Do you travel with your Doberman?

[trinitydobes]

This Weeks Topic for Discussion:

Do you travel with your Doberman? Day trips, vacations? How do you make it a safe, easy and enjoyable.

We have over the last week or two had 2 sitiuations where dogs got loose during travel - one dog ended up being hit on the highway - the other is still lost after being spooked at a rest stop. These are very real hazards that must be considered and planned for in order to keep your dog safe when you travel so please as you are sharing some of your grand adventures, share what you do to ensure your dog stays safe and secure.

Photos are definitely encouraged, I used to take my dogs to the beach all the time and they loved it, I also used to camp in the national forrest, in a tent and it was such a good time and I felt very safe with my doberman along. Can't wait to hear about your adventures!

[von Cosack]

We went to canada in planes and came home in them too. It was good and suxed at the same time . We drive around together every morning (I still drive) and go get coffee then run through the woods (he does) I slip along. The dog comes with me most times I go out unless he'd rather sleep in his chair or bed or pad or couch. He enjoys his house because its his domain not a crate.
He looks safe and secure and happy when in the car/van he sticks his head out the window and smiles. Slobber and drool are all over the windows and down the side of the car/van. Von

[Nellie]

Apart from going into town (a 40 minute drive) for training, I have traveled out of town several times with Gael as I have with all my dogs. Gael is a very different girl in the car. She has been taught not to mess with the driver, she is allowed to argue with a passenger for the shotgun seat however *LOL*

With the exception of one dog, all of my dogs have enjoyed car rides and would rather be loose to explore and watch traffic than in their crates. All except that one, he wanted to be in his crate and that was it, didn't trust the car, oh hell no!!

Whenever possible we have one big dog loose, for protection, unless there is a bunch of stuff we don't want them getting into or if there just isn't room - then they ride in their crates. All of our dogs are well crate trained and WILL NOT (under fear of 'momma will get you for that' if they dare to rush the crate door) jump out of the crate when it is opened, they are taught to 'wait' til the leash and collar are on and they are given the 'Okay' word. When exercising them on a long trip we always use either a chain choke collar or a (close your ears Von) prong backed up with a chain. This will keep them from bolting out of our hands should they startle at the leaf blowing in the air, or anything else. Better safe than sorry! Our dogs do NOT wear collars while in their crates.

I think this boils down to the 'training' thing again. You need to train your dog properly for the life it is to live, including how to behave in the car.

[trinitydobes]

My dogs don't wear collars at home but whenever we leave home - I either have a properly adjusted martingale collar or a slip collar so that the dog cannot back out of it.

My Jeep is small so I don't travel with them in crates, and I do have one of those wire barriers right behind the front seats so that the dogs can't jump from the back seat to the front seats. I always turn around and put the leashes on their collars before I ever open the drivers door or the back door. One of the first Manners or Behaviors I train is the STAY command so they know when I say STAY that means STAY - I practice this at home a lot - this is just an added precaution when I open the back door so don't think its ok for them to just jump out.

Even so when traveling I will only crack the door and reach in and slip the handle of the leash over my hand so that the loop rests on my wrist and then I will hold the leash further down - you see I have fibramyalgia and don't want to trust my grip alone will be able to hold a spooked dog.

If I ever leave my dog in the car (in good weather) while I run in to do an errand or to pump gas on the way to our destination I only crack the windows 2 inches.

Now we have wonderful state parks here in VA and when we go all dogs are supposed to be on leash - for their protection and ours. We have lots of black bears in our mountain parks. But with a very inexpensive long line 30 or 50 foot your dog can enjoy quite a bit of freedom - yet still not be able to get loose and get lost while hunting deer or bear.

While camping again - I kept my dog on the long line - or depending on the camp site I could easily rig a line between 2 trees with a ring that would slide easily and the dog could have a measure of freedom with me having to hold the leash all the time. At night time in the tent I had a special short leash (3') that I slept with the looped end over my wrist, or snapped to the loop of my jeans if we were camping out in the open.

