Donald McCaig Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 Dear Doggers, I didn't want to hijack a similar question on the agility forum. 2 day trial plus one day travel staying in motel: 2 dogs/collar id'd& microchipped In dog bag: 1 jaeger lead 2 metal bowls 18 cups kibble A few poop bag capsules portable french press & coffee running order In carryon: iphone, charging cable, palm pilot keyboard, dopp kit with meds, toiletries, leatherman, flashlight & spare whistle; shooting glasses, extra clothes. Camera? In station wagon: 2 airline crates, portable chair, jug of water, unipod crook, space blanket & clips or tire chains (seasonal), tool kit, paper towels, windex and extreme weather gear. For a January trial that might include green boots, coveralls, gloves, handwarmers, balaclava, trooper hat, down vest, rain shell & silk scarf as top layers. I've not found my dog's digestion affected by whatever water and they don't miss toys and treats. Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxi Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 In dog bag.... portable french press & coffee Does this help your dogs focus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 Layers and changes of clothing, including hat and change of shoes; rain gear, hat, and boots; reading material if I can't sleep at night; spectator chair. Dog crates and bedding; leashes; chain tie-outs; dog water bowl/bucket; dog food bowl; dog food and supplements; a folder with pre-made "lost dog" posters that can be copied at a copy center or on someone's computer/printer; proof of rabies vaccination and dog tax paid (dog tag) as I don't use dangling tags on collars; collars with riveted information plates; poop bags. Extra towels (in case of rain and needing to dry things and dogs off). Cell phone and car charger; some cash; notebook and pens. I get water when I get there or when I'm on the way. I have a small camper and have made up my "travel list" with everything I might want. Before a trip, I cross off anything I know I don't want to take, and then make sure I mark off everything as I ready it and pack it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Did I read that correctly that you take 18 cups of kibble for 2 dogs? For my 4 dogs I would need about 12 cups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 I thought that the cup system of measurement was based on proportions rather than absolute weights. Maybe Donald uses small cups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptJack Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Could also be big kibble. Less of that would fit in a standard measuring cup. Different calorie amounts IN the food too, which really matters, as does metabolic needs of the dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 In the USA the standard is to list calories per cup, not by weight, so kibble size wouldn't matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 I always take extra dog food, just in case... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 ^^Me too. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 If I ever get to go somewhere, I would too. I have a dog with food allergy issues and running out of a safe food would be bad, very bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Did I read that correctly that you take 18 cups of kibble for 2 dogs? For my 4 dogs I would need about 12 cups. WOW! That's pretty feed efficient. That's 1 cup per day per dog for a 2 day trial plus 1 day of travel. My dogs eat a bit over 2 cups a day. I think Mr. Donald's figures were for 3 cups per day per dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptJack Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 My dogs are all over the place, even eating the same food. My 25lb Rat Terrier eats 2 cups of food a day and looks like a skeleton for about half the year. My 30lb Molly (BC) eats 3 cups a day and is decent, and that's the SAME amount of food as my 100lb GSD-mix also eats 3 cups. The GSD is active, the RT isn't particularly. The RT is more often too thin than the GSD mix. My 12lb mutt is VERY active and can eat about 1/4 cup of food before she starts getting fat - and that is without treats and 'extras'. Metabolisms are strange things. But straight math rarely works, at least IME. In the USA the standard is to list calories per cup, not by weight, so kibble size wouldn't matter. No, but all of those things factor into translation of just how much food and how many calories is in a 'cup' of food. It'll still match the back of a bag, but a cup full of small kibble still has more food, by weight, than a cup of huge kibble. Now how many calories are in that cup is down to content and matches the back of the bag, yes, but since that's not information given here - (And IME, the bigger kibble tends to be less calorie dense by cup - because that cup has a lot of air in it since you can't pack big kibble solid). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 I feed a working dog food (high calorie). Keeps the dogs in good condition. You don't want a large volume of kibble sitting in a dog's stomach when they are running. It also saves money in the long run. If they are working hard or in cold weather I up their feed, but they actually sit around a lot at trials compared to how active they are at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 So true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Does "dopp kit with meds" mean a first-aid kit for dogs? I include one. Add to the above (for summer trials): battery-operated fan (for car), plus fan battery charger and spare battery; sunshade for windshield; mesh shades for dog crates; water bowls for crates; stock stick(s). And I keep a thermometer in the car so that I can check what the temperature is. For fall clinics/trials (especially as COLD as they've been of late): snow pants. Warmers (for boots, mittens, and the small of my back). Camera, camera bag (with as many spare cards as I can scavenge), spare battery, battery charger, tripod, Wimberley Sidekick, any other lenses I feel like schlepping... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 This is me at a trial this summer. I use these reflective blankets and clips to create a shady car when there aren't enough shade trees to park under. I also have in the car a battery-powered fan, to keep air circulating. It all works surprisingly well. The ramp is a very convenient quick-fold one, with an astro-turf mat. I got it for my older dog who comes along on these trips, but it turns out my open dog really likes it. I think he feels more dignified trotting up the ramp than leaping into his crate back there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted December 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Dear Feeders, Since I feed them before I leave home and expect to get home Sunday night, 18 cups is 3 cups per day with one extra feeding. I don't worry about dog food or water (although I always carry water in case I break down). In any case, they can miss a meal and if I run out of kibble, supermarkets and truck stops sell dog food. I do carry a shade cloth/space blanket but almost never use it. A white wagon with tinted glass and a windshield reflector keeps the car cool enough. The car does have an outside temp gauge and a programmable temp alarm. My dopp kit and meds. I've never carried a doggy first aid kit. Never needed one and there's almost always a (competing) vet or vet tech at the trial. Best place in the world for a dog emergency. Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emilyfalk Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Like Sue, I have a binder that has each of the dog's photos and rabies certificates, but I also have a page that clearly specifies that my dogs are to get the highest quality of care (vet or boarding) until I or the emergency contacts listed have been reached. I am going to add a laminated card in my wallet directing emergency personnel to care for the dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Billadeau Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Travel trailer (loaded with 50gal water, food, clothes, personal items, etc) pulled by a cargo van with 9 crates a very large shade cloth for the van enough dog food for to trip + 1-2 days extra 2x5gal of water + 2gal water in van water buckets for each crate + food bowls for each dog Dog meds/e-kit Vacination certs + copies of pedigrees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted December 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Dear Sheepdoggers, Emily writes: "I am going to add a laminated card in my wallet directing emergency personnel to care for the dogs." Good idea. If I were in an accident and unconscious I suppose they'd be bound to find it while searching for the insurance cards. Can't really think of a better place to put it - maybe dangling from the dog's crate doors? They're in airline crates in the way back and would probably survive a worse crash than I would but emergency personnel won't do much for dogs until human needs are met. When I collapsed in the Dublin airport, I couldn't do anything about Fly. Fortunately, the airport police dog unit took her and kept her. Also fortunately my sister was present and would have made sure Fly got safely kenneled But absent a sensible dog unit and/or another person, it's easy to imagine dog horrors after an accident. Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Too much to list, lol. Since I travel in a van, much of what I take with me just stays in there (the shade screens, magnets and clips for those screens, bungees, twine/rope, all sorts of jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, rain suit(s)--it's amazing what I can stuff between my seat and the first crate and then it's always there if I need it). If it's winter I take warm bedding, jackets for the old dogs, military surplus poncho liners (excellent for keeping anything warm in an emergency or just when it's cold and easy to stuff in tiny spaces--they stay in the van). I also keep a working flashlight and/or headlamp for walking dogs at night. All sorts of leashes and an extra collar or two (you never know). First aid stuff, mainly for the dogs. A dog meds container (especially important if you have dogs that need regular meds). As noted earlier, I always pack extra dog food, just to be safe. All dogs have food bowls, and all have individual water buckets for their crates. I bring a 5-gallon container of water. I usually have extra bowls and a couple of 3-gal (?) plastic buckets to use for watering dogs that are tied out or working (because you never know if water will be available at the top, and a larger bucket at least allows me to provide more water). I have an inverter in the van that someone gave me (it won't drain the battery). In summer I will bring a fan to help air circulate in the van. When traveling with the aged and infirm (or the very young) I pack an xpen for their containment and safety. I have a binder that has information (shot records, pedigrees, photos) on my dogs. I've been meaning to make individual flyers to have (having lost a dog while on the road before) on hand, but haven't gotten around to that. For myself I have a chair, stock sticks and/or crook, the aforementioned extra warm/dry clothing (plus a duffle with clothing, etc;). Oh I also take towels to put in crates for wet days so that I an crate the dogs without soaking their actual bedding. I usually pack rubber boots and comfortable shoes in addition to what I would normally wear. Bug spray, sunscreen, etc., are usually including in with the dog meds/supplies. I've probably forgotten something, but that's the bulk of it. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 For dog emergency information a zipper pencil pouch (dollar store) zip tied to the crate with "in case of emergency" on it would put the info by the dogs. No guarantee it would be followed but I'm sure some places would try. And it sure beats having no info there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emilyfalk Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Unfortunately for me I have too many dogs to crate in my Suburban. Since 2 ride loose, I've decided to go for the wallet. I wonder if there is an emergency contact app for my phone? Another fun and extremely useful item that I haven't seen mentioned are LED collars. I have a different color for each dog, so I can turn them loose at dog trials and not have to be constantly calling for a missing dog (ie off visiting or smelling) when it's dark. That last turn out time I am usually ready to go to bed and don't have much patience for doggie playtime! I have a camper and sometimes will put up e-net around the whole truck and camper. I like having my own little compound: keeps my dogs in and other dogs out. No, it isn't turned on. Add a hanging basket of flowers at my camper door and I'm set up for the trial Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emilyfalk Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Btw, does anyone else feel that half the battle of this business is just GETTING to the trial? I hate getting ready to go! A lot of dog-related stuff lives in the Suburban or camper, but it still seems overwhelming to pack for a simple 3 day weekend in the country with friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted December 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Dear Emily, I keep lists on my computer: Winter trial, hot summer trial, Western swing, and trial plus (visiting relatives, city time, book biz, research, etc.) After I had several lists, one was easily modifiable into the trip I was preparing which list I also kept. Saves thought - which I'm running out of these days. Donald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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