Greetings from Thame. If you have ever watched an episode of Midsommer Murders you have seen the area I live and love to roam! Next week I will be getting a little (not for long) 9 week old Golden Girl. My question is "How do I get her home". She is coming about 60 miles. I am proposing to sit in the back of the car with on my knee and giving her a cuddle and reassurance all the way. We will stick to quiet non-motorway routes and I plan to do it in daylight for obvious reasons. We have been offered the loan of a cat carrier. My husband thinks this would be a good idea and from a safety aspect he is right, but I think she will have a lot to cope with on that day and don't want to distress her. I would welcome suggestions. First post, so if I've done something wrong please let me know and I'll try to do better next time.
Re: Hello Hello from me and my 6 month pup Murphy! How exciting!! I remember like it was yesterday picking Murphy up from the breeders and taking him home! We had about 40 mins to travel with him and did it with me sat in the back with him on my lap. He was quite restless which made me a little stressed and it was during a heat wave and he was panting a lot so I was worried about him being too hot! You won't have that problem now at this time of year though! He ended up weeing on my lap a minute down the road from our house which was annoying and then as I got out of the car carrying him he was sick. I believe it can be normal for pups to get car sick to start with, I also read that it's not good to travel with them on a full stomach for this reason, and that it is good to give them a little meal when they first arrive at your house, along with showing them where the toilet is. I think having her on your lap will be fine and because it is colder you can wrap her up in a blanket and make it nice and snuggly! I couldn't do that with Murphy because it was too hot. I'm sure other people with more experience may have other ideas but it just about worked for me! Good luck with the pup
Re: Hello Hi, I picked up Otisup at eight weeks with a similar if not longer journey. I think its best to take a small crate that you will have him crated in. He can go in there with a warm blanket , maybe a toy too, I had a fluffy hot waterbottle. It will be good for safety, get him used to being crated in a car too. You can always have the door open with your hand inside stroking him. If he gets really distressed, by all means take him out and cuddle him. I made the mistake of giving a few treats, dont, ! Car sickness is likely. It will also get him used to being crated. Maggiex
Re: Hello hi and welcome from me and jasper 10 month old black lab,.....a crate or cat carrier should be fine, take some puppy pads with you, ask the breeder not to feed him before you pick him up
Re: Hello Hi there, and welcome! I always take a crate when I transport a puppy, but only as a back up. I line the front passenger footwell with newspaper and towels, and have a friend come with me. The puppy sits in the passenger footwell, and feels safe pressed up against the passenger's legs. The crate is for the unlikely event that the puppy won't settle there and leaps around distracting the driver. I think this is safer than a lap in case you have to stop quickly. A puppy cannot fall off the floor of the car. Puppies pressed up against someone's legs are less likely to panic, and cry, than they are in a crate. Good luck with your puppy
Re: Hello Hello, I am also new here. Our pup travelled for 50 miles, (around 2hrs drive if I remember correctly). We had to pick him up from sticks in Cornwall, a farm in the middle of nowhere. Obviously it was his first time in any vehicle. My wife drove most of the return journey, I sat holding him in the back because we didn't have a crate at that time. If I could recommend anything - it would be plastic carrier bags and kitchen towels, they came in extremely handy. Sick everywhere ! Down my legs, down my arms, on the back seat, on the door trims, omg ! I got out of the car, he was fine but I looked like a bog creature with bits of half digested kibble stuck to me. You wouldn't think so much liquid could come out of a tiny fluffy bundle. Maternal instincts got the better of us but .... the car rocks around more in the rear, it's hot on my lap and he couldn't really move with me clutching him tightly. We probably should have used a crate : All the best and hope things go more smoothly for you and your new pup.
Re: Hello [quote author=Reuben link=topic=3243.msg34924#msg34924 date=1384172766] Our pup travelled for 50 miles, (around 2hrs drive if I remember correctly). We had to pick him up from sticks in Cornwall, a farm in the middle of nowhere. Obviously it was his first time in any vehicle. [/quote] Little lanes and a car sick pup! That must have been some journey... The lovely breeder from whom we collected Brew had taken the pups out in the car for several short trips, as she knew that only one of the litter was staying local and the rest all had a couple of hours plus in the car to get home. I used a small crate, in the middle of the back seat so I could see it too and next to my daughter (I had two daughters with me - didn't want an argument breaking out on the motorway about holding the pup though!) We had also dropped off a fleece blanket and a cuddly on our previous visit to see the litter - yep, could have posted them, but who minds an eight-hour round-trip when you get to cuddle pups?!! - and she had these in her crate with her. She slept for the first three-and-a-half hours, and when she woke up, my daughter opened the door, stroked her a little... and she dozed off again with her head on her hand. I think we were just lucky... and had a good breeder. We did have a very precise collection time arranged, so the breeder had had her out in the garden for a play just before we got there, and had skipped the meal prior to collection. That definitely helped - and I was really glad to carry the sick bags and kitchen roll in again unused! Oh, and the anti-bacterial hand gel... Hope it all goes smoothly, Clare
Re: Hello Hi there, We only had about 30-40 mins in the car. I drove, and my daughter Sophie had Lilly-pup in the back on her knee with a plastic bag and towel under her in case of accidents. It was a trouble-free journey though. My main worry, bizzarely, was how was I going to get this puppy from someones back garden to the car - no collar or lead, would I drop her, would she run away. I was a COMPLETE dog novice. It all went really smoothly though This is Lilly the day we brought her home
Re: Hello We picked Poppy up in Wiltshire when she was just eight weeks old - and drove all the way to Frankfurt! Eleven hours, including the channel tunnel . She was brilliant - no weeing, no sick... Like Pippa I had her in the footwell. She clearly thought it was her new home and even tried to get back in once we got to our house!
Re: Hello Hi from Emma and Charlie...we bought Charlie home last week and used a soft crate in the boot. Ours was only a 20min journey thankfully though. Jac...Lily is adorable
Re: Hello Thank you to everyone for their input. As usual, you ask a question and you get several different replies, but it is all food for thought. I had never thought about car sickness, so thanks for that and note to self, wear old clothes Pick up day has been brought forward a week. I know I should say "panic stations" and "rushed off my feet". But actually it feels like Christmas has come early!
Re: Hello I'm a real sucker for a puppy photo (aren't we all?) Found that one of Lilly last week when looking for something else and made it my wallpaper. So cute at that age...... Same can be said for kids :.....
Re: Hello Hi there and welcome,sorry I'm a bit tardy .... We live in Dubai with our yellow boy Dexter 13 months old.I can't help with your original question as Dexter travelled home to us on a plane...... ;D lots of relevant suggestions have come through though so good luck with the journey and let us know how you get on D [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=3243.msg34962#msg34962 date=1384190486] This is Lilly the day we brought her home [/quote] Er Jacqui....no wonder Sophie mythers you about another puppy when Lilly was so cute ;D Have I just spread your puppy stand off over 3 threads now!?
Re: Hello Hi Mollly and welcome to the forum from me and Obi Hope the trip hope goes really well. What an exciting time
Re: Hello Molly covered herself with glory on the trip home by NOT covering me or the car with poo, wee or sick. She got a bit restive and as we were heading for the motor way I popped her in a carrier with blanket supplied by trainer. Left door open and put hand in and stroked her. After a very little bit of fuss she nodded off. I expect the 'fun' will begin at bedtime. I'm already an insomniac so well used to little sleep. Wish us luck. I signed up for this so I won't 'bitch'.
