Car Sickness is Putting a Damper on Socialization

[Ashley, Sadie and Coal]

It appears that Doodle pups get car sick A LOT.  During our trip to the vet this week, Coal was sick four times and Sadie was sick twice over the course of the round trip--15 min each way.  

We had plans for the pups to spend a day at a friends house last week, but after I told her about the car sickness, she is hesitant to take them in her car by herself.  She would be getting them from me at the school where I work and bringing them back in the afternoon, because she has to be at school to pick up her kids. I don't mind barf towels and scrubbing the carpet in my car, but I don't want to put that on someone else. 

We got meds at the vet, but the scheduling of the meds will not really work on a school morning. If anyone has had good luck with Dramamine, please tell us how to do that.  

It is past time for them to be socializing with other dogs and we really hope to get them to her this week if we can.  Our only other choice for pup socialization is at our vet... It is pretty much stay in the kennel all day and go out for a couple of 30 minute play times.  Our friend will continue all of our training, and they will be with friendly, well-behaved, adult dogs.. a doodle and a golden retriever. 

So, we need some advice from our Doodle Experts... 

[Helen & Kirby]

Kirby used to get car sick when she was little.  I found that if I put her in the crate in the car, she didn't get sick, and if she did, I could just hose it out.  Even though they don't look like it - I think some dogs just get nervous, or don't have good enough balance for the car.  Anyway, Kirby grew out of it, and really likes going in the car, because it always means we are going somewhere fun.  I don't put the crate in the car anymore - that was just for a two or three month period.

[Ashley, Sadie and Coal]

Thanks for the great advice, Helen!  Our friend is willing to try with the crate, so we will test it out this week and see how it goes.  

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

I was going to suggest the same thing :)  It's much easier to clean out a crate than the carpet in the car.  Both my boys got car sick as pups but out grew it the older they got and the more experience they got riding in the car. My boys are 2 and almost 5 and still ride in a crate, It just keeps them safe.

[Elizabeth F]

Where do you keep her in the car?  The first time I drove more than 5 min the car with my pup, she was in her crate in the back and cried the entire time and threw up.  After that, I let her ride in the front seat on a towel and she does GREAT.  She is 13 weeks now but bc I want to socialise her as much I can, the past 3 weeks I have taken her on 1.5 hour drives to walk around different towns, etc.  

[Ashley, Sadie and Coal]

Hi, Elizabeth.  We have had them in the front seat, the middle seat and the back seat in someone's lap most of the time. One of them sat in the floor on the way home from the vet and got sick there too.  The only place they didn't get sick was in the front. I'm a little afraid of trying the front when I am driving, which is most of the time, but I will try it the next time I have someone with me old enough to sit in front, since you have had good results with it.  We were thinking of trying the crate in the back if only to contain the mess, but I'm thinking it will not help with sickness, as you have already experienced. Thanks for your help!

[Gabby]

Our Duke would get sick on any car trip that lasted more than 20 minutes. I always placed him in the crate with a towel and had back up towels for the way home. The dirty one I would just toss in a plastic bag and launder it at home. It was annoying but by 8 months he had completely outgrown this. No more barfing! :). Now we let him loose in the back seat with our kids and he just curls up on the floor. It will get better and I'm pretty sure your little one will outgrow it.

[Ashley, Sadie and Coal]

I will pack the extra towels with the crate!  So glad Duke is having a good car experience now.  I am hoping our pups will follow in his paw prints...