TRAVELING BY CAR With Your Chihuahua
Taking your Chihuahua Puppy on a car trip can be quite enjoyable if you prepare properly in advance. Most dogs love to travel in cars, especially when they begin as a puppy. Before you start your trip, make sure you begin weeks in advance to introduce your Chihuahua Puppy to a variety of situations in order to reduce stress. First, let you dog get accustomed to meeting a lot of different people, young and old with all kinds of different looks and personalities. The more people the dog meets, the more comfortable they will be as you all travel together. Also, let your dog be around other animals and get comfortable with that concept as well.
As you travel, there will be a variety of sounds and surfaces that are different. Take your Chihuahua Puppy around to Chihuahua Puppy stores that allow animals to get the feel of a busy commercial area. Take the dog out walking in parks, hillsides or busy city sidewalks where there will be a lot of traffic noises. When you take the dog in the car, open the windows enough to let the sounds in.
When you are ready to travel, make sure you bring along the familiar foods your Chihuahua Puppy is used to. Changing the diet on a road trip could cause queasiness or diarrhea. Bring along water as well and begin mixing it with water in the area you are traveling. Sometimes a change in water can cause stomach problems as well. Be aware that some dogs can feel sick from motion sickness. Take time to pull off the road and let your dog walk around for a while and begin to feel better before moving on.
Prepare your car for traveling with a dog as well. You can use a plastic tablecloth to protect your backseat if you aren’t sure how your dog will react to traveling. Use the tablecloths that have a cloth backing. This will help keep it in place on the seat, but the plastic will be an easy clean up if you dog should happen to get sick.
Many people with smaller Chihuahua Puppy s will simply put their dog in a crate. If your dog has been crate-trained, it will be an easy way to travel. Crates also make traveling safer for the Chihuahua Puppy if you should have to stop quickly or are involved in an accident. You may also want to try a Kyjen Dog Car Booster Seat safety and security.
Many dogs will get sick out of anxiety. There may be more going on around the dog than they can handle if they haven’t been adequately prepared to travel. The more often you take the dog on short trips – around the block, to a store, to a park – the easier traveling will become. To avoid carsickness, refrain from feeding your dog for at least eight hours before traveling. Avoid giving your Chihuahua Puppy water for at least two hours before traveling. When you stop, give the dog a few sips of water or ice cubes. If these strategies don’t work, your vet can prescribe medication for carsickness.
Stop every four to six hours to let your dog have a bathroom break and to stretch his legs. Make sure you keep him on a leash to avoid his curiosity taking him too far away from the car or being in danger. Your dog will enjoy the time to romp and play and get out of the car for a while.
Make sure to take several Chihuahua Puppy items along when you travel. Take a water and food bowl, collar and leash, any medication your Chihuahua Puppy may need, a crate or cloth to cover your seat, your dog’s favorite bed, blanket or toys, a can opener for food, a good supply of your dog’s regular food and treats, water, plastic bags to clean up after him and identification tags. If you plan to be on water for any period of time, make sure your Chihuahua Puppy has their own life jacket.
It would be a good idea to look up vets or emergency animal hospitals in the cities you will be traveling to, just in case an emergency arises. Before you leave on your trip, take phone numbers and addresses of potential vets to have on hand. Websites can give you this information, such as: www.vetworld.com/vetusa/index.html.
