Hi guys, after the fall thru of the last pup, we have now found our new pup ( who knew it would be so hard), we will be collecting her from Swansea. My question is this, it is an 8 hour round trip, we will have our 2 yr old son with us, so we will need to stop a couple of times at services. When we have collected our pup is it ok to get her out of the car for a wee stop? She wont have had her full course of injections. I am worried about her picking something up or am I being daft!
Thanks

Personally, I wouldn't let a baby puppy out of the car. Not only would I be worried about picking up something, but also the difficulty of safely restraining a baby puppy. I would prefer to have the puppy in a crate with lots of paper and some bedding and be prepared to change this as necessary.
I'm sure others will have different opinions :)

No your not being daft.....So its 4 hours from /to you..I would say make sure your pup is let out, at its home just before you leave. Like the previous postee I wouldnt let it out at a services...far too noisey/busy. Then as soon as you get into your home make sure it goes into the garden straight away. You may be pleasently surprised as to how long it will go on a journey. I have had pups go 3.5 hours & not be sick or toilet...

I totally agree, I just take plenty of newspaper so that when the pup is in the crate it can pee or poo on there and it can quickly be changed. I always sit next to a new pup in the back of a car, to talk and soothe it and stroke through a crate, I know many will put pups on their lap, but I'm Miss Safety especially on motorways, so pup in a crate and we will pull into a service station to take pup out, give a cuddle and change paper and clean up after it. :-)

Best of luck with the new pup. :-)

If the pup has been trained to newspaper or pee pad I spread a bin bag out in the boot of the car with n/p or pad and place the pup there and keep a close eye on them, I'd rather not set the pup up to soil in it's crate if it can be avoided.

I picked up a 10 month old yesterday and she wouldn't even have a wee when we stopped on the way home but was fine off lead when we got home.

Whenever I bring my puppies home they stop on the way for a pee stop, usually at the motorway services, they have never picked anything up, but everyone is different.

The only long distance pup I've had, was a 5+ hour journey, and we stopped at the services for her to have a wee on the grass. There's usually a quiet spot, and the risk of an infectious dog being at a services is fairly remote I'd have thought, you're more likely to pick something up at the vets.

> There's usually a quiet spot, and the risk of an infectious dog being at a services is fairly remote I'd have thought, you're more likely to pick something up at the vets.

ditto, have met our friends at the services (half way) to send pup on it's way to Scottish owners (known to us both).  My pups have had leads on by that age, with me following them about with it loose.

When we've had a long drive to pick up a pup/had a pup leave us with a long drive, we've taken newspaper with us, carried the pup to a quiet spot, spread the newspaper down and then put the pup down - it doesn't take long before s/he cottons on to what is required.   Mind you it does need two people - one to carry the pup, t'other to be newspaper strewer!

Kitchen roll as well, and baby wet wipes always useful . You don't say the breed or size of pup , but its generally safer to crate in the back of the car than leave a pup able to fall /slide about in the boot.When you pick up a pup , a piece of vet bed/blanket belonging to the pup/litter scented of mum , should always be given to go in the crate , for comfort .Lokis mum has good idea , pop some paper down on quiet bit  of grass at back of a service station .

Living in Scotland means that most pups I've had have travelled at least 5 hours and some 9 hours, I've never liked to risk motorway services with a baby puppy that isn't used to a collar and lead, I'm not so worried about infection as the pup getting a fright, backing out of a collar (which sighthounds can do easily) and running away. I've always lined the back of the car/van with layers of newspapers and with a smaller nice comfy bed for the pup and driven home as fast as possible. I always take rubbish bags, wet wipes, kitchen roll and towels but to be honest most pups have been very good.

I've picked up puppies from various parts of the country and have always had them on my lap on a towel. Ive done at least 4,  4 hour journeys and never had any problems.

I'm not sure I like the idea of a puppy alone in a crate in the back of a car the first time away from mum. It's a traumatic time as it is and the warmth of being on your lap helps them to settle.

I would never stop and let a new puppy out onto the ground the chances of escape are far too great!

> I'm not sure I like the idea of a puppy alone in a crate in the back of a car the first time away from mum. It's a traumatic time as it is and the warmth of being on your lap helps them to settle.

Still it makes for safer driving if you're own your own to have them confined :-)

The ideal is to have someone else hold the pup steady so that it doesn't get scared by being shaken and thrown about when cornering, but of course that isn't always possible. I think if I was on my own with a pup I'd have it in a box/crate either on the seat beside me or in the footwell.

If I am picking up a dog/pup alone then I use a plastic carrier anchored to the passenger seat with bungee ropes, that way they can see me and I can talk to them to reassure that they are not alone,they usually settle down for a nap for most of the journey.

> If I am picking up a dog/pup alone then I use a plastic carrier

He he, that takes me back to when the people I originally sold Jozi to came to pick her up.  they had a large size cat carrier,a nd were rather shocked to see how big an 8 week old puppy had grown to having not seen her since around 4 - 5 weeks. 

A well reared pup of my breed will on average weight 9 - 11 pounds at 8 weeks and she was to the bigger end of the scale :)

They did manage to get her in the carrier for a rather snug fit!

I am lucky that even adult dachsies will fit into a plastic carrier provided it isn't too small.

Always advise my new owners to have a largish cardboard box, plenty of paper, a blanket and they get a blanket off me.  ONe of the new owners sits in the back of the car with the pup.  Have to say nearly all after a few minutes crying at the start fall asleep for most of the journey.

Agree with Jeangenie's post but of course like she says it's not always possible & crating is the very next best thing for obvious saftey reasons...

I had a 6hr round trip collecting Buster. We stopped at motorway services for him to have a piddle and a bowl of fresh water. I hadn't thought about him needing a drink, but the people in the services were great and let me borrow a ceramic bowl for him to drink from.  He had a collar & lead on.

> shaken and thrown about when cornering

Good grief! Not with my driving :-)

Even going over the endless speed humps can jiggle a crate/carrier about regardless of which part of the car it is in if not securely anchored.