Best Way To Movie With 4 Legged Best Friend

[sk8boarderallie]

Yes I know you guys are sick of hearing from me, so I stopped writing for a while. But now I have a serious question.... Adam & I are moving to Ft Bragg, Nc in Oct & I want to make it as easy as I can on Dasiy. I know it's not going to be just down the street or anything. It's like a 14 hr drive, never mind the packing & the confushon of all the people & new smells, is there anything Adam & I can do to make it easier. Dasiy will be in the car with us the whole time of course. She will have her blanket, fav toy & a bone.
I hope that there is a way to make her feel ok when she is in the car. I know there is meds out there that will make sure she doesn't get car sick. I take the people verion of it. LOL! Should I put a old clock that ticks in her carrier to make her feel like she is safe? I herd stuff like that works. Ok so thanks. LATER DAYS!

[RoughCollies]

You've come to the right place. I have moved my dogs many times now. Faith and I have gone from Cleveland to Columbus and back again (2 1/2 hr drive) then from Cleveland to San Diego (about a 38hr drive at the least) and back again a year later with Dakota in tow, now. We will be moving to NY from Cleveland (Permanently this time as we bought a house) which is a 4-5 hour drive.

I'll have to write a few ideas for you later, but I need to get outside now, I just heard something I didn't want to hear right now...

[RoughCollies]

Ok, all is well. I heard my mothers cat scream. He is fine, though. I have no idea what happened to him to make him scream, but he's fine. This is why I hate outdoor cats....


Anyway, a few things to think about. First, does the dog like the car? If so, then all is well. If not, you might want something like Pet Calm or Rescue Remedy to help calm her.

Second, is she housebroken or close to it? A dog is less likely to go potty in the car because there's less room to get away from it. But, I would take covers for the seat, if I were you. Or, you can get a crate, but keep in mind that with a crate for traveling, you have to let her out to stretch more often. Stop frequently to let her pee. And if you have to, match her to make her poop. If you need to know what that means, I can explain.

Food Roll. Go to Petco or Petsmart and get food rolls. Give her peices as snacks for a couple days leading up to the move so her tummy is used to it. Then, on the trip, give her those instead of regular food. They are yummy and SUPER convienent for road trips. You can also put peices of it in a treat ball or kong to keep her occupied. It's real food and healthy, so if she eats a lot, you don't have to worry.

Don't hold or coddle her. She will learn after a few hours that she has no choice in the matter. By holding or coddling, she will learn that this move is something to worry about. Make her deal with it by letting her sit by herself and don't stress about it. If YOU stress, SHE will stress. If YOU panic, SHE will panic. If YOU are calm, she will learn to be calm, too.

Once you get there, let her walk around and sniff everywhere. It's a new place and she is going to want to smell all the smells. Again, don't stress. While things are being moved around, take her outside with you for a while and walk her. It will keep her mind off it and get some excess energy out of the way. That way, she'll be a bit tired and may not worry so much. Again, don't coddle her. She needs to learn that it's nothing to worry about. I find calmly talking to them helps.

It takes a while for them to adjust and don't be surprised if you see a behavior change in her at first. It's normal and it will help if you are firm but gentle with her. Just go back into normal routine as much as possible with her.

I just made a long distance move and while I am excited about our new house, I am not so much about moving the dogs again. They will love to be by themselves again, but Kodie stresses around moving time. At least Daddy will be home this time.

Good Luck on your move, and make sure to check in once you get the computer up and running.

[Reyven]

If your dog likes car rides there shouldn't be much to worry about. If not, I would agree with RoughCollies and get a relaxer for her.

I traveled with 2 dogs and 1 cat before and I can tell you that was hectic!

Make sure you stop often enough to let her out to go to the bathroom and stretch; I stopped every 3 hours or so to offer water, food and to let them out.

Make sure you don't open the car door if you aren't ready to take them out! I made that mistake and it was a pain in the butt to catch my dog because he wanted to run all over the place and see everything (he wasn't well trained yet!) and I was a nervous wreck as we were by the highway!

Use covers or sheets over the seats as it will help keep hair off the seat, as well as help if she does get carsick or has an accident.

Don't worry if she doesn't want to eat much during the move or shortly after, she is probably worried and/or stressed out. That should pass after the first couple of days though.

Good luck on your move, and don't stress too much!

[Bclover92]

i agree with reyven and rc...

Also take her out on "fake" car rides...Put her in the car where she'll be and just drive around with her or when running erunds take her with. Get her used to riding in that spot and make it fun but controled. Bones or kongs are good to keep em occupied. Dont let her jump in or out without command either. You want her to learn your in control and that she will get out or in she just has to wait till shes told.

We just moved from pa to md...but we moved our dogs to mi(about 14-15 hours) and back first cause we lived there with fam for a month. So they had long rides in the car..we have also brought them there a couple times. they love going with us and love to ride. Levi sits in the seat or on the floor and skye rides in his cage ussually. He is calmer and happier there. He can ride int he seat but theres ussually not enough room. Also along with this we moved our cat(to mi and back). My parents took the fish and bird and my friend in pap kept the gerbil for a month or tow till we drove two hours to get it back...lol Thats a long story her parents were so mad one day cause they still had it that my dad left work and drove to get it. We ahd informed them that they may ahve it for awhile and they were fine with it. But i think it as other family stuff that was bugging them than actually having the gerbil.Anyways hope this has helped.