I am working out my travel plan for when I get my new puppy and it looks like we are going to have a bit of a drive to get him home. Other than safety things always a must for traveling by car in Idaho in the winter. Do you have any suggestions? Looks like it's going to be about eight hours of driving to get him home. We have a friend who is going to be visiting family for the holidays so I will have a puppy safe back yard to play with him before we go finger crossed we can tire him out some before the drive. The breeder has already talked about how to find safe places to stop and let him out but I haven't traveled that far with a puppy that young.

Any tips would be great!

I haven't traveled with a puppy that young, but hubby and I took a cross-country drive with our two 2 years ago. You're going to have to stop often (likely every couple hours), especially if the pup you're getting is only 8 weeks old. Something to chew on and a safe place to be during the drive are also a good idea. Not sure I have anything else to offer you, hopefully someone else with more insight will respond. Good luck!

I traveled with Juneau when she was 4 months for 18 hrs in the car. We stopped about every 2-3 hrs.

You'll have to stop about once an hr because your puppy will be so young.

Definitely bring a few toys to chew on. Nothing too small, don't want him/her choking while you're driving.

I would also give him/her something to keep him/her calm. I used 'pet ease' treats from Petsmart to keep Juneau's car anxiety down. It will be just like giving them benadryl - it makes them kinda sleepy. She basically slept about 80% of the way.

Thank you for the tips. I have some friends going with me so the driver won't have to worry about the puppy.

What worked wonders for us in our 3.5 ride home with our 8 week old puppy was reducing the amount of stimulus he had. It sounds awful but in all likelihood your puppy will be miserable and screaming and scared and want nothing to do with you. This is perfectly normal. Ours wanted nothing to do with any chew toys either. It was horrifying the sounds he was making in the car.

And then it hit me. He needs the comfort of warmth and a den, similar to what he's had with his mother and littermates. So i took a blanket...my personal baby blanket in fact....and curled it up at my feet and put him down there. He instantly buried his face behind my calf, curled up tight, and slept for 2.5 hours and we had peace.

Boil that down to advice: simplicity is sometimes the absolute best for a puppy. I don't think we realize how easily we overwhelm them with attention and being too "busy" with them. Sometimes you just have to stop trying and let them be.

Good luck with your drive.

I agree with Jeff, make them feel safe and they should settle down. If you could borrow a puppy sized crate/carrier (like a pet porter) big enough for him and a blanket, and if he doesn't like the cover on try it off. My Springer liked the bottom of the crate and a blanket.

When we traveled with Bane at two months old from Texas to California, we put him on the floor on the passenger side, and turned up the AC! He loved it, and passed out about 90% of the time. He had his own blanket, a chew toy, a squeaker, and if he woke up, we would be sure to pull over (safely of course for us and him), and take him out to potty, and water him. We'd walk him around a bit, and then load him back up, and off we went!

Good luck with your drive!

My drive home with Diz was horrible ha ha. He was insane and I was alone. Like a little tazmanian devil in the car. Trying to run and jump around, and eat whatever he could find, and just being all around naughty. After about 3 miles I pulled over and put him in a crate type thing. It was actually a Sherpa (airline carrier for puppies). He screamed and cried for like 2 hours straight and then finally fell asleep. He woke up again right when I started hitting city traffic and screamed the rest of the way home. Lots of fun. By the time I got home I was seriously doubting my ability to make rational decisions and wondering if I got a husky possessed by satan. My tip is not to go it alone and bring a crate. Even if you don't end up using it, you should have it in case you do. You don't want to have to try and hold a stressed, wound up, and fearless puppy while he/she is squirming and biting and trying to 'explore' the car. And trust me, you'll need a 'break' from the puppy at some point. You might get lucky and have one that snuggles all the way home, but just in case you don't, bring a crate.

wpskier222 wrote:

By the time I got home I was seriously doubting my ability to make rational decisions and wondering if I got a husky possessed by satan.

Oh this made me laugh!!!  my brother in law and his family picked Axel up for us, it was an 8 hour drive home. He sat on my sister in laws lap in the backseat between two toddlers (who screamed "it's a DOG!!!" over and over) and they didn't hear a peep out of him the entire time! He slept majority of it in fact, so they were pretty lucky!

Thank you for all of your suggestions. I am really excited to get him I am just still stressed about traveling. I just wish I could get that part done and over with. But traveling in Idaho in winter is always a little tricky. We are going to pack for the weather but I would love for that part to be done.

