What do you do with your small pets when traveling

[4Knights]

Originally Posted by mahon1993

On our trip to Daytona for bike week we took three Great Danes and one house cat. Two of the Danes are in crates, one sleeps on the floor between the front seats. THE CAT is in her own crate. The dinette had to go to fit the two huge crates.
Greg

Got to see pictures of that setup! Those are some big dogs

[mavric65]

Our 110 pound lab goes crazy as soon as the motor starts and then when she gets in she stands by the drivers seat and looks at me as to like when are we leaving get driving LOL!!!!!!! Then she lays between the two front seats and looks up once in awhile she is a excellent traveler

[Warden]

We have two Miniature Australian Shepherds, both love to go camping in the Coach, neither are crated, Gabby sits on the couch, Max finds his spot and goes to sleep until we stop.

[AnnieM]

I would never travel with my dogs (three Jack Russells) loose in the vehicle. They ALWAYS ride in their crates, where they are safe. We wear seatbelts to reduce our risk of being killed, injured in an accident and we feel we owe it to our beloved pets to keep them as safe as possible. They had no problem adjusting to kennels and in fact, on the rare occasion when we have driven (in our driveway) without them in kennels, they panic.

I know everyone loves their dogs...how would you feel if one of your "dash riders" went thru the windshield and got killed/seriously hurt, in a fender-bender?

Not to start trouble...but just to advocate for the dogs...and to get people to think a bit...

[Glassalley52]

Originally Posted by AnnieM

I would never travel with my dogs (three Jack Russells) loose in the vehicle. They ALWAYS ride in their crates, where they are safe. We wear seatbelts to reduce our risk of being killed, injured in an accident and we feel we owe it to our beloved pets to keep them as safe as possible. They had no problem adjusting to kennels and in fact, on the rare occasion when we have driven (in our driveway) without them in kennels, they panic.

I know everyone loves their dogs...how would you feel if one of your "dash riders" went thru the windshield and got killed/seriously hurt, in a fender-bender?

Not to start trouble...but just to advocate for the dogs...and to get people to think a bit...

I agree -- don't take chances on your four footed loved ones.

[pwf16129]

looks like we are not by far as crazy as our family swears we are we bought our first r v mostly because the wife hated to leave harley at home when we went vacation
she's run her phone bill up calling to check on him, kids gone from the nest in moved a dog/small furry child, he'd always traveled well in a car but the motor home has posed a few challenges part time he will sleep or set in the pass seat with the wife.that is the good part the bad is when he gets scared or nervous he wants in my lap, which is good unless we are going down the road in the coach.
last shake down run had the toad behind, wind blowing twenty to thirty mph from the side truck passing and here he comes into my lap, got real interesting real fast, its amazing a twenty lbs dog can over come power steering in a split second. got pulled over changed under wear, had long talk with him and wife he took it better then her.
good news took rig out to ck some more repairs (drove to town to get lunch can you tell that we are really ready for vacation ) perfect manners
even in noisy stop and go traffic from harley at least.
got to love our little furry kids

best wishes frank,cricket and harley the dog

[SRT]

Originally Posted by Fred and Bonnie

Cats find their own safe places.

fred

Yup, our two cats ride under the sofa. When we stop, one cat comes out to see if we're going to stay for a while. Then "tells" the other cat. Then they both lounge on the dashboard.

[wackymac]

AnnieM---Not to shoot down your post but it would take "one heck of a lot more than a fender-bender" to sent them thru the windshield, especially if they were on the dash as they wouldn't have the distance to have time to accelerate fast enough to break the windshield.

[lincoln30]

Originally Posted by fansill

Rick,

We travel with our two furry children, a Sheltie and a Papillon. They have never been crated...hubby would not hear of it, and they find a comfortable place on the floor and sometimes on the passenger lap. We also keep a half-full bowl of water for them. When we had our gasser, we had the mid-entry and I was worried about them stumbling down the open stairwell while in motion (and at night when the coach was dark). We installed an expandable wooden gate at the top of the steps and put it on a swivle post so that when not in use, it could be folding to its smallest position and laid flat against the cabinet wall that was adjacent to the steps coming into the coach. It served the purpose and did not look bad at all. And even if it did look "mickey mouse"...it is our place and our pups...who cares what others think...

