Long Car Trip...how to make it easier for my pups?
So this weekend I will be loading up Hunter and Layla and driving down to Tampa to spend the holiday weekend with Josh. It's at least a 7 hour drive from where we are, and because I can't get off work, we won't be leaving until around 7:30-8:00 at night. Unfortunately this means I come home from work, let the pups out of their crate briefly to potty, and then put them right into the car without much chance to play and work off some energy.
I'm planning to stop at all the rest areas between here and there (I know of at least four) to let them potty and walk for a few minutes, and I'll of course bring some toys for them to play with in the car, but is there anything else I can do to make this long trip easier for them (and, in turn, myself??) They are usually GREAT in the car, but this will be their longest drive ever.
I'm planning to stop at all the rest areas between here and there (I know of at least four) to let them potty and walk for a few minutes, and I'll of course bring some toys for them to play with in the car, but is there anything else I can do to make this long trip easier for them (and, in turn, myself??) They are usually GREAT in the car, but this will be their longest drive ever.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on
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I have heard that you should not feed them before a long car trip, it helps with their tummy if it gets upset during the trip you wont have a mess to clean up. Are you going to crate them in the car, I would want to do that for your safety if you are the only one driving. That is the only things I can think of. Hope this helps. Have a safe and fun trip!
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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We spent the last weekend in Orlando, my friend picked us up in his Honda Odyssey, so we put Mocha and Vienna in the hatch area with a velour blanket, they were quiet the whole way. On our way back, my wife rented a Chevy HHR and we just put them in the back seat, the dogs prefer sleeping in the foot well and only props up when we stop the car. You want to make sure they drink enough water, AC can be dehydrating.
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Permalink Reply by Charlie on
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At their age, I would also have them ride in their crate for safety (sudden stops or an accident) and easier clean-up if they do get a little tummy upset (from either end) from the longer ride. You might consider having a pet sitter come in midday while you're at work on the day you're leaving, to get them exercised and tire them out a bit for the trip. Other than that, sounds like a wonderful adventure on which you are all about to embark. Drive safely and have a great time!
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Permalink Reply by CassieD44 on
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Ohh, a pet sitter that day sounds like a GREAT idea! I haven't decided yet if I'm going to crate them or not. Lately on short trips I have just been letting them ride in the backseat, and they do pretty well with that, but obviously this is a much different situation. I think I can lay my backseat flat (I have a Ford Escape) and put their crate in that space - otherwise I would have to put it all the way in the back, and they don't really like being back where they can't see me.
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Thank you everyone for your advice! I found a cage-free doggie day care right around the corner from my house, and we are going to try that while I am at work on Friday. If they like it, we will probably continue to do it at least once a week. We go on Thursday for the puppies "temperament tests" and just a little orientation to the facility, so hopefully everything will work out and they will be exhausted when I pick them up to leave! =)
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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How about running or walking the whole periphery of the rest areas? Good for you, too: a couple years ago, I drove from Seattle to Canyonlands in SE Utah (18-20 hrs), went backpacking out into the middle of nowhere, and one leg got all puffy from a superficial blot clot, presumably. Next time, I'm getting those constrictive leg socks and spend some more time stopping and running around. I ain't 50 anymore, and I can tell.
How about cultivating some trusted neighbor as a dogsitter/dogwalker? Maybe they could exercise the dogsjust before you come home to start your trip.
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I certainly don't mind walking them around, and I will DEFINITELY do that on the way home, but I'm concerned because most of the trip will be late in the night...being a female, alone, and rest stops are usually not especially well-lit areas. So I'll do it if I think it's absolutely necessary, but I would prefer to be able to get away with short potty stops, if possible.
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Oh by the way, watch out for speed traps around Macon and Valdosta area, once you crossed the GA FL border, the cell phone reception in that area doesn't work so well, you may get 1- 2 bars from At&t, but no bars for T-mobile or sprint / verizon. So for about 12 mins on I-75, you'll have sketchy reception there. Also make sure you have some change for toll road as well. Have a great trip!
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Permalink Reply by Nancy, Curtis and Triley on
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We took Triley on a 15 hour car trip when he was about 7 months old. We knew he was good in the car (no sickness) so that wasn't a problem. We have a Honda CRV and you can fold the back seats down and then they flip up against the driver's and passenger's seats - basically it gave Triley the whole back seat and trunk area to run around in and the seats made a natural wall between his area and ours, so he could see us but not get to us. He did like to woof at the people at the toll booths, but other than that he was a good pup. Since your dogs are still young, they probably won't need tons of exercise at the rest stops. I'd stay in well lit areas and don't wander far.
Word of warning though, we did come seriously close to getting in a car accident on the way home. We had to break really hard and Triley took a serious tumble and slammed into one of the seats. He was physically fine (thank goodness! the force could have easly broken his neck if he had hit the seat wrong) but he was terrified. He started trying to dig his way out of the car and whined constantly. The good thing was that we were abotu 20 minutes from home and as soon as Curtis reached back and started petting him, he calmed down. We are looking into getting him a doggy-seatbelt or some other restraining advice, since I would never forgive myself if something happened to him! Keeping them in their crates is a good way to ensure that they can't go flying (too far) if you get into (or almost into) an accident.
Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Ivy & Bryson on
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We just took Bryson on a loooong road trip from San Francisco to Austin, TX (25 hours) a few weeks ago. Looks like you've got some great advice already, here're our 2 cents:
(1) Completely corgi-unrelated: hit your local library and borrow some books on tape/CD. Helps you stay sane/awake.
(2) Give your corgi something to snuggle up against, that'll provide some sense of security
(3) Have plenty of water/treats on board
(4) Be careful when you get out in rest areas in the dark, it's unfamiliar territory after all. Bryson once stepped on a loose piece of cactus and we had to do "surgery" on him in the back of the car to remove spines from his paw pad. Ouch!
(5) Watch out for blisters on their feet- on a trip they're likely to walk more than at home, and on different surfaces they're used to (especially hot ones). Bryson got a huge ol' blister after we took him hiking in Sedona. Ouch ouch!
Hope this helps, and have a great trip!
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Permalink Reply by alynne on
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We took neeka on a 12 hour car trip when she was four months old. i take her to work with me so i kept her awake and playing all day to the point she could barely stand, if you are at work maybe take her to a doggy day care for the day? my parents have one by their house and its about $10 a day and the puppys have so much fun. i also put a big dog bed on my lap and let her sleep snuggled with me (although i admit crating her would have been better incase of an accident) we also stopped at all the rest stops and played with her/walked her/gave her water.
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