What's The Best Way To Travel With Your Dogs?

My husband and I travel with our dogs a lot. We visit family, take little vacations and do sightseeing together. We’ve had Mocha four years now, and we’ve learned a lot about taking trips with our dogs.

When we first got Mocha, we tried putting him in the crate in the car. Well, he didn’t like that very much and would just bark at me from inside the crate. That’s a little unsettling when you need to drive six hours!

We realized that we couldn’t just leave him out on the seat to fend for himself while we were driving. The interstate speed limit is 70mph (can you imagine what would happen to him if we got in an accident?), and he’d thump face first off the seat at just about every stoplight. Plus, if we ever got pulled over or in an accident, I wanted him secured down so he couldn’t just run right out of the car.

The hovering car seat thing. It hooked into his harness. Mocha was really good at throwing up over the edge onto the seat...

Yes, that's the same dog...

We started out with this hovering car seat thing. I think he liked it, for the most part. Problem was, since he was up high and could see out the windows, he would throw up. A lot. Like, every time. And sometimes he’d throw up when we got to our destination too.

Then one time we left him hooked in there while we went in a restaurant to eat. (It wasn’t too hot or cold out, I promise, and he could see us through the back window the whole time.) Well, it got dark and he completely freaked out. From that point forward, any time we hooked him in that car seat he shook so hard his teeth chattered. (He’s a little sensitive…)

Then we got Ninja. Now there were two! They couldn’t both fit in the carseat, so we got them harnesses that clipped into the seatbelts. Mocha figured out how to slip out of that in about five minutes and Ninja would twist around so many times he couldn’t move, so that didn’t work.

Here’s our solution: We got a bigger crate and put them in it together while we travel in the backseat. It’s secured by bungee cords and has a blanket in it.

Mocha is calmer when they’re together. We tried separate crates and Mocha had a panic attack: panting, shaking, and drooling. It was bad.

See? Room for both plus a cozy blanky.

Why crate your dogs in the car?

An airbag will kill a small dog, just like it could injure or kill a small child. If you drive with your doggie on your lap or in the passenger seat, you risk them getting really hurt or even killed if that airbag goes off.

The crate keeps them safer if we get in an accident. It’s protection for them and peace of mind for us. They have a little bit of protection in the crate, and they also can’t be ejected out the window or thrown off the seat. Also, if we get stopped by the police or open a car door, we don’t have to worry about them bounding out.

What if my dog freaks out?

Start with small trips to somewhere fun. If the only time you put your dog in the crate in the car is to go to the vet, they’re going to be upset. Go across town with your dog to see friends or to hike.

Also, make sure you’ve exercised your dog first. Here is a video of my former foster dog Fozzie. I took him on a 20 minute car ride to go on a super fun hike. About 10 minutes in he started singing to me:

Believe it or not, on the way home he was sound asleep. The hike wore him out! And I didn’t give in to or patronize his panic attack. There was nothing to worry about, we went somewhere fun, he had a good time and we came home. Next time I take him somewhere, he’ll probably handle it a little better.

I’ve found that the best thing to do when your dog is singing or crying in the crate is to ignore it. If you try to coddle them or pet them you’ll just positively reinforce the behavior. Start with short, fun trips where they don’t have enough time to stress out, and eventually you’ll be able to drive for hours without a peep.

Another idea (some people won’t agree with this) is to give your dog a calming herbal remedy or a wee bit of Benadryl. Some dogs do actually have an anxiety problem and that could help keep them calm if they really need it. We gave Mocha Benadryl when he was a puppy but it didn’t really seem to help so we stopped.

However you choose to travel with your pup, remember a few things:

Don’t leave them in the car when it’s hot out (like above 70), especially if it’s sunny. Dogs can’t sweat. They’ll overheat and die.

If you don’t secure your dog in a crate or with a harness, beware of loose leashes and collars. I saw a terrible story on Facebook where this lady went into a store and her dog hanged himself with his leash from the clothes hook in the backseat. OMG, I can’t even imagine…

Bring water if it’s a long trip, over 2 hours, and a dish to pour it in.

Let them out to stretch their legs every 2 or 3 hours. You think your butt hurts from sitting in the car? So does theirs. Our dogs start to sing us the song of their people when they need to stretch their legs. At first we think it’s the radio…

Have some poop bags in your car and a towel too. Nothing like visiting a friend and leaving your dog’s crap on their yard. Or you take them out in the rain and they get your backseat sopping wet.

Don’t obsess.

