Bringing puppy home

[Jeni D]

Okay, so I'm bringing Maya home February 17th. We are driving all the way to Arkansas this time to get her (staying Friday, picking her up Saturday, and bringing her home.) I have read alot about germs and diseases that puppies can pick up. My concerns are where we should stop to let her out to go potty, especially since Dudley is coming along and will need breaks (It's a six hour drive.) I have read that rest stops are breeding grounds for disease, but what are my other options? How likely is it that she could actually pick up a disease? I, ignorantly, did not take these precautions with Dudley--letting him out at a rest stop and taking him to the dreaded pet store, but I don't want to press my luck. What do you think?

[Chip's Mom]

Good luck - we are going to bring our puppy home Saturday and we will have the same dilemma. Chip is going with us so he will have to walk around some but I am going to avoid the designated pet area and walk him where the grass is clean. Mostly likely we will do most or our walking at gas station and restaurant stops. You have to be careful there also but it isn't as bad as the rest areas are getting to be. I am going to take puppypads with me for the new puppy as well as a crate. When we brought Chip home, he wouldn't pee in his crate so I put a puppy pad in the back window and he used that. It is also supposed to be about 37 - 42 degrees next Saturday so that is another problem. Good Luck.

[Jeni D]

Good luck to you too, Bonnie! And let me know how you worked out the kinks after you get puppy home!

[Michael Romanos]

You are quite right. Designated highway Rest Areas are no good for a puppy not fully vaccinated that you want to protect from diseases. So the obvious thing I would do is stop for toilet, exercise and water at non rest areas along the way. Maybe you might need to go onto a secondary road for a few hundred metres for a puppy rest stop and then rejoin the main road again. I'd do this hourly.

[Chip's Mom]

Michael:

This last rest area we stopped at on the way home from KY wasn't really fit for man or animal. It was really nasty where people weren't cleaning up after their dogs. I am going to do the unthinkable with Chip and if we do stop at a rest area, puppy will stay in his crate and Chip will walk in the people designated areas and I will clean up after him if necessary.

[LittlePonzo]

Good luck to both of you! The trip alone is enough to send me over the edge, I am not good in cars.....It sounds like you are both well prepared and have thought out everything. Enjoy the experience!

[jprechel]

Bonnie - how exciting! Only a few more days until you get to pick up your new little one. Good luck - I think you seem to have a good plan on how to walk Chip for potty breaks. Smart idea about the pee pads for the little one!
Jeni - you're smart to be thinking ahead like that. A 6 hour trip sure does require potty breaks! I hope everything goes smoothly!

[Checkers]

I'm so excited about Maya (great name btw!). I can't wait to see all the puppy pictures as she grows up! I think for a trip that long I would have her in a crate with puppy pads, and just change the pads. I wouldn't want to risk letting her out at a rest stop. As for Dudley... I normally break my dogs at gas stations or fast food joints, etc as they tend to not have the level of grunge/poop that the rest stops do.... most places don't mind so much as long as they see you cleaning up after your pet. I wonder if taking along some wipes of some sort, or an antibiotic to wipe his feet before getting back in the car might also help? Not sure on that one. Best of luck to both of you on the new arrivals and their trips home!

-Cheryl

[Michael Romanos]

I have never been to a highway rest area in New Zealand that I would call dirty or rubbishy. Granted some people leave things behind and don't use the bins provided, but if you combine the clean green image of NZ with a small population then we are going to have relatively clean rest areas and parks than would be the case in the USA. For spotlessness no one can beat Singapore. Our Singaporean friends will be able to tell you the lengths they go to in Singapore to keep public places in mint condition.

[Jespah]

How exciting Jeni - I was wondering what you were going to name her - I was wondered if it would be Nell. Don't know if you're familiar with the cartoon "Dudley-do-Right" of the Canadian Mounties - but his love was "Nell". There was even a live action movie with Brenden Fraser and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Anyhow, I drove all the way down to Indianna near the Kentucky border to get Rupe when he was 8 weeks old. We stopped at fast food places, gas stations, etc. for us as well as him. He was only going out to do his business and was too small to go for walk. Just carry her out of the car and put her down in a clean area - you should be fine. I had taken a small crate for him to come home in, but he would have nothing of it and sat in my lap the whole 9 hours home. (A friend drove). We stopped at a Walmart and bought a cheap towel as he had 1 tinkle accident, but then quickly learned to wait until we got outside.

Don't forget the camera!!! This is Rupe on "Uncle" Dave's feet at some Burger King in Ohio and him out cold in his towel on my lap.

I'm so excited for you and Bonnnie!!!

Deb

[Dillydoodle]

Rupe was adorable as a little puppy! The rest stops on the way down to NC from CT are really filthy... Mostly people who have not mastered the concept of cleaning up after their dogs...which as you all know by now is one of my top pet peeves ever! I stop at one particular place with Dillon ( we usually only stop once on the way to NC -8 1/2 -11 1/2 hour ride depending on traffic and the one place we stop I have discovered the one area that other dogs have not been frequenting and that is where i take Dillon. Otherwise, i end up stepping in dog crap or jerking dillon away so he doesnt step in poop. I dont understand why people can't just keep a baggy with them and just bend down and pick it up, if you cant do that, maybe you shouldnt own a dog..oh dear, i am ranting...sorry.. point is that rest stops are nasty and some of the areas around restaurants are better but I like the wee wee pad idea, take it with you, put it on the ground and let maya pee on that, this way she has limited exposure to the potentially unsafe areas where other dogs have been - especially with the fact she will be young and not fully immunized...My breeder is about 40 minutes away from me here at the most, so our trip will be pretty easy in comparison..
Emilie

[Chip's Mom]

Our trip will be about 5 1/2 to 6 hours and we make several stops. When the car stops, I always walk Chip even if it is just for a little exercise so the gas stations and restaurants work well for us. I like the peepad on the ground idea so we will probably try that for the pup.