Travel advice for a new puppy

[danond]

We're planning on picking up our new Rottweiler and this is the first time we're traveling to do it. When I took our first Rotty home the poor guy hung out in his crate in the back, howling like mad. That was only a 20 minute trip and I felt like I'd scared the bejeezus out of him.

The trip we're taking this time is about 6 hrs long. We plan to stop often, let the little dude get some grass time and eat, drink, etc, but is there anything else you guys do when traveling with worried little Rotties to make the trip a little less stressful?

[brunie's mom]

We had a 7 hour trip each way to pick up our pup from the breeder also...and we did it on one day.
The breeder packed us with paper towels and a couple of bottles of water from her home...and the food she had been feeding the pups.

I took a cat carrier (crate) with us...and started him off on the trip home in that. We stopped after about an hour and I let out with his leash and collar on in a grassy area (I think a church parking lot?)...and he peed.

I know he was hungry...but was worried he would throw up his lunch if I fed it to him...so I kept giving him small dog bisquits to get over his hunger.
After the first stop...I put him in my lap...and he stayed in my lap all the way home. I think we made another stop? and I offered him some water.

Good luck on your trip home with your puppy.

Gina

[Ayoka]

Withnour big dog we give him something to chew in the car...I'm not sure what would be appropriate for a small dog but giving them soemthing to do can be a great distraction and a way for them to release some stress.

My cats also stress in the car so when we take them to the vets I often cover the crate with a towel and this seems to quiet them down some.

[lieud]

i think he should be fine as long as you provide him with some comfort along the way. Like brunie's mom, I had mine in a crate next to me for a little while and then he decided he wanted to sleep in my lap on the whole way home. lol so if you have someone else with you it should be all good. good luck!!

[Halltx1203]

When we picked up our pup(he was eight weeks at the time)- He rode in my lap the whole way home while my husband did the driving. We had no problems at all. Good Luck

[Cherry Heart]

We had a 7 hour drive to pick up Arwen at 8 weeks old. The drive home took about 10 hours or so because of all the stops. Arwen was in a crate in the backseat with puppy pads in the bottom in case of accidents (there were none). We stopped at least every hour, and a couple extra times when we saw a good place to eat or give her a walk. We only stopped at places that we expected not to have alot of dog traffic (because of the lack of vaccines), never parks or rest stops. We fed her, gave her water, a walk around, and back in the crate. The couple times she wimpered we stopped, let her pee, gave her some love and back on the road. She did excellent. Couldn't have gone smoother. Good Luck.

[hhalford]

We also followed the advise of cherry heart and didn't stop at busy places. We brought our puppy home 2 weeks ago and our drive was 6 hours. He slept most of the way in my husbands lap. The breeder hadn't fed him that morning so that he wasn't car sick. He ate a couple of greenies on the way. Have fun!!

[chivas]

Even though we all do it and its very tempting to hold a new pup in your lap, crate is much better. A sudden stop or accident could have thrown the pup out of the car and killed. And I KNOW no one thinks it could happen to them but it DID happen to a friend of mine, the pup was in her daughter's lap and they were in a head on, pup was thrown from car and her pelvis was broken, luckily she survived but (as did everyone else)..................... maybe not so lucky next time.