Now, I’m not saying you should crate your dog that every single time you get in the car. I definitely take them to the park or the pet store and let them hang out on the back seat. But if you’re on the highway with your doggie, please consider crating them for their own protection.

How do you travel with your dog?

Do you crate your dog in the car? Do you board your dog instead so you don’t have to worry about it? Or do you have one of those little doggies that lays in the back window? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Where to start with dog training.

My little Mocha Bear that first week we got him.

I've talked a bit about specific training ideas, including teaching your dog to come to you, and teaching them to go outside in a way that is easy to handle.

When Nathan and I were planning on getting Mocha, we got a book by Victoria Stilwell. We'd watched her show, It's Me or the Dog, on Animal Planet, and we got her book as a kind of "in print" version of her advice. We read it cover to cover, and it helped so much. I love that she always uses positive reinforcement. I think that's the best way to train a dog that's forever loyal. This is the book we got:

                                                                   

The book did not, however, prepare us for Mocha's little personality quirks. For example, Mocha learned super fast that if he went potty, we praised him and gave him attention. This resulted in him trying to pee every 15 seconds or so, and if we didn't pay attention to him, he'd bark at us until we looked at him and then go pee.

One night, I got up to go to the bathroom (Mocha was sleeping in his pen in our bedroom at the time), and by the time I came back, Mocha had laid out a huge poop for me. He knew that if he pooped, I'd come back and give him lots of attention.

Needless to say, we needed professional help! (Mocha has always been smarter than me...) We took him to puppy kindergarten, the S.T.A.R. puppy program, in Columbia, Missouri. It was a great experience for him, even though he was the teeniest, tiniest dog there. (This picture on the left is Mocha at about eight months old next to a four month old lab,)

 The S.T.A.R. puppy class focuses on socializing your dog with other people and dogs. This is so so important. Mocha learned that it was OK to be petted by other people and to greet other dogs. He also learned sit, down, and how to walk on a leash. You can see everything on the test here.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you are lucky enough to get a puppy, either from a breeder or a rescue, please enroll them in a class. There are just some things that dogs learn better in groups, and it will help your dog a lot with behavior in the future.

Finding a dog training facility.

Honestly, the way we found ours was by doing a Google search for dog trainer. You can also search for All-Breed.The AKC has many clubs with good trainers, you can do a search for their training facilities here.

Do be sure you read the reviews. The first place we tried, the people were super nice but it wasn't very clean. Because we lived in a rural area at the time...let's just say there were bug problems. 

Also, sometimes dog people/trainers can be a little...socially awkward. Sometimes they're downright rude. I'll get into that another day, but it's not you, it's the people who treat dogs poorly that have turned otherwise caring, compassionate people into short-tempered people who can be more direct that we're used to.

Good luck! And let me know if you have any trouble finding a class, I'll try to help!

Hello 2014

Hello everyone! Hope we're having a great 2014 :)

This month, we've had a lovely foster dog, Teddy the Pomeranian. He was a rescue from a puppy mill. He stayed at our house for a whole month, but found his forever home yesterday. We miss him, but we're really happy for him too.

So now what? Both our boys are kinda happy that Teddy's gone, he was too big of a drain on the attention they normally get from us. We're going to do a little more agility soon. Mocha's knees have been hurting him since it's been cold, so we're sticking to Teacup agility until it warms up. I'm also going to put Mocha in a CGC class the next time our All Breed offers one. I think he'd make a great therapy dog :)

Oooohh the other new thing I've been into is Blogilates! It's pilates, but the videos are on youtube and they're free. Oh, and they'll kick your ass real hard lol. But the instructor, Cassey Ho, is super positive and kinda silly, and that really helps me push through the pain. (And oh there's so much pain!) Man if I could look like her.... well I guess I'd have to eat like a rabbit and I like cake so, some things just weren't meant to be.

Here's her beginner's video. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCg_gh_fppI

Haircuts!

Since my puppies are like my children, every little event is a milestone.  This past weekend, we took Ninja for his first real haircut.

Here's his before picture.  He's laying on the couch claiming the big dog toys for his own:

When we picked up the pups (3 hours later) the groomer that had worked on Ninja said "omg he's totally a ninja that's the perfect name for him!"  She seemed smitten ;)

Mocha got a wash and a blowout, so he was super fluffy and extra happy to see us

I think Ninja felt a little violated.  He spent the ride home sitting in the back looking dejected lol

I love this look on him.  He really looks like a puppy now!

Quick update!

