one day left
 My stomach is so nervous. It is going to be a six hour car drive. What are some good things to bring with you when you have a puppy in the car for that long? |
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| Bring a crate with a divider so it's just big enough for the puppy to turn around and comfortably lie down. This is the safest way for a dog to travel in the car.
Bring a small soft toy that you can hopefully bring into the breeder's house for a few minutes to soak up some littermate smell. Bring water and a dish so you can stop for a drink and potty break (you should stop for a rest halfway). This means you'll also need a collar and leash. Bring a puppy kong stuffed with kibble (if you have any) and treats, topped with peanut butter or cheese whiz to seal it. Or, you could freeze a kong with some water and treats. Good treats: cut up hotdogs, cheese, etc. or whatever sort of dog treat you have purchased. Bring lots of towels and paper towels. Your puppy will likely have at least 1 accident in the crate on the way home - it's a very stressful time for the puppy as he or she doesn't know you very well (if at all) and the pup will be scared and will be upset to leave littermates. You can put a towel in the crate so the puppy is more comfortable, but it will likely be quickly soiled. Good luck! Our ride home with Barkley was scary at first. He was so upset to leave his home and littermates and he peed in his crate within the first 5 minutes. After we stopped and cleaned up the crate and towelled him off, he settled and rode quietly for the rest of the ride. It's good if you can position the crate close to where you're sitting so that you can reach back to comfort the puppy. We went in a minivan and had all the seats down so Barkley was right behind us. |
| I know that nervous feeling! We brought a small portable crate with us and put it in the backseat; however, Foz spent the majority of the 7 hour car ride in my lap and then on top of the armrest.
Bring a soft toy, towel to lay on or put in your lap, water and a little bit of food or treats. Also, bring some papers towels and plastic baggies. Keep us posted! I'm so excited for you! |
I can't wait to hear more! 
My pups all slept all the way home.... |
| Great advice so far. Be sure to share lots of pics tommorrow and congratulations! |
| We brought a towel and a few toys. The car ride made Bingley nervous so be prepared for a little noise on the way home. He didn't play at all with the toys but just tried to sleep (through puppy whines) our whole trip home - which was only just over two hours!! Have fun! |
| We are facing the same long ride later this week. Ours is about 7 hrs - all the way over north of Milwaukee!
We are bringing our collapsable crate, although Plan A is to have him ride in the backseat with Simon. We keep it covered all the time - it's the dog seat! |
| Don't be surprised of your puppy doesn't eat on the way home. Everything will be really new, and sometimes, they just don't eat at first. However, do bring something--ideally the breeder will send home some of whatever your puppy is used to being fed. Also bring a water bottle and dish. Blanket for crate.
And of course, CAMERA! |
We learned the hard way  but bring some antibacterial cleaning spray and a big roll of paper towels and some empty Walmart bags. They almost always have at least 1 accident on the way home. With a puppy we also brought a real cheap bed pillow to cushion the bottom of the crate just in case we hit hard bumps. As it had been peed on (London) we tossed it in the trash when we got home.
Our drive to get London was a 4 hour ride and then a 5 hour drive back. You will be suprised that the trip passes a lot quicker than you think. Do you know what type of food the breeder has been feeding the pup? Check with them since it might be a local brand or a brand that you can't purchase near your home. If you buy a small amount you can slowly once the pup is home transition the food to the food you will be feeding. Good luck - can't wait to see pictures. |
| GOOD LUCK!! All of the above advice sounds right on target!!! Can't wait to hear more and see pics!! Travel safe! |
| Lol. I'd bring more than one towel for sure and the roll of paper towels is a great idea, too. You do have a pretty long drive ahead of you so it never hurts to be prepared. It could really go either way-- maybe he'll sleep the whole way or he could be awake and kicking (and peeing!).
Clyde only had a 10 minute ride the first day home and James just held him like a baby. He sat very still but his eyes were darting everywhere taking everything in. It was cute, he was so excited by the new surroundings. |
| Congrats, can't wait to hear all about your new puppy. |
| Its been busy with our new puppy. I finally got a moment to sit down and put some pictures in so here is a link. And thanks for all the advice!
http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=9717 |
| Too adorable! Thanks for sharing!!! |
| Baby Edgar is cute! Neat markings too. |
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