Long Car Ride? (8 Hrs)

[Guest LoriEric]

I know Indy came from FL to NJ... quite a long ride. In this past week, he has been in the car 3 times, going to parks for walks. He seems to like the car, but also shows signs of either stress or excitement... super-fast panting, drippy nose, etc. I am going to visit my family in about 3 weeks, and it's an 8-hour drive. Trying to decide if the 8-hour car trip would be too much for Indy (he would be with us a month at that point.)

 

Again- he loves getting into the car, because he knows he's going somewhere, but it's almost as if he gets over-excited?

 

Being my 1st dog, any insight/tips for a long car trip with a gey would be greatly appreciated!

 

(the alternative is either to leave him for a week with my sister-in-law, in HER house, which would be it's own set of stressors, or my wife stays home with him and doesn't come on the family trip with me.)

[Guest Miller]

I'd take him. Just about a month after having Jeff we took him on an 11 hour car ride to see my parents. We stop for potty breaks and water every 2-2.5 hours, while we are stopped he gets a walk and a bit of a run.

 

If you a chance you could always take a 2-3 hour test drive to see how he does on longer trips. Jeff pants and looks around while not on the highway. Once at speed on the highway he lays down and is a dream rider.

[Hubcitypam]

All of mine have slept if we were on the highway. They will wake up as soon as I hit the off ramp though. I try for as few stops as possible. The dog haulers do too.

[jetcitywoman]

If you have the kind of car where you can fold the back seats down, or remove them to make a platform, put the dog's night time bed in there. We've taken Capri for several-day trips where we need her big bed anyway, and it makes the car sooooo comfy that she lays down and enjoys her limo ride to wherever. Ajax pants and drools and seems over-excited like your dog, but he does settle down after an hour or two of riding. Just make Indy as comfy as possible and he'll settle in like a king.

[GeorgeofNE]

A week without you would be WAY more stressful! He'll settle down. Anyway, if this is a trip you take semi-regularly, you have to start sometime!

 

Just make sure you are SUPER careful when you stop. Keep a dish (those foldable nylon ones are nice) in the car (mine lives in the car) and bring a Thermos bottle of water for him.

[Guest BrindleBabes]

We often take our two greys on long trips of 4 or more hours without a problem. They generally sleep the whole time in the back seat (which has been retrofitted with foam rubber so that no one can sit back there except dogs). We've taken them from PA to FL. Never more than 8 hours in one day, and we usually stop every 2-3 hours.

 

Last month we went to the Outer Banks, NC. After a six-hour ride home, we pulled into the driveway to unload the car. Within 15 minutes, Grace jumped back into the car. Go figure!

 

But if you think Indy is going to be anxious, it wouldn't hurt to put a DAP collar on him. And do be careful at rest stops getting him in and out of the car -- they're anxious to get out and what could be worse than losing a greyhound on an interstate?

 

Happy trails!

[45MPHK9]

We take many car trips with our dogs. One of the best things we have ever purchased was a froogle&EID[/sup]=FR0040027&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping_engine&utm_campaign=google&crcat=Direct&crsource=GBase&crkw=Spillproof+Buddy+Bowl"]Spill-proof Buddy Bowl. We like to make sure that our dogs always have access to water in the car.

 

Murray tends to pant and stand on some of these longer trips (4 hours is about our max right mow.) We've had him for over three years. He has just started to lie down in the back of the van for about 80% of a car ride. He likes to go with us but he will always be a bit nervous in the car.

 

Buddy Bowl link

Edited July 4, 2011 by 45MPHK9

[PrairieProf]

I agree, he'll settle down and be fine. Beth tends to stand up and look around if we're going through neighborhoods, but she lies down and relaxes when we're on the highway. It may take him a little while at first, but he'll get there. We stop every couple of hours, partly because I need to stop anyway.

 

I took Beth from Iowa to New York and back for the holidays a few months after I got her -- two day trip, 1,100 miles each way. She's my first dog too, and I love traveling with her! (We do that trip twice a year.) I bet this will be a real bonding experience for you and Indy.

 

Make sure you keep the A/C cranked up pretty well -- it gets hot in the car in back with the sun coming in the windows, and greys don't do heat well. You have to keep any potty/supply stops for yourself super-short in this summer weather.

