What makes the best "truck dog" for long haul?

Question

One more "trucking" question...I'm going on road long hauling for a few years, and we want to get a "truck dog" to join us. What is the best breed for this? I don't want to be unfair to the dog (example a high energy breed) and I know there are some out there that make excellent truck dogs. Have you heard of any? Any advice?

Answer 1

We have friends who have 2 or 3 ****-zu's that travel with them.

Some of the dogs recommended to you are NOT a good choice.
I have a dog who is an Aussie (shepherd/blue heeler cross) and one of those two breeds is quite nervous and therefore not a good choice for life in a truck.

A min-pin is usually too fragile and emotionally tempermental to do well in a truck.

First you need to go to a website where you can input answers to questions that will indicate what kind of dog breeds might best match your personality and life style.

Then, google search each breed to look at breed traits.
Selection criteria you should use for your final selection:

1) minimal shedding. My Great Pyrenees LOVE riding in the pickukp and in the big truck, BUT they shed way too much hair.
Short haired dogs usually shed less.

2) calm and quiet. Dogs that tend to be calm are best as you know all the long hours just sitting as the world passes by. My prys are GREAT for that... it's too bad they shed so much. My Aussie whines and jumps around nervously. quiet dogs usually need less exercise, which is better for a truck dog.

3) the dog should LOVE to ride. Contrary to comments of one responder, many dogs LOVE to ride and do NOT throw up. Some dogs cannot ride much at all as they constantly throw up.

4) the more trainable the dog, the better the ride will be. You need to become a good trainer

5) medium size is best in my opinion. large dogs eat a LOT and require storage space for a lot of food, so even though they might be calmer, you have to carry a lot of dog food. Really small dogs, or dachshunds can have a tendency to health problems. Long dogs can have back problems and really small dogs are easily injured. Small dogs are also usually more likely to be yappy. So, in all, medium size dogs are my best suggestion.

Those are the most important factors to consider.

Another thing that is good is to take a rescue dog.
You don't want to have to housebreak a pup. Actually there's a lot of work to raising a pup that makes it a bad choice for a truck. An older dog... 6 mo, 1 year or 2 years old is better.

You'll have to make more stops with a dog in the truck just like men do when their wives travel with them. You need to be able to get out and walk the dog on a regular basis, and this also gives it a chance to go potty when needed. On the plus side, the dog's need for walking and exercise will be good for YOUR exercise levels which you now ignore, most likely. The companionship and the deterrant to those who would steal from your truck is a real benefit. Good luck, driver.

Answer 2

I would say, go to your local humane society or animal shelter and find an adult dog (a puppy would be a lot of work, and not really happy until it grew up) that is the size you want, with a nice quiet disposition. There really isn't one specific breed that is the best for being a truck dog, the individual dog is what is most important. I guarantee there is a great dog just dying for you to walk in the door and say "wow, you look perfect for what I want" Maybe not the first time you go, you may have to go there 2 or 3 times, but you've got a chance here to make some dog's life a lot better, because it will be with you most of the time, and that is what all dogs want. If, by chance, your dog ends up being one of the few who gets car sick, it usually is something which passes as they become accustomed to the movement of the truck. It'll be a pain for awhile, but one day you'll notice it's been quite a while since the dog upchucked. Good luck!

Answer 3

My dad was a long haul driver for most of my childhood. Surprisingly most of the companion dogs I encountered were Rotties. The were always the sweetest dogs too! I never saw too many little dogs (although this was long before the recent designer dog as an accessory craze). There were also quite a few guys with labs. The humane society or PetFinder wouldn't be a bad palce to try because I am sure that there are many dogs that are looking for homes that would do well traveling! Good luck!

Answer 4

There are several dogs who seem to make excellent truck dogs:

Australian shepherd (and they're not too big)
Labs and lab mixes (some of which are big)
Retrievers (which are big)
Blue Heelers (which aren't too big)
And these dogs aren't real high energy like some of the smaller dogs. However, I have a Miniature Pinscher who absolutely loves to ride in the car or the truck. She only weighs 8 pounds and is about maybe 12 inches tall to the top of her head. She sleeps in our bed and doesn't take up much room at all. She's higher energy, but only for brief periods at a time, you know?

You might want to check them out, too.

Answer 5

It doesn't matter on the breed of the dog. If that dog is your best buddy, they'll more than likely want to be with you in car or truck.

Answer 6

We have a few truckers that come to our clinic and they have dachshunds.(Weeny dogs). Both familys have three of them and they all go in the truck. They say that they have tried other breeds but weeny dogs seem to be the best.

Answer 7

probably the same dogs that would be good as a lap dog, such as a pappillon, or a chihauhau, a french bulldog or anything that doesnt require a lot of excercise.

Answer 8

Truckdogs

Answer 9

Regardless of the breed, not all dogs take well to car/truck travel. I can't imagine anything worse than having your canine companion upchucking on you every few hours!

Answer 10

Why condemn a dog to hours and hours boring travelling in a truck?