Puppy/Traveling

[Lizmo]

I'm picking up my pup next Friday (EXCITED!) and we are visiting with my aunt on the way back (Friday night/Saturday, then driving back home that day). She's in a dog friendly appartment, but I have a few questions concering bathroom breaks - How often do they need to go out during the night? What should I expect?

 

It's 6 hours from where the breeder is to get where my aunt is, how often should I stop? I'm thinking every hour.

 

Also, I think I have everything I need to bring on the trip:

 

Dog food

Crate

Leash and collar

Blankets

Toys

Food dish and water dish

 

Is there anything I'm missing? First time traveling to pick up a pup, so I'm excited and nervous at the same time, lol.

[afrancis]

I'm picking up my pup next Friday (EXCITED!)

...Is there anything I'm missing? First time traveling to pick up a pup, so I'm excited and nervous at the same time, lol.

 

Don't know where you are going to be re:poop bylaws, but I always bring a supply of "poo bags" when we travel in order to pick up after Skye. I think there are some biodegradable ones on the market now.

Congratulations and have fun!

Ailsa

[MaggieDog]

How old is the pup and has she been vaccinated against parvo? If she's only had one or two vax, I might hesitate to let her out at rest stops or anywhere else other dogs frequent.

[sweet_ceana]

We picked up Ceana at about 7.5 weeks. She was from a farm in CO but we were driving back from Utah & Mama Dog and the pups were heading back from Northern Wyoming (last "family" vacation) so we met in Cheyenne, WY. We had about a 2 hour drive home and Ceana held it the whole time. (Of course when we moved to AZ she held it the whole car ride from Denver to Phoenix and refused to go so maybe she just has a no potty car complex.) Any hoo, to the point, depending on the age of the pup 2 hours may be appropriate. The breeder may have an idea as well of how much time to give your pup. Congratulations and enjoy puppy hood while you can. I was given the best advice on these boards : TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES. Puppyhood vanishes so fast!

[Lizmo]

The pup will be 8 weeks, 5 days when I pick him up. If I counted right.

 

Poop bags, I didn't think of those. Thanks Ailsa!

[Errol]

The pup will be 8 weeks, 5 days when I pick him up. If I counted right.

 

Poop bags, I didn't think of those. Thanks Ailsa!

 

 

You will find with young BC's when you are on the road in most cases they will refuse to go at any stop you care to make.When you reach your destination motel ect after they realize that is there home for the nite they will then relieve themselves.This is something that is part of the breed.don't worry about it I have spent up to 10 hours on the road and stopped every couple of hours with no results. My dog at the time was only 16weeks.

[Skyler]

The pup will be 8 weeks, 5 days when I pick him up. If I counted right.

 

Poop bags, I didn't think of those. Thanks Ailsa!

 

 

I have found that ziplock style baggies work well for this and you can buy the generic ones for less. Just turn it inside out, pick up the dookie and turn it right side out again. Then just zip shut and, Viola'!...you have a nice poo bag that doesnt stink if you havent a receptical around.

 

I agree about the rest areas as well. Wouldnt let my dog out at one of those even now. I prefer a secluded place behind a McDonalds or something. Much less dog traffic there. Enjoy the new pup and congrats!

[Lizmo]

Thats a good idea. I usually just use plastic grocery bags, tie them up, then throw them away.

 

Thanks Errol, that will definitely ease my mind if he's not relieving himself.

[Lenajo]

I honestly don't know what the problem is with rest stops or any other reasonably decent (no open filth) public place for short periods. This is a healthy puppy, which means it should have good maternal immunity - and if you don't believe in that he should have been vaccinated.

 

I deliberately take my pups between 8 and 12 weeks to places like that (and no, I don't vaccinate) so that they can develop their immune systems as they should.

 

The kids, and puppies, who are at the greatest risk of illness ime are those that are isolated and over protected. I don't take my puppies lives lightly, but lets face it, life has risks, and the best time to develop a competent immune system as well as social skills are between 8 and 12 weeks.

 

My experiences with parvo has been in puppies over 4 months of age, the sickest with full vaccination history. The vulnerable window seems to be post Rabies vaccines (hmmmmmm) and at the 16-20 week time frame when maternal immunity switches to adult. IF I was going to keep a puppy home and semi-isolated (semi because viruses are everywhere) it would be during that time frame.

[Marilyn T]

I took a litter of 4 pups at 7 weeks on a 6 hour drive. Withold food that morning, and you will probably be able to drive straight through. I put all in a a varikennel, and they slept the entire trip. Not a peep out of them. I faced their crate so they could see their mother through the door. I brought three back 3 days later, same story. Never stopped once for them. With minimal shots, I too would not stop so often in public places.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

I am going to mention this from experience. Bring some papertowel and spray bottle with water/vinegar or something! When I got Daisy, she had terrible car sickness! I've cleaned the interior of my car more times than I would care to count! She's out grown it now, but the first 6 months were a nightmare! I would have something to clean it with "just incase"!

[Lizmo]

Good point, Ms.DaisyDuke. Lizzie had horrible car sickness when she was younger - has now out grown it now, though.