BUT.... Please, please be careful about leavng the pets when you are away from your coach. We always judge the weather before leaving and thankfully, the Fantastic fan does help in circulating the air. But once when we were boondocking at a Nascar race, the coach narked next to us...really close as they often do, had a small Westie left alone all day and they owners did leave a window cracked foir ventilation. The problem was thay the window was open about 8-10 inches and the frantic pup, sitting on the back of the sofa, just kept digging and digging, scratching and tearing at the screen until he worked his way through it and jumped to the ground. It became a scene from a Keystone cop movie with all of us chasing him until we finally caught him before he was injured. I harnessed him to my coach and he played with my dogs until the owners returned.(And the owners were angry that I had tied their precious up. They were furious as me and never thanked any of us for catching their pet...SHEESH )

I do not think that my pooches would ever attempt a Houdini act, they are pretty mellow, but ever since that day, if we are leaving them to guard the coach, I make sure that the windows are open less than the size that the smallest dog could squeeze through.

Enjoy traveling with the "kids". They like camping as much if not more than you do.

If it was me I would have untied him and said "good luck and have fun chasing him."

[mahon1993]

Another thing my wife and I have done is talk thru an emergency plan. What if there was a fire? What about an accident? We talked about what each of us would do if we had to get the dogs out of the MH right now! We have 135 lb dogs, so you can't just pick them up under your arm and get them out. They always have collers on with name tags and a phone number, and we keep their leashes handy.
Greg

[MoRV]

You can also get a window sticker and glove box info kit to inform someone in an emergency that you are traveling with a pet.....we got ours from our rescue group, but I think you can get them from ASPCA, too.

[Scooter Ride]

Our dogs have always ridden in our motor homes wherever they please. Many times one is proudly perched on DW's lap. One usually is behind DW's chair. We have been traveling this way since 1976 through several different motor homes as well as dogs so, I do not foresee any changes in the future.

[overtgabby]

Most cats are not real happy with car rides, the dogs will probably be OK. Get all the pets used to the RV before traveling, and everything should go much smoother

[Seajay]

We have 3 ''little furry people'' that let us go camping with them. Two are Papillons (sp) and one is a Tea cup Yorkie. They are Finnie, Gus Gus, and the Yorkie is Gypsy. When we travel the two Paps argue over Willa's warm lap and the Yorkie will sit in my lap. They all love to lay on the dash and watch the road disappear under the front of the coach and each is very vigilante when we stop for gas or taking a break and will be constantly on the look out for ''Attack Possums'', ''Gorillas'', "Tiny Rabbits'' and those dreaded ''Attack Butterflys''.
They each have been trained not to jump out of the coach except by invitation and they do real good at this.

Finnie and Gypsy sleep in a crate at night and Gus, Gus sleeps in the closet on our dirty clothes. They are our best friends and we would not dare leave home without them.
they also love to go fishing with me..........
(note..... I am the one in the hat)




We sailed up the Nile, we'd gone for a while
my Gypsy and Finnie and Gus Gus and me.


We sailed right along on our lips was a song
and our hearts, they were so full of glee


We saw great big birds and we said not a word
for fear they would see us you see
'Cause we were strange here, we were plum out of Beer
my Gypsy and Finnie and Gus gus and me.


And Gypsy kept watch and Finnie slept in and Gus Gus
he guarded you see…..
Cause birds would attack and never bring back the big jelly sandwich to me
And onward we rode avoiding a toad
My Gypsy and Finnie and Gus Gus and me....


The weather was clear but a big cloud hung near where lightning and thunder there be.
And rain drops fall down and we feared we might drown in our strong ship way out on the sea.
So we turned right around and everyone frowned as the rain pelted on us you see..........
And we sped right along no one singing a song
My Gypsy and Finnie and Gus Gus and me...


We rounded the bend and came home again
with happiness there's gonna' to be..
And Missie came out and said with a shout
''Where the hell you been'' not showing a grin to
My Gypsy and Finnie and Gus Gus and me


''You aint comin' in 'cause you'r soaked to the skin''
''on my floor you aint gonna be''


An umbrella she tossed out the door it was lost
and shivering under was we..
With the rain pouring down we were wearing a frown
My Gypsy and Finnie and Guss Guss and me



So outside we stand with umbrella in hand and the rain drippin' over you see
The adventure was done and we'd had lots of fun
My Gypsy and Finnie and Gus Gus and me



Seajay the poet?