When traveling with my dog I always make sure there is a tag on the color that is on the dog with my name and my telephone numbers: home and cell. They make these wonderful little tag holders that have that you can easily transfer your ID tags from collar to collar.

I also have a DOG BAG that has all my speciall doggie stuff in it. I pack up zip lock baggies with enough meals for while we are gone. I have one of those collapsable dog bowls for water, and I always have bottled water in the car.

Since I have had a bad back most of my adult life - I also had a back pack from Outward Hound that my dogs could wear and carry the water, some apple slices or trail mix and a beach towel for our hike. My dogs didn't mind the packs at all and it let us take our time and enjoy the day.

[Kia]

At least one of my dogs is with me all the time. Anytime I leave the house (unless its real cold or real hot) Daphne goes with me. Samson really doesn't like riding but sometimes I take them to the park or the river.
Daphne sits in the front seat...she has never jumped on me while driving or anything.

[Damasyn]

I am blessed enough to be able to take my dog to work with me every day. Its great that I also work/live in the country so on the way to work or afterwards, I let Lexi out to run for at least 1/2 hour in the fields or woods.

But I also almost always take her on car vacations with me. I do alot of traveling alone and have had one attempted mugging while getting in my vehicle.( which when confronted with a Dobe doing a bark and hold..resulted in him sticking his hands in the air and backing off ) So I encourage Lexi to be vigilant in protecting her car and me while in and around the vehicle. She always rides in the front passenger seat and since she is so long/huge I have modified it to fit her comfortably. In the front floor board area, I have a heavy duty box turned upside down with a thick crate pad on top.

While traveling, I have 2 leashes 2 collars in vehicle at all times and I usually find a deserted field and let her out to play ball every couple hours. Summer time, I keep a backpack and life vest in the vehicle at all times as well as a few days of food/water.

This year I want to take Lexi to the ocean for the first time. I am sure she will love it. Always keep my dog on leash in such areas. And if the hotel/motel wont take her, I dont stay.

[torontodobielover]

My dobes are world travelers.
They love camping and swimming and all have been great in the car. It's like a big crate to them.

If I do shows, in other cities, the dogs always come with.
They've been to Thunder Bay, Hamilton, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and every place within traveling distance from Toronto, if I've had to go there for some reason.

The dogs are great at adapting to new apartments or hotels while we're away, as I sometimes have to live in other places for work.

When I was doing the US National of Lion King....
The dogs stayed in 5 star hotels. Strangely enough....we always seemed to get the elevators to ourselves!!! ha We went and lived in many cities for 4 to 6 weeks in California, Minnesota, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Uta, Washington, Texas, and Alaska(we spent 8 weeks in Anchorage) We also have lived full time in NYC, in an apartment in Hell's Kitchen....walking distance for me to go to work... and 4 blocks from Central Park.

So they're used to airports, and also driving LONG distances!
My dogs have been more places then most people! ha
Here's what I would come home to after work.....
Man....dogs have the life....
Strider in the hotel in Alaska


This is a hotel in San Diego.

[cathynu]