So remiss in updating my blog!  Guess I'll never be a famous blogger :-/

The craft fair went pretty well.  It was nice to get my name out there, but March at 80 degrees isn't really the time to sell doggie sweaters...

There was one really cool vendor who hand paints wooden eggs.  His work was beautiful!  Unfortunately, I couldn't afford it, but I wanted to share it!  Here's one of my favorites:

Isn't that georgous?
The Egg Man is his website

I also got a custom made coat for Mocha.  It's just as beautiful as I had hoped, lined with fleece.  Wicked cute, I can't even stand it.  Here's a few pics I took:

It has a little hood, even though you can't really see it, and a D-ring on the back so it can be used as a harness :)  Got it from this shop on Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/shop/KozyCanines

And finally (don't I sound like I'm writing an essay? lol) Mocha and Ninja have been getting along sooooo well.  Mocha's been enjoying agility classes while Ninja goes through puppy kindergarten.  They love to play together, chase the balls, etc.  Then they conk out.  I think Mocha's pretty happy with the whole "I have a little brother" thing :)

Learning about our Ninja Shoe

We've had our little Ninja Shoe for about 10 days now and he is turning out to be the sweetest little creature.  He and Mocha play non-stop.  Mocha even brings Shoe toys to wrestle over!  I'll put some videos on YouTube as soon as I can figure out what the email is for the account.... /sigh

The two puppies run around and wrestle like crazy till they can't go anymore.  Then, our home looks something like this:

Anyway, Mocha is 1 year old and about 12 lbs.  Shoe is 4 months old and 9 lbs!  He's going to be gigantic.  Right now they're both sitting by the window watching people come in and out the building.

Shoe has so many endearing qualities.  For one, his little tail wags constantly.  Another is the little white streak he has on his chin.  But I think my favorite is the cuddling.  He just loves to be petted.

Yesterday he was snoring on my lap:

In other news, I've been getting ready for my first craft fair next weekend.  It's in St. Louis at the Lindbergh High School.  I hope w/all my heart that it goes well.  

Here are some of the collars I'm working on:

I think since it's been so warm I'll have more luck w/collars than sweaters, but you never know!

I've also updated the Facebook page for Inspired by Mocha.  People can buy straight through FB!  I didn't know you could do that lol.  For someone in their mid-20's, I'm pretty slow with technology and social media.  Here's our facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inspired-By-Mocha/310813565609053

And one final update:  We are officially moving from Kirksville, MO to Cuyahoga Falls, OH on May 30 & 31!  Soooo excited!  And then getting married June 9th!  Double Excited! :) 

New new new!

So, this past week has been full of changes for us!  First, we got a Prius!  Super excited, it's a really nice car and worked out well for us financially.

Second, I got Mocha a bed to sleep on and we took away the crate.  He hated that crate, even though we trained him in it and he used to sleep in it and be in it all day.  Hate is too kind a word.  He loathed that crate, or at least being locked up in it.

It's taken a little bit of work to keep Mocha from chewing on, digging in, and humping his new bed, but he seems to really enjoy it.  This is a photo of him I just took.  He's listening to some Brahms very intently :)

We are also getting a new addition to our family!  Well, here's a picture :)

He's such a precious little thing.  A 4 month old Shih-Poo, just like Mocha.  We're going to call him Shoe.  We took Mocha to meet him and they hit it off right away.  Super sweet little guy doesn't nip at all and wasn't yappy either.  We get to pick him up on Tuesday and I'm pretty sure Shoe and Mocha are going to be besties.  Or at least I super hope they will!  Here's a photo of Mocha next to Shoe:

As you can see, Shoe is black with a pretty white stripe down his chest.  He also has little white tufts at the tips of his paws.  I can't even handle how cute they are together.  We think Shoe will get pretty big.  He's 4 months old and almost as big as Mocha already, who's 1 year old.

SUPER EXCITED!!! :)

The Blogosphere, day 2

Since I made this blog yesterday, I feel the need to post again.  All motivated and things.

Mocha hasn't figured out daylight savings time yet.  He woke me up exactly an hour early this morning.  Of course it was with lots of love and some cuddles, but it was still way too early :(  But how can I say no to this face?

Mocha's favorite thing is tummy rubs.  He's pretty much shameless and will have his tummy rubbed at any time.

He also shamelessly pouts when one of us is gone.  This is Mocha waiting for Nathan to come home.

Life is tough, quite obviously, when you're adorable.

And here is my shameless plug for my team.  I want one of these, btw, for Mocha.  Therefore they would make an excellent Christmas present *hint hint*