First road trip with my 4 month old ALD

[Debbie Schneider]

I was just wondering we are taking our 4 month old micro-mini Australian Labradoodle on a 7 hour car ride in 2 weeks - his first trip!  I want to make it as stress-free as possible for Maxwell - every time we go for a car ride and take Maxwell he is in his crate and seat belted in the back seat - he seems to do really well for short trips in and around town.  I am not sure how he will do going for 7 hours - we plan on stopping every 2 or 3 hours and take him for a 10 minute walk or so - but he is so used to having lots of playtime during the day not sure how he will do having to be confined for so long in his crate.  Any advice on this would be great!  Once we get to our destination I am hoping he will be fine - we are staying in a pet friendly hotel so that will also be a totally new experience and hopefully he will continue to do his potty trips the same - I have just got him in a good routine at home and he goes in the same spot in the yard all the time - hopefully he will be okay in a totally different environment - I am worried and hope it will all go okay - and this is a trip we have to take and I don't want to leave him with anyone at this stage as he is just getting so used to us and his routine.  Thanks for any advice.

 

Debbie and Maxwell

[Chelsea Herman]

I don't have any advice, just wanted to say good luck!  We'll be doing a road trip (12 hours!) with our 10 week old puppy next week.  I'm a little nervous about it too, but we've been doing lots car rides to practice. We decided to do the majority of the drive at night, so I'm hoping she will sleep most of the way.  It might be wishful thinking! haha

[Debbie Schneider]

Thanks for the reply - I wish you lots of luck too!  If you are travelling at night I would think it might be a bit easier.  I think if we make lots of stops my little Maxwell will be okay - he really enjoys going for car rides so that should help things as well. 

 

Debbie and Maxwell

[Sheila & Finnley]

When my Goldendoodle Finnley, was 3 months old, she had her very first long road trip. It was a 5 hour trip to bring our son back to college, and then 5 hours back home in, the same day! Finnley was a trooper. We put her bed in the backseat, and brought along food, plenty of water, and some toys for company.

She did great, she mostly slept. We made frequent stops, about every hour and a half, and all went very smoothly. She got exercise on the beach (we were in Maine) for a little while after we got my son moved in, then we headed back home.

So I wish the same great experience for you. I think if you make frequent enough stops, it will be fine.

Good luck !

[Debbie Schneider]

Thanks for your reply - did you use a crate in the back seat for Finnley or did she just lay on her bed without a crate?  Just curious as Maxwell travels in his crate but was thinking it may be too long of a time in his crate.  Sounds like your Finnley is a great dog!  Hoping for a great experience too!!!

 

Debbie and Maxwell

[Sheila & Finnley]

Finnley just laid sprawled out on her bed. She wasn't interested in even looking out the window. I had the seatbelt hooked through her harness, and she could still move, but wouldn't be throw forward if we came to a screeching halt... and luckily that never happened ! LOL

She is an excellent car rider still at 2 years old.

Good luck :D

[Jennifer and Lily]

I just took Lily on a long two day trip, with an overnight hotel stay. If he is prone to barking at loud noises, I would suggest bringing a fan for noise in the hotel room. Lily loves the car and sleeps most of the time, but the hotel was hard for her because of constant doors opening and closing. Good luck!

[Debbie Schneider]

Thanks for your reply.  As Maxwell is still so young hopefully he wont bark at all the noises in the hotel - I guess we will find out soon enough though - lol! 

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

If you haven't already done so, I would begin to teach Maxwell to associate a specific phrase with emptying his bladder. Each time you take him out to pee, say those words. Then, when you're traveling and need him to pee, you can say that phrase and, hopefully, Maxwell will go right away.  We use "Hurry up," and it works like a charm.  Having a dog that will pee on demand can come in very handy. 

[Debbie Schneider]

I have been saying "pee pee outside" and he seems to know what it means as he usually goes as soon as I say it - so since that is working at home hopefully it will work when we are away from home - with new smells and new distractions - it is the distractions that are the worst - it doesn't take much to distract him - lol - we will see what happens.

 

Thanks for your reply - much appreciated.

 

Debbie and Maxwell

[Sally S Miles]

Having taken many road trips with multiple kids, dogs and even cats - it's not the length of the trip, it's the frequency of the stops.  You will need to stop more often than 2-3 hours (which I advise doing even without a dog along).  It may take you longer to get there, but you will all be happier in the long run.

Wishing you a safe and enjoyable journey

[Debbie Schneider]

Thanks for your advice - we are planning on making frequent stops for sure - we will kind of let Maxwell let us know when he needs a break - than we will stop - thankfully it is summertime and hopefully the weather will be nice so we can all enjoy the breaks.

 

Debbie and Maxwell

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

When we took Quincy on a 7+ trip, we put a fat plush dog pillow on top of a suitcase on the back seat, right behind us, so he could see us.  We use a harness to seatbelt strap to prevent him from sailing into the windshield.  I think because he could see us, it helped and he was great.  Good luck!