Tips for moving with a dog?

Question

I will soon be moving about 1200 miles away, and will be driving with my dog. Does anyone have any tips on how to handle this? Are dogs okay with driving long distances? (My dog does fine going to the vet or the park.) How often should we stop? Should we feed him on our stops, or will that make him sick? Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks! (P.S. He's a black lab mix, if that makes a difference.)

Answer 1

I traveled all over with my dog angel, we feed her at her normal times like when we are home and on every stop we made sure she had a drink of water, and a chance to stretch her legs and go to the bathroom.

Answer 2

I would definatley stop atleast every 4-5 hours max. Not only for the dog, but for you as well. But let the dog out, let him drink some water, go potty, and throw the ball a few times to tire him out a little bit, also make sure he has enough room in the car to move a little bit, lay down, stretch out, sit up. And you know your dog, if you notice any weird signs, stop and give him a break. It may take a while longer, but do you really want to bring an already stressed dog into a whole new enviroment without warning? prob not. Also i would try not to feed him as much as possible during the trip, i would recommend packing yourself a nice lunch, and taking a nice longer break somewhere in the middle and maybe give him a little bit of food then, but normal before, minimal during, and slowly after (otherwise he might eat so much so fast he'll puke it all up - dogs)

Answer 3

Both you and the dog will enjoy the trip more if you get a crate for the dog.
You need to stop more often than the dog does, so that won't be a problem.
It is best to just feed the dog when you call it a day and stop for the night.
Water is a different matter and you should offer the dog a small amount of water every time you stop, the dog will decide if it needs any or not.

Answer 4

I'll add a few more tips that I've recently picked up to the excellent answers that others are giving.

A tired dog is less likely to become over-excited on a trip. A good long structured walk before setting out can help in achieving this.

Something with familiar smells from home like the dog's bed pad or the master's shirt or blanket for the dog to lay on eases the transition.

Dogs are excited by smells. Instead of opening the window wide, which is the canine equivalent of us looking out onto a Las Vegas Strip at night, open the window(s) no more than a crack. This will keep down the stimulus.

Plan your stops in a way that will help to keep him tired. A long walk with him before you (and he) eat and then a short walk after will help to keep him settled and help him to know that you're in this together.

When you first get to the new neighborhood, don't let him go into the house. If you have several family members, take turns on leading him through the neighborhood while the rest of you are moving things in. The longer you can keep him out, the better.

When you finally let him into the house, don't let him run free. He'll get too excited. First, lead him from one room to another and you guide the exploring. Place his dog bed, pad, blanket or whatever familiar items you used in the car in a place where you'd like him to settle, close to you.

Don't lock him away from the family. Dogs are pack animals, and you're his pack. Confine him to the rooms where the family is for the first few days. You and the dog can explore (and unpack) together. Dogs are also migratory animals, so moving, by itself, is not foreign to their nature. Just take care not to upset the pack balance unexpectedly because you are over-excited or over-tired.

Continue your regimen of exercise/direction/affection, in that order. There's no reason to tolerate "bad" behavior just because your "pack" has moved. Help him have fun with the move without becoming overly-excited.

I hope that these add to the other answers and help to ease your move.

Answer 5

I think all dogs can be different but I will tell you our experience with moving. We have a five pound Pomeranian/Shi tzu mix. We moved about 900 miles, we made the trip in one day. We stopped only to get gas and eat, and she did perfectly fine. Just let the dog go outside to potty and I would recommend having plenty of water for your dog. Other than that, she had no car sickness or anything.

Answer 6

Good for you for not leaving your dog behind!

The long distance is OK as long as you make regular potty stops along the way. Every couple of hours is good for both the dog and for you.

When you first start out, restrict the dog's diet so there isn't a lot on his tummy; that will keep him from getting car sick. We also give our dogs a couple of ginger snap cookies before we take them on drives. The ginger helps to settle their stomachs.

Make sure he has water available to him. Sometimes it's best to have ICE available rather than water-water, it's easier to transport, and the dog can get fluid in small increments instead of in big gulps (which may make him vomit).

Whenever you let him out of the vehicle, make sure he's on a leash (for his safety and the safety of others around him.)

When you get to your destination give him a meal of boiled rice and hamburger. It will fill him up and be easy on his tummy.

Unless your dog normally freaks out in the car, we suggest that you NOT give him a sedative. If you must give him a sedative, check with your vet first to make sure you're giving him the proper dosage.

Answer 7

Only you really know your dogs. If they tend to get carsick, don't feed them while moving. Stop every 2-3 hours & let them stretch their legs & sniff around. Make sure that the car is roomy enough for him to stretch out & be comfy. The last thing you want is to drive all that way with a dog on your lap. Make sure that you also provide water frequently & that the dog doesn't have to lay in the sun. When I moved with my dogs, they were really hyper for the first half hour on the road, then they slept the whole way. Absolutley make sure that he has on a collar WITH TAGS! Just in case.

Answer 8

When moving with dogs they need to be relaxed or they will turn the drive into nightmare,try to add one tablet of ADVIL PM in the meal before the trip,it will calm him down and will get enough sleep most of the time...tried and trusted.Good luck .

Answer 9

You know your dog. I would suggest starting to look for potty spots when he starts getting restless. I would also suggest rescue remedy that you can get at the health food store. Its safe for the kids too. Settle everybody down for the long haul.