Traveling home with puppy!

[Sarah Kuiper]

Hello! I get to take home my F1b goldendoodle towards the end of May and I am SO excited! My only concern is the drive home. We are traveling over 5+ hours to pick him up and I am getting so many mixed messages on how to travel with him. Should I hold him on my lap in the back seat or make him ride in the kennel? I don't want his first kennel experience to be traumatic!

Also how often do you think we should stop for potty breaks? Water at every stop and food mid day? Where is the best place to stop to avoid Parvo? Eeek! So many questions!

[Minda and Callie]

We only had to travel about an hour and my dog was very nervous. You could tell because she drooled at lot. She still gets car sick and she is two. I wonder if the puppy is old enough for the vet to give her Cerenia to make the trip easier for you both?

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

We had a 4 hour drive bringing Winnie home. I held her, and she did fine with that until about 2 hours into the drive she puked all over me without warning. :-) The breeder said that she purposely doesn't feed the pups before the drive home to hopefully prevent this, but it didn't help. After she vomitted, I put her on the floor of the car, and that seemed to help. I have since read that for a first car ride, it is better if they can't see out. The good news is that is the only time that she has gotten car sick!

As far as potty breaks, we stopped about every hour or so, and purposely went places where other dogs would have been less likely to have been at. We offered water, but no food until she got home.  

Bring some towels, wipes, and maybe an extra change of clothes. :-)

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

I second the towels/wipes/ and clothes!

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

I'm sure this is more wrong than right but this is what I did and I drove home alone with the puppy and it took over 24 hours.  I drove from Seattle WA to Long Beach CA., we were supposed to fly home but that's a whole nother story!  My baby girl freaked when kenneled, local vet in WA indicated she was having a panic attack and hyperventalating when she was locked in the kennel!  So what I did was lay down the back seat of the rental car, laid a blank down with small bowl of food, water and the toy I came with to pick her up and she traveled splendidly. 

For the most part she laid from the back seat onto the console just close enough so she was touching me (early sign of separation issues), btw, she was 10 weeks old.  I stopped at every rest area we came to and we picked a far away corner and walked and ran around for 10-15 minutes (note: I carried her to those far away corners).  I too was fearful of her pickng up something; parvo, kennel cough, anything!  She traveled great no accidents, no whining, nothing. 

To this day she is still a great traveler AND still cannot have the kennel door closed on her!  I would have loved her on my lap but she's not a lap dog; then or now?  Plus knowing she was gonna get a whole lot bigger I didn't want her thinking the lap was allowed when traveling, especially since 99% of the time I'm the driver! 

When I initially picked her up my sister was with me, she drove, so from the breeders home to the first stop for the evening I sat in the backseat with her and she was very content to sit in the seat next to me. Of course at all times either touching my arm or leg! lol  Next day she was content to sit in the back alone, well with my hand back there for her to see/touch.  Our initial drive from was from Newport WA to Seattle WA. 

What she does now is stretch across the console, close her eyes and stick her nose in the air vent?  I can't blame her I have to have air in my face too! 

I have a crewcab truck and the back seat (60/40 split) is lifted and a thick dog bed is on the floor.  My other dog lays down and doesn't really move until we start slowing down (then she knows we are stopping somewhere).  Sassy is restless; she'll lay for a while then lean across the console, then sit in the seat and looks out, or lays across the top of the back seats and enjoys the fresh air from the back sliding window.  My truck has a shell and occasiionally she'll lay on a big trunk I have in the back and stick her nose through the windows? 

I wouldn't worry to much she'll feed off your stress.  Our first time home with Josie (she'd NEVER been in a vehicle) she laid on the floor in the back and just stared at the back of my head!  She still lays there but is contect and usually sleeps the whole time.  I'm lucky neither of my girls get car sick! 

I really need to harness them but afraid my Sassparilla will panic if she's confined??

Good luck and enjoy, I found our intial drive to be a crucial bonding moment.

[Mary ann & Lincoln]

We had a six hour drive. We used a travel crate and put few towels inside. I had a few extra in case too. I also had a furry toy that I gave to the breeder to rub on the mom for her smell. We stopped about twice, for a potty break and some water. Lincoln whined ALOT an then slept off and on., so be prepared. We just kept talking to him along the way when he would whine. Linc was pretty good considering. He still whines in the car for some of the trip now unless he is in the front passenger seat wiht my husband. We don't put him in a crate anymore ( doens't fit inthe travel crate at 7 months.

