alienex

Hello Everyone. First off I want to say I am loving this site. Everyone here is great and the information and feeling I get from coming here is priceless.

My question is when you take your Dobe to the vet, the park or anywhere in the car for that matter Do you let him sit in the backseat? Do you always use a kennel? What is acceptable? Does your Dobe get carsick and are there any tips for that?


Thanks in advance. You all are great.

Lexus

Well, they should be in a kennel or restrained in someway, however I admit that I just take Lexus in the middle seat of my van (dobemobile). She must however either laydown on the seat, or sit on the floor (she likes to look out the window). It varies with the dog of course, but with Lexus, she has been making road trips since she was 11 weeks old, and she LOVES the van and rides with a passion. I usually take her even if I'm just dropping off books at the library, picking up prescriptions, or other trivial trips. She doesn't get remotely sick.

I'd start with just short rides and make it positive for your pooch so they look forward to it, rather then loathe it.

My other dog, Harley, I adopted when he was a year old, and he hates the car big time. He used to get really sick, (once even landed a lovely stink pile on my back seat on the way to the vets )but I've worked with him, and have him down to just a consistant slimy drool now

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dobebug

Mostly I use a crate--and even as I type this I know that I make exceptions--I should never do that because dogs have been killed in accidents where they became the flying object during a collision. And I know of horrible roll over accidents with vans full of dogs where all of the dogs survived because they were crated.

So my advice to you is to crate your puppy for trips--safter for him and you--they can be a big distraction if they get to doing something in the backseat that you'd rather not have them do.

As far a car sickness goes. I've only had one dog who got car sick and that was my Australian Shepherd. We always counted on him throwing up within minutes of starting a trip--so we allowed enough time to go and clean out the crate before going on our way.

Eventually, because he went everywhere with us he stopped getting actively sick--just drooled a little and finally that stopped too. He was at a distinct disadvantage though since most of his puppyhood was spent in the mountains in central Vermont--lots of up and down and windey roads.

I had one Dobe who got sick once every year on the way to a dog show that I got to by taking a ferry--he didn't get car sick but he sure got sea sick.

And just this weekend I was puppy sitting a four month old puppy who turned out to get car sick--he doesn't in my handlers van (we think because he can't see out) but he sure did in my truck. I just made sure when I realized that he was prone to motion sickness that I hadn't fed him just before we were going someplace--if I did that he only drooled (but he did drool a lot).

If your puppy gets car sick and gets sick all the time, every time talk to your vet about Bonine--that's an anti-motion sick med for people but it can be given to dogs (as can dramamine) you need to get the proper dosage from your vet though. And Bonine has fewer side effects (sleepiness) for dogs just as it does for people.

BackInBlack

No, not usually. I should, I know I should...but honestly, I dont. Sometimes I will set the crate up in my car (Its up right now) but most of the time, I keep it in the trunk. Rommel was about 8 weeks old when we made the first long car trip with him (north carolina to texas, straight through 22 hours) he did super, and he has always been great in the car. Sometimes he wants to look out the window, but he usually sleeps spread out across the backseat.

He has never been carsick (thank gosh) but I agree with dobebug, talk to your vet about possible medications if and when the problem arises.

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Sooz

Oscar has been riding in the back seat of my SUV since 8 weeks old. I agree with Lexus completely--SHORT trips first--and he is ALWAYS secured with a leash inside because my windows are usually down partway. Depending on your car, your pup imay not be tall enough to get in your vehicle by himself at this age (mine wasn't at Duke's age). But I also think it's important to teach a command for getting in because when he's 50+ lbs. you don't want to have to lift him in. I make Oscar sit and wait while I open the door, then tell him, "up-up" and in he goes on his own now. Also teach him correct etiquette for getting out (pretty much the same thing in reverse)--no bolting out as soon as you open the door--which they love to do. I suggest an "out-sit" routine, so he must wait (or sit) before you unblock his path out of the car, and once outside he must sit and wait while you close the door, put your keys away, look out for traffic, etc.. Always be patient and consistent. Dobie pups learn quickly from following the same routine.

Luv_my_Bruno

My Bruno has been coming everywhere with me since he was a wee lil puppy. We just let him have the back seat in our van, or sometimes he'll wanna squeeze up front between the two front seats. Or often times on my lap (yeah 70lb puppy on your lap can get quite heavy LOL).

But in my car he gets the front seat. Or if someone is in the front seat he sits between my boys booster seats

He does really well when travelling. I really have no complaints about it.

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DreamDoby

Mine are always in the back seat. Must be laying or sitting. I know they should be restrained. Doodle is the only one that used to get car sick. Never failed that he would lose it all over my back seat and floor board. I usually tried to stop when I heard it start. Most of the time, I was unsuccessfull. He is wonderful now. He had to get used to the motion. Lots of small trips here and there. A friend of mine had a GSD that was so bad with anxiety and car sickness the vet put him on meds when she would take him. Which was everywhere. He never worked out of it no matter how positive it was and how much she took him. So he got a treat(happy pill) to relax, and they enjoyed a nice road trip together. She frequently traveled long distances.

Pippinislove

My dog wears a "doggy seatbelt", the kind you can get at PetSmart. They are a padded harness that gets connected to a seatbelt. I feel that just like a person, dogs should be restrained when in a moving vehicle for safety.

Dober_addict

If I only had one dog, it would be restrained either with a doggy seatbelt or a crate...always. However, since I have four dogs there isn't enough room in the backseat for all of them, nor is there enough room for everyone to have a crate. So, Winston & Morgan go in the very back of our SUV and wear harnesses which are attached to a 2ft leash each, which are then attached to some handles that were already on the sides of the vehicle (I don't know what they're actually meant for, but they work well for the dogs). Tango goes in the back seat and wears a dog seatbelt and Tia is beside her in her crate. Hopefully all of that made sense.

DaKari

My two ride in the back of the SUV with a metal barrier, it works out better because Da'Kari wants to be up front with us, before getting the barrier she would start out in the back seat but slowly make her way up front if no one was in the front seat, if there was then she would stand and keep the front part of her body between the front seats but would slowly come in closer and closer, the barrier helps so much, I can concentrate on driving rather than trying to keep her out of my lap.