[Whiskey]

I got married almost two weeks ago to a U.S. Marine and he has just arrived at his new duty station and I am shortly to follow. I will be making the drive with his sister and my two dogs in about two weeks. We will take three to four days to make the drive (2200 miles) and I would like advice on anything I can do to help Whiskey through it. The vet is giving me a sedative just in case but I really don't want to have to sedate a 16 week old puppy at all if I can avoid it.

I would also appreciate any advice on settling Whiskey in to his new home.

We'll be in the San Diego area as my husband is stationed at Pendleton. I would LOVE meet some dobermans and their people in the area!

Thanks in advance for all your help and support.

 

[madmony]

I live in Oceanside which is right next to Pendleton. We ended up here when my husband was in the Coast Guard. When it came time for him to retire, we stayed. Can't give any advise on traveling with your pups other that good luck and drive safely. Once you get here PM me. Our house overlooks a nice park that we take Oliver to twice a day.

 

[Reds]

A car carrier/crate of some type so that the puppy is safe and secure, some good raw bones for chomping on will help them pass the time away. Stops for potty (have some patience for this part as all the news smells will most likely distract him from actually going potty). A flexi lead is great for letting them run and stretch their legs safely during stops. A long walk a night will help tire them out for bed time. I'm sure others will chime in with some great tips.

 

[ellenm]

I stop every 3hrs on a long drive to walk the dogs, offer them water, and run around with them for 20 min or so if it is a really long day. I've never had to sedate a dog (or pup) on a trip. They just adjust after the first day or so.

I'd recommend you pack paper towels, a spray bottle of vinegar water diluted solution, extra towels, kitchen garbage bags- in case of accidents in the car. Shoving soiled bedding into a garbage bag has saved me a time or two!

Have a dog first aid kit put together with everything from sterile gauze, betadine, and some vetrap bandages to benadryl, gas x, imodium. Check with your vet as to dosages for a 16 week old pup based on your dog's weight.

Last but NOT least: Either bottle your home water in 3-4 gallon jugs for the pup to drink while on the road, OR buy gallons of water from the grocery store. I do not give the dogs hotel water, as they can get diarrhea from it at times. That is definitely not good on a cross country trip!

I usually prepack meals of kibble with the vitamin pills, enzymes, etc already thrown in there for easier feeding in a hotel at night. Raw I keep in rubbermaid container in our cooler. That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Have a safe trip!

 

[Maschka1]

I second the paper towels! We made a 1800 mile trip and our Frenchie (who is normally fine in the car) got car sick and vomited, a few times.

Also, I put beds in their crates, but made sure to cover the cushion part with a water proof liner (or maybe a garbage bad would work) so if there was an accident, I could pull off the top cover and change it out without having a wet pillow, too.

Kongs with peanut butter and kibble, were helpful, also knuckle bones kept them busy for some time.

Lots of breaks to get out of the car, stretch, play, explore, etc..

I also made sure I had a copy of their vet records in my purse, a picture of each of them, Microchip data, up to date, and a name tag that included our destination contact info (in addition to our home info)

I used ice cubes, from the cooler, to give them water while we were driving, so it wouldn't spill.

and ya, a first aid kit. Also, since we have a frenchie and were traveling during the summer, I made sure I had rubbing alcohol and extra water in case we had any overheating issues. (which we didnt, thank goodness) I am guessing this wont be a concern, for you, but its a good idea to think about what sorts of injuries your dog is prone to, when putting together a first aid kit.

Also, I made sure I had a sturdy utility tool that was capable of cutting through a collar, just in case. ( but this is probably my own paranoia)

Have fun on your trip! that sounds like a long one!

 

[Ninabug]

I traveled about half that distance when I picked up our puppy (10 weeks old). He stayed kenneled the entire time, with some comfy bedding (don't do this if you feel your pup will chew and consume it) and some good toys to keep him busy). Get a waterbowl that attaches to the crate and use either ice cubes or water (ice cubes won't spill)

Break about every 2 hours to let them out to move, and go potty etc.

Don't do the trip in one foul swoop. Break it up into a couple nights (not sure what your plan was). When you stop for the night do LONG walks in the pm when you get there, and a long walk in the am before you head out. This will help tremendously.

Ear plugs..just in case he's a screamer. It's possible that he may whine occasionally, but I've heard of some dogs just moaning, groaning, howling etc. the whole time.

Vet Records

 

[dobienut]

2200 miles with a doberman puppy . I suggest you take the medication LOL

 

[dobebug]

I made a trip from Los Angeles to central Vermont in September 1993 with a 12 week old Australian Shepherd puppy who I picked up from the breeder on my way out of town.

Use a crate--doesn't make any difference how you do it but for a very long trip with a puppy a crate is a MUST. The Aussie puppy got car sick at the beginning of every leg of the trip. When I picked him up he'd just been fed--we drove down the street and stopped at the first gas station so I could clean him, the crate and his bedding up.

I carried paper towels (lots), a spray cleaner, a spray bottle of plain water, extra blankets and big plastic bags to put soiled bedding in. I also carried distilled water from the grocery store. My water in LA was not the same as the breeders water in Pasadena. I stopped every three to four hours--the puppy never had an accident in the crate except for puking up that meal and drooling because he was car sick each morning when we started out. I made the trip in three days driving alone.

I learned to feed him the instant we stopped for the night so that he'd have time to digest his meal before we started out in the morning. I did not feed him in the morning. He didn't loose any weight on the trip but he didn't gain any either--normally he'd have been gaining weight rapidly at that age.