Both our guys are well accustomed to traveling in the car - when my mom visits from South Africa, she always says they look like big "kids" sitting in the back - they are always so interested in what's going on around them and normally travel with their heads turned around to see whats coming up from behind .... they go pretty much everywhere with us. Rex's first hotel night was a bit of a nightmare, but after that he was quite comfortable in staying somewhere strange - we never had a problem with Lil - she is way calmer and settles in very quickly. Dave has a Subaru Forrester, so not that big, which means when we have both the guys, Lil rides shotgun with Dave and Rex and I share the back seat ..... I have however told him when we're due for a change, we need to get one of those SUV's with the 3rd back seat - so the brats each have a seat to themselves, and he and I get to travel up front together again ..... . They have been taught to "wait" so when we stop the car we each have a leash - 6ft leather ... they wear their choak chains in the car and they have to wait before getting out - we always hook the leashes up before we get out - then open the door a crack get a hold of the leash tell them to "wait" and when we're ready tell them to "come" and out they hop - both our guys have been taught to eliminate on a 6ft leash, which means when we're traveling we just give them the "go pee" go pooh" camand and these guys eliminate on command .... we've never struggled with either of them - although Rex is known to HANG ON for dear life and there are times he eventually just cannot "hang on anymore and it happens .... We don't take them on vacation, as we feel that is our time for just Dave and I to be alone - the guys are with me 24hrs a day - so I do feel I sometimes need a bit of "me" time .... I mean common - they even come to the restroom with me ;D ..... but we travel to shows with them - its normally about 1 show per month, and we thoroughly enjoy our guys and have a lot of fun with them ..... I wouldn't swop them for the world!!! Oh, I always carry water and enough dog food with me as well as snacks for Dave and I .... so this family will NEVER EVER EVER be hungry

Forgot to say, both mine are chipped and each has an collar with our telephone number embroidered on it

[swiftk9s]

We bought an RV in September, so we could travel with the dogs. We recentely took the trip of a lifetime (for me) and drove from Mobile, AL to Arches National Park, Utah(4000 mi. round trip). It was amazing!
What I bring with when traveling...
enough food to last the trip and a half.
lots of toys and a kong (with treats to stuff) for if we have to be away from them for a short while (gift shops, restaurants)
Benedril (just incase) along with our (human) first aid kit
Long lead (20 ft) and a short (6ft.). Some campgrounds require dogs to be on a 6 ft lead, no retractables
Collars, worn at all times, with tags listing both mine and hubbys cell number and home phone #, incase we are out of cell tower range. Both dogs are microchipped.
Harness, food, water bowls. I havent had a problem with the dogs drinking filtered water from motorhome.
Blankets/ comforters for cold nights (can't always run heat)
Vet records
Flashlights (night time poo) lots of poo bags
x pens (love the x pens)
You can see why we needed a motorhome...lol
The only other thing I can think of...at rest areas the dogs go on "no pull" harnesses. Leashes are put on and taken off, only inside the motorhome and we try to park as far away from the highway as possible. The trucks make Cooper nervous.
I will post some pics, as soon as I figure out how.

[swiftk9s]

[chaser7211]

Chaser goes nearly everywhere with us. He always has on his id tags - one for my NY address and one for my PA address, as well as his micro chip tag. You have to be careful about temperatures if you leave you dog in the car/truck as they can heat up quickly!!! I personally do not like to leave him in the truck unless it is a quick in and out ie: post office, etc. but not for a trip to the mall. Any store he can go into he does - Pet Smart and Home Depot allow him in and it helps to socialize him. He loves meeting new people.

[Damasyn]

LOL torontodobelover.... You bring back memories ! I too have been in many a hotel elevators, its funny when someone comes running to the door to get in and see a Dobe, quite often they say, Oh I will get the next one.

[4Dobies]

We take at least 2 of our four when we travel, Ranger and Leia will both ride in one crate together in the back of the Suburban so we have some room for luggage and show equipment if that's where we are going.
Most hotels and family would probably have a fit if we showed up with 4 Dobermans. So we are now in the market for a toy hauler so we can travel with at least 3 if not all 4 should we decide to do so.

[HEXE- TINA]

So far i only traveled with Aesa and that was when we went to the shows. She did very well and she loves to sleep close to me or on me, hahahaha
Would like to take the dogs to a beach and see how they will like it.

[Damasyn]

Me too Tina, the only problem I had with my RIP Dobe, is she loved to run out to the rocks at the waters edge and try to pry the muscles off and eat em. I am sure that probably wouldnt be a good idea. Not knowing if red tide or "bad" ones were in there. But damn, like throwing a steak in front of a starving dog and telling her NO. And I have seen Lexi at the rivers edge try to scrape stuff off the rocks and eat. Sheesh... WTH