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About to embark on an epic road trip

2K views 28 replies 17 participants last post by  car2ner 
#1 · (Edited)
I am planning on driving from Montana to Texas in a few weeks, with Willow.

My plan is to drive straight through to Texas without too many breaks because I'm mainly going there to visit my dad, who is old and unhealthy and I have big concerns about bringing him COVID (please don't start with me on that if you think that's an unwarranted concern--I would never forgive myself if I gave him COVID). Anyway, according to Google Maps, that is a 28-hour drive, so I will likely give myself 3 days + 2 nights (possibly an extra night if I can leave after work a day earlier).

Then on the way back I can take my time, visit friends, probably make it a ~4-day drive.

So, my plan is have Willow in her crate in the cargo area. Alternatively, I could put the crate in sideways and leave the door open so she can wander in and out and look out the windows, then go lie down in her crate. I will probably make pit stops every 2-3 hours so we both can stretch our legs and pee (and my new hybrid car doesn't have as big of a fuel tank as my previous car, so I'll have to refuel about every 400 miles which kinda sucks--last car went up to 600 miles on a tank).

I'm a bit nervous thinking about having her in her crate, though, for 10 hours at a time, for 3 days straight, with only a few small breaks. Is that OK to do to her? I would love if she could just be loose in the backseat, but a) she whines incessantly, b) it's not safe in case of an accident, and c) NEW CAR YO, no thanks!

We will also be likely camping at campgrounds or dispersed sites on the way there, then possibly staying with friends on the way back, and also visiting my brother and his family in Colorado.

Anyway...any advice from those of you who have done long road trips with your dogs before, I would take!
 
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#2 ·
LUV's truckstops in Texas have "dog parks" which are just small fenced areas where you can let Willow get ya-ya's out--bring a ball or whatever she likes. They've always been empty when we used them.

Tractor Supply Company stores in small Texas towns are very pet friendly -- you can take her in with you, use the restroom with her in the big stall, and nobody will mind at all. In larger cities, Petsmart and Petco are the same...Home Depot and Lowes are hit and miss (and the restroom is in the back, which means going through the whole huge store, wasting time).

Texas rest stops do not allow you to take the dog inside with you....which sucks when you're a solo traveler in the summer, so I avoid them (plus....too many women disappear at rest stops).

I can't speak to camping, but all La Quinta properties are big-dog-friendly. They added pet fees after Wyndham bought them, but it's one of the lowest pet fees of all of the big hotel chains (it varies by property and number of dogs, but $25 is common).
 
#3 ·
We live and travel in a 5th wheel, so our two GSDs ride in the back seat of our F350.

I like to stop every two hours to stretch my own legs, so the dogs get to stretch, water, and go.

I make sure to get them exercise in the morning each day and night.

Exercise is key to burn plenty up energy.

I avoid truck stops "dog parks" most have so much poop I cannot even walk in them.

Be aware of hot asphalt parking lots also.
 
#4 ·
I’ve driven to Florida twice with my previous dog, which is 24~ hrs for us give or take. I wouldn’t think to much about it, look at it this way in a crate or not they are with you, which is most likely the only thing they care about, and way better than any alternative. You’ll be there talking to her, she’ll be smelling new smells along the way.. just get out for leg stretches and bathroom breaks and water. I would bring some paper towels and wipes just in case.. and some spare waste bags. Have fun I wanna do another road trip with my current dogs.
 
#7 ·
Thanks! Oh I am very very familiar with goats heads. I grew up in Arizona. I was always so jealous of pictures of kids running barefoot through grass. Couldn't do that where I grew up. :) Then they showed up in Montana last year and flattened both my bike tires. The folks at the bike place were like, "we don't have those here" and I was like "LOOK AT MAH TIRES" and then they all panicked, haha.
 
#6 ·
28 hours straight drive is many more hours when you factor in gas, grabbing meals, pee breaks and stretches. When my dogs get antsy on longer drives, I find simply cracking the window a few inches immediately gets them sniffing and settling down. Closed windows can be stuffy, hot and create barometric pressure that we don't feel as acutely as they do.

It can be an epic trip, good luck!
 
#8 ·
yeah and I really wish the CR-V had back windows that could roll down. It doesn't. :-( I may cave and buy a backseat hammock and let her ride in the backseat for short stretches, but then she gets all whiny and still, new car, scratching armrests, hair everywhere.....
 
#9 ·
If she's like most dogs she'll sleep most of the way. First road trip with my dog, when she was only about 7 months, was about 8 hrs. On the way there I stopped every 2-3 hrs to stretch and let her walk around. On the way home she slept right on through, so I only stopped once.

