Any Tips on Travelling?

[Norah]

Hi all,
I'm wondering do many of ye bring your little monsters in the car???
I love going for drives and had this perfect picture in my head of Roxy sitting up BESIDE me in the car. Only she is not mad about the car unless she is sitting on my knee.
When I put her in the passenger seat she stays trying to get over to me. I dont think its travel sickness cause once she gets on my knee she is sound asleep or happily looking out the window. Being the softie that I am I always give in and let her on my knee but its not the safest travilling option!!!! icon_yikes
I've tried taking her for short drives but they're all the same.
I dont mind her sitting on my knee at the moment but she will get bigger and there wont be enough room soon for the two of us in front of the wheel!
Any advice will be greatly appreciated,
Thanks
Norah

[Karlin]

Put it this way: would you allow a small baby to climb around in the front seat? Dogs shouldn't be loose either. This is a very dangerous way to travel, for both of you and for anyone who might end up in an accident as a result of her moving around, causing you to drive erratically or fail to brake. A loose dog could get underfoot and make it impossible to brake, or cause you to accelerate. In addition, if you had to stop suddenly an unrestrained dog of this small size could easily break YOUR neck when thrown around the car -- as happens even in mild collisions -- and she herself would be very likely to suffer serious head and body injuries or death in a collision. Also if your car is equipped with airbags these will DEFINITELY kill a small dog immediately if they go off in a collision. Another consideration is, I am sure your insurance would not cover you in an accident in circumstances where a dog caused the accident by being on your lap or underfoot. Of all places to be, she absolutely should not be on your lap, ever, as charming as this may be while she is small! She should not even be on someone else's lap, unsecured, while driving. Abother reason she shgould be secured is that it makes it impossible for her to run away when you open the car door -- if she gets out in a strange place she could vanish and be gone forever. She needs to be secured, then placed on a lead before taking her out of the car.

The safest way to travel is

1) put her in a crate and put the seatbelt through the handle of the crate and secure it, to keep the crate from moving around

2) alternatively, get a doggie seatbelt -- widely available at petshops -- I find a small size or perhaps medium works for cavaliers depending on size. This shopuld be put on according to directions and the dog should be in the BACK seat as the front seat is not safe.

PS I work doing rescue transport for dogs in Ireland and know of three accidents that have happened due to unsecured dogs in the car. icon_yikes

Here's two important articles:

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIP..._CarSafety.php

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/petplanet...gcarsafety.htm

[Norah]

Thanks Karlin,
I appreciate what you're saying and have a seatbelt orderd on the net, should be here soon. I knew the dangers but didn't think about the airbag inflating.
But how do I get her to settle in the car, she barks and whimpers when she's not on my knee. I put one of my coats on the other seat thinking she might settle with my scent but it dosent work, will it just take time and perseverence or do cavs generally not travel well???
She wont even take a treat off me in the car!
Is this a sign of nervousness or is it travel siskness???

[Cathy T]

I started by taking Jake for short drives, like around the block. As soon as he got in the car he got a treat. I also use a harness and seatbelt for both of mine. Also, they both ride in the backseat and do just great.

[edel]

When i first got Lady she behaved this way when i took her in the car. What i did was to take her on short trips often. At the beginning when i had no seat belt for her i sat her on the seat. every time she tried to climb on top of me i put her straight back. if you allow her to sit there for even a few minutes you are reinforcing her to try it again next time.

She would whimper and look at me with those big eyes but i never gave in (one of the few things i stayed firm about ) Now even if she didnt have her belt on she wouldnt even think of jumping on me while im driving. its all a matter of wat they are used to. She knows when the engine starts that she must sit down and stay there. and she quite enjoys it. So my advice to you would be to persevere all they way. If she tries to climb on you firmly put her back on her seat immediately, she will be get used to it in no time, take it from me

[petitchien]

Hi Norah,

We travelled in the car from early on and Gizmo was in his crate.. he didn't like it at the beginning but he soon (after 3 trips) got used to it ... we've since brought him on regular short drives (max 30 mins) and a few longer ones (few hours with a break for him) ....

Currently he's not in his crate any more .. we've a seatbelt ordered for him and in the interim he sits in the back and normally just lies down behind me ....

Good luck with your little one

[Norah]

Thanks all

Seat belt should be here any day, I'll let ye know how I get on.
Glad to here ye had similar problems, tought it might just be my driving!!!!

[Dee]

Audrey has traveled in the car since a 12 week old pup for 4-5 hours up to our vacation home. After several alternatives including a crate she now travels very happilly in a harness on a booster seat where she can look out the window. She never cries except to get in the car on her seat! She is a great little traveler!!!

[Maxxs_Mummy]

Maxx wears a special car seat belt harness in the car and I've ordered one for Charlie now too.

Maxx used to whinge and whine in the car before I got his belt (he's not keen on being in the hatch with a dog guard) but now he sits there like Lord Muck. I think the seat belt harnesses make them feel more secure

Good luck with it Norah. If she cries when she's got the belt on just ignore her. Apparently if you try to soothe them it just reinforces to them that it's OK to cry and that there's something to be worried about.

Now the only time Maxx cries in the car is if I say 'We're going to see Uncle James (vet) and it's cries of excitement! He sits by the front door 'singing' and sings all the way to the surgery then pulls me as hard as possible to get in there and see his nurses and his vet!!!!

[Karlin]

Definitely not your driving! Jaspar was a real whinger too and would get very anxious in the car and try to get in my lap, even with the seatbelt on. He once slipped out of the seatbelt too so make sure it is comfortably snug! Leo was calmer but tended to get carsick.

A crate is a very good way to get a dog used to travelling. It also helps with car sickness as they can't see the motion outside the windows and can;t move around. Mine go right into the crate when I use it in the car (but then I also cycle them around in the crate on the back of my bike so they are used to travelling in it!). I keep the large size Argos plastic crate in my boot all the time for the dogs and pull it out as needed. This is the one I use on the bike too.

Now that I have a car they are far more used to car travel and can't wait to get in as it means they nmight be going to the park or the canal for a swim.