Transporting Puppy in Car

[Mary M.]

Tomorrow Henly turns 6 weeks.  Only 2 more weeks to go!!!  (not that I'm excited, mind you :-)

I'm starting to think about transporting Henly in the car.  I did some searching here and realize she might have motion sickness initially so I'll play with her in the car, in the driveway and hopefully take short, slow drives around the neighborhood.  I have a wellness visit scheduled with the vet 4 days after we get home.  I'd also like to take her to puppy socialization classes that are offered for young puppies in our area (after she has her 2nd DHP) but we'd need to drive.

So, if we can actually drive the car, how do you restrain your puppy vs a dog?  Initially I thought about a soft sided crate place in the back of my SUV.  But then I saw front seat might alleviate carsickness.  Then I researched harnesses and discovered the Sleepypod Clickit Harness.  

We get to visit Henly tomorrow and I plan to measure her to see which size harness will fit her.  Most likely, she'll grow out of her first harness though.

So I'm wondering, how did/do you transport your puppy if you're the only person in the car?  And was it in the front seat, back seat?  And how do you transport your dog?

I bought her water and food bowls :-)  Still have to put her crate together :-)  Have some toys :-)  Going to place a Chewy order and an Amazon order next week.  

Can't wait to bring her home!!!

Thanks for your advice!

[SoSa]

I'm curious about the too. When driving locally, he just sits in the back seat either by himself, but on a leash that I tie to my arm rest or with the kids. However, this Thursday we are going on a long distance trip and we're trying to figure out how to travel with him. The drive will be about 5-6 hours.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I just used a smaller wire crate, placed in the back seat when I transported either dood as a small puppy by myself. We never travelled more than 15 minutes at a time. We transitioned to a harness and a hammock-style back seat cover once they grew too big for the smaller crate. As for motion sickness, Lucy was the only one who had a problem, but only once, at 4-1/2 months. It was at the tail end of a 1-1/2 hr trip to the beach, on windy roads. Thankfully, we had towels laid down on the seat cover and the cover itself was machine washable. Ironically, Lucy had no problem on the return trip over the same roads. By then she was traveling with a harness. Puppies seem to have varying degrees of motion sickness, but most grow out of it by 6 months.

[Kaitee and Orwell]

I would say put the a crate in the front seat. Make sure that it is secure, though.

Also, be prepared for whining. See if soft music helps the whining.

My little brother held Orwell for the ten minute drive home, and trust me... if we had to go farther, I would've brought the crate. They are squirmy things when they are nervous. 

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Oh, and BTW, puppy socialization classes are a GREAT idea!. Both Lucy and Oscar attended weekly 'puppy romps', hosted by a local doggy day care center, when they turned 10 weeks old. The experience was priceless for both doodles.

[Rica + Margot]

We used the SleepyPod Air on the plane, train, taxi, and our car. She grew out of it in a few months, but I liked it when she could use it. And you can buckle it in the backseat. Also - she threw up on the carrier the first few times, which was easier than the backseat to clean. We now have a large soft carrier that we buckle in our backseat since we don't really have anyone else sitting back there most of the time. We also chose the second carrier over the harness since she didn't like her walking harness - she'd chew it and wiggle herself out of it since she was still tiny in the chest. This is just our experience, yours might be really different. Would you try your crate in the back and then decide after a week or two? I think most young puppies get car sick anyways. Margot got carsick for ~month.

[Marianne Kay]

I have a sleepypod for my adult doodle (about $100.00) and it attaches to the baby seat anchors in the rear seat. It works very well, but I think your little one may be okay in a small crate, until you know how she responds to car rides. Generally the back seat is considered safer because of the air bag in the front seat. You may be able to put the car seat belt, through the crate to keep it steady so it does not slip too much. When I brought Pierre home at 8 weeks, we made a stop in 15 minutes because he got very worried. We found a clearing to let him out on a leash to get his bearings, and pee if he wanted to do that, and have a bowl of water. Then in another 15 minutes he was in the pet shop, suggested by the breeder, for a few items. Then another 30 minutes home. We were able to break the trip up and he tolerated it well. The reason to have them restrained is to protect you and the dog. You don't want a dog flying into you, and you don't want a dog running out of the car in an accident. Best wishes!

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

I use a harness that clips in with the seatbelt in the back seat and I also have a pet hammock in the back seat, it has little pockets for the seatbelt clip to come through. Sooooo great for keeping the back seat clean! I usually throw some blankets and a toy back there too. WhT I really like about it is that between that and the harness he can't fall down off the seat which allows me to focus on the road and not have to worry about him! The one I got was from pet co and I'll see if I can't find the link to it. I think most of them are leak/ water resistant and machine washable as well.

http://t.petco.com/product/124971/Good2Go-No-Fur-Zone-Hammock-Dog-C... This is one similar to the one I have.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Buying a Sleepypod now maybe a waste of money. She will out grow it very quickly. When Enzo was smaller we used a hard sided crate...safer all the way around should you ever get hit. Now that's she's older we use the SP. Either could be used in the front seat.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

When they were puppies I transported them in a soft sided crate in the back seat.  One of my guys was prone to car sickness so I needed to contain him in an area that was easy to clean.  Congratulations...you must be so excited.

[Mary M.]

Thanks for your responses.

I think I'll go to craigslist & see what I can find since it's temporary.

Going to visit her today!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

My dog now wears a seat belt and I am not condoning what I am about to tell you, but when I picked up Spud I put him close to my chest, close to my heartbeat, and zipped up the coat.  He road that way home. 

There is something about a swaddled baby close to his moma's heart that is bonding for you both and calming for the pup.

I dont recommend this method but I would do it again  :)

From then on we used a crate--a cat carrier really, and seat belted the crate to the car seat.  We just improvised as he grew. 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

LOL...I am guilty of doing the same. Stu drove and I sat with Enzo cuddling and cooing at her, in my lap. She probably got more kisses and snuggles in our hr. drive home, than most get in a month! A first time bonding moment for sure!