Zoe's first road trip!

[trollnorsk]

Aside from the 3 hour drive we took to pick up Zoe from the breeder we have not taken her on any long drives, just the vet and park.

We are getting ready to take a 5 hour trip to show off Zoe to my parents for the first time. She is 4 months old and 50lbs, any suggestions on what we need to bring/ do on the trip?

I want her to be comfortable and calm. She will be in the back of my SUV with the seats folded down. How often do we need to stop? should we give her water or will that only make her have to pee again?

New to this all, so thank you in advance and I am super excited to show her off to my parents even though their dog is not a fan of other dogs, but she is old and shrugs them off eventually

 

[DennasMom]

I'm notorious for not giving my dogs water... so you can ignore this at will!

I'd let her have water and breakfast ~1hour before you head out the door - or skip breakfast altogether if you hit the road early. Sometimes eating will just add fuel to an upset stomach and lead to extra potty breaks. Have some chew toys and blankets available in the car. Plan on stopping at least once somewhere in the middle of your 5 hour drive - unless she gets 'antsy' and lets you know she needs out earlier... at 4 months old, she might need 2 breaks. During the break, I'd walk around for a good stretch (~10-15 minutes), then offer a little bit of water (just to wet the whistle) and a treat to get back in the car.

If it's hot out, and she's panting in the car, more water will be needed...
...for extra long trips, we did get a 'spill-proof' travel bowl (it actually does a pretty good job), and kept water in the car... so I guess I'm not such a water-nazi after all! HA!

Also, if you find she's restless and uncomfortable, crack the windows for some fresh air, that can help.

And be sure you have extra towels and paper towels in the car, in case of any liquid emissions (front end or back end...)

Our fur-kids have all been good travelers. Pretty much napping the whole way.
Have fun at "grandma's"!

 

[musicdeb]

Great advice Deannas Mom! I'm on the other end of the spectrum, I always make sure Titan has water even on trips. If it means more stops, so be it.

 

[PrycelessDexter]

Thanks for the advice as well, DennasMom! We were wondering about this too.

Haven't taken any major roadtrips with our little guy yet but on the few hour-long car trips that we have had, Dexter has found enjoyment (and eventually, a nap) with a frozen kong! Have fun and let us know how the trip goes!

 

[trollnorsk]

The trip went well, it ended up being about 4 hours, maybe I sped

But she did really well, was a little unsure about what was going on, but she just layed in the back seat (coating it in hair) and slept most of the time. We didn't give her a toy or anything.

She enjoyed meeting my parents and only peed IN their house once, and on the deck about 3 times... haha.