We drove quite a bit to pick our puppy up too, 5h drive. I kept him on my lap while my boyfriend was driving and he was fine the whole ride. He actually slept away most of it and he didn't want to pee even though we stopped to take him out every hour or so Seems like I was lucky lol!   Good luck with the pup!

The people we got Digger from were nice enough to get my pup used to short car rides before I picked him up. So by the time he was 8 weeks old and picked him up - he was comfortable with the car idea.

Maybe the breeder could do this for you also? Could pay to ask.

He cried for about 5 mins, but I think that was because of separation from his doggy family.

He traveled in the front passengers seat the whole way on a puppy training pad.
I'm one of those ridiculous people that have harnesses that attach to the seat belts, so he was in that.

It was a 2 hour 45 min drive.

Only stopped once.

We drove 10 hours one way and 11 and a half back when we picked up mechta. She was very good in the car. She spent q good amount of time chewing on an empty plastic bottle or just roaming around exploring the car. We brought a small crate but she wasn't in it much if at all (can't remember). We brought towels just in case she had an accident in the car or threw up. We also brought a couple toys in case she wanted to play...but really was just interested in playing with the towels lol.

Mostly she just slept. She played for awhile with her siblings before we left the breeders (spent 3 or 4 hours there before heading home). And all the stimulation from new people and a new car etc was very tiring. You won't have to worry about stopping for potty breaks if the pup is asleep but be prepared to stop just about as soon as it wakes up.

The drive for koda was a little over 3 hours. The breeder met us halfway so i only drove hour and half back with him. She said he was a angel for him on the way to meet us. Just sat on her lap and slept. When he was with us we did a pee break 10 min in cause i forgot to ask her when the last time he went. I was so excited btw when he went the second we went in the grass lol! Then the rest of the ride home he got passed from the back seat (sitting between my friend and fiances brother) and sitting on my fiance and slept. He was angel.

I think if you tire him out wth play before he will be fine. When they are so young they will play for 30min then sleep for 30 min lol. Soo just play with him on your stops and he should sleep most of the time home

Drive for loki to rescue was 5 hours. I brought my stepdaughter with me to handle him. No need though. He got comfy on floor of passenger side and slept. We had to wake him up at our planned stops. We gave him one stuffed animal toy that he used as pilllow.

I am going to get him on the 2nd! I am counting down the days.

Congrats!!! We got Karli in Idaho, so it was a seven hour drive there and then seven hours home. My hubby and I split up the driving, so I sat with her for three and a half hours then he sat with her. She had been inside with the breeder all day so she had been exploring most of the day. She didn't really sleep on the way home but she also didn't explore. She huddled by my feet (which were on the seat) and laid there. She did cuddle with the squirrel toy we bought her. Make sure to bring something for your pup to drink water out of. Also bring doggie bags in case she poops when you stop.

Hey I am in Idaho and getting my dog in Washington. So opposite and it's going to be about eight hours. It's about the switch from you.

Hey with rest stops how did you stop and let your pup out and to stretch his legs and potty safely with the risk of parvo? I just realized that part and now I am a little worried.    I am talking with the breeder soon but any tips would be great.

My trip was only 2hours and 45mins back to mine. I stopped once in an area (verge on side of the road) which would see little to no previous dog presence. We are a pretty rural country so most of the highways are just surrounded by farms and fauna.

Other then that I just shoved a puppy training pad under his butt as I had him belted in on the passengers seat with a harness. The breeder had previously got him used to car trips for me (just short ones) so he was no trouble at all.

Hopefully you can do something similar with a place to stop on the route you will be travelling

Fully understand with the parvo thing... stresses me out too.. he has one jab to go, and my vet said if I was really worried about his social skills to just take him or small walks in areas other dogs don't really frequent. I've taken him on 3 walks so far in this kind of area and no sickness yet - the vet said it is just something you have to weigh up - but do carefully. I didn't take him out walking till after his second jab though.. don't do it before then at least. Won't be safe for walks in local doggy walk areas til a week or 2 after his last jab.

We stopped at rest areas, carried her to the spot to potty and then carried her back to the car. Not the safest and something cool I learned later was you can take bleach or vinegar with you, spray it in the spot that you want him to go, and then put the puppy down to potty.

I always park in the trucker's area for potty breaks, because there's a lot less other dog traffic there. Just be sure to pick everything up, since the last thing one needs is a pissed off driver of an 18 wheeler. Also, I strongly feel a crate is the safest for in the car.