Author Topic: New Puppy In the car..... advice  (Read 2810 times)

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Offline MGault

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New Puppy In the car..... advice
« on: January 03, 2019, 01:25:28 PM »
Hello all..... a bit of advice would be lovely.... I will be taking little rusty to work every day with me however I will be taking him in the car.... I own a Skoda Octavia hatchback and I’ve just bought an aluminium cage from amazon for my boot.... I have lined it with a blanket that he has been sleeping with for the past week so smells a lot of him and I have fixed a light to the roof of the box.... does anyone here use a hatch back and if so do they keep the parcel shelf fitted or remove it??

Many thanks in advance

Offline Patp

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2019, 03:34:22 PM »
I dont, but personally I would remove the parcel shelf it as it might get too hot with no circulation, although to make him feel secure you could put a sheet over the top.



Offline MGault

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2019, 04:30:43 PM »
Brilliant thank you PatP, I shall give that a go.

Offline ChrisS

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2019, 08:17:04 AM »
For the first couple of months Smudge had a crate in the boot. We kept the boot cover open. The crate had a towel over it but this was mostly because of the strong sun in the summer. We have a Skoda and left the smaller of the split back seat down so he could see us.
He took to the car with no problems at all. At about 6 months he had out grown the crate. He now has a harness and seat belt and sits or snoozes on the back seat. He seems to like to sit and look out of the front windscreen!

Offline MGault

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2019, 09:02:27 AM »
I’ve looked at the harness and seatbelt setup and thought he’d be too young/small but definitely love that idea as he gets a lot bigger so he can watch the world go by as we drive around the place

Thank you again all for your advice I do appreciate it :)

Offline Neil

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2019, 11:52:17 AM »
I drive a hatchback (Ford Focus) and keep the parcel shelf removed most of the time - and always when Bobby is in the car. I used a travel crate when he was a puppy, these days he just sits or lies down in the boot area which is protected with a boot liner. I have a dog guard fitted - which is an essential legal requirement if you have dog loose in the boot area of a hatchback or estate car.

Offline elaine.e

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2019, 05:42:24 PM »
I drive a hatchback (Ford Focus) and keep the parcel shelf removed most of the time - and always when Bobby is in the car. I used a travel crate when he was a puppy, these days he just sits or lies down in the boot area which is protected with a boot liner. I have a dog guard fitted - which is an essential legal requirement if you have dog loose in the boot area of a hatchback or estate car.

Sadly, it's not a legal requirement to have animals restrained in cars. I know it's a rule in the Highway Code, but not all of the Highway Code is law and this is one of the rules that isn't law. However, if an unrestrained animal is a distraction to a driver or causes an accident, the driver could be prosecuted and if there was an insurance claim involved the insurer probably wouldn't pay out.

Offline Mudmagnets

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2019, 06:48:11 PM »
I drive a small Nissan (Micra size) with the back seat removed so I could put a 36" crate secured to the back of the front seats, with one door opening to the back of the car and one opening on the passenger/kerb side door. I have two dogs in the crate and a third secured and restricted sitting/laying on the floor in the front passenger side.
Remembering Smudge 23/11/2006 - 3/8/2013, and Branston 30/8/14 - 28/10/22 both now at the Bridge.

Offline MGault

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2019, 04:15:21 PM »
Well I did several small trips today with him in the boot cage and he did very well indeed, a small bit of whimpering so I put the radio on quietly and he just curled up and fell asleep, when I stopped and let him out I was greeted with a major licking fest and his tail going bonkers so to me it was a success,

How long would you suggest travelling long distance before letting him out for a walk / leg stretch.... I have an hour/2hours max.... what would you advice??

Many thanks again
Matt

Offline Mudmagnets

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2019, 08:16:46 AM »
Well I did several small trips today with him in the boot cage and he did very well indeed, a small bit of whimpering so I put the radio on quietly and he just curled up and fell asleep, when I stopped and let him out I was greeted with a major licking fest and his tail going bonkers so to me it was a success,

How long would you suggest travelling long distance before letting him out for a walk / leg stretch.... I have an hour/2hours max.... what would you advice??

Many thanks again
Matt

Sounds like he is doing very well - and so are you. As he is a young dog you can build the time up between breaks, starting with maybe the hour, then try hour and half and so forth, I find once they are settled mine tend to go for max four hours before needing a break (they are five, four and nearly 3 years old) Good idea to train a good 'wait' now, so that he doesn't jump out of the car before you have the lead on and he is secure - in all the excitement they sometimes go a bit silly. You can practice this indoors and whenever you take him in the car too.
Remembering Smudge 23/11/2006 - 3/8/2013, and Branston 30/8/14 - 28/10/22 both now at the Bridge.

Offline Finvarra

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2019, 05:09:47 PM »
Crate in the boot, parcel shelf removed. Use a towel,over it so the crate doesn't show, the side window are smoky glass, so he can,t be noticed from outside, so,less of a worry about stealing. If he has to be left while we pop into a shop, then we reverse against the wall so that the boot can't be opened.

He loves his crate and is very good in it. Good idea as Mudmagnet said, to train them to wait so he doesn't jump out into traffic or other danger.

Lesley and Dylan
Remembering All the dogs of my life, especially Milo

Offline MGault

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2019, 08:22:24 PM »
Thankyou everyone for your advice.... rusty loves being in the crate now with alot of toys and he even tries to sing along to the music with me (or even could be telling me to shut up lol) he doesnt whine or cry and loves the air con pointing towards his crate to!

Thankyou!!


Offline Patp

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2019, 06:19:56 PM »
Brilliant news!  For longer journeys I just take Jinley for a walk before hand and when she starts to get restless we look for somewhere to stop x



Offline rubyduby

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Re: New Puppy In the car..... advice
« Reply #13 on: April 12, 2019, 03:24:12 PM »
For a youngster I would stop at least every hour, unless he is obviously crashed ut asleep