Tips for Traveling with your Puppy in the Car

Puppies are very adaptable and in my experience usually travel quite well. Here are a few tips for travelling with your new puppy.

1. Didn't feed your puppy for 4 hours before the trip. Motion sickness can be real for puppies, so it is best to let them travel with an empty stomach. I do offer them water before the trip and about every hour during the trip. We have taken puppies up to 8 hours on an empty stomach and they have been just fine (you won't starve them). But do feed them right after taking them to the bathroom once you reach your destination.

   

   Using the Waggle Bottle makes it easy to give your puppy a drink.

   
   

2. On average, puppies can hold their potty 1 hour for every week that they are old. So in theory by 8 weeks old they can make it 8 hours without a potty break. I recently took an 8 week old puppy on a 6 hour drive and he did wonderfully.

   If you do decide to let your puppy out to go to the bathroom, you do not want to stop at a rest stop or gas station. Before puppies are fully vaccinated against Parvo, you do not want to let them walk around in areas where there have been lots of dogs. Your best bet is to stop roadside and safely keep him/her on a leash.

   
   

3. I did invest in a soft sided carried (we also do transport puppies via plane so these are great for airplane travel) and I really like it for car trips because puppies love being snuggled on the drive. It makes for a pleasant trip for everyone! Here is Charlie, happily sleeping on my most recent trip.

   

   Charlie had the best seat in the car!

4. A fun new chew toy can help keep your puppy occupied on the road, especially if you're are traveling alone and can't hold them/pet them. I like Nylabones.