I carried only immodium for drugs--in case of diarrhea but we missed that (thank heavens) since he was eating the same food the breeder had fed him and drinking water that didn't come from any of the places where we stopped.

We hit everything from 100 degree heat (at midnight) coming out of California to an early snow storm going through the Loveland tunnel in Colorado.

None of my stops were very long--the minute he got out of the crate and the truck he peed and/or pooped and got a drink then he went back into the crate.

<VBG> He was VERY happy to reach Vermont--ran in huge circles like a crazy thing when we let him loose in the field behind the house.

I was also carrying two cats (in carriers) and the only thing that was sedated was one of the cats who was something of a nervous nelly. She only got sedated the first day. Everyone made the trip fine. I don't put food or water into crates when making long trips--both always seem to get spilled and make a giant mess and I didn't want the puppy even trying to eat on the road as car sick as he was and the cats didn't want food (or water) until we stopped at night. Then they came into the motel room got locked in the bathroom with a litter box, food and water. Don't even DREAM of turning a cat loose in a motel room--I had learned my lesson in the past when I let a cat loose who I was bringing from Seattle to Los Angeles when I stopped overnight. The cat hid in an unreachable space behind the headboard of the bed and I had to wait for him to come out and also got to get a really late start that day and pay for a second nights stay since the cat choose to wait until well after checkout time to emerge. I just LOVE traveling with cats and puppies....!

 

[MaryAndDobes]

I really would not give the puppy a Kong with peanut butter or raw bones, etc *unless* those are things the puppy is already used to. Giving it new things in combination with a long car trip cooped up in a cage seems like asking for trouble to me.

 

[Whiskey]

I had already purchased a crate for the trip as his is a great dane sized crate that won't fit in my car... I'm not insane! The paper towels, vinegar solution, imodium, trash bags, etc are all awesome suggestions that I probably would not have thought of.... and the earplugs... yeah... gonna need those.

He's already used to peanut butter kongs so that may be a possibility.

Vet records for my dogs stay in the car anyway so I always have them on hand no matter where we go.

We are breaking the trip up into several days and I kind of feel bad for my husband's sister who is flying in to make the drive with me. Not that bad, however, as she suggested I find a home for Whiskey here and just buy a new puppy when I get to California. She SHOULD suffer for that comment.

Thanks for all the advice. Looking forward to meeting dobe people in CA. I'll miss the KY people I've met already tho

 

[Patches Mom]

Take as much water from home as you can changing water can cause diarrhea then when you get there you can switch over slowly. I have traveled with puppies & dogs now is the best time to teach wait start now as soon as possible tell them to wait while still in the car have the lead on them before you open the door of the crate or car door.Say the same thing each time wait they will soon learn not to jump out of the car until you say it is OK. Keep them from getting hit by a car need tags ,Microchip, pictures of the pup in case he was to get away. Good Luck

 

[Sherryh]

God bless you on your marriage and move ....you are in for a culture shock (Kentucky to Calfornia)but it's a great experience. You are blessed with some great advice I wouldn't add anything. Just drive careful and stop often..Make sure you have a car check.There's alot of DT owners in your area.............

 

[Whiskey]

God bless you on your marriage and move ....you are in for a culture shock (Kentucky to Calfornia)but it's a great experience. You are blessed with some great advice I wouldn't add anything. Just drive careful and stop often..Make sure you have a car check.There's alot of DT owners in your area.............

I've just had my car checked! I'm not terribly worried about culture shock as I grew up in South Florida and I've lived all over including Memphis, TN, NYC, Kansas City, and Iowa! I've pretty much seen it all as far as that goes. I've also spent extended periods of time in Seattle, Houston, Mexico City, and Florence! We're really looking forward to San Diego! Doggy beaches, good food, sunshine, and best of all.... PALM TREES (I miss them!)

 

[KissNme]

Wow, what great advise from everyone. I'm really glad I read this post! Yes, have a safe and wonderful trip.:clappinghat:

 

[GrdnDelite]

Start right now to get Whiskey accustomed to toileting on leash, if he is not already.

Our prior dog did not eat well on the road. The last move, 3000 miles across the nation, we obtained canned food for her for the duration of the trip. Now I'd use Honest Kitchen instead and get the dog onto that food prior to the trip. Your Whiskey may not have that issue.

Don't know how low or high end you'll be lodging. We did low end: Motel 6 takes pets without blinking. We also had a cat with us, so vacuumed the litter up each AM before checking out.

Prepare yourself for a positive kinda culture shock. I won't be leaving California other than on vacations. Ever. Again. I love the San Diego area. I believe lolonurse is down that way, also. Visit the zoo. See the wild animal park in Escondido. Visit Balboa park, and especially get a chance to hear the outdoor pipe organ there. Photograph the sunsets. Take a sweater; it's not all that warm there unless you're inland.

 

[Sherryh]

I've just had my car checked! I'm not terribly worried about culture shock as I grew up in South Florida and I've lived all over including Memphis, TN, NYC, Kansas City, and Iowa! I've pretty much seen it all as far as that goes. I've also spent extended periods of time in Seattle, Houston, Mexico City, and Florence! We're really looking forward to San Diego! Doggy beaches, good food, sunshine, and best of all.... PALM TREES (I miss them!)

You are a seasoned traveler ....if you made it here in south Florida you deserve a medal I'm so happy for you and your new adventure!!Enjoy the ride!!