 

Also, have you thought through what Indy will need to be secure and comfortable at your family's house? This may need planning/prep more than the ride. For example, I always travel with Beth's giant crate (oof, just love getting that up on my roof racks!), since at home she's crated when I go out and is secure and calm being left new places when she is in the crate.

Edited July 4, 2011 by PrairieProf

[Guest Snazzy_Chloe]

Not sure where you are going but I would buy some window screens (that stick on the windows with suction cups) to shield dog from the sun. I have a small water bottle that I can give water to every 4 hours or so - plus they usually they get soime human food when we stop on the way. (They remember this for sure - they next time they go for long car rides). As the others have said they usually settle down pretty quick especially when the drive is on freeways where it is a constant repetitive noise and motion. As soon as different noiuse and motion is detectede - they perk up pretty quick to see what is going on.

[Sighthounds4me]

When I took Manero to Canada for shows, it was about a 9 hour drive. I went with a friend who had two Keeshonden (one was 6 months old at the time). We stopped about every two hours to stretch and potty the dogs, and provided them with water available in stainless steel pails, hung on the crates, at all times. They all did just fine, even the puppy.

 

In your case, since you have not had the dog long, be prepared with motion sickness meds (call your vet for advice about dosage), and relaxation meds (melatonin is great - again ask your vet for advice on dosage). It's likely he won't need them, but they cost so little, they're worth purchasing. Pack your own water or bottled water. (water he's not used to can cause tummy upset), and provide him with a blanket or something that smells like home. I bet he'll do fine!

Edited July 4, 2011 by Sighthounds4me

[Guest june]

Lots of good advice already given. I love traveling with my dogs and they love it too. Preparation is what can make all the difference in the world. When you stop to rest be sure you dog cannot bolt from the car before you can get the leash. Having someone inside the car hold the leash while you open the door to let him out.

 

Also, you might want to have some tags made with the address and phone number where you will be staying so if an escape should happen someone would be able to get in touch with you. Providing your cell phone number is a big plus.

 

I drove from central Illinois to southern Texas with one of my dogs and it was a fun adventure for both of us.

 

Have a great trip. Nothing better than vacationing with your pup as long as you are prepared.

june

[Guest LoriEric]

Thanks for all the advice. Not sure about taking his crate, unfortunately there may not be room for it in my family's house... it's a family reunion, and everyone will be in town. I was certainly going to bring his bed & he would be sleeping with me in my old bedroom, but not really room for a crate.

 

Hmm... well, I have 3 weeks to decide, lets see how he continues settling in... today is 1 week since we brought him home, and his stools are still soft, sometimes the big D. I've been feeding 1/2C rice with each meal for 3 days now, thought it was helping but apparently not. I'm feeding him the food they told me to, but am starting to wonder if the food he's "used to eating" might NOT be the best food for HIM to eat. Jus because the adoption agency feeds them all the same thing, doesn't mean it's the right food. But that's another issue.

 

Either that, or it's the peanut butter I've been putting in his kongs...

Edited July 4, 2011 by LoriEric

[cleptogrey]

just do it. eventually both you and your pup will feel comfortable and settle down on the road trip. i always leash my dogs and hold on to the leash before i open the car door at a rest area. then once all of us are back in the car i remove the leash.do keep the car really cold for the dog- summer as well as winter, they will be much more comfortable.

 

i did 12 hrs from nyc to bloomington, in w/ a 9 month old grey pup- my older female taught him how to behave. i also had a welsh terrier at one time who had non-stop car sickness from the day i got him until i took him on a long trip to vermont-7 hrs( he was around 7 months old at the time). he finally stopped barfing after 5 hrs. and was a champ in the car from then on. my female grey who was only off the track a couple of months did the 12hr trip to the oakrocoke ferry and was FANTASTIC- jumped out of the jump seat of the truck, peed, pooped and went right back in. when we made it to the camp site- she jumped right back into the bed of the truck and roached. some dogs LOVE being hauled around...be positive.

[mychip1]

I flew to Florida to get my boyz and drove them home 24 hours to Rhode Island. One word of advice from the kennel manager was to only stop once on the trip at the 12 hour point to let them pee. He was very worried about escape with new dogs. I would recommend a collar AND harness - or two collars with two leashes....you can't be too careful - not knowing what might spook him at a rest stop if you do decide to stop.

