Traveling By Land

[mOmOfaBe]

I thank everyone for all their comments on traveling via plane. However, we take a road trip every year that is about 8/9 hrs long. Has anyone traveled this way? What did you use, a sherpa? and how did the dog fair?

Thanks

[bradl]

You bet, our guys LOVE road trips. We've done many multi-day trips with dogs. We have a great book called "The Next Exit" that is for interstate highways -- it lists what's available in terms of services at each exit. It also lists rest stops. Whenever we stop at a rest stop we mark the book with things like "great grass" or NG for No Grass. Our guys travel in crates for protection and if there's no puppy in the car/RV, we stop about every three hours to stretch legs and potty the dogs. (More frequently with babies.) Some of our dogs don't seem to want to go to the bathroom out of state so sometimes they hold it through several stops. (Or days, it sometimes seems). They are usually so wild to explore at rest stops it is a real exercise in patience to wait them out. Also, be wary around the picnic tables -- our old girl will locate any discarded food (like a chicken bone...yikes!) and have it in her mouth before you can say "DROP THAT!"

I've known or heard of several people who have been in accidents with dogs in the car. The ones in crates (or harnesses) came out OK. The loose dogs, not so much.

[wheezie23]

Bradl,

Zoe loves to be in the car with me, and as a mother of three active kids, I'm playing taxi driver a lot. I haven't gotten a harness for her, but it has been a concern of mine that she would be hurt in an accident, even a minor one. What harness to you recommend?

[Guest Hogan's mom]

We took Hogan to Maine last year when he was 7 months old. The fold-down seat back in our PT Cruiser is a perfect place to put his crate. It's a day-and-a-half drive from our home in PA to Acadia.

Once Hogan realized it was best to sleep while we drove, it was great. That first day he just didn't understand and was pretty much awake and confused (but quiet!)

WE had such a good time (Hogan LOVED, LOVED, LOVED hiking all day!), that I'm sure we'll do it again.

We ALWAYS put Hogan in a crate in the car, even for shorter rides. It just seems safer, as Bradl says.

[mOmOfaBe]

THANKS A LOT FOR THE INFORMATION.

This may seem like a dumb question, however, here goes. How big of a crate do you put your dog in?

Thanks in advance.

[bradl]

Mostly in the cars we use Kennel Cab II size Large (26x18x15) although we used to use the Intermediate size (24x16.5x14). In the RV we have two Larges on the bottom and two Intermediates on the top. We tend to have crates of all sizes spread around the house. We use the smaller ones for trips to the vet or times when we'll be carrying the crate a lot; the larger ones for long trips, etc.

Hm, I think that may even be a Cairn in this catalog picture! http://www.growinglifestyle.com/article/s0/a331578.html

[Guest Guest]

I believe you were right bradl, I think I saw a Cairn too.....

Thanks again.

[Mama Kim]

We make two long trips every summer with our cairn, one a 16 hour over night hotel stay kind of trip, the other a 12 hour trip. Our first cairn who passed away in April did this all her life. She was a fantastic traveler!! Our new puppy made her first 16 hour, overnight hotel stay trip, when she was 12 weeks old. She was excellent!! I think cairns love to travel!@!

I must admit, we don't crate our dog on the long trips (not enough room in the car with a 13 year old and two 9 year olds!) but I do crate her when I drive her around town. I guess I should look into getting her a harness, at least.

[mOmOfaBe]

aren't cairns and twins quite a combination?

[Mama Kim]

They go together well, no? I remember you saying you had twins too. Boys or girls? I can't remember. I have all boys and I must say, cairns are wonderfully rugged and tough, something my boys just love. A match made in Heaven!!

[mOmOfaBe]

Hello,

I have boy/girl twins, they are 14yrs old now, actually almost 15. My son worried that a house dog would be a SISSY dog, lol, guess Abe showed him!

You are now in the prime of being able to enjoy the twins, we had such a hard time when they were small.......but, they are worth it in the long run, just like our rugged little Cairn's, oui?

[Rob D.]

Bradl:

We always put Murphy in a kennel whenever we go anywhere. He jumps in, with

his squeaker bone, and has to face the front window so he can see where we are going. His kennel is in the middle seat of our minivan but he still like to see us

and the road. I anchor his kennel down with bungie cords which I attach to the back of the seat. The only thing if he thinks he knows where we are going, my brother-in-laws house, he has a great pyrenese, he wimpers ALL the way. It sounds like "Can't this tin can go any faster I wanna see my big buddy Yukon."

This is a half hour away from our house so my wife tries to distract him, good luck.

Any way he likes his car kennel and his house kennel, the one in the house is bigger. Most of the time when we come back from my brother-in-laws house he falls asleep almost instantly.