She can easily go longer than I can o_O
 
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#10 ·
I have done tons of travelling with Punk. And for a lot of it I slept in my vehicle or car camped.
When I wanted to make miles I would get up as early as possible, run the dog and feed us both. Then drive for 3 hours, stop for fuel/pee/stretch/coffee, do 3 hours more. The lunch stop was an hour of food, running, water, etc. Drive for three hours, quick stop, drive for 3 more and stop for the night.
I would gas up and then drive to somewhere less populated. Most of our runs were on cut lines or the like just off the highway.
 
#11 ·
Lots of good advice here. I can only add this...avoid the interstates. Travel secondary US highways or State Routes.

Pet areas at Rest Areas along interstates should be avoided (very nasty). Secondary routes usually offer many more pull-off opportunities, (waypoints, historic markers, overlooks, etc.) and IMO they safer/cleaner for dog. Longer trip, but better trip. Also reduced speeds = more mpg.

Have a safe trip. Post a few road-trip photos.
 
#12 ·
600 miles to a tank!?!? Maaaan. Thats epic.

we are moving to massachusetts from california this coming autumn. 3600 miles door to door. I have done it many times but not with a dog! So im not sure how we will all navigate the trip but i know many full time travelers who roll with theirs dogs day in and day out. They seem to make out fine. And, 3 days in a crate for 10 hrs isnt ideal but many dogs do that 5 days a week or more. Theres always the option of calming supplements as well!
 
#13 ·
There is this seat belt attachment which clips on to a car harness by trixie. I believe there are other crash tested harnesses as well by other brands.
I have this car back seat cover by trixie which lets the dog lie down on the seat but won’t let him fall on the floor since it’s attached to the front seat as well, like a hammock, but resting on the back seat.. My dog lies down in the back, and either naps or watches things happening outside.
Longest drive we’ve been on is only about two hours though. For upcoming trips I’m thinking about getting the seat belt attachment etc. still deciding.
 
#16 ·
There is this seat belt attachment which clips on to a car harness by trixie. I believe there are other crash tested harnesses as well by other brands.
I have this car back seat cover by trixie which lets the dog lie down on the seat but won’t let him fall on the floor since it’s attached to the front seat as well, like a hammock, but resting on the back seat.. My dog lies down in the back, and either naps or watches things happening outside.
Longest drive we’ve been on is only about two hours though. For upcoming trips I’m thinking about getting the seat belt attachment etc. still deciding.
Thanks, yeah I had a hammock in my last car. I tried the harness clipped into the seat belt and she HATED it, just made her whining worse, and she'd get herself all wrapped up somehow and I had to stop and untangle her every time. She does very well when she's in her crate, that was one of the requirements for my new car, haha--that her crate would fit in the back.
Valor was 9 months old when we took our first major camping trip. It was almost 2 months long and included some long drive days.

Like has been suggested, we run the dogs hard early in the morning to get that pent up energy out of their systems.

I look for out of the way places to run the nerd. Places like churches, schools, industrial areas, wildlife areas, local dog parks...

The dogs have always traveled well. They sleep most of the time. Valor got antsy on the last leg of that first trip but it was 12 hours drive time.
I like to get my dogs out running and what not before we leave. I give them breaks whenever I stop for gas and I look for another place at the end of our day to run them again. For me, 10 hours in a crate is no big deal. The dogs sleep 70 percent of the time anyway. The dog settle in nic enough that I can forget they’re back there.
Thanks, yeah my plan is a nice long first thing in the morning walk/run before the day's drive--sometimes she's not in the mood first thing, so I can take a longer midday break and she can get her jollies out then. But yes, at least an hour a day is definitely going to be a must!

So far our longest trip together was 15-ish hours, split into two days. Overall she did really well, considering I'd stuffed the crate into the backseat of my sedan (and yeah @RosiesPaw , it was a 2005 Honda Accord, ~37mpg * 17 gallon tank = long long time between fillups!). So this will be 2x that time/distance!
 
#14 ·
Valor was 9 months old when we took our first major camping trip. It was almost 2 months long and included some long drive days.

Like has been suggested, we run the dogs hard early in the morning to get that pent up energy out of their systems.

I look for out of the way places to run the nerd. Places like churches, schools, industrial areas, wildlife areas, local dog parks...

The dogs have always traveled well. They sleep most of the time. Valor got antsy on the last leg of that first trip but it was 12 hours drive time.
 
#15 ·
I like to get my dogs out running and what not before we leave. I give them breaks whenever I stop for gas and I look for another place at the end of our day to run them again. For me, 10 hours in a crate is no big deal. The dogs sleep 70 percent of the time anyway. The dog settle in nic enough that I can forget they’re back there.
 
#17 ·
A GSD's only goal in life is to be close by you, no matter what you are doing. If you let her out every few hours, she will be fine; she got to come along with you! Deja is usually close enough to me that it won't matter if she were in my car or in the house with me. Enjoy your road trip with her. There are many other dogs you have to feel sorry for who don't have the luxury of a great owner.
 
