Tips for bringing puppy home on a 4 hour drive ?

[Missy Boleyn]

Hello Everyone,

 

I am looking for some guidance.... I am bringing my puppy home soon..yay! however, it is going to be a four hour drive. I am mentally prepared for potential throw up ...and have a plan for rest stops so that my pup doesn't come in contact with other dogs or their business ( parvo risk - going to bring a disposable blanket/tablecloth  or some such to let the puppy do his business on).

 

i am wondering what is the least stressful way to transport the poor little thing ?  will a small crate make him feel safer? my sister in law said that she brought her dog home in a small crate & the pup pooped all over itself.......

 

I have purchased a seatbelt restraint system for dogs...basically it is a padded harness whose lead has a seatbelt faster that "clicks" into the seatbelt, so that the dog has about a 8"  of leash to turn around & lay down etc, but is still restrained in case of sudden stops or an accident.  At lest with this approach, I could pet the puppy & comfort her. But maybe being in the wide open car would make her feel insecure?

 

Any tips would be greatly appreciated !

 

Kind regards,

Missy

 

 

[Marianne *OZZY & ZOEY]

This is my story.. I picked up Zoey and it was a 5 or more hour drive...Of course I had Ozzy and Woody along with my daughter and of course me and my husband. My daughter held Zoey in her lap, she laid towels on her lap and we had extra just in case. We had to make stops for the older dogs and we also took Zoey along with them..Don't know if we were luck or she saw what they did...but, no accidents and the ride went smooth...the teenager was the biggest problem..LOL

[Karen Klempel]

Our drive home was only an hour, but the crate didn't work. She was howling and crying in the crate before we'd left the driveway. I gave it about 5 minutes, but couldn't take it any longer. She hadn't been in a crate before and putting her in one for the ride home wasn't going to work. Fortunately my Dad was with me and he held her for the rest of the drive. Sara slept most of the way and was very happy to be in his arms - eventhough she'd never seen him before.

You'll probably need to stop for a potty break if it's a 4 hour drive, but otherwise, you should be good.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

[Leslie, Dexter & Kirby]

We had a ~3-4 hr drive home with Dexter. We bought a soft crate which we used when he was in the car for the first few months of his life. We put a few toys in it and a blanket. He slept most of the way. We did have to stop once to let him go. We carried him to a remote section at a rest stop and didn't let him wander around much. We were also worried about him getting parvo, but we tried to minimize the risk by only having him out for a short time.

[Michelle B.]

We met the breeder half way and had approximately a 4 hour ride home. We were bringing home our two "girls". We brought two crate just in case and a couple of towels and a bowl and water. As it turns out, Angel was most content sitting with my daughter the entire way. Amy, on the other hand, preferred the safety of the crate to my son's lap. We stopped once for a potty break and they both peed. It was an uneventful ride - no one got sick or even barked. I was quite nervous beforehand, but they did great! Hope things work out well for you too!

[Missy Boleyn]

thanks to everyone for all the great tips & wonderful idea ...I feel much more well prepared. Thanks again to everyone !!