The Trip Home.....

[Puppy Madness]

We're bringing Willow home at the end of this month. 

 

We know she will be a larger dog when she grows up, but, while she's small what would be recommended as an appropriate pet carrier for her?  It makes no sense to buy a small pet carrier for her as a puppy only to have her outgrow it in a matter of weeks.  What are other puppy parents doing in this situation?  I thought about the cardboard carriers, but, I don't know if they are practical of not. 

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

When we got Remington... (10 lb puppy now 80 lb dog) we purchased a extra large crate that had separators... this way we were able to separate the crate off to small portions when little and as he grew so did the areas that were separated in the crate.  We could just move the separators to fit what size we thought would be best for him.  This worked great for us and we only purchased one crate.  This would be my advice for you. Good luck with the new pup!  They bring so much joy into your life.  We cannot imagine life without our Remington Bear!

[Julie and Maggie]

I will use a pet carrier, but only because I am flying her home and that's the only way. But you are right. It sounds like they are 20 pounds in no time. When we get to that point I am switching to a Champion harness and she can sit in the back seat in between my two boys. I have a cargo space too (Honda Pilot) if that doesn't work. I bought the "puppy package" which is essentially one small and one large harness at a discounted price. The small says that it can be used at 10 pounds. Not sure about that until I see it. But I would think that if you got a harness (only the kind designed as a car restraint) that you could pretty quickly have Willow in that. Find something soft to go on your seat and to protect your seat. 

 

What kind of car do you have?

 

 

[Julie and Maggie]

What I described has nothing to do with the car makers. It's just a harness you buy. Lots of DKers use them and there are many discussions to search through if you want. My question about what kind of car you have has to do with if you only have room in the back seat of a sedan or if you have cargo space like in a SUV.

[Anne G.]

I was the same way when we brought our puppy home in April. My husband and I hadn't had a dog for many years and I totally over thought everything, reading so much about every little topic. For us everything went much better and was easier than we thought. She only cried the first night for a little while and within a couple weeks we no longer had to get up at 3:00AM to take her out. Now she is 5 months old and is truly a joy and very good about only chewing her own toys. She still mouths us but very gently and thankfully the sharp baby teeth are gone. My only complaint now is that given a chance she will still eat her own poo. EW!

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

thank you, thank you, thank you.  we will get Lilly in two weeks and I am so using this suggestion.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Rubbermaid containers work well too--without the lid, of course. They wriggle around a lot and you don't want the paw to go through the holes in the basket.

[Kathy, Harley & Roxie]

we also bought a metal crate with a divider to use from puppy to adult size.  On the ride home from breeder, we just fixed a bed in the front floor board of car, he really enjoyed the a/c on the foot vent blowing on him. For vet visits we use a car harness.

[Leslie C.]

Congratulations on soon to be puppy parents! 

I flew home with LiliBear underneath the seat in front of me in a pet carrier approved for flying.  She did great in that fabric carrier and I used it for her first few vet visits... by the end of her shots series she could almost not be zipped in.  A few tips:

Check your puppy over very carefully before leaving the breeders and again when in the car.  You need to pull the hair down so you can see the skin to check for fleas.  I picked up my puppy and while on the ride to the airport I found fleas!!! She was totally infested and I had to find a groomer fast, so that I was not infesting everyone on the plane and leaving a trail in the car. Needless to say, I was not happy with the breeder at that moment. 

For several months, LiliBear rode in the backseat of my car inside her crate.  The crate was evenly balance with a blanket under the crate in just the right spot to eliminate the seat angle.  Inside her crate, she may have had a bath rug, so she would not slide and some favorite chews.  I think this  is what made her an excellent dog in the car (she no longer has the crate in the back) and she is quiet and happy in the back.  I have one of the dog seat covers that drapes off the back of the front seats (acts as a slight barrier) and covers the back seat areas. 

While I think the car harness can offer some safety, I have had issues with my previous dog, as he ended up on the floor tangled.  I would not invision many puppies being successful with a car harness.  I do think it is wise to consider wether or not a dog needs to be teethered somehow in the car.  This was important for a few of my foster dogs who could have become escape accidents when trying to get one dog out at a time. 

Best Wishes!  ~Leslie

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

I went to CVS and bought a portable pet carrier that I can use with Lilly to take her to the vets. It holds pets up to 15 lbs. Lilly will be a mini and at the most weight 30 lbs, so this may last for a while. I thought that if she was in a carrier people wouldnt be so inclined to want to pet her before she gets all her shots..I know I am already a worry wart about her.

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Mimi - I let tons of people pet Bexter when we went to St. Louis!  Maybe I shouldn't have.  I only thought we should be worried about contact with other dogs, not people.  Correct me if I'm wrong.  Oh, well...he'll have his LAST set of shots in 2 weeks (FINALLY)!!!

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

I have no idea.. I guess I thought dogs/ people//  I guess I got that from the breeder, because provo can be carried by people.. or I made that up.

[Ginny Nightingale]

The vets sometimes have carriers you can borrow for a limited time, also.