#20 ·
All our dogs have been pretty good travelers. They do sleep a lot, but need some leg stretching and potty breaks. With two dogs currently, they have to ride outside crates, latched to the seat belt.
In addition to LaQuinta, we've encountered many Best Westerns that accept dogs over the years. Some may have weight limits.

With long days, I'd advise getting off the road before sundown. Back roads are more scenic, but more isolated than interstates as well.

Heading to Texas, probably a good idea to check the freon in the AC. Those little Ryobi or Dewalt fans are also nice, and there are others that run off the car accessory plug.

Never thought to bring a vaccuum, but I do recall making inquiries with the owner of a dog friendly beach house rental, a discussion that was going just great until she found out we had a German Shepherd. She remarked, "they shed a lot, don't they?" Then the line went dead and I never was able to reconnect. Maybe the owner would not have hung up on me if I had yelled out, "But we bring our own vaccuum!"

Safe travels. . .
 
#21 ·
Well, we made it to central TX! Willow was a champ. It was 10 hours on day 1, 8 hours on day 2, and 10 hours on day 3. We camped in Utah the first night at a dispersed site we found online, and it WOULD have been nice except it was super windy and my tent was making so much noise flapping around, so we slept in the car instead. I slept in the driver's seat with the back down. Wasn't terrible, but I definitely struggled the next day.

Willow really seems like she is not very phased by all this. We stopped for short (and sometimes longer) breaks about every 3 hours. Found a couple nice city parks in Pocatello, ID and Farmington, NM for nice midday longer walks. The last, longest day (through NW Texas) was the worst.

She is NOT enjoying this heat. It is only about 75-80 degrees but ya know, it's central Texas, so it's about 90% humidity. So our walks have been super short. She is getting a kick out of watching all the squirrels in my dad's backyard though.

As much as I love Montana, I do kinda miss Texas sometimes. The cardinals and mockingbirds and Carolina wrens (and grackles, I love those guys even though I'm pretty sure everyone else finds them annoying), the oak trees, the hill country. I'm able to drive like a crazy Austinite even though I've been away for 9 years; it's like I never left.

Even the humidity; it makes the place have a certain earthy smell that I find I missed. Also pretty much everywhere along the route had had a lot of rain recently so it was all so lovely and green, especially southeastern Utah. The wildflowers are all abloom in Texas.

Just in case anyone's curious...I gave Willow an Interceptor before we left, and I will follow up with 2 more months of Interceptor when we get back because we are definitely in heartworm country now (all 3 of the vets we've had in Montana so far have told me I don't need to give heartworm medication unless we leave the state).

Anyway...it was an exhausting 3 days and I'm glad I came...but don't think I will do this again...
 
#25 ·
As a native but now long time resident of greater Cincinnati, I would point out that way, way out in West Texas they have some honest-to-gosh mountains, shorter than the Rockies, but taller than the Smokies.

Growing up in Houston, I actually admired the view from many a freeway overpass. :LOL:
Oooooh yes right before I moved to Montana I was working for Texas Parks and Wildlife out in the Trans Pecos. Big Bend country. Super cool and like... No one knows about it!!
 
#26 ·
I was just about to start a similar thread. In August I'm driving from Oregon to Michigan and then back in September. Each way will be 6 days/5 nights.

My 3yo GSD female will be traveling in one of these in the back of my Subaru Forester (the small size is pictured - the large is 36" wide). This is the most capacious car kennel I can find for her.

For the trip, I've planning to schedule two hikes of about 1 hour each day. Easy to do in Wyoming, Montana, etc. I think with two big exercise sessions like that plus rest stops, she'll be fine. When we get to our hotel, we'll do some inside games.

My only concern is rest stops. I think that even if it's 95 outside, if I pull up in my airco'd car and then go in to use the restroom for 5 minutes max, she shouldn't overheat. I don't plan on leaving her in the car for longer than that.

I'm planning on eating light during the day and then I can park her in the hotel while I get dinner or stop at Wal-mart or whatever.

We'll have at least four or five hikes in the Bighorn Mountains which I am massively looking forward to, as that is my favorite place to hike on the planet and it's never too hot at 8,000' in my experience 👍

Also I've found some nice spots along rivers and other hikes, so she'll be getting plenty of exercise...just hope it's not too hot outside in other places.
 
#27 ·
Lemme know if you want any Montana hiking suggestions, I got lots! At least in western Montana.

Wow, 6 days!!

I left Willow in my car for my restroom breaks and she was fine; granted it wasn't that hot for most of the trip, until we got to Texas and it hit 80 with high humidity. She still did fine, for those very short periods of time. I would maybe just try to give her a big exercise early in the morning when it's cooler, or somewhere near water if it's hot (does she like to swim? Swimming makes everything tolerable on hot days).
 
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