 

JJ did fine with just the one stop....Dustin peed just as I was putting JJ back and getting him out of the car.....The extra jug of water came in handy for a clean-up.

 

They do settle once they get moving - and mine actually drink on the road. EZ travels 4 hours every six days with his daddy to come back and forth from where he is stationed to our home in RI. Unfortunately, he will not drink on the road - so in the heat, hubby has to be real careful that the car stays very cool. My two are perfectly fine drinking and nibbling snacks on the road.

 

Also, I would just feed a tiny meal an hour or so before he travels. Enough not to get carsick from an empty belly - but not too much to overload him if he gets stressed!

 

Good luck! I'm sure he'll to greyt!

[Guest peacehound]

Peace goes for car rides often, my parents and mother in law live four hours from us and we take her to the Outer Banks and usually West Virginia yearly. After four years of regular car rides, she still doesn't do well in the car, refuses to sleep or put her head down..seems excited, anxious etc luckily she doesn't get car sick..have often thought I might ask the vet for anti anxiety meds but hate to give her anything since she already is on so many meds for other issues.

[SPDoggie]

Ours whine and their noses drip, out of excitement. And for longer cars rides, once we are on the highway they settle down and just lie there. I would suggest a stop of two to get out and stretch their legs a bit... but I bet he will love the trip with his "new" family.

[MaryJane]

Thanks for all the advice. Not sure about taking his crate, unfortunately there may not be room for it in my family's house... it's a family reunion, and everyone will be in town. I was certainly going to bring his bed & he would be sleeping with me in my old bedroom, but not really room for a crate.

 

Hmm... well, I have 3 weeks to decide, lets see how he continues settling in... today is 1 week since we brought him home, and his stools are still soft, sometimes the big D. I've been feeding 1/2C rice with each meal for 3 days now, thought it was helping but apparently not. I'm feeding him the food they told me to, but am starting to wonder if the food he's "used to eating" might NOT be the best food for HIM to eat. Jus because the adoption agency feeds them all the same thing, doesn't mean it's the right food. But that's another issue.

 

Either that, or it's the peanut butter I've been putting in his kongs...

 

 

If this is going to be a family reunion, you may want to reconsider and take the crate (or portable pen). That way you take your pup and put him in your bedroom in the crate and that way you don't have to worry about someone mistakenly letting him out without being leashed and will give you some free time from not watching him every second. I assume the adoption group told you that greyhounds always need to be either leashed or in a fenced in yard -- you may want to make sure that all the family is aware to keep the dog inside.

 

Good Luck

[Guest LoriEric]

When I say "family reunion", it's just immediate family, siblings only, not a huge party or anything. And they have dogs, so when they let them out the back door, it's into a fenced-in area.

[XTRAWLD]

We've had good and bad car trips with Kasey. He gets super excited to go in the car, pants, moves about in his seat. He's almost worn out before we get to our destination!

 

The longest car trip we took him on was 15 hours. It was a test to see how he would fare for a week of travel. It didn't go too well (and we did not take that week long trip). He was his usual excitable self, of course he had potty and drink breaks along the way. However, because we didn't GET to a destination within say an hour or two that he was used to, he got restless. Typically when he gets this excited he tends to have loose bowels also, especially if we are taking him to a run with friends. Well didn't he almost have an accident in the car! About 3 hours in I noticed his restlessness, we pulled over to the side of the road and he went instantly, all liquid. Again same problem a couple hours later, and he left a little bit behind in the car this time . I think the lack of arriving at a destination within 2 hours was the culprit. Even though we took him out for a break, it wasn't "oh we arrived at grandma's house" or "we got to our hiking spot". My only suggestion is to keep observing your hound along the whole way and see how he's taking the whole thing in. I'd recommend, if you have time, to stop for a little longer than 15 minutes at a time every hour or two. Pee, water, feed if the timing is right and walk around to stretch the legs.

 

Needless to say, he was worn out and slept like a rock when our 15 hour trip was over and we were back home.

[kudzu]

I say take the dog as long as it is OK & logistically feasible considering your hosts & other guests. Trips are stressful for everyone regardless of whether you are the traveler, host or being left behind at home. Sometimes the trips aren't that fun for the dogs but they still seem to prefer coming along rather than being left behind. There are exceptions, of course, but whenever possible I prefer to bring my dogs with me.

