the day is getting closer and I am having the same second thoughts as I had when in labour with my first child!! I know it is first time nerves!!
Anyway my question is we have to drive an hour and a half from the breeder home and should I sit and cradle pup in my arms for this first trip or confine him to the bot ? (not boot as in car!! boot as in people mover so no lid!! )

Jude

Hi Jude,
An hour and a half is a long car ride for such a young puppy :) Being loose in the boot (I take it you have an estate car?) wouldn't be safe, and neither would being held in the front seat of your car...especially if there is an accident. :(

The best possible situation would likely be for someone to sit in the back seat + a small crate with towels to keep puppy warm and padded. The door wouldn't neccessarily need to be on or shut, if the person kept a hand on the puppy. Even a small bag looped into a seatbelt could work.

Make certain s/he piddles before you leave and try to keep an eye out for 'discomfort' that might signal s/he needs to go again.

The smoother, happier, and more relaxed you make this trip, does tend to affect how a dog sees car rides in the future....sorry to say. If s/he gets carsick now, it can become a definite problem later on in life.
hth and good luck,
toodles
also watch out for the inside temperature of the vehicle ---with nausea, it's better to be a bit cooler than too warm. :(

Hi

thanks for the advice, I didnt want to pop him in a crate alone but hadnt thought to put it on the back seat rather than the boot!!
Yes Ihave read that things that scare them around the 8 weeks of their life can stay for life so I really dont want this to be a bad experience.

thankx again
jude

On car rides, I really think that its something which affects the equalibrium and then eventually becomes a learned behavior that the dog associates with one another. jmo, though...no statistical basis whatsoer ;) :D

When I was 13, my parents and I rode the Hovercraft in 'moderate' weather across the Channel--everyone on board became violently ill. Ever since, I really can't stand to be on the water :( And I used to love to ride on any sized ship. At least I can still be on the HUGE Washington Ferries that are in the Puget Sound :)


When we got the TH it was a 9 hour car journey back home and she coped very well. I had her on my knee in a towel for the first half hour, then we put her basket in the passenger footwell and she stayed there for the rest of the journey. This worked well for us. She had constant company and it got her used to the basket before she got home.

We stopped roughly every hour to let her out for a wee. We borrowed a small travel crate from a friend and when we took a human "comfort break" we put her in it, to keep her safe.

HI, with any luck if the pup has been charging around playing for a while, while you are sorting everything out with the breeder/paperwork etc he will be ready for a sleep anyway and will hopefully just go to sleep on your lap for most of the journey. Have a thick towel on your lap and a kitchen roll within reach - just in case. If he starts to drool keep his chin up and it may stop him being sick. Personally I dont think an hour and a half is a very long journey and as long as he has been free to wee/poo before he leaves his breeder is unlikely to actually need to "go" again before you get home. Sealegs are excellent to prevent travel sickness - I was amazed when an experienced owner came to pick up her puppy - about an hour before she left she gave him half a tablet and he had a very long journey ( South Wales to Lancs - which was only half way as they went on to Scotland they following day) and wasn't sick once on either "leg" of the journey. Before my pupies leave I make sure they are "ready for a nap" as they are going, have removed the water bowl for the previous half hour and have had their last meal at least 3 hours before so there is less chance of it arriving on a lap!

And don't forget a plastic carrier bag or bin bag to put the kitchen towels into - just in case!:)

My bc pup travelled home for three hours in a small crate on the back seat, with me next to her. I covered the crate with a bath towel and she then slept the rest of the three hour journey, until we drove into our village.

Good luck!:)
LynnT

When we brought Chewi home, he was cradled in a towel on my lap for over 5 hours, with three breaks for him to puddle, and me to straighten my legs. He slept most of the time but occasionally surfaced to give me a kiss. I felt it helped him to bond with us better.

We had a 6 hour drive - we bought a small cat carrier at PetSmart for £10 and put her in it - attached to the back seat with the seat belt through the handle. For the first 1/2 hour the door was open and hubby had his hand in there stroking her to settle her (other dog was on the back seat with a dog seat belt and also sticking her nose in to check out the puppy). After she settled we closed the door. We stopped every hour and a half to find somewhere safe to offer her a place to potty. Since your only driving an hour and a half you should be fine.

Wendy

Please use the crate and do not follow the actions of those who kept the pup on their lap, even though they are well meaning. People do this with babies...mum strapped in, baby on lap. In even a minor accident, baby (i.e. puppy) goes through windscreen. No matter how you believe you would hold them tight, it doesn't happen, and serious injuries occur. Bringing a pup home is such a great day! Keep safe and stay happy :)

yet again lots of help !!! thanks you all I now have to sort what to do for tomorrow !! cat carrier sounds good !

ALSO I know the breeder has not put collars on the puppies yet .what do you do if you stop for him to have a little tiddle how can you make sure he does not run off with no collar or lead on ! this only occurred to me today !!
I thought about buying a small one with lead just for the trip home but is there another way ????

(I am a novice owner !!! as all my friends keep reminding me !!)

jude

Jude,
Instead of going for a neck collar, you might try out a small body harness....the figure-8 or the one that slips over the neck linking to a belly band fastener. Then you can put a small lead on him/her and not worry about pulling too hard. In a pinch, you can even lift a dog up this way (only in urgent cases though)

I doubt though that puppy will feel like going too far away, esp. if s/he's as small as you say. But personally, I think the body harness will help you direct him/her away from the clumps of grass that you might find objectionable.
hth,
toodles

all my pups leave with collars, half checks that will fit from the baby stage to 3/4 grown. I also get them used to wearing them when I supervise them one to one.

Ask the breeder if she is including a collar in the puppy pack, and if so just buy a lead that is comfortable but not heavy, if not buy a puppy collar. Avoid the thin nylon ones as they are hell on your hands!