[LadySadie]

Hello all,

As the holidays are upon us, many of us travel to see loved ones. My family is no exception. However, with our new addition (Sadie (Giada's sister, is now 10 weeks old,), our travel will be limited to driving. So my questions to the experienced folks here are as follows:

1. Is 11 weeks old (we'll be traveling a week from now) too young to expect a puppy to endure a longer than average car ride (a total of 5 1/2 hours, likely broken up into 3 segments with pit stops)?

2. Assuming breaking the trip up works, should she be crated for part or all of the 3 segments?

3. Sadie is due for her last shots on the 22nd. Are there precautions to take (other than not having her around other dogs on the trip)?

4. What am I in for in thinking about long travel with a puppy

Thanks so much in advance for the insights you all can provide.


p.s. you can see in the one pic Sadie knows how to relax

 

[lhczth]

I have hauled young puppies up to 29 hours of driving time so 5.5 hours is nothing. I, personally, would crate her. If she isn't used to being crated I would start working on it ASAP.


At rest areas, to be safe, I would carry her to a spot, have her potty and then carry her back to the car. Don't take her around an area where a bunch of other dogs are or have gone potty. People are often pigs so it is easy to see the poop left around.



Bring paper towel and and some towels along in case she has an accident or gets sick. Give her something to chew on. If she is used to being crated, the car ride shouldn't be all that big of a deal.



At the strange house I would use the crate a lot so that she is not overwhelmed by the activities. Watch that people don't give her a bunch of treats that she isn't used to. You don't need a sick puppy.

 

[Datura]

I don' think five and a half hours will be too bad, especially if breaks are given. Dean had a 3 hour ride home at 9 weeks, and then at 5 months he had an 8 hour ride down state and back again a couple days later.
Try taking short drives around if you haven't already. Bring a crate for him, some towels or blankets that can be washed in case of accidents, paper towels, potty bags (For potty breaks and they also work well if you catch your pup getting ready to vomit lol), some water from home and a bowl, and don't forget his collar and lead. I also recommend having a tag with your cell number on it, just in case. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
As for staying in a hotel or at someones house I would bring some pet potty cleaning stuff for accidents. His food and water bowls, food, some treats he is used to, and a couple toys. I would recommend bringing something like a Kong or other toy to keep him busy in his crate for when he can't be out and about.

 

[LadySadie]

Thank you lhczth and Datura. We postponed our trip but finally hit the road for a late January Christmas with our kids. Your suggestions were super helpful and Sadie was a trooper. She fussed a bit on the trip out, not too surprising given her 1st long trip. The trip back home was ideal.

Thank you again for taking the time to offer insights. Much much appreciated.