[Chris]

We had a two hour drive and started off with her in my lap while my husband drove.  About an hour into the trip she got car sick. I brought along a laundry basket with a towel in it and she rode the rest of the way in it.  She only whined a little and slept most of the trip. Definitely have wipes, towels and a back to close off anything that might get puked on.

[Missy]

we had a 8 hour trip home.  We chose to stay in hotel at breeders city to bond with the puppy. So glad we did. I felt like it gave us time to get over the nerves before a trip.  We did not let the puppy run on the bare floor. We took puppy pads and covered the floor.  let him pee poo in bathroom with puppy pads all over that floor as well.  He slept in a crate on the bed with me that night. (so I could put my fingers in the crate to calm). Then we started our trip the next day in the crate. 

we stopped at unusual places along our route so not to be using areas largely used by dogs. (libraries, business areas, etc.)

We only offered water once, but every puppy will be different. Hopefully, all will go well for you! Congratulations! You have chosen an awesome breed!!   And I always travel with a 'clean up kit' (wipes, papertowels and plastic bags and gloves-you never know what end will explode)  We found our pup gets hot on the polyester blankets, so if taking covers, try cotton towels or quilts.

Signs our pup shows before getting sick.  Lots of panting (air gets trapped and soon there is upchuck)-we combated this with really cold air conditioning.  Bring a sweater for yourself!  Also, if you can keep them laying down, you are better off.  Maybe sit in back seat with pup so you can adjust what he/she needs during the trip. 

Enjoy your new puppy!!

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

I just drove about 4 1/2 hours (each way) this past weekend to get Moose and I just held him on my lap the whole time and he alternated between looking around and sleeping. My mom went with me which was helpful to have someone with me. We stopped about every 30mins on the way home and found some less traveled spot of grass to go potty. I wore an extra sweatshirt and kept the air blowing on his face. I get car sick really easily and if there is a breeze it helps my stomach settle almost instantly so I tired that for him and he had no issues- who knows if that helps at all lol!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Have paper towels, wipes, towels and water with you. I would not offer food until you get home. A full stomach and riding in the rear of a car/ truck/SUV, main contributors to car sickness. You should probably should stop every 1/2hr- 45 min....OR when she wakes up,, for a pee stop. I would bring some pee pads to put down for the quick travel pee on the road.

We had a kennel ready, BUT, we never used it. My husband drove and I took full advantage of the cuddle and bonding time. We had a 2 hr drive and Enzo was a trooper. No sickness, no accidents.

[Jenny and Cooper]

We had to drive about 5 1/2 to 6 hours to get Cooper.  We slept at a hotel the night before.  We were lucky our appointment was early in the morning at 9 a.m.  Our breeder suggested we put him in the crate the ride home, and also not to give him food.  Our boys wanted Cooper on their lap.  We tried that for about 30 seconds and pulled over.  lol.  He was moving about too much.  We put him in the crate and he was perfectly fine.  I can't remember him whining, maybe just a little bit.  We had two stops.  One was at in and out to get lunch and we had Cooper just walked around in a tiny area next to our parked car.  Put the pee pad on the ground but he didn't pee. Gave him water.  As we were about to put him back in the crate, he threw up. :(  We had another stop an hour and a half before we got home at a park and ride parking lot.  Let him roam and bit but he didn't pee.  Once we got home, we took him to his gravel potty area and he did finally pee!  It was a peaceful ride home, we were probably more anxious than he was.  That night he slept from 10 a.m to 4 a.m. in his crate. He wasn't traumatized by the long car ride.  lol.   Good luck to you!

[Sarah Kuiper]

Thank you everybody SO MUCH for your advice!! I just wanted to let you know the ride home couldn't have gone better :-) The kennel didn't fit in the jeep so I lined a laundry basket with a moving blanket and puppy pads, gave him a few toys and blanket with his mommy's scent. We had him in the back seat next to me so I could reach my hand in if needed. He slept almost the whole time!!! No accidents, no crying :-) 

He cuddled with his flea and just melted mama's heart <3