[hsnrs]

Poop bags: We usually use grocery bags too or generic sandwich bags. When we had our pup we usually pottied her once a night and then up early. N

[Skyler]

I honestly don't know what the problem is with rest stops or any other reasonably decent (no open filth) public place for short periods. This is a healthy puppy, which means it should have good maternal immunity - and if you don't believe in that he should have been vaccinated.

 

I deliberately take my pups between 8 and 12 weeks to places like that (and no, I don't vaccinate) so that they can develop their immune systems as they should.

 

The kids, and puppies, who are at the greatest risk of illness ime are those that are isolated and over protected. I don't take my puppies lives lightly, but lets face it, life has risks, and the best time to develop a competent immune system as well as social skills are between 8 and 12 weeks.

 

My experiences with parvo has been in puppies over 4 months of age, the sickest with full vaccination history. The vulnerable window seems to be post Rabies vaccines (hmmmmmm) and at the 16-20 week time frame when maternal immunity switches to adult. IF I was going to keep a puppy home and semi-isolated (semi because viruses are everywhere) it would be during that time frame.

 

This is simply misinformation about Parvovirus and I respectfully disagree with you here Lenajo. Although there is something to be said about some holistic approaches to medicine, developing natural immunities and adverse affects of vaccinations this is NOT the virus an owner should mess around with.

 

Parvovirus is the most stubborn and hardy canine virus out there. It is a proven fact that the only completely effective way to kill the virus outside of the body is through a solution of bleach equal to the ammount used in disinfecting against HIV as it corrupts the viruses DNA the same as it does HIV. The Parvovirus has been shown to live up to nine months after being deposited through its main source; which is canine feces in the ground.

 

The vaccination does not gaurantee immunity, however it dramatically reduces the risk to your dog. It would be interesting to note that of the canines that contract Parvovirus the success rate for recovery for vaccinated dogs is better than 55% and for those that are unvaccinated, survival rate is less than 20%. Every statistic that I have seen has been within 5% of these figures. It is also important to note that Pits and black and tan breeds such as Dobermans and Rotweilers are more likely to contract the virus than other breeds.

 

But to simply take a puppy into an area that is likely to be littered with a life-threatening disease is simply a case of being misinformed. If one is going to develope immunity (which is hand in hand WITH the vaccination) it should be done appropriately; which is little by little rather than potentially overwhelming a new immune system. Keeping your young pup away from "strange" ground allows your puppy to develop immunity naturally. Exposing your puppy to new ground is appropriate by taking them to different places and gradually exposing their systems to new things; that is quite responsible. However, taking a puppy to a mine field is asking for trouble and could easily end your dogs life painfully through Parvovirus.

[Lenajo]

Both of my vets fully agree and support what I do. In fact I'm doing what I do on the advice of a vet. None of us believe in fear mongering, and that is a lot of what is out there. That is "be afraid, be very afraid...the boogy disease is waiting on the corner!". Lets face it, the number of dogs dying from lack of early socialization throws viral worries in a dusty corner. We have so little faith in our own pups immune system... why I wonder? It's a marvelous thing.

 

As a rescuer, breeder, trainer I work and live around a lot of dogs, with high public exposure, high dog/dog exposures. My survival rate for parvo *unvaccinated* is 100% That was 7 cases, the last... 4 years ago. My vet has seen hundreds of cases in her career, and again her survival rate is over 90% She uses iv/subq fluids, homeopathy, nutrition to treat. Most of the dogs are less than mildly ill for 24 hours - and yes, that is documented parvo, not suspecions of.

 

The most serious case of parvo (case #1 of the 8 total) I delt with was a fully vaccinated (4 puppy shots, last at 16 weeks) 18 week old. Again though, our survival rate is 100% There were pups here at the time that has *no* vaccines, who were in the same kennel as this pup until we realized she was sick (this was back in 2000, I'd never seen early stage parvo in person then, only the late ones). Those pups never missed a beat. The difference was that pups immune system crashed post rabies vaccine. And guess what, she's hypothryoid too. Weak puppy = vulnerable puppy. She's been trying to find ways to die on my for her entire life I love her, but she is what she is, and vaccination only compound the problem. (questioning myself too, if she is weak, because she was overvaccinated to begin with...and so the circle goes)

 

When people tell me they have low percentages for parvo survival I know its more than just parvo and having had a little, er...dealings with research myself I am aware that numbers rarely tell all the story. Well fed (raw imo, and again, my vets), immunologically healthy pups don't succcumb to viral disease alone. Usually, whether we want to admit it or not, there is something else wrong to complicate matters. Nature has a way of dealing with the weak whether we like it or not. A malnourished, wormy puppy is highly succeptable, but ....well, by the "book" should not be vaccinated anyway. And if he's healthy, well again......

 

You can bleach your house, your kennel, your yard, yourself, and your dog and you will still have parvo in the environment. It's like getting rid of the common cold. Not happening! You best bet is to support a strong healthy puppy through supporting his immune system though active healthy lifestyle and diet. My vets and I know we will see parvo again because it's part of life. We just make sure I have the strongest dogs possible to fight it off.

 

You say vaccination goes hand and hand with exposure to create immunity. Yet my dogs are immune without vaccination - based on disease challange and/or titer.