Road Trips with Basenjis
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No, we can use the doggy seatbelt and I think we will. In fact, we have to drive somewhere today, so I think we'll get one and start using it. It really does sound like the best option. I know letting her loose is the worst thing to do. Every time we drive I think about the worst case scenario.
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We are a military family and we are currently in CT but our family is in Ohio so every so often we drive home for vacation or holiday. we have taken jack with us 3 times now. The first time i gave him travle anxiety drops and he slept a GOOD deal of the way, but on the way home i didnt give him any and he slept about the same amount of time. Jack DOESNT do crates he absolutly HATES them, infact he hurts himself when we try and put him in a crate (and completly bit thru his wire crate when we first got him) he made his paws bleed from pawing at the crate and everything, SO we let him have the back seat of our Rav 4. We lay down puppy pads (tho hes never had an accident he great about that) and a blanket over top. give him a meat bone or pig ear to chew and all he does is eat the bone and sleep the whole 10+ hours there and then 10+ hours home. I think sometimes its good to have the travel anxiety at least with you in the car incase your B gets upset or over excited. it helps calm their nerves…Anyway, i hope i helped HAVE fun!!!
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We just bought a car harness and it worked great! We drove around with her, wearing the harness, and whe was really calm. It also doubles as a walking harness and it worked out better than the one we had before. I think we've found the solution. We'll get some of that spray stuff (Rescue Remeday, or whatever it's called), in case she freaks a little, but I think we're going to be okay.
BTW, we decided not go all the way to Denver. We're going to stop in Yellowstone and enjoy the scenery. Yellowstone, here we come!
Thanks for all the great suggestions :)
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We just bought a car harness and it worked great! We drove around with her, wearing the harness, and whe was really calm. It also doubles as a walking harness and it worked out better than the one we had before. I think we've found the solution. We'll get some of that spray stuff (Rescue Remeday, or whatever it's called), in case she freaks a little, but I think we're going to be okay.
BTW, we decided not go all the way to Denver. We're going to stop in Yellowstone and enjoy the scenery. Yellowstone, here we come!
Thanks for all the great suggestions :)
Sounds to me like you found the solution… that is great...
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We have one of those Flexi-line leashes. For road trips I lock it on the 2 foot length and buckle him in.
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Well, I could hardly believe it, but Lola was a perfect angel during our vacation. We got a car "hammock" for the back seat and she slept like a baby the whole way. It was wonderful.
She was also terrific at the many different hotels, houses and town we visited. The only time she was a pain was around the two campfires we had with friends in CO. I think the sounds and shadows scared her.
As usual, I was so preoccupied that I hardly took any pictures. The few I did take are under Member Galleries titles "Road Trip".
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As usual, I was so preoccupied that I hardly took any pictures. The few I did take are under Member Galleries titles "Road Trip".
Thanks for the pics, sounds like all had a great vacation.:)
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O.k what kind of travel harnesses is everyone using. I bought on the other day, the kind that you can also use for walking and not only did it take me half an hour to strap my B in but it took him about half a second to wiggle his way out. I know it's not safe but my only option right now is to carry him on my lap. I do hold him tight but I really with there was another way. My car is small so a crate is not an option. What else can I try?
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Well, I could hardly believe it, but Lola was a perfect angel during our vacation
I was really surprised on how well or dogs do on vacations. we crate them both in the car and at the places we are staying when we go out.
They seem to be happy as long as they are with you.
Actually they get so much attention, they seem to have a bit of trouble once we get back, after all attention, everyone goes back to their regular lives which usually do not include them.
They seemed a bit sad & mopey for a bit.
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lovinglola- which hotels did you stay at?
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I have been taking Captain Jack on road trips almost since I got him. He loves it, once you get going. I don't crate him, because he just screams the entire time. We have one of those seat buckles, but he can't figure out how to sit with it on without getting completely tangled up in it and the seat belt itself.
For the holidays, we drove from Boston to Atlanta. Took two days. My husband drove the whole time and I was in the passenger seat. Wouldn't you know that within the first 15 minutes of being in the car, Jack figured out how to unbuckle the seat belt? I buckled him back in once, figuring it was just a fluke. 2nd time, I was like that's bizarre, and buckled him in again. The third time, I said forget it. He rode the rest of the way in my lap, usually curled up and sleeping. My legs fell asleep with the weight, but it was totally worth it. He was so cute!
I can't believe he figured it out! I am constantly amazed by how clever and smart these dogs are.
Robin and The Captain
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We take my 2 b's down to the Oregon coast and they love it.
All the family is sad when we get back.
I keep telling my 2 that the lotto win will make EVERYONE so much happier…
Laugh, until then, we can only vacation and enjoy it a couple of times a year. -
My basenjis travel with us all over. They all ride in their crates and once we are at near freeway speeds everyone quiets down and curls up for a nice nap. When we first got Nicky he would scream in the crate for the entire trip but we remained firm that he had to be crated in the car for his safety and ours and it did not take too many trips for him to figure out that riding in the crate in the car usually meant going somewhere fun.
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When Seren Jane was a puppy we tried a few short trips, an hour or two, however she whined, drueled and jumped around the entire way. Crateing her was out of the question, she hurts herself. Perhaps I will try some anxienty drops and try her again.
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I take my Basenji's with me almost anytime I travel in the car, I won't subject them to a plane. They get a sitter if I have to fly, I have tried boarding and Solomon lost a lot of weight and I was not very comfortable about the boarding process. I allway's put a kennel in the back and allways leave a 6' leash on them anytime they are in the car. It make it much easier to control when you make stops. Mine don't get car sick but My daughters B allways got sick and we started giving a couple of ginger snaps and that as cured her car sickness. Best of Luck!
Glenn -
Riding free in a vehicle and riding with a harness.
For those of you that do not remember this or the people involved. There was an accident with a full size van and it's attached travel trailer that got hit with some high winds and rolled. 3 adults 1 child and lot's of senjis and 2 malmutes. All the dogs were in crates (kennel aire to be exact) and the crates were bungied down. All humans were wearing their seatbelts.
The only injury was an adult shoulder that got whacked when it hit the one childs childseat. The dogs suffered 1 torn toenail. No imagine that with a dog loose in a vehicle - the dog would be dead AND perhaps when the doggy projectile was flung forward - you would be too - killed by your own dog. Now imagine the dog in a harness hanging in the air upside down neck or back broken by the impact.
Folks I don't care how much they carry on you should have your dogs in a crate when you are traveling. They are not humans they are not playing car bingo - they our both our treasured companions but also our responsibility. You need to work with your dogs until you find a combination that works (like go in a crate and stop and the Dairy Queen - that works for me :))
Please crate your dogs AND tie down your crates.
Sorry - off my soapbox now.
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My Luxor has gone some 160,000 miles with me in trucks and other vehicles. He settles down after a couple hours, but I try to keep him awake so he's as tired as me at the end of a long drive. We're leaving for Fla. next week and will be looking for boarding in Austin, TX and Miami, FLA so dad can get out for some fun!
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So would you suggest the crate be in the front seat or in the back? The reason I ask is that I am moving in less than 2 weeks. I drive an SUV, but pretty much everything I own is going to be packed up in the back, so not only will it be cramped, but in the front he won't be as hot, which is something else that I worry about. Is there any danger in having his crate strapped into the front seat?
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'If' you do the front seat - make sure that the crate is secure and disconnect the airbag. I would always opt for the back but sure understand sometimes there is no option.
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I second the air bag disconnect. I hope you have a very very safe trip but if it was to go off your B could get hurt more by the air bag then the accident. Be safe.
Rita Jean
