Long drive with puppy

[Dozycuntlaters]

Hi all, this is a really silly question but I'm going to ask anyway.

I am bringing my puppy home in three weeks time and have to drive roughly three hours to get her. I have got a puppy booster seat so am not worried about that but I'm worrying about driving all that way with her........what about water (one of those portable bottles) and going to the loo? It's mostly motor way driving so I don't want to be stopping on the hard shoulder. If she has a wee before she gets in the car will she be able to go three hours without. Or should I just put a puppy training pad on her booster seat? Any tips/advice would be massively appreciated. Thank you :)

You need to plan frequent stops.

If you're lucky the puppy will sleep most of the time.

But they need wee breaks - sometimes as frequently every 30 mins, so I'd aim to stop every 30-60 minutes.

Piddle mat is a good idea to protect the car, and you can change it when you stop.

Having someone to sit with the puppy and keep her company is a good idea (as is supply of toys, pizzles etc)

Dogs drink by lapping, and although you can train them to lick a bottle (like a giant guinea pig bottle) it won't come easily and I think wouid be a step too far for a puppy who has so much else new going on. Offer water in a small bowl each time you stop. Or more convenient when travelling, use a bottle with a trough.

This sort of water bottle

www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/pets-at-home-travel-water-bottle-500ml

Not that one, its a MalsiPree one....sorry not got the link on me.

I'm just worried about keep stopping on the motorway, just wondered what others had done. I will speak to the breeder about it but just thought I'd ask on here too.

You won't be able to stop on the motorway unless you mean at a service station.

Plan for the worst. Mine was in a soft crate and I took towels and water as I had expected him to pee and possibly be sick. However he slept all the way home (around 3 hours) and then vomited as soon as he got in the house.

We travelled 90 minutes with ours and he didn't pee in the car - but he did go when we picked up him from the breeder and as soon as he got through the front door

Unless he sleeps the whole way I do think a three hour journey with no stops is unrealistic. But you do need to be careful as she won't have had her jabs so you'll need to bring puppy pads for her to go on. She shouldn't really go out on the ground yet.

I'd bring puppy pads, towels and blankets just in case. Car sickness is another thing to watch out for.

We had a booster seat and our puppy was way too excited jumping around. Our journey was only an hour but he was leaping around for half that. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076LZ5D1R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_k08qFb6PCBVQR?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I'd really consider a crate of some description.

We have a 'Road Refresher' for our frequent journeys with our dog. It's brilliant, a non spill bowl that actually works. Puppy training pads for the journey aswell in case he goes Enroute

Road refresher bowls are great, they’ve been invaluable while travelling with my dogs. Having said that, if you’re stopping regularly, the bowl you’ve bought for water at home and a bottle to top it up with would be fine.

I’ve always had mine in the plastic air freight type carriers for coming home, as they minimise external stimulation, which can be overwhelming for a pup that has just left their mum and siblings. We have the carrier strapped into the backseat with the seatbelt and someone sitting next to them at the door end. Hopefully you will be given a blanket or piece of blanket which has the litter’s scent on it. You can then make a really cosy bed for them with this in the middle and all mine have tended to fall asleep and sleep for most of the journey. Have a couple of spare blankets, just in case there are any accidents or pup is a bit sick.

We plan regular, scheduled stops, but if puppy is asleep we tend to press on until the person sitting next to them notices they’re waking up, at which point we stop. For this reason we tend to minimise the amount of motorway driving on the way home.

I put an old hippy chick mattress protector in the bottom of the crate, in case there are any accidents that need wicking away, but we stop regularly and use a puppy pad in the footwell for wees (only time we ever use puppy pads).

Some good points. Will use a crate rather than the booster seat then as it will be stressful enough, let alone with a puppy leaping about. I am hoping she sleeps a majority of the time, but i bet she doesn't.

Good thinking about the road refresher bowl, will def get one of those.

I really don't want to be pulling over on the hard shoulder for her to have a wee though, I would rather she went in the crate. But I don't want her to get in bad habits from the get go but I really don't see how I can avoid it as I can't avoid the motorway.

Thanks all, this has been very helpful :)

I really don't want to be pulling over on the hard shoulder for her to have a wee though, I would rather she went in the crate. But I don't want her to get in bad habits from the get go but I really don't see how I can avoid it as I can't avoid the motorway.

Don't use the hard shoulder. It's very dangerous and it's not an emergency.

Don't worry about bad habits. It's one trip so just stop at service stations if you must.

@BiteyShark

Don't use the hard shoulder. It's very dangerous and it's not an emergency

Exactly, it's far too dangerous, her seeing in the crate is definitely the lesser of two evils. Yes I'll just stop off at various service stations along the way, hopefully that should be ok. Thank you.

Weeing in the crate. Bloody autocorrect.

Regular stop at services. Carry her to an out of the way but where other dogs are unlikely to have been and encourage her to go.

You absolutely can't stop on the hard shoulder because your dog needs a wee.

If she has an accident in the crate just clean up at the next service station stop. Puppy pads in the bottom of the crate with a blanket over just in case maybe.

To be honest, if you plan to stop at service stations, you should be fine. One little wee accident is not going to cause bad habits and you can switch the bedding for a fresh set at your next stop if needs be. Make sure you take a few blankets or old towels with you just in case.

In my experience, the hum of the car lulls a lot of pups to sleep. I think only one of my pups has stayed awake for any length of time on the journey home over the years.

I definitely will not be stopping on the hard shoulder, I will pull over at intermittent service stations and pad the crate out with puppy pads and take spare blankets/towels.

You’ll be fine.

Good luck with your new pup and have fun!

What breed are you getting by the way?

Hiya, we brought home our puppy last Thursday, it was a nearly 4 hour journey. We stopped twice at services but neither time did he go to toilet just had a drink of water. We had a cage in the car but he slept on my daughters lap all the way home sleeping! Had a big wee and pooh on the floor when we got home! She had a puppy mat on her lap in case he had an accident!
X

@moosemama

I'm getting a border terrier.

@iusedtohavechickens

Thanks, that's good to know. I'll be going up on my own so I'll put her in her crate.

Here she is, so damn cute 💙

She beautiful!

Put some puppy pads in her cage with her and on floor around cage just in case there is leakage! ❤️

Ours is called Roley Sir Woofington 3rd! (I didn't name him!!)

@iusedtohavechickens

Thank you, she is totally gorgeous. I get weekly videos and photos of her, she gets cuter each week.

Yes will def do that. Getting a new car next week, so it will be padded to high heaven lol.

Cool name, very grand!!

Aaaw Sir Woofington is gorgeous too, look at that cute face!! Butter wouldn't melt.

We are so in love with him! We were getting lots of photos too but yes even cuter in person! He's amazing and is already sitting on command and stops tugging my daughters nappy when told no! Although he keeps going back much to her amusement! She lives to be naked so Roley gives her the perfect excuse to run around without a nappy and now we are toilet training both of them! 😖🤓😂

She shouldn’t be weeing in public areas anyway, as presumably, she is unvaccinated? Keep her in the car, use puppy mats, plan regular stops for changes and water breaks.