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 :)

[iusedtohavechickens]

We stoped and got him on a mat in the boot as he wasn't vaccinated, didn't put him on ground outside, just fresh puppy pad in the boot x

[Dozycuntlaters]

Good idea chickens - I will def do that!! What did you do about water? Just give him a bit overtime you stopped?

[Mychitchatdays]

You do know it's illegal to stop on the hard shoulder unless your car has a fault or there is a medical emergency? You can get a fine and points on your licence.

Put the puppy in a well padded crate and stop at least once an hour, off the motorway.

[Dozycuntlaters]

Thanks @Mychitchatdays, as I've already said I won't be doing that. I will be stopping off at various service stations, letting the puppy in the boot for a wee etc and will then pop her back in her crate :)

[JonHammIsMyJamm]

Yes, just put a water bowl down for her in the boot.

[iusedtohavechickens]

Yes had a bottle of water and a small bowl and just offered him every time we stopped xx

[Dozycuntlaters]

What about food? Presume she'll be ok till we get home to eat (unless any hideous traffic delays).

[moosemama]

@Dozycuntlaters. She is gorgeous. I love Border Terriers and the pups are ridiculously cute!

@iusedtohavechickens another gorgeous pup. Those little white snips on his face are so sweet. Fantastic name! My gang always overrule me on names too. We have just been placed on a waiting list for a pup in 2022 (our choice, we are not ready yet, but rare/vulnerable breed so need to plan ahead) and my lot are already compiling a list of names!

[JonHammIsMyJamm]

It depends when she last ate and if she’s nauseous or sick on the drive. If she is due a meal (she’ll probably be on 4x meals a day) and isn’t sick or nauseous on the drive, I’d offer her a smaller meal than she would usually have on one of your stops.

[Dozycuntlaters]

Ok thank you @JonHammIsMyJamm

The breeder told me she'll be on three meals a day by then. I'm going to leave home at 5am so I can be with her by just after 8 (hopefully) so I can get her home nice and early. Will be getting food from the breeder anyway so will just play that one by ear.

[JonHammIsMyJamm]

Ask the breeder for advice, @Dozycuntlaters. Presumably, she won’t have given her breakfast if you’re picking up first thing (most wouldn’t).

[User43210]

We had a really long drive with our little one, we gave him a car seat, I sat in the back with him and gave him a teddy and blanket. He mostly slept. This was about a 3 hour drive. We stopped at a service station and thought he might want to wee (on the pad, definitely not on the random floor!) but he actually held it the whole drive. We gave water at the station and offered it frequently throughout, as well as bits of his kibble.
When we got home, he had a look around the house, we took him straight outside and he weed then. He was really house trained already from when we first got him at 8 weeks, it was incredible.
This has made me broody for another pup!

[Motorina]

I brought puppy 2 home in the boot. She managed to fling herself out of the boot onto the back seat where she discovered her bag of food, and stuffed herself rigid.

She clambered onto the front passenger seat and projectile vomited all that food everywhere.

It was a filthy, wet November night. On little country lanes with nowhere to safely pull in to restrain her. So she spent the last few miles on my lap, trying to climb the steering wheel onto the dashboard.

You need a crate.