 

My suggestion for safety sake is to heed the advice to use a harness. For walks use a coupler to attach the harness to the collar. This way if the dog slips either collar or harness you have a backup restraint. Another idea is a double ended leash or to use two leashes so there is a leash attached to both collar & harness. Pack the car so the dog has a comfortable, secure place to sleep. Make it such that there is just enough but not too much room. Personally, for a dog without any physical difficulties, I believe it better to error on the side of being cramped rather than having too much space. This limits sliding around & further reduces the chance of injury. My dogs seem much happier on long trips this way. Counter to what many seem to believe, my dogs appear calmer when riding crated. I will not speculate on why, just know it seems the best mode of travel for them when space allows it. Next best bet is to use a harness & tether system designed for car travel. This limits the risk of injury in an accident but even more it limits the chance of escape when you open the door(s). For dogs that love to periodically stand up & see the world go by, they are less likely to get thrown around if crated or tethered.

 

Though we stop often for my benefit, my dogs seemed to actually travel better when we were able to take as few stops as possible. If your dog is potty walked before the trip starts, I believe most do quite well if you only stop every 4-6 hours. However, for an 8 hour trip he might not need a stop at all. It depends on the dog though. If not crated I'd say it's safer to make one stop. If you are stopping more often, however, regardless of the reason I think you should definitely take the pup out for a walk. They tend to get excited at stops & that increases the chance of potty accidents. We rarely use the drive-thru at fast food restaurants on trips. Scott goes in for his break & to buy our meal while I walk the pups. When he gets back I dash in for a quick relief break & then we are off again.

 

I strongly recommend bringing a crate or xpen. Trips are much easier for us that way. My dogs are house broken, used to long trips & weeks spent away from home, stay in hotels without needing to be crated, etc. Still I find it much easier for all concerned if we have the crates with us. The occasions this has come in handy are too numerous to list. Even if you do not plan to leave your hound alone during the trip an xpen or soft crate is a handy spot to give any Greyhound, especially a new, nervous, stressed or tired one, his own familiar place to rest. If you don't want to take xpen or a metal/plastic crate & your hound will not be left alone for more than say 5 min or less then why not purchase a light, soft crate may be an excellent compromise. I got this one at Walmart & have gotten far more than my money's worth out of it. It's cheap enough that should it not work appropriately for you then you will not have broken the bank.

Of course, soft crates will not hold a dog who wants out & ones like the above can actually be rolled over by a dog. Still, my pups happily retire to crates when they've had enough of vacation excitement. When introducing new crates, xpens or travel beds I would get them early & set them up at home so the dog can use them before the trip. Any time you see the dog in, on or even near the item give him a reward. Soon he'll think it's a greyt place to be. This also has the benefit of gathering the smell of home which may be helpful.

 

I'd skip the peanut butter or at least cut it way back & see if that helps. My girly Grey does best with no grain food. That's what finally solved the soft stool & intermittent big D problems. However, big diet changes right before or during a trip is not advisable. The suggestion to pack your own water is excellent! Please consider doing that. You could actually switch to distilled water now & then use it for the trip. Since it can be purchased in almost any grocery & many big chain stores that would give you a more consistent water supply without having to carry so much. Do make sure you always have a good supply of water in the car with you. It sucks to have car problems & be stuck on the side of the road without water for the pups & yourself. Been there, done that, don't want a repeat.

 

Most of all, make the plans & then try to relax. In the long run it is very enjoyable having your canine buddy travel with you. You have to start somewhere & I believe the sooner the better. HAVE FUN!!

[PrairieProf]

FWIW I got a soft travel crate thinking it would be easier but it did not work at all for Beth as a crate -- when I tried it out at home she rolled it just turning around I think, and one errant claw and the mesh was history on one side. Now it's kept open as sort of a "canopy bed" for her in my bedroom. And I lug around the 48" folding metal crate -- if I was sensible I'd have bought one to keep at my parents' house since we're there twice a year.

 

Re the crate/x-pen issue: what will you do if the family decides to go out to dinner or otherwise leave the house together? You probably don't want to leave him loose with other dogs who won't be muzzled, nor do you probably want to shut him into a room with a closed door. "Leaving the dog" is for me by far the biggest issue when I travel. If you feel you can't bring a crate, can you bring a baby gate (that you know he won't knock over or try to jump?).