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The doghouse

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Original poster

How to transport puppy home

20 replies

RolandBark · 18/05/2020 13:46

We are collecting our 8 week old pup this weekend and have bought a crate for crate training that can also be used in the car. We are planning to put her in the crate for the car journey home (45 minutes). I was thinking of putting some small treats in there too and a toy. She will have a blanket with mum and littermates’ scent on it.

It has occurred to me that she won’t have had any chance to get used to the crate and so putting her in there could add to her anxiety (strange car, strange people, etc) and undermine future crate training, making it harder for her to view it as a place of safety.

Do you think this will be a problem and are there any better ways you would recommend to keep her as safe and unstressed as possible during the car journey?

OP posts:

makingmyway10 · 18/05/2020 13:51

Personally I would get a passenger to hold her on a blanket with the thing that smells of her mum. Make sure it’s someone who can cope with a wriggler escape artist though. We have always done this . Our puppies have always fidgeted then had a sleep have fun with your puppy.

SqidgeBum · 18/05/2020 13:54

She is going to be so tiny! The crate will terrify her. If I were you I would hold her on the passenger seat for the journey home. We had a shoebox and put the blanket he was wrapped in that smelled of his littermates in there and he slept the whole way home as I kept petting his face. Puppies need time to be crate trained. You dont want her first experience of you and the car to be alone in a crate in a moving car.

Costacoffeeplease · 18/05/2020 13:58

I wouldn’t give treats either, she may be car sick

Original poster

RolandBark · 18/05/2020 14:00

Yes, this is what I am worried about - scaring her! My worry about holding her is that if we have any kind of accident and she is on a lap, she could be badly hurt. Also, we were planning on just having one person go to collect her (me or my husband) so the other could stay at home with the DC. But your replies are confirming my worries, so I need to re-think our plan...

OP posts:

Original poster

RolandBark · 18/05/2020 14:01

Good point about car sickness Costa - thanks

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creamcheeseandlox · 18/05/2020 14:08

When I picked up my 8 week old puppy about 1 hr away I went by myself and out him in the crate in the back of the car. He did cry and get slightly distressed but that was the only option. It has no way affected his perception of the crate and happily sleeps in there during the day and at night.

user1573829 · 18/05/2020 14:10

Any puppy I've ever picked up has always gone on the lap either on passenger in front or in the back, like pp said with their blanket smelling of mum. Puppy will most likely fall asleep on the lap of whoever has him/ her.

You could always put a puppy pad over the knee then blanket and puppy.

How old are your dc? Could you draw straws as to who joins you? Or take eldest etc.

I really wouldn't put the pup in the boot on their own and drive 45 mins personally. We've always had a crate for the puppy but it's always been introduced as their safe space where their food goes and their bed/ blankets are.

HappyBuyer · 18/05/2020 14:10

I would not suggest to use crate on the first trip home as the pup might associate it with that first stress/fear and would not be settling into it in the future.

I have used my cat's carrier (he is a really large cat so it was perfect for a pup as he was very small) and removed mum's blanket as he would have soiled (wee/poo/vomit) it on the first ever car trip. I have strapped it on the passenger seat and deactivated airbag.

When we arrived home (30 minutes trip), I had to wash him as his back legs and bum were covered in wee and poo, his chest had vomit on it I then dried him with towel and placed him into his new crate with mum's blanket.

He kept using his mum's blanket as potty area until I could not stand it anymore and disposed of it (replaced with my pj ).

I would suggest to hang mum's blanket on one side of the crate.

That was my experience of bringing a pup home

ThatBitch · 18/05/2020 14:15

Lol Squidgebum our St. Bernard puppy at 7 weeks (problems with the mother :-( ) would not have fit in a shoe box, he barely fit on my lap! I would plan to have him on a lap in the back, make sure it's someone who can cope with the wriggles. Don't feed treats before/during the car journey and I wouldn't bring toys either, probably a bit too overwhelming along with the car journey and new people. Just the blanket from the breeder, some puppy pads are always good to have under it in case of 'accident'. I also took some plastic water bottles frozen full of ice in case it got too warm (furry pup+person's lap +blankets and sunny car journey) just to pop at the side under the blanket.

Original poster

RolandBark · 18/05/2020 14:24

cream thank you for the reassurance - I’m glad it didn’t hinder crate training for him.

user the DC are too young to be left home alone, so either one adult has to stay with them or we all go (given current restrictions mean no one can look after the children while we go). With us all in the car it will be noisy, but maybe that is still less stressful for pup than being alone in the crate...

Happy I had wondered whether putting the blanket in rather than near the crate (or lap, if we go with that option) would risk it being soiled - you’ve helped make up my mind on that one

OP posts:

Original poster

RolandBark · 18/05/2020 14:27

Good tips That, thank you!

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RLGGG · 18/05/2020 20:39

I held our puppy on his first journey home with us. He spent a few minutes trying to see out of the window and the settled in my lap and slept :)

HollyBollyBooBoo · 18/05/2020 20:46

Ours fell asleep on my daughter with a blanket that smelt of the puppies mum. He slept for 2.5 hours solid!

WeAllHaveWings · 18/05/2020 20:53

Ours was held on ds's lap so he felt warm and secure. He vomited on ds, closely followed by a runny poo. Ds and back seat of car was covered in it.

Kind of took the shine off bringing the puppy home 🤣🤣

WhySeaEmm · 19/05/2020 18:08

I read on here a tip that we're going to use when we collect ours in two weeks- a laundry basket! We're going to take a basket, line it with a puppy pad and a towel, and OH is going to sit in the back with him.

WhySeaEmm · 19/05/2020 18:08

Oh noooo @WeAllHaveWings what a nightmare! Not the best start.

Monkeytapper · 19/05/2020 18:13

Carry pup on passengers knee, take an old towel as ours threw up from motion sickness.

MaisyMary77 · 20/05/2020 14:32

Mine was in a crate, I was sat in the back with the crate and had my hand in there with him. He slept on my hand pretty much the entire journey.

midnightstar66 · 21/05/2020 10:37

My daughter held out puppy on her lap. She was terrified understandably and was panting and shaking at first and was sick a few times. At least she could have comfort and a cuddle though

midnightstar66 · 21/05/2020 10:40

My worry about holding her is that if we have any kind of accident and she is on a lap, she could be badly hurt.

She'd likely be badly hurt being tossed about in a hard metal crate also - or could be involved in a rear impact while in the boot. It's impossible to account for all situations

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