Picking up New Puppy! - 8 hour drive!

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Mischa

1281186

Barked: Tue Jan 8, '13 6:04am PST


	So we have searched long & hard to find a dalmatian breeder that fit for us. And we finally found one and have a deposit in, but she's 8 hours away. And it will be worth it! We'll be going to pick her up in about a week and a half and I can't wait! I've done some reading about how you should go about that first encounter. But does anyone have advice as to traveling such a long distance with a dog at such a young age (8 weeks) and one that is not yet used to you yet?

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UCH Onyx TT

Do you even- lift?

Barked: Tue Jan 8, '13 4:08pm PST


	Onyx was 8 weeks old when we drove the 20 hours from the breeder back to my house. It was actually really smooth sailing for us. My brother and I switched off driving, and Onyx sat in the passenger side foot space the whole way, so whoever wasn't driving kept an eye on him. I let him out to potty and stretch his legs every time we stopped for gas, or when he started getting fussy. Of course be careful about the areas you let her out at (parvo ect.), or you could use puppy pads for the trip. I would definitely recommend keeping the pup confined to a small space, both because it'll keep her out of trouble and because a puppy is less likely to eliminate in an area where they can't get away from the mess. An appropriately sized crate could work, but many puppies will cry excessively when crated for the first time, and that's not much fun to listen to while driving. The foot space of the front passenger seat worked well for me because he still felt close to us, was easy to access, and couldn't get into trouble. Doesn't hurt to bring along a toy or something to chew in case she gets restless. Onyx slept most of the way though. Helps a lot if you can tire them out before you start.

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Jasper

Whut?

Barked: Wed Jan 9, '13 5:41pm PST


	Onyx We drove 8 hours to pick up Jasper. He was 8.5 weeks old. Took a walk before getting in the car...breeder had him crate trained already...we made potty breaks when he stirred. His breeder also sent a toy and a blanket he was used to...no whining or crying...and he came into our house like he already belonged. Congrats on your new family member!

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Zoey

love my family- but strangers- beware

Barked: Fri Jan 11, '13 3:30pm PST


	We only went a little over an hour but kept them up in the front with us. They ran free outside most of the time and were not crate trained. We went through some pretty wild roads so I might suggest a towel to keep with them as well. Both of ours threw up when we brought them home. Two different dogs from the same breeder at two different times. I guess they were a little nervous and a little car sick.

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Maggie,- Tika, &- Porter

Aussie-tastic- Trio

Barked: Sun Jan 13, '13 1:45pm PST


	I drove 11 hours to get my last puppy. She was crated as I brought my other two and wasn't chancing her harassing the older dogs. I had a passenger so she was able to keep an eye on the girl while I drove if there was any whining...luckily she made it just fine with only 3 stops along the way. I also didn't feed her a breakfast (as I picked her up the night before and stayed in a hotel), but she got a small dinner when I got home. If the puppy hasn't done any travelling with the breeder is may require more stops and a passenger to more heavily watch the puppy.

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Aina- Aloysius de- LeMaitre

work hard, play- hard

Barked: Sun Jan 20, '13 6:51pm PST


	Sorry that I am coming in late. I decided to bark up in case someone else comes across this post before they bring home their pup. I was a few days past 8 weeks when I went home with my people. The breeder had specific recommendations that worked out perfectly.. I sat in the lap of one person during the whole drive. It was a long drive from Canada down to Washington state but I was absolutely safe and satisfied in my person's lap. Border crossing was easy with me sitting in the back seat on the lap of the person. We stopped a few times along the way for fun. Beautiful start to bonding. That's the method I recommend!

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Mischa

1281186

Barked: Mon Jan 21, '13 8:21am PST


	Thought I'd stop back in with an update: Mischa did great. She slept the entire way. The breeder had fed her that morning early so she would be full but wouldn't get car sick. She sent us with a little packet of food and recommended that we let her snack occasionaly so that she wasn't too hungry. I would give her 5-6 pieces of kibble at a time and took a small resealable container for her to drink out of. We let her out every time we stopped but tried to avoid places like rest stops that had designated "pet areas" so that we could avoid the possibilty of parvo. Our breeder also had the puppies play a lot earlier that morning so that helped as well. We took the bed we'd bought her and sat it on the back seat. I sat in the back with her. She climbed right in the bed and was asleep within 5 minutes. Our breeder sent a blanket with the smell of her brothers and sisters and we had a stuffed dog for her to cuddle up to and a few other toys. We had to wake her up to get her to go outside to potty. We've gone on a couple of short car rides since. And we bring her bed and she goes right to sleep. I had originally been so nervous but I was truly amazed at how well she did. She was the perfect passenger.