New puppy

[Foxy01]

Hi we are hoping to collect our new puppy in 8/12 weeks , we are travelling around 5 hours each way to collect him and was hoping for some handy hints to make his journey more comfortable, we will have a car crate to keep him safe and my husband will be driving and I’ll be sat in the back , because he won’t be vaccinated I was wondering about potty breaks , would it be safe to take him on some grass away from the normal rest places where other dogs would have been and should he have a mini harness on and lead ? Any advice will be greatly received xx

 

[excuseme]

I would suggest that you ask @niamh123 , she has just done a long 2 way journey to collect her new puppy.

I would suggest that a first journey, a puppy is sat on a responsible persons lap for re assurance. Keep a towel on your lap, the puppy should not need to be wrapped up in it though. I am not a great lover of crates / cages!
Your puppy will have been taken from it's mother and siblings, put into a cage and strange vehicle with strange people, strange movements and things passing by. How very frightening.
I would always hold a puppy on my lap for reassurance, this method helped a puppy bond so well with our daughter when we brought him home, this also was a long journey 4 hours plus.
I think you should also offer a couple of stops on a clean unused grassy area for wee's. This should be quiet safe.

What type of puppy are you getting?

.

 

[JoanneF]

You can take newspaper to put on the ground for toilet breaks, or a big container of soapy water to wash down a small area like the corner of a lay by.

The risk is from unvaccinated dogs and the urine of rats, so avoid places with things like rubbish bins that might attract them.

 

[Foxy01]

I would suggest that you ask @niamh123 , she has just done a long 2 way journey to collect her new puppy.

I would suggest that a first journey, a puppy is sat on a responsible persons lap for re assurance. Keep a towel on your lap, the puppy should not need to be wrapped up in it though. I am not a great lover of crates / cages!
Your puppy will have been taken from it's mother and siblings, put into a cage and strange vehicle with strange people, strange movements and things passing by. How very frightening.
I would always hold a puppy on my lap for reassurance, this method helped a puppy bond so well with our daughter when we brought him home, this also was a long journey 4 hours plus.
I think you should also offer a couple of stops on a clean unused grassy area for wee's. This should be quiet safe.

What type of puppy are you getting?

.

Hi many thanks for the reply , we are getting a Wauzer ( westie/schnauzer mix) the reasoning behind the crate is safety if god forbid we were involved in a accident :-( We normally have rescue dogs but this will be our first puppy , great idea about the soapy water so thanks again x

 

[Hemlock]

I always used a cardboard box to hold on my lap, as puppies are often carsick, usually scared, and can't go all that long without a potty break. Line it with lots of smallish towels and have a bin liner to put soiled ones in. "Plan for the worst, hope for the best" as Jack Reacher says. As well as the soapy water, take lots of fresh to offer as a drink. I don't have a problem with crates, possibly because some pups are rather large, but someone must be there to sit beside the pup.
Some pups take it all in their stride, some don't. I once drove a pup back for a non-driving friend, and the pup screeched without pause for forty minutes. As a comparison, I took a terrier pup home from two counties away and there wasn't a cheep out of her. We stopped twice for potty breaks, she obliged, and on we went. Yours is a cross between two bold breeds, so might be just as good.

 

[Foxy01]

Many thanks x

 

[Finsky]

Having had two pups last two years and to fetch them, each time we travelled with them in car for few hours..I found having the pup on my lap (at least to start with) a best and easiest solution for their and our sake. I did have grate for them prepared and all the intentions to 'play safe' but they just wouldn't settle down and as soon as I had them on my arms/lap with old thick bath towel underneath them, they settled down and slept most of the way to home.
We didn't even need to have to worry about giving them 'a toilet break' as I placed several puppy pads on the footwell on the car for that purpose. The younger one of mine decided that she was happy to sleep on floor once she had her relief...all I did is scooped the dirtied pad, put another clean one on, dropped the towel around her for extra support, warmth and comfort and she was well away sleeping again. It must be the steady 'rumble' of the car that settled them as each one was almost like drugged! There was no wriggling or any funny 'business' at all..they just had little drink and teeny nibble of food and rest of it was sleeping time. Armed with something absorbent, rubbish bag and BIG roll of kitchen paper will get you far with the mess management...
As a little tip...carry on going on places in a car with your pup..they learn so quickly that it is 'norm' and traveling with them is part of their routine. It can be harder to get them used to it when they get little bit older