extra towels and blankets are great to have on hand!

[CrazyDaisy]

Would never travel with my dogs not secured in a crate.  Zip tied to the crates are their vet records, list of medications and most important emergency contact information. Don't want to be in an accident far away from home and not know my dogs are safe.  I also have a sign for my window for emergency workers to check crates for dogs.  Have heard wayvto many horror stories not to take every precaution.

[Posh Poodle]

Just precious!

[Posh Poodle]

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@BornToShop wrote:

Carlita & Lola thank you all for your great advise!  

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Meant to include the pix of your babies! They are adorable!

[CamilleP]

I would strongly urge you to consider solid crates that are made to withstand impacts that you can strap down in the back seat with strong nylon strapping.  You can put lots of soft bedding in the crates, and in the case of a wreck, they will be far more safe in a crate than in a harness.  For dogs in car crashes the most common way they are injured or killed is AFTER the wreck, when they get loose and are hit and killed in traffic, or run away, terrified, and are never found, dying of exposure or predation far from home.  If a dog is in a crate, with a collar and leash on, they can be protected and then kept from dashing away by rescuers who come to assist you after the crash. 

I agree with taking current vet records with photos attached, local licensing information, microchip information if they are chipped, lots of water and food from home that they are used to, and any medications they regularly take.  When you get to your destination, you can mix water from home with water in the new location to accustom your dogs to the new water source, and if you are there long enough they may transition fully to the new water.  On the trip back, re-fill your water containers so you can transition back to the home water again when you get back.  Alternatively, you can buy and accustom the dogs to a nationally available bottled water brand, and buy that for them in stores in any location you happen to be in.  Bottled distilled water is normally pretty taste-free, and unlikely to upset a dog's tummy no matter where it's bought, for instance.

I hope you all have a happy and fun-filled trip, and that all the worrisome precautions you take turn out to be unneeded, but of course, better to be safe than sorry.

[Marp]

Something else to consider in addition to bringing their regular food is bringing water from home!   If the water in different locations has been treated differently from what they are used to it can cause tummy upsets.  I learned that the hard way many years ago when we were relocating.

Now, both at home and while traveling my dogs only get bottled water.  At home bottled water is necessary because of my well water's extremely high mineral content.

[candys mine]

Yes, What Marp said! If you have time, get them used to a major brand of bottled water and bring some on the trip with you.  Tap water won't taste the same as home and it may change taste at every stop depending on where they get their municipal water from.  also bring extra pictures just in case the unthinkable happens and you need to find one of them, you'll have photos to show and leave with your phone number on it. Are they Microchipped?  It't Not GPS but it does help reunite pets and people.  If they are used to riding They'll most likely take the trip in stride. Bring as much as possible that is familiar to them.  They sure are cuties!

[Carmie]

I have two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels who travel with us all of the time.  They travel from PA to FL every year.

My dogs travel in SturdiBags,  they are wonderful.  I strap the bags to the car seat with the loops intended for this purpose.  The bags can also house the dogs if they must be crated in a motel. These bags are used by owners, of show dogs who travel by car and by plane.

I am not comfortable putting my dogs in a harness in the car.  During an accident, the dogs will be thrown around and that tether can be dangerous.  I also know that during an accident or other stressful mishap, dogs will run away if they get out of the car.

We stop about every two hours or so making sure to clip a leash on them before we open the car doors. I know that many people lose their dogs while " on the road" because they get loose, are scared and are in unfamiliar territory. I have seen frantic people at rest stops who lost their dog.

Our dogs sleep most of the time.  You might want to put a sun screen shield on the back windows so the sun doesn't beat down on the pups,  it can get really hot back there.

Have fun.  Road trips are easier with dogs, than with kids. They don't  keep asking " Are we there yet?"