Hi Maggie now 12 months old is about to travel for 3 days in a car. I tried finding other articles on dog travel but it was all mainly little puppies. Maggie now #65. Would love to hear what others do when they travel. We will be in the car for 3 days and about 7-8 hrs per day. I also have a chihuahua 8# ill harness her or her kennel is very small so fits on the seat next to me. But Im open for seating arrangements. Today I just practiced getting her to jump up and in, just testing out closing the back, she stayed in the very last time. Any and all stories , helpful info would be great!
Maybe Im not being specific enough...do you put your lab in a harness in the seat? Do you bring a travel kennel bungee to something in case of a crash, no kennel...? Thoughts?
How do you normally transport her around ? My dog goes in the boot of a big truck so safe away from passengers. In UK you have to have them secured somehow so if there is a crash they won’t injure the passengers. It’s not really enforced though. That’s a very long journey for animals, could you break it up a bit ?
If you're just practising getting her to jump in and out, it doesn't sound like she's very used to car travel of shorter periods yet...?
Well she broke her shoulder when younger so I didn't want her jumping down so I mainly picked her up but she is heavier now. She had a smaller kennel but is in the bigger one. I wasn't sure about using the seat belt kind and theres not going to be a lot of roomie the car. Only short trips to the vet, park. When she Was in heat that was a month of not going to places we could have any issues.
I used to put her in her kennel, but didn't know if that was my only option, just wondered what others found to work well. Don't think braking it up for another day is an option.
Our Suburban and Subaru have dog guards in the back so the dog(s) usually ride in the wayback. We don't use harness or seat belts for the dogs if they are somewhere else in the car, unless it the Miata with the top down. Ours have done some very long days. A couple of times 900 to 1000 miles in a day. (Portland to Kansas City in two days). We let them out, usually on leash when we go to a rest area.
So your saying they are in the back but behind the guard. Thats what I was thinking as an option.We have a highlander, Ill check out the guards, thanks
I think it would be a good idea to take her for several shorter trips before you longer 3-day trip, to be sure she is ok travelling. If you want to keep a close eye on her, you can put a vet bed on the passenger seat, put a harness on her and use an adaptor for the seat-belt plug (really cheap and available at all pet stores) so she is right next to you for a few short trips. When you know she is ok, she can move to the back - but it's a good idea to get a dog used to the dog area in the back of a car with the car static at first. Make a Kong and give it to the dog in this area whilst you sit right outside or in the back passenger seat whilst the dog does the Kong. Hang around after the dog has finished the Kong - you want to see the dog settle there.
Yes. That is where they normally ride. Travall makes very good custom dog guards. They aren't cheap, but they fit well and are solid. They were the only ones I could find for our Suburban. Subaru makes them for Subies, though they don't call them pet guards anymore. They are also very solid. If Toyota doesn't have one, took for Travall. I agree with Jo, they need to do some shorter trips first. I remember Coopers first long trip. About 6:00pm she started whining. We let her out to go Potty or run a bit, and she really just wanted out of the car and was not real happy about getting back in. We always try to find some places they can run a bit and play catch once or twice a day. Most of our rest areas are not off leash friendly, but a few can be, and sometimes just some dirt road off the main road, with no traffic.
Thank you for the reply I like this idea a lot. We have been doing shorter rides and is happier jumping in. Ive been leaving the back open for her to jump in and get out when she wants. She was getting really anxious in the kennel, but is really calm without, so I think the harness where I can touch her will be the best. She is the most lovable lab we have ever had and likes to be touching us when we are home, so Im sure its the same for the car (even more so while getting more comfortable.
