Where to put the dogs?

[BusyCarol]

quote:Originally posted by Parts Ed

Our two doxies are spoiled, they have beds that take up the back seat of the crew cab and are quite content to ride back there.

Boy....that would be kind of hard for us with a yellow lab that weighs 105lb BUT thinks she is a big-boned chihuahua and the other is a 40lb cheseapeake bay retriever spaniel cross that would be fine! Our big boned chihuahua thinks she is a lapdog! However, she would take up the entire backseat all by herself!

Tomorrow we are taking a test drive in the trailer with them in their crates. Wish me luck!

[firetrucker]

I put my Sibes in crates in the trailer and listened to their stress on a baby monitor while we traveled. Once was enough. In the truck from then on.

Bob

[RickW]

When we first started RVing we only took the dog with us the first year. She rode in the truck with us. That fall one of the cats passed so we decided to start bringing the other one with us. She was old and cranky and did not like the truck so she rode in the trailer. The first day we traveled all day. We made her ride in her carrier for the first 2/3rds of the day. Last 1/3 of the day we let her pick her own spot in the trailer. She did scream quite a bit that day and was horse that night. She never really explored the trailer until we stopped for the night and then stuck to us like glue on the bed all night. After she discovered the bed that is where she preferred to travel. She traveled like that for a few years until we got the Monty. The previous trailer only had 1 slide and we could access the entire trailer with the slide in. With 4 slides in the Monty and very limited access with them in we made her go back to traveling in her carrier. She was not happy. After two small trips she passed away before our first big trip in the Monty. We traveled with just the dog that summer. She was a 80# husky mix who always rode in the truck. We got two kittens that fall and started getting them use to traveling from the beginning. The following spring we got our current truck. I was concerned about how I was going to get Jazz in/out of the truck. She passed while I was still working on the truck conversion so she never rode in the new truck. We were heart broken when she passed and wait 6 months before getting another dog. So that summer we only had the cats. They rode in the truck with us from day 1. The boy insists on being out of his carrier and the girl stays in her carrier about 80% of the time. The boy likes to ride up front with me. When we got Baily Mae, another husky mix, we expected her to top out around 60#. She stopped growing at 45#. Initially I would just pick her up to get her in/out of the truck. That lasted all of about 2 days. Since then she gets in/out on her own. Now everybody travels in the truck.

As I said our first cat traveled in the trailer. We are based out of Dallas and it does not get as hot in the trailer as you would think it would. Nothing like a car. We keep all 3 overhead vents open. They each have "MaxAir" covers on them. Even when we stop for lunch it is not an issue to sit and eat with out the A/C. Cats seem to like and do better with heat than dogs do. If the dog traveled in the trailer I would make sure I had an option to be able to run the A/C if needed. Also keep in mind this is all based on moving and having air flow. If we stop and it is hot we leave the pets in the truck with the A/C running if we are going to be out a while.

[Sky]

A lot of good advice and great ideas are given here. But what I really want to know is: What the outcome was for the domestic assault that had to have taken place
when the DW was released from the crate?

[BusyCarol]

Never got the chance to take the dogs for a test drive in the trailer. We were too busy organizing our basement area. We did test their crates to make sure they fit in the trailer with the slides in and they do fit! YEAH! First hurdle taken care of! The HUGE crate will be right at the door since it is the only place it will fit. The other crate, smaller, will be on the steps. I think they will be fine in there because they are used to traveling and they don't mind traveling in their crates. I did get a wireless weather center so we can make sure the trailer does not get too warm while we are driving. We are now fitting the crates with some padding so if they lean over they don't scratch anything. We also need a baby monitor so we can make sure we know when they need a potty break.

During the first trip I am going to ride with them just to make sure I know what it feels/sounds like and I can try to eliminate all issues before a long trip!

Thanks again for your input! Please let me